All posts by hc12369.com

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According to The Evening Standard, Manchester United are readying a £25m offer for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with the impressive Crystal Palace man surely seen as Antonio Valencia’s successor at Old Trafford.

Eagles fans will rightly turn their noses up at such an offer, with the combative number 29’s actual valuation surely closer to double that figure – while there’s nothing too much to worry about right now, then, this approach from the Red Devils suggests that this saga could torment the Selhurst Park faithful all summer long.

What’s the word?

Well, The Evening Standard reports that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made the 21-year-old his number one right-back target this summer, with the aforementioned Valencia departing, and has instructed Ed Woodward to test the waters with a first offer.

Steve Parish and the Palace bigwigs are expected to demand at least £50m for the highly-rated Englishman who only broke through to the first team in February 2018, meaning that the reported £25m bid is certain to be rejected, although unfortunately that doesn’t mean this book closes.

United’s lowball offer means that they can slowly climb towards Palace’s asking price of £50m over the course of the summer, which is likely what they’ll do considering how highly Solskjaer rates the Croydon-born starlet.

A long summer for Palace fans

A successful window for the Selhurst Park outfit would constitute keeping hold of their main stars: Wan-Bissaka and Wilfried Zaha. In fact, if you asked most Palace fans, they would probably tell you that they’d rather keep the aforementioned duo than lose them both and spend £100m-plus on new faces in the coming months.

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Has this guy found the worst stadium in English football? Decide for yourself by watching the video below…

United won’t call it quits once their £25m offer is inevitably scoffed at and will surely be on the phone every other week with a new, fractionally-improved bid until they finally get their man or Palace say enough is enough, meaning that the SE25 faithful should start sweating over the star’s future now. This one will likely roll on until the window slams shut on 8th August.

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December 5th 2018 was a landmark moment in the career of Morgan Gibbs-White as the promising teenager made his first Premier League start.

The opposition? Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea. The result? A 2-1 win for Wolves. Unsurprisingly it wasn’t the first time Nuno Santo’s team had taken points from a top-six club in 2018/19.

In that clash, Gibbs-White was phenomenal, claiming an assist playing in the advanced role he’d flourished in for England U17’s during their World Cup triumph 14 months prior.

But, that game against the Blues is about as good as it got for the young talent this season. A victim of Wolves’ settled side, he’s had to make do with regular substitute cameos, appearing just five times from the start in the league.

And when he has played, it’s usually been deeper in Wolves’ midfield.

However, there is hope beyond his limited game time this term. Gibbs-White has an extremely bright future and, if the club qualify for the Europa League, he is someone who can benefit greatly from the extra matches.

Wolves haven’t needed much rotation in midfield this season. Ruben Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho have all been hugely impressive. But with the latter turning 33 before the new season gets underway, there will be questions over whether he can play in as many matches as he has for a second year in a row.

With that in mind, Gibbs-White will surely find himself starting to become a regular in the Wolves side next term.

Given Neves and Dendoncker are more defensive minded players, then Moutinho would be the most likely to drop out should the 19-year-old start to prosper further. That’s unless Wolves change their system to accommodate the young star.

Moutinho was their leading creative light after arriving, claiming eight assists, but if you look at Gibbs-White’s performances at international youth level then there is a key argument to suggest he can take over the mantle from Moutinho.

He’s an exceptional player when coming from deep, having a canny knack of arriving in the penalty area late, either to pop up with a goal or move the ball quickly onto his teammates.

This was evident during the game against Chelsea. Incisive passes were the order of the day as he looked to feed Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez into the channels.

But what should scare opposing teams the most is his ability on the ball. Flashback to a time when Jack Wilshere was actually rather good and there are a few similarities.

Gibbs-White can pick up the ball, get past a man and inject a turn of pace into a match from nowhere. It’s players like that who get you out of your seat.

In an age where England have so many promising young players coming through, he is yet another individual capable of starring for his country in the years to come.

For starters, he may get to do that at the European U21 Championships this summer should he be picked. That’ll present an ideal platform for the Wolves man to show his true capabilities on a continental stage.

Good performances there and there’s no reason why he can’t kick on domestically once he returns.

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England have lacked players with the ability to carry the ball forward, and in Gibbs-White they have a perfect candidate to erase the thought of boring sideways passing.

Wolves have shown interest in Benfica superstar Joao Felix in recent times. If they pull it off it’ll be a remarkable transfer coup. But they may be better off relying on their own young talent. It’s definitely a far better option financially.

His debut season in the top-tier of English football was a promising one but next year could be a real breakthrough campaign.

Much has been made about the club’s lack of depth but he is a phenomenal example of why Wolves can ignore the advances Jorge Mendes makes this summer and opt for internal solutions.

After all, Nuno is aiming to keep his squad small again next season. As a result, the opportunity will surely be there for their exciting prospect to eclipse his elder colleagues.

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When speaking to Football Insider, former  Leeds United player Noel Whelan has picked out Jamie Shackleton as the club’s most promising youngster ahead of Jack Clarke.

The 19-year-old has made 19 appearances for the first team this season, and the BBC Radio pundit has clearly been impressed by what he has seen.

What’s been said then?

Whelan has been getting excited about Shackleton based on his performances this season.

The youngster has been utilised as both a right-back and a central midfielder by Marcelo Bielsa this year. His versatility has seen him get more first team chances than other young players.

“I wish I had seen a bit more of him during the season,” Whelan told Football Insider.

“He is just as good as Jack Clarke, and might be better than Clarke.

“He is very direct, very fast, tenacious, a good passer of the ball and makes things happen. It’s nice to see Clarke and Shackleton regularly in the first-team squad, but fans would like to see more of Shackleton. He’s got a bit of everything and is going to the very top.”

Jumping the gun

The 44-year-old may be jumping the gun when comparing Shackleton to Clarke.

Although the 19-year-old has been impressive for the Whites, he has only played 439 minutes in the league this season. Compare this to Clarke who has played 801 mins, and it’s easy to see how he has gotten carried away.

16 of the youngster’s 19 appearances this season have been off the bench, and of course, it is much easier to impress when playing against fatigued opposition in short spurts.

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The two teenagers have been used sparingly by Marcelo Bielsa this season, but the winger has played a lot more football than the player he is being compared to.

Shackleton has had less time to impress than the 18-year-old, but he has also had less time for the opposition to exploit weaknesses in his game.

Clarke has the added weight of expectation due to the electric start his career at Elland Road. Now his performances have dropped off slightly people have begun to underrate him. Not that Shackleton isn’t a great young prospect, but to compare him to Clarke is just one step too far.

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Son Heung-min’s red card against AFC Bournemouth must inspire Tottenham Hotspur to victory in midweek in the biggest game in their history.

Spurs fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat to the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Ajax.

The performance was diabolical; Spurs did not get out of the blocks on the south coast and ended up losing their heads.

Son, after a bodycheck by Jefferson Lerma, was already pent up, looking to make things happen and give Spurs a victory that would have seen them qualify for the Champions League via their league position. He was involved in another scuffle with the midfielder on the ball and attempted to pick the ball up, but seemed to receive a punch to the back. He reacted, pushing Lerma to the ground, and was sent off.

Juan Foyth was given his marching orders in the second half after the tone had been set by the South Korea international.

Son is a player who seems to genuinely love playing for Spurs. He has been in excellent form this season and has scored 20 goals in all competitions. Many fans pinpointed his absence from the first leg against Ajax as the main reason for their defeat. His direct running, his pace on the counter-attack, his finishing ability was sorely missed. He is the club’s most important player when Harry Kane is out of action, as he is now.

But on Saturday, he let himself and his team-mates down. And he’ll know that.

Son apologised to the club’s fans for missing games while on international duty with South Korea. He said, per Goal: “Of course I feel very sorry because I miss already in September [Asian Games].

“I feel sorry for my team-mates, the fans and the coaching staff.”

This is a player who is accustomed to having the weight of an entire country on his shoulders. He routinely steps up to the plate when Spurs need him most and yet, in their hour of need, he was their downfall.

Now, with Ajax looming, and the suspension not extended to European football, Son has the chance to put it right. He must not waste it.

He will be chomping at the bit to get out there in Amsterdam and attempt to take Spurs to the victory they need to reach the final.

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They will surely play Barcelona if they get to Madrid – Liverpool lost 3-0 in Camp Nou and a turnaround in the other semi-final would be nothing short of miraculous – and this is perhaps the only chance Spurs will ever have to reach the showpiece final.

With Son motivated and firing, Mauricio Pochettino’s men have every chance.

That red card in Bournemouth could prove to be an unlikely catalyst for yet another glory glory night for Spurs.

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Izzy Brown is injured. Water is wet. The two phrases have been as consistent as each other throughout this season for Leeds fans. His latest setback surely all but confirms that he will never play for the Whites again as his loan spell nears its end.

