All posts by h716a5.icu

Things seem to finally be picking up a bit for Wolves.

The Midlands side won their first league game last weekend as they beat Watford 2-0, and they quickly followed that up with their first win in the Europa League group stage as they overcame Besiktas 1-0 in Istanbul.

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Their victory came in the most dramatic of fashions too, as Willy Boly put Nuno Espirito Santo’s side ahead with just a minute left in second half stoppage time.

Of course, this sparked wild celebrations amongst the fans, but one man who was unwilling to get carried away was Adama Traore.

“We have to keep working,” Traore said.

The winger could be forgiven for having a moment of celebration or allowing himself to get carried away after such a huge win. However, he seemingly knows that Wolves aren’t quite where they want to be yet, and he believes that hard work is the only way they’re going to get there.

West Ham United prospect Nathan Holland has yet again been impressing for the Hammer’s youth sides, and some fans are making a case for the 21-year-old to be included in Manuel Pellegrini’s first-team squad.

Holland is yet to break into the senior team despite being 21 years old, though he was given a 57 minute run out against Oxford United last month.

His lack of involvement, however, suggests that Pellegrini is reluctant to integrate him.

The winger has been in impressive form this season, bagging two goals and providing three assists for the U23 side.

Despite a 4-3 defeat against Cheltenham Town earlier this week, Holland was in excellent form against Michael Duff’s side, and ExWHUemployee called for the academy prospect to be given a “proper chance” in the first-team picture shortly after the game.

Whilst Pellegrini’s side are currently in impressive form in the Premier League having risen to eighth in the table, some West Ham fans believe Holland should be given an opportunity beyond the U21’s.

Check out some of the best reactions below to the latest performance from the club’s highly-rated prospect…

Tottenham are reportedly interested in Ajax’s Donny van de Beek, according to FCInterNews, and many Spurs fans are urging the club to bring him to north London.

The Spurs faithful will know all about the midfielder having come up against Ajax in last season’s Champions League semi-final, with van de Beek getting on the scoresheet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

However, with a host of clubs interested, including the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool, it could be a very tough task to persuade him to join, though one supporter suggests he would be an ideal replacement for Christian Eriksen, and therefore the club could submit an enticing offer.

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Some are excited by another playmaker joining and slotting into a midfield which consists of Harry Winks, and new signings Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso.

He is still only 22 but has now made 150 appearances for Ajax, where he came through the academy system. He has 34 goals and 29 assists, too, so could follow the trajectory of Eriksen, who joined Spurs from the Dutch outfit at a similar age, having scored 32 goals in 161 games.

Here is some of the reaction from the Spurs faithful who are desperate for the Netherlands international to join.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

Patrick Bamford or Eddie Nketiah? In some ways, it’s a tough debate but in others, it’s an easy one.

Although the former offers good work rate and willing hold-up play, there’s no denying that the latter is the better goal scorer and perhaps more liked too. At times this term, it’s been difficult not to be alarmed with some of the criticism Bamford has received.

Since he last found the back of the net seven games ago, Nketiah has scored eight times for club and country.

But in replacing the pair so early on Saturday, Marcelo Bielsa made a big statement, one that proves time could be running out for the former Middlesbrough man to impress.

Snapshot

Leeds’ encounter with Birmingham was a game that was typical of how their season had gone, particularly in the first half.

The Whites dominated possession, amassing 70% of the possession and having eight shots to the visitors’ two throughout the first period.

Once again, Bielsa’s men couldn’t find a way to put the ball in the back of the net despite having all of the play.

Bamford had a solid opportunity to score during the first 45 minutes, placing an effort just wide of the target but it was again another match where he failed to beat the goalkeeper.

Off the bench

The 26-year-old’s chance to put his horrible record to bed was taken away from him at the break as Nketiah came on for the second half.

The youngster registered two shots in his cameo but also failed to score in what was an overall disappointing performance from him.

That being said, Bielsa’s call to replace Bamford told us an awful lot about his current feelings on the striker.

In the past, the Argentine has leapt to his defence, saying he values him, but the fact he was withdrawn so early perhaps indicated that he regretted not playing Nketiah from the off.

Although the Arsenal loanee’s impact was restricted when he did come on, Bielsa has been under pressure from supporters to start him after his hat-trick for England U21s in midweek.

Nketiah has also voiced his frustrations at not starting yet but being introduced at half time, rather than later in the game as he has been throughout this season, tells you a start may finally be forthcoming.

