All posts by h716a5.icu

Aston Villa have been hugely disappointing in recent times as they just can’t seem to ensure any consistency under Dean Smith, with their play-off hopes starting to vanish. 

The Villains have already managed to secure the services of Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Kortney Hause this month, but they could still do with bringing in an attacker and another defender to sure things up.

Sadly, the Midlands club had to wave goodbye to Yannick Bolasie recently as he activated a break clause in a season-long deal at Aston Villa to return to Goodison Park.

So, with a play-off place slowly slipping away, the remaining days left in the transfer window could prove crucial.

One player who could have a big impact at Villa Park is Chelsea’s Gary Cahill. The Englishman hasn’t been able to work his way into Maurizio Sarri’s plans in the current campaign and he’s good friends with John Terry, so perhaps the Villains will be able to secure a deal.

Indeed, the defender is reportedly set to snub Arsenal for a move to either Fulham or AS Monaco, but after witnessing Terry’s rise in the Championship and given their close friendship, perhaps Terry can turn his head.

Cahill’s experience and leadership qualities would make him a great signing for Villa, with his defensive qualities alongside James Chester taking the club’s defence to another level.

Of course, finding a replacement for Bolasie will be the next thing for the Villains to try and sort out before the January transfer window shuts, as he was just starting to come into his own at Villa Park.

Neal Maupay may not be a winger by trade but he certainly has the qualities to provide an attacking threat from the left-hand side, or he could even force Smith into changing up his formation as it clearly hasn’t been working recently.

Smith will be very familiar with Maupay as he signed the Frenchman permanently during his time at Griffin Park. He currently has 17 goals and six assists to his name, so securing the services of the forward would make Villa a dominant force in the final third as a partnership that involves Tammy Abraham and Maupay would be frightening.

Aston Villa fans – thoughts on potential moves for Cahill and Maupay?

According to a recent report from The Scottish Sun, Celtic could be without defender Filip Benkovic for the rest of the season due to injury. The centre back made the move to Parkhead back in the summer on loan from Premier League outfit Leicester City, and his impressive efforts in the heart of the Bhoys backline has seen him become a regular under manager Brendan Rodgers.

However, a recent report from The Scottish Sun suggests that the Croatia Under-21 international picked up a ‘leg problem’ in their 3-0 win over Hamilton in the Scottish Premiership at the weekend, a problem which reportedly (as per The Scottish Sun) could see him miss the rest of the season.

Thus, with Benkovic possibly out for the remainder of the campaign, Rodgers might well be on the lookout for a centre back in the last knockings of the transfer window, with veteran Everton defender Phil Jagielka potentially the man to fill the void left by the Croatian sensation.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, 21-year-old Benkovic has been something of a revelation since making the move north of the border back in the summer, with the centre back very much nailing down a place in Rodgers’ starting eleven such have been his high-level displays for the seven-times defending league champions.

The Croatian ace, capped seven times at Under-21 level by his country, has appeared in each of Celtic’s last 15 league matches and in that time has helped the club to a staggering nine clean sheets, while he also did his bit to help the Bhoys through their Europa League group, as well as win the Scottish League Cup back in November.

Clearly then, if a recent report from The Scottish Sun is indeed correct, losing Benkovic for the rest of the campaign would be a huge blow to Rodgers and his side, which is why delving into the transfer window for someone to fill that void is an absolute must – Jagielka well could be that man.

Yes, the Englishman may well be entering the latter stages of his career at the age of 36, but there is little doubting that he still retains the quality to do a job in the heart of the backline, having done so effectively for Everton and indeed England over the years.

The defender has appeared 380 times for the Toffees following his move from Sheffield United back in 2007, while in that time he has also earned 40 England caps to underline his status as one of the country’s best centre backs in the last decade or so.

Significantly, it was only last season in which the 36-year-old appeared 25 times for the Merseysiders in the Premier League as they finished ninth under Sam Allardyce, with this term the only one in which Jagielka has fallen down the pecking order – the arrivals of Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina have forced that upon the Englishman.

Nonetheless, recent years have underlined that Jagielka remains a hugely adept centre back who also possesses a wealth of experience that would aid many a side in the UK, not least a Celtic team facing a title challenge this season as they go in search of an eighth successive league crown.

