All posts by h716a5.icu

West Ham supporters have been pretty downbeat in recent times after seeing their side suffer an 11th Premier League defeat of the season on Tuesday night.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men went into their clash with Wolves looking to bounce back after falling to a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth in their previous league encounter, with an embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of AFC Wimbledon also sandwiched in between. Yet the Hammers were unable to do so in going down 3-0 at Molineux, with a brace from Raul Jimenez and a Romain Saiss strike sealing a routine victory for the West Midlanders, in turn instigating West Ham’s fall to 12th place in the Premier League table.

As such, there have been many disappointed Hammers fans up and down the country, plenty of whom have taken to Twitter to express further dissatisfaction at the news that Reece Oxford left the club on Deadline Day (as per the club’s official website).

The 20-year-old has come up through the ranks at the East London club to appear 17 times for the Hammers, and was tipped as the next big-thing upon bursting onto the scene many years ago as a 16-year-old when he starred in the Premier League against Arsenal back in August 2015.

However, the versatile defender has since then failed to really kick-on in appearing only 17 times in all for the Hammers, thus prompting the youngster to make loan moves to Borussia Monchengladbach and Reading in a bid to get his career going – that didn’t quite happen though either.

Yet the Englishman will again try his luck having officially signed for Bundesliga outfit Augsburg on loan until the rest of the season, and while he hasn’t actually featured for Pellegrini’s side prior to his departure, his exit does leave the club somewhat short of cover in the centre back ranks.

And that has been the source of much frustration and surprise among several West Ham fans on Twitter…

West Ham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Michy Batshuayi showcased huge potential to develop into one of the top strikers in European football when he broke onto the scene at Marseille under now Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa, but he could be handed an opportunity to kick-start his career at Everton on transfer deadline day.

According to a recent report from the London Evening Standard, Chelsea have slapped a £35 million asking price on the head of Michy Batshuayi amid deadline day interest from Everton and West Ham.

The report claims that Batshuayi would prefer a permanent move to Goodison rather than a loan deal to West Ham, and if the Toffees are able to conclude a dramatic switch before the 11PM deadline there is no question it could transform the club’s fortunes.

After impressing in the Jupiler Pro League with Standard Liege, Batshuayi, 20-years-old at the time, was signed by Marseille in July 2014, the same summer in which Bielsa was appointed to manage the club.

Batshuayi initially struggled to live up to the hype of his arrival and Bielsa appeared reluctant to select him during the early stages of his career in France, and it wasn’t until late in December that the Argentine trusted him to complete a full 90 minutes of football in Ligue 1.

But Batshuayi plugged away and proved his prowess as the season developed, finishing the campaign with nine goals from 26 league appearances – just six of which were made from the outset.

Batshuayi eventually earned a move to Chelsea following an electric second season in France in which he scored 17 times and provided nine assists from 36 appearances, showcasing his clinical instinct and ability to link the play in the process.

Chelsea, though, have managed to stick to their tradition of wasting talented centre-forwards and the Belgium international has underachieved since moving to English football. An excellent loan spell at Dortmund last season represented a true indicator of his potential to thrive within the right environment, but his next spell in Valencia has been incredibly underwhelming.

Despite his struggle in Spain, there has been enough evidence throughout his career since he blossomed under Bielsa’s watchful eye to suggest that he could transform Silva’s attack.

The likes of Cenk Tosun and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are a class below what the Toffees need to step up to the next level, but Batshuayi has the pedigree to become a star on Merseyside.

On paper, at least, Batshuayi is perfect for the Premier League: he is a creative outlet, a natural goal scorer, capable of playing as a lone striker or in a pair, physically powerful and blessed with experience in a handful of Europe’s top leagues.

Everton’s failure to find the right formula in attack would be solved with a deadline day deal for Batshuayi, so the Toffees faithful should be hoping Marcel Brands can reach an agreement in the final hours of the window.

Everton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Miguel Almiron insists he has the ability to adapt to the Premier League after moving to Newcastle United from Atlanta United, according to the BBC’s live blog on Thursday (3:47pm).

The playmaker became the club’s record signing in the January transfer window, as the Magpies paid £20million to secure his signature.

What’s the word?

Almiron could make his debut for Newcastle on Monday when the club take on Wolves at Molineux.

The 24-year-old made 70 appearances for Atlanta United in the MLS, scoring 22 goals and laying on 21 assists, and has also won 13 caps for Paraguay.

His move to Newcastle marks his first foray into Europe, having previously played for Cerro Porteno, in his homeland, Lanus in Argentina as well as Atlanta in the United States.

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

And he is confident that he can make a significant impact in the English top-flight.

Almiron said, per BBC (15:47): “I think for some time now the MLS has been improving.

“Every year you see more and more quality players come in. I think it’s a good sign and a positive thing for that league.

“There are big differences between the two leagues… and [the Premier League] is a tougher league to play in. But I think with the help of my team-mates in training and the manager, it’s something I think I’ll cope with, and they’ll help me along the way.”

Wake-up call

Almiron is in for something of a rude awakening.

He has acknowledged that the Premier League is a “tougher league” and he could not be more accurate.

Almiron is a slight playmaker and does not appear to have the physicality required to make an instant impact at St James’ Park.

He will need time, and patience from the club’s vociferous support, if he is to deliver on his potential.

Of course, he has that in spades, but he cannot expect to simply jump in at the deep end and start swimming.

Tottenham will surely be set to splash the cash in the summer after two transfer windows without spending a penny.