Bamford’s inability to score again could just find him on the bench when they face Preston on Tuesday. After all, this substitution was a statement that could prove telling in the coming weeks.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

West Ham have been linked with QPR’s Ryan Manning in recent days and there is good reason to believe that he could be a viable long-term option for Manuel Pellegrini’s side.

The left-back position has often been an area of uncertainty at the London Stadium as Arthur Masuaku has sought to take the first-choice slot away from Aaron Cresswell.

Although he wasn’t involved on the opening day, Masuaku started the season as first-choice before his suspension allowed the former Ipswich man to come into the side, and he showed his manager what he was missing out on with two goals in two matches upon his return.

He kept his place for the visit of Crystal Palace and maintained his form, and there are similarities to be made between his attributes and that of Manning, who has impressed in the Championship.

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The 23-year-old has been given a new lease of life at QPR since Mark Warburton came in, and has been a regular despite being deemed surplus to requirements under Steve McClaren last year, joining Rotherham on loan.

He has been efficient in all aspects of his play, but has particularly improved defensively compared to when he broke through, and if he can continue to make improvements then he could make the step-up to the Premier League.

If he was to join the Hammers, it would be a move not too dissimilar to the one Cresswell made, having arrived in east London at the age of 24 after also impressing in the Championship.

As shown in his stats from WhoScored, Manning is quite a similar player to Cresswell. He likes to get up and down the wing and contribute to his team going forward, as his three assists indicate, but he also has the awareness to snuff out danger.

One of the goals he assisted came from a free-kick, too, so he shares that trait with the West Ham man, but until he improves his pass accuracy he may struggle to convince Pellegrini that he is a suitable signing.

The Chilean has looked to implement a passing style at the London Stadium, as evidenced through the Hammers’ well-worked goal against the Eagles, and Manning has struggled with his accuracy despite Warburton operating in a similar fashion, with an average of 54% possession this term.

However, he is still young and has improved in a number of areas in his short career, including passing, interceptions and tackling, and learning from the coaching staff at West Ham and from the likes of Cresswell could allow him to establish himself in the Premier League.

By comparison, Cresswell managed only 67% pass accuracy the year before he made the switch, as well as 1.2 tackles per game – below that of the QPR left-back.

He has therefore made drastic improvements, as highlighted in his season stats on WhoScored, so it is possible that Manning could too, and therefore he would be a sensible addition.

For all of Manchester United’s goal-scoring troubles this season – they have scored just ten times in the Premier League – things could have been oh-so-different had the summer turned out a different way.

Inter’s pursuit of Romelu Lukaku was long and protracted, and it appeared at one stage that their Italian rivals Juventus were about to pounce. In the end, the Nerazzurri got their man, but United could very well have profited with more than just the money they received for the Belgium international.

Reports had claimed Antonio Conte’s side were willing to give up Mauro Icardi as part of the deal to sign the 26-year-old, but it was then suggested the Red Devils had no interest in such a proposition.

Icardi eventually joined French giants PSG later in the summer, and has enjoyed a fine start to life in Paris, scoring twice in the win over Club Brugge in the Champions League on Tuesday.

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After seeing the Argentine’s display, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the man that was linked to them.

Many Red Devils supporters insisted they should have done everything in their power to sign the 5 foot 11 star, with one fan in particular blaming Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for not making it happen.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Tottenham Hotspur fans want Christian Eriksen to be banished from first-team affairs following a major transfer update from The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

The journalist claims that there was not a single bid tabled for the Denmark international in the summer, despite his desire to join either Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Manchester United are said to have made their interest known, though Eriksen was not keen on moving to Old Trafford.

Despite his failure to move, Eriksen is said to have little desire to sign a new contract in north London, because of his desire to move to a foreign club.

Of course, the midfielder struggled throughout the club’s 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, per WhoScored, registering just 62% passing accuracy and failing to register a single key pass.

And a number of fans are keen for him to be banished to training with the kids and away from the first-team until he actually leaves the club.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Moussa Sissoko has maintained that Tottenham Hotspur can get back to their best despite a poor start to the season, per the club’s official website.

What’s he said?

The France international has started every single game in the Premier League this season, but Spurs have won just three of those encounters.

Indeed, Mauricio Pochettino’s men are currently 11th in the top-flight, eight points behind both Leicester City and Chelsea in third and fourth respectively.

But Sissoko is confident that he and his team-mates have the ability to turn their form around and begin to climb the table.

He said: “Like always, I give my best for the team and that’s what I will always do, like every player, until the end of the season.

“We are together and we want success together. Of course, the results in the last few weeks haven’t been great for us, but that’s football, that’s life.

“Sometimes it can be like this and we have to work our way through it, stick together and I’m sure good things will follow soon.”