And with Benkovic reportedly (as per The Scottish Sun) set to miss the rest of the season through injury, Rodgers would be wise to launch a move for Jagielka, who could go some way to filling the void left by the 21-year-old.

Celtic fans… what do you think? Let us know!

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Southampton target Joakim Maehle has confirmed that he would be interested in a move to the Premier League in the summer in a report by Het Belang van Limburg, via Sport Witness.

The Saints lined up an €11.5million (£10m) bid for the Genk right-back in January, per Het Belang van Limburg via Sport Witness, but no transfer came off.

What’s the word?

Southampton’s reported interest in Maehle came after the Saints allowed Cedric Soares to join Inter Milan on loan.

Maehle has made 64 appearances for Genk since joining the club from Aalborg BK and has won two caps for Denmark’s Under-21 side.

And he admits that he was interested in moving to St Mary’s, while admitting that he hopes to complete a similar transfer in the summer.

Speaking to Het Belang van Limburg, via Sport Witness, he said: “I’m not going to say that I wasn’t interested. This was a nice proposal from a big club from a top competition.”

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Asked if he could move in the summer, he added: “We will see that. If I keep on performing, this opportunity definitely needs to happen again. But whether that will be at the same club or in the same competition, you cannot predict now.”

Reignite interest in summer

This sounds very much like a come-and-get-me plea from Maehle.

The right-back would have the opportunity to link up with fellow Danes Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Jannik Vestergaard for the south coast outfit.

And it makes complete sense for the Saints to pursue a deal, particularly now that Cedric has been allowed to depart St Mary’s.

If Saints stay up – they are currently two points clear of 18th-placed Cardiff City in the Premier League – their interest may well be reignited, as Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to shore up his defence.

Indeed, the club have conceded 42 goals thus far this season, only four fewer than rock-bottom Huddersfield Town.

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Financial number crunching hardly represents the glamorous side of football but it’s something which Celtic supporters remain interested in for obvious reasons.

The club simply loves to get one over their bitter rivals in whatever way possible, so it’s no surprise that they regularly use their positive financial situation as another stick to beat Rangers with.

Their deep financial troubles have plagued the club and given Bhoys fans reason to ridicule their Glaswegian counterparts, and the recent release of the six-month interim report provided them with yet another reason to feel financially superior.

Indeed, the report revealed that Celtic posted after tax profits of £15.2 million, as per their official website, while various footballing highlights were posted to underline their dominance in Scottish football.

Numbers were marginally down on the 2017 update but the recorded profits have forced a handful of supporters to call for new signings in the summer window.

But some fans were simply happy to see their club in the black and expressed their pride over the resoundingly positive report.

Here’s what the Celtic fans had to say in response to the club’s interim report:

The Premier League is home to some incredible goalkeepers. For example, Man City’s Ederson took the league by storm last season following his move Benfica, whilst young Kepa Arrizabalaga has taken over from Thibaut Courtois at Chelsea seamlessly.

Much of the talk this season, though has been about Alisson and David De Gea. De Gea, who has been the best goalkeeper in England for years now, suffered a little bit of a wobble earlier this term, whilst the arrival of Alisson has consequently led to Liverpool being a far more impressive force in the Premier League this year.

At this stage, few would argue that the pair are two of the Premier League’s very best, and in truth, on initial glance, it’s very hard to determine who is the better of the two.

Most would likely suggest De Gea based on the longevity of his dominance, but Sky Sports man Adam Bate seems to be leaning towards Alisson – having done some comprehensive analysis.

As per Sky Sports, he said: ‘De Gea and Alisson have very different styles but both are vital figures for their respective clubs. The Liverpool goalkeeper is more of a risk taker and is, therefore, more prone to making mistakes that could cost his team. However, Alisson’s ability to sweep up and distribute the ball from the back has given his side a new dimension this season.’

He continued: ‘What is perhaps more surprising is that Alisson’s shot-stopping numbers have also been top class – better even than De Gea over the course of the season.’

Admittedly, as Bate notes, De Gea’s blip earlier this season has impacted upon his season-wide stats – but there’s no reason for that to be excluded, as consistency is a vitally important trait for a goalkeeper.