Another setback

Brown suffered a horror injury during his loan spell with Brighton last season as he tore his ACL in January meaning that he would miss almost a year of action.

Despite his ongoing injury problems Leeds wanted to take a punt on the Chelsea man for this season. Their gamble has backfired horribly as the midfielder has appeared just once since joining the club last summer.

A hamstring injury followed which saw him miss another three months of action and since then he has been resigned to playing for the Under 23’s in a bid to get back his match fitness.

Numerous small knocks have seen his return delayed and his latest injury all but confirms he will not appear again this season.

A fitting end

Unfortunately, the latest update on the Chelsea loanees fitness is a story that Leeds fans have heard all too often.

The 22-year-old was brought in having been a vital member of the Huddersfield squad that was promoted in 2017 and, as well as enjoying a solid half a season at Brighton in the Premier League.

Under different circumstances, Brown could have been a key player for Marcelo Bielsa and perhaps could’ve been the difference between the playoffs and automatic promotion.

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It has been an absolute waste of a year for both parties and if the former England U20 international’s problems continue you have to ask what it means for the course of his career.

The youngster is clearly a very talented player but his time at Elland Road can only be described as a nightmare, as the Whites haven’t been able to use the attacking midfielder at all this season. It seems his career at the Yorkshire club will finish as it started, on the treatment table.

According to an exclusive from Team Talk, Wolves are set to make an attempt to sign Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof. Despite an unconvincing spell in England so far, he could be the man to take Nuno Santo’s team to the next level.

What’s the word?

Lindelof has been in and out of the Man United team in recent weeks with manager Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer desperately trying to find a way to resolve his team’s defensive issues.

The Swede hasn’t look very convincing in English football after making a mega-money move for £31m from Benfica.

But, Wolves now look set to try and bring him to the Midlands. Per Team Talk, Nuno is to make a renewed effort to bring him to Molineux with United seriously considering their defensive options.

Wolves were initially interested in the 24-year-old last May when Team Talk reported that they’d submitted two alternative proposals to sign the player. That came after The Sun claimed United had made him available on loan.

Lindelof exactly what Wolves need

Willy Boly and Conor Coady have both been brilliant for Wolves this term but they are lacking another consistent centre half in their three-man defence.

Nuno has rotated Romain Saiss and Ryan Bennett in the right centre-back spot this season but both have been inconsistent.

The addition of a top centre back is exactly what they need. Lindelof hasn’t set the world alight in English football but has shown glimpses on occasions of why United paid so much for him.

For a team like Wolves, he’d be a fantastic addition and he could be the man to take them to the next level. That level, of course, is the top six, and although defence isn’t their main priority, it would certainly make them more solid.

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If Lindelof were to make the move to the Midlands then he could relish the opportunity of being a big fish in a small pond and thrive under Nuno.

A client of Jorge Mendes, Wolves fans should take comfort from the fact a number of his players have already thrived at Wolves.

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According to Le10 Sport, Liverpool are interested in signing Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar in this summer’s transfer window.

However, the same report has claimed that the Reds will find it tough to secure the 20-year-old’s services as Lyon might be forced to sell Tanguy Ndombele at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

Aouar came through the youth system at Lyon and has been a regular this term – scoring seven times and contributing eight assists in 42 appearances.

Liverpool are expected to move for a new attacking midfielder in this summer’s transfer window as head coach Jurgen Klopp looks to improve his options.

And there is no question that Aouar would fit the mould, with the France Under-21 international capable of operating in a number of different midfield positions.

Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

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The Premier League club’s fans have been on social media reacting to the speculation surrounding the Lyon ace, and a selection of the best tweets can be viewed below:

Manchester United will be expected to make a big splash in the transfer market this summer as they look to build on some positive early signs under Ole Solskjaer.

The Norwegian manager is expected to be backed with some big money from the United board, and he will no doubt already have a list of targets drawn up who he thinks can come into Old Trafford and make a real difference.

One big area of concern for the club is in defence, where it has been clear for some time that United need some world class talent in order for them to compete with some of the other big spenders across Europe.

This weekend has seen the emergence of news surrounding Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, with United reportedly interested in paying the £110m fee that the Italian club value their powerhouse centre half at.

And here in the Tavern, we feel that spending this sort of money might be just what United need to do to ensure they keep pace with the top clubs in England and Europe.

We have seen over at Anfield the impact of having a commanding centre half can have, with Virgil Van Dijk making a huge difference for Liverpool this season.

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Koulibaly could have the same sort of impact on proceedings at Old Trafford too, and he has already shown for Napoli just how good he can be.

United simply have to get someone in at the back who can dominate and set the tone of games from defence, and the big 27-year-old could well prove a real difference maker for the Red Devils next season.

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Ruben Neves has been near untouchable when it’s come to criticism after joining Wolves. The club raised eyebrows when they were able to prize the midfielder away from Porto in 2017 and he’s more than lived up to expectations.

He was regularly among the goals for the Midlands club last season and set the Championship alight as Wolves romped to the league title.

Although still effective this term too, he’s been far quieter than his debut campaign in English football, scoring three goals and claiming two assists across 29 Premier League matches so far.

But his performance against Watford in arguably the biggest game since he’s joined the club was questionable. This time it will have been raising eyebrows for the wrong reasons as the club were dumped out of the FA Cup in the semi-finals after their opposition sparked a remarkable comeback.

In recent matches, the Portuguese midfielder has arguably been worse than his midfield partners in Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker. It suggests the club shouldn’t be as concerned as losing him as they may have been in the past when he attracted the interest of Juventus and Manchester City last year.

RUBEN NEVES (Watford vs Wolves)

39 touches

69% pass success

0 key passes

2 shots off target

0 dribbles

Stats courtesy of WhoScored

However, Watford demonstrated the perfect way of nullifying the 22-year-old. Javi Gracia played a midfield diamond which allowed the Hornets to essentially man mark Neves. This is exemplified in the fact that during the 86 minutes he was on the pitch, he only touched the ball 39 times.

When he did get on the ball he was hugely ineffective, possessing a poor pass completion rate, which is a rarity for someone usually so composed on the ball.

Wolves Fan TV place the blame for Wolves’ FA Cup semi-final collapse on John Ruddy in the video below…

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Going forward he had no effect on the game, failing to make any key passes whilst the fact he failed to find the target with either of his two attempts on goal sums up his performance.

Neves may have come a long way since arriving in the Midlands, but this was one of his most disappointing displays in Nuno Santo’s team. If those huge clubs come calling once more with big sums of cash, it will be very hard to turn down if Neves doesn’t recover his previous form.

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The next round of SPFL matches is already upon us, but the debate about incidents in last Sunday’s Old Firm is still raging on.

Scott Brown, Steven Gerrard and Ryan Kent are all facing punishment for their roles in last Sunday’s controversy, per BBC.

Kent has failed to overturn a two-game ban for his punch directed at Brown, and Gerrard has accepted a one-game touchline ban for his comments about referee Bobby Madden.

Brown meanwhile is yet to discover his fate, and both clubs are also being charged for failing to control their players.

And Barry Ferguson, who spent four years at Ibrox during his playing days, thinks the SFA have lost their minds.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

What did he say?

“Every now and then the people supposed to be running our game outdo themselves and even though we should all be used to it by now I still end up shaking my head in disbelief,” the ex-Ger wrote in a column for The Daily Record.

“That was certainly the case yesterday when the news came through that just about everyone who was at Parkhead for the Old Firm on Sunday will now be dragged up to Hampden’s sixth floor to have their handbags taken off them.

“That’s what we saw at the end of the derby – absolute handbags – and it’s hard to believe the compliance officer has now cited Celtic and Rangers with failing to keep their players under control because of it. Dearie me.”

After agreeing that both Kent and Morelos deserve to be punished for their actions, Ferguson added one last dig: “But why on earth are the SFA still going over the videos four days later trying to find something else to get their knickers in a twist about?

“I’ve been out there in the heat of the battle so I know how high the emotions run, especially at the end of a game like that one.

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“So you would like to think the authorities would show a little bit of common sense instead of making another mountain out of a molehill.”

Common sense

Ferguson has got his analysis absolutely correct here. While Kent and Morelos are worthy of their bans, spending an entire week looking for any stick to beat both clubs with is a bit ridiculous on the part of the SFA.

Rangers fans already despise the organisation for the continued harsh treatment of Morelos and for what they perceive to be bias towards their arch-rivals, and while the SFA aren’t showing bias by flagging up both clubs for what Ferguson simply called “handbags”, they are revealing their major flaw – they don’t understand the passion of the game.

Quite simply, it’s all too easy to lack “common sense”, as Ferguson put it, and a feel for the game when you’re sat in an ivory tower judging every tiny incident. The disconnect between the SFA and the players and fans in the grounds is a major concern for Scottish football as a whole, and Ferguson full well knows it.