Nonsense quotes

What’s the point of coming out with cookie-cutter quotes that supporters will surely find infuriating?

At the end of the day, all that matters – clichéd as it may be – is the score at the final whistle.

It is all very well coming out with these template words but Sissoko, of all people, needs to start backing everything up on the pitch.

He has been one of the club’s most improved players and, obviously, Pochettino trusts him.

But he has yet to add an end product to his play. On Sunday, against Liverpool, as Spurs lost 2-1, he had a prime opportunity to play in Son Heung-Min in the final 10 minutes but he ended up playing the ball through to Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker instead.

Indeed, per WhoScored, while he has laid on one assist this season, he averages just 0.5 key passes per game, is dispossessed on average 0.9 times and has 1.7 unsuccessful touches.

Sissoko would do better to work on adding an end product to his game instead of pontificating about his side’s chances.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

What more harm could one more do?

Well, not a lot of harm, but it’s still something that Sheffield United shouldn’t bother themselves with.

There are a lot of men all eyeing a spot in the starting line-up at Bramall Lane, but according to Stan Collymore, there’s still room for one more.

What’s he said?

Writing in The Daily Mirror (Print edition, 5/11/19, Page 51), Collymore felt that although their defence has been superb, a lack of goals could well see the Blades fall off. As a result, he’s suggested bringing someone to add an extra couple of goals to see them over the line:

“Sheffield United were one of my tips for relegation and, of course, that might still happen. Defensively, they are conceding 0.75 goals a game — Champions League percentages — and what they need now is to push on from a very solid start.

“To do that they need more goals and if they get them they will be safe. I’d imagine a loan striker will be top of Wilder’s Christmas wish-list because if they can get a poacher of Jermain Defoe’s calibre — all relegation bets will be off.”

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Too many chefs spoiling the broth

Should Sheffield United really go through the effort of trying to sign someone like that for what might only end up being one or two goals throughout the season?

It just doesn’t make any sense.

As has been pointed out earlier, there are far too many men already for them to choose from, and unless there is a mass exodus in the window, it wouldn’t be wise to add another one into the mix.

Collymore makes reference to Defoe and although he has a wonderful Premier League record, bagging 163 goals in 496 games, it would feel like a waste of wages to bring in an added attacking player. After all, only top quality would be an upgrade on the options they currently have and it’s unlikely they’ll find that in January.

Collymore isn’t talking about bringing in 20 goal a year player, just someone who can provide 4 or 5 to take them over the edge and keep them out of trouble.

Find out which Premier League newcomer is a future England boss in the making in the video below…

Someone like Billy Sharp has been a reliable source of goals for the Blades down the years, with 103 of them in 250 games (via Transfermarkt), so if they find themselves laking goals from the likes of Lys Mousset and Oliver McBurnie in the first team, why not go with someone that you know can get you goals.

It’s a risk-free method and wouldn’t do them any great harm.

There’s no point in spending money just for the sake of it.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Martin Dubravka has been a stalwart since coming into the team, but in recent times there have been murmurings of discontent about his performances.

On the chalkboard

The goalkeeper has been a commanding presence for the Magpies since January 2018 and he has played a big role in their success in the months since, with those at the club clearly rating him.

That is shown by the fact he hasn’t missed a Premier League game since his debut against Manchester United, but despite that there have been voices of discontent from the terraces.

An error which allowed Wolves to equalise a few weeks ago ended up costing his side all three points, and that led to an outpour of condemnation from fans, with some suggesting it was just one example of Dubravka underperforming.

They will have to get used to his presence between the sticks, however, as the Slovakia international recently signed a new deal with the club that will see him stay at St James’ Park until 2025, when he’ll be 35.

Much-needed reliability

Although Newcastle were often difficult to beat under Rafa Benitez, too often they have been a side which are too easy to roll over and score goals past.

The display against Leicester this season showed that it is still a danger of Steve Bruce’s side, but with Dubravka in the net they have been a lot more effective in that department.

In this campaign alone the 29-year-old has made 37 saves, a total which is only bettered by two players in the league – Bernd Leno and Tim Krul.

Whilst it underlines Dubravka’s ability, it is a worrying sign of the number of shots Newcastle concede, despite operating with five defenders in all but one league match this term.

One way that could be solved is if he improves his organisation of the defence. Fabian Balbuena’s goal for West Ham last weekend was an example of that, as not only did he fail to set-up correctly for the corner, but he also didn’t take the command of the ball when it was crossed in.

If he can improve in that area of his game it may begin to remove any doubt that some fans may have, and lead Bruce’s side conceding less often.