It seems clear, then, that Alisson has enjoyed better form across the campaign, and for Liverpool, that’s been such a vital reason as to why they’ve been so successful.

Of course, it’s significant that last season, Liverpool conceded 38 goals (on average one per game), which was more than Man City, Man Utd and Tottenham, whilst it was the same as Chelsea – who finished 5th. This season, they’ve conceded just 15 (admittedly, in 12 fewer games given that the season is still ongoing, but that’s still well below their previous average).

In part, that’s down to the rapidly improving Liverpool defence, of course, but Alisson’s involvement has also been vital, whilst given his style of play, he’s also made an impact going forward.

It’s clear, then, that whilst De Gea is a remarkable goalkeeper, Alisson has been arguably more important to the success of Liverpool than he has at Man Utd – and now even those outside of Anfield are realising that.

Thoughts?

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According to Correio de Manha via The Mirror, Sporting’s Bruno Fernandes is on Liverpool’s radar as Jurgen Klopp looks to add to his attacking contingent having missed out on signing Lyon’s Nabil Fekir. Could he be the missing piece in the jigsaw?

What’s the word?

Well, The Mirror reports (via Correio de Manha) that the Portuguese is a target for both AC Milan and the Reds as the club look to negotiate his exit amid crushing debt that amounts to around €281m.

The midfielder’s release clause of €100million (£87m) is unlikely to be met by either of the aforementioned suitors and Sporting will surely have to negotiate a lower price in order to get the player off their books.

Having already seen the likes of William Carvalho and Rui Patricio leave over the summer in controversial fashion, the Lisbon-based outfit could be set to lose yet another star at the end of the season. What would be their undoubted loss, though, would be of enormous benefit to Jurgen Klopp and his side.

Finally… a playmaker

Klopp’s tactical flexibility has seen the Reds flirt with a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2, while also frequenting the 4-3-3 that has helped them become masters of Gegenpressing.

The former has required centre-forward Roberto Firmino to be deployed in the number 10 role while Mohamed Salah has been moved up front. Although the famous front three’s linkup is as glorious as ever, there still remains the lack of an out-and-out playmaker.

Bayern Munich were resolute in their defending at Anfield on Tuesday night and it was clear the home side were crying out for a player who could create something out of nothing and unpick the Bavarians’ defence with a special pass, as pinpointed by frustrated Reds fans below…

This has been a weakness of Liverpool’s since the departure of Philippe Coutinho and Klopp surely feels this needs addressing. Fekir was intended to plug this gap but a switch to Merseyside never materialised and so the title challengers remain an incomplete puzzle.

Are fan nerves to blame for Liverpool’s recent form? Pl>ymaker FC’s Tom Skinner discusses in the video below…

If Manchester City prove too good once again this term, the signing of 24-year-old Fernandes, who has chalked up an impressive 21 goals and 11 assists in 2018/19, could be the addition that takes the Reds beyond their title rivals next season.

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Everton host Liverpool this weekend and will be hoping, against all odds, that they can put their woeful run of results behind them and get some form going. League leaders Liverpool have hardly been at their best in recent weeks but the stats point to a huge advantage for the Reds.

On the chalkboard

Jurgen Klopp might have made some high-profile additions to his squad over the summer in an attempt to shore up his defence but he wasn’t the only manager on Merseyside to do so – Marco Silva signed Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina to reinforce the heart of his backline.

Neither, though, have had the desired effect, be that through fault of their own or the Toffees boss’ insistence to stick by a clearly ineffective zonal marking system.

For all of Liverpool’s quick, counter-attacking prowess, there is a stat going under the radar that should be of bigger concern to Silva than the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Set-piece threat

The Reds have garnered a reputation for their scintillating, swift attacks and surely few would associate them with scoring the ugly way – through set-pieces.

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

However, as of Monday, the Anfield outfit have netted from 15 – a league high – while their Goodison Park neighbours have conceded 13 goals from such situations – surprisingly, considering the height boasted by their defence, another league high.

All the focus will once again be on Salah, who has not delivered in the recent stalemates with Bayern Munich and Liverpool, but the stats indicate that the visitors will be at their most threatening when play has stopped rather than when one of their attackers is running with the ball at feet.