Spurs are well in truly in the Premier League title race despite their lack of spending which is an extremely commendable achievement. Mauricio Pochettino has placed his faith in his current crop of players who have duly delivered. With their new stadium nearing completion, the Lilywhites are likely to spend big to improve the squad in the summer.

Pochettino should finally be backed heavily in the transfer market to improve their chances of challenging at the top of the table yet again. The Argentine’s budget should be bolstered by the sale of many fringe players. As Kieran Trippier has struggled to replicate his form of the World Cup, a new right-back could be targeted.

One man Pochettino should be watching is Napoli defender – Kevin Malcuit. Valued at £11.25m by Transfermarkt, the Frenchman is a new arrival after joining from Lille in the summer for just over £10m. The 27-year-old has been an instant hit at his new employers, making 13 appearances in all competitions so far this season.

With Carlo Ancelotti choosing to rotate his defenders, Malcuit could be tempted in the offer of first-team football in England. Malcuit loves to get forward to help out the attack, averaging 1.5 successful dribbles per game, but doesn’t neglect his defensive duties. A strong, powerful defender, he should have no issues adapting to the physicality of the Premier League. He loves to get stuck in, averaging two tackles per game and reads the game superbly – making 2.2 interceptions per game (WhoScored).

Landing the former Monaco man in the summer could prove to be a masterstroke.

Tottenham fans, thoughts?

The Premier League has witnessed so many world class goalscorers in its time. This season there will be several superstars vying for the 2019/20 Golden Boot, as the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah and Sergio Aguero battle it out for the crown.

But who is the most clinical goalscorer ever in the Premier League, in terms of minute per goal?

The leaderboard of most clinical scorers in the history of England’s top-flight is comprised of players whose knack for not only finding the back of the net, but doing so frequently, made them international superstars.

Yet for all the superstars on the list, you might be surprised to find out where some of the game’s most prolific scorers, such as all-time leading goal scorer Alan Shearer with his 260 career goals, ultimately find themselves.

Here’s how the top-25 most clinical goal scorers in Premier League history stack up, correct as of the last round of fixtures on August 31, 2019…

25. Anthony Yeboah – 162 minutes per goal

Leeds fans will certianly remember the name Yeboah, and he just squeezes in the top 25 of the most prolific goalscorers in the Premier League.

The former Ghana striker averaged a goal every 162 minutes of league action, scoring 24 goals in 47 appearances.

24. Branko Strupar, 161 minutes per goal

Strupar may be a vacant figure in your memory of the most prolific strikers the Premier League has witnessed, but with a goal every 161 minutes, he ranks in the top 25.

The former Derby County striker scored 15 goals in 36 Premier League appearances and is deserved of his place in the rankings.

23. Divock Origi, 161 minutes per goal

The Belgium forward may not start under Jurgen Klopp, but he still remains one of the most clinical strikers in the top-tier of English football.

Origi has made 65 appearances in the Premier League for Liverpool, scoring 16 goals in the process.

22. Loic Remy, 160 minutes per goal

Remy played for four different Premier League clubs but that did not stop his goalscoring antics, netting everywhere he went.

The France striker scored 28 goals in the top-tier of English football, netting every 160 minutes.

21. Demba Ba, 160 minutes per goal

The Senegalese striker picked up his 43 Premier League goals for West Ham, Newcastle and Chelsea in just five seasons spent in England, finding the back of the net once every 160 minutes.

20. Ian Wright, 157 minutes per goal

While a vast majority of Ian Wright’s 113 Premier League goals came for Arsenal, the former England international closed out his career in 1998-99 with nine goals in 22 appearances with West Ham United.

Arsenal’s second-leading Premier League scorer of all time finished his career with 157 minutes per goal.

19. Michael Owen, 153 minutes per goal

The 2001 Ballon d’Or winner tallied 150 career goals in the Premier League in 15 seasons playing for Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United and Stoke City.

When his storied career came to an end, Owen had scored once every 153 minutes.

18. Ole Gunnar Solskjær, 151 minutes per goal

Manchester United’s current interim manager was himself an accomplished scorer during his playing days and had amassed 92 Premier League goals when his career came to a close following the 2006-07 season.

The Norwegian striker scored once every 151 minutes over his 234 top-flight appearances for the Red Devils.

17. Ivan Klasnic – 150 minutes per goal

Remember Klasnic? He may not be notoriously known as one of the best strikers in Premier League record, but his strike rate speaks for itself.

The former Bolton Wanderers forward scored 20 goals for the club, netting every 150 minutes of league action.

16. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 149 minutes per goal

Zlatan certainly comes with his controversy, but there is no denying his goalscoring nature.

The former Sweden international made his mark at Old Trafford, scoring 17 goals in 33 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils.

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Tottenham spurned a golden opportunity to heap pressure on the top two on Saturday afternoon, but one BBC pundit thinks the Lilywhites were never even in the title race.

After scraping wins against Newcastle, Leicester and Watford, it was perhaps unsurprising to see Tottenham falter this weekend.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side may have been picking up results in Dele Alli and Harry Kane’s absence, but outside of the 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund the performances have generally been poor.

The display was sub-par again even with Kane’s return on Saturday, as goals from Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes were enough to life the Clarets to a 2-1 win, and Shearer believes that this has been coming for quite some time.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

What’s the word?

“Tottenham didn’t do enough to win the game – despite having Harry Kane back from injury,” Shearer, a fixture on BBC’s Match of the Day, wrote for The Sun.

“Mauricio Pochettino can complain all he likes to the referee at the end but he’s got to look at his own players for not defending the corner properly.

“I thought Spurs were out of it (the title race) after their defeat to Wolves on December 29,” he continued.

“I don’t think there was ever a serious title threat from Tottenham and