After the grief it has brought him and his side in recent weeks, Silva would surely be mad to stick with zonal marking for this heated clash with Everton’s bitter rivals.

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According to Calciomercato, Everton have identified RB Leipzig forward Jean-Kevin Augustin as their top transfer target for the summer, as they look to find an out-and-out goalscorer to lead the line next season.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Toffees were reportedly interested in signing the Frenchman back in January although a move failed to materialise, but they now look set to reignite their interest in him.

The 21-year-old has scored six goals this season across all competitions, although he has struggled for starts – out of his 23 appearances, only 11 of them have seen him included in the starting line-up.

Despite that, Augustin remains highly-rated after coming through the youth ranks at Paris Saint-Germain, and is a player of real talent despite RB Leipzig’s preference to use his as an impact sub.

Could Ademola Lookman be used in the deal? 

The 21-year-old Toffees forward enjoyed a stunning loan spell with RB Leipzig in the second half of last season, scoring five goals and recording three assists in just seven Bundesliga starts – however, a permanent deal was squashed by Marco Silva’s desire to keep the player.

Strangely, despite the Portuguese boss’ intention to keep the former Charlton man at the club, he has given the youngster just six starts in all competitions this season with Theo Walcott largely preferred out on the right flank.

As a result of Lookman’s sporadic involvement, Everton would be wise to include the youngster in any offer for Augustin, especially given the fact that the German side offered upwards of £25m to sign him back in the summer.

Everton have lacked a diminutive goal-getter for a while now, and a player such as Augustin, who is a similar frame and physique to former Toffees hero Andy Johnson, could be just what they need to complement Richarlison up top and help propel them up the table.

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League One promotion-chasers Barnsley face a potentially season-defining clash against Sunderland at Oakwell on Tuesday night.

The third-placed Black Cats are currently breathing down the Tykes’ necks, and a win for the visitors would take them to within a point of the hosts with a game in hand, giving them the initiative in the race for automatic promotion.

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

Daniel Stendel’s side, though, could give themselves breathing space with a win. Barnsley’s assistant manager Dale Tonge certainly believes that the outcome of Tuesday’s match could have significant ramifications for the remainder of the club’s campaign.

What he said

Speaking to the press on Monday, as quoted by Barnsley’s official website, Tonge said: “We look at it as a must-win for us – that’s all we’re looking at. Let’s win the game and the rest will take care of itself…But I don’t think this game is the be all and end all between now and the end of the season. We’re under no illusions; it’s a massive game.”

A vital clash

With plenty of football still to be played after this match, it isn’t ‘the be all and end all’ exactly. However, a win would give the victor a major confidence boost, extra momentum and a psychological edge heading into the League One season’s run-in. 

Stendel and Tonge will both recognise the importance of this game, but to even mutter the words “must-win” certainly puts some neccesary presure on the Yorkshire outfit’s players.

The duo should also be prepared to have to lift their side should Tuesday end in disappointment. A negative result against Sunderland could derail Barnsley’s season if the management team allow it to. 

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Middlesbrough’s poor recent run of form has seen them fall completely out of contention for automatic promotion and now their play-off place is under threat as well.

Frustrations are mounting at the Riverside Stadium, and the club suffered another bitter disappointment when they let a lead slip against Preston North End last time out and ended up losing the game 2-1.

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

The club must arrest this slide and get back to winning ways soon if they’re to stand any chance of securing promotion back to the Premier League this season. Manager Tony Pulis believes he has diagnosed the cause of his side’s recent struggles.

What he said

Speaking in his recent press conference, as quoted by the club’s official site, the former Stoke City boss said: “We’ve just got to be more clinical. Right up until the final third, we’ve been as good as anyone this year. Defensively we’ve been great this year, we’ve just got to improve in the final third.”

Killer instinct needed

This is certainly true. Boro are well organised, generally tough to break down, and have solid foundations. However, they also lack cutting edge. None of their strikers have been clinical enough this season, with top-scorer Britt Assombalonga only having notched ten league strikes.

They’ll need far more firepower than that to make promotion a reality. Pulis must find a way to give his side something extra in the final third, and soon, otherwise this campaign will go down as a failure by the standards of a club of Boro’s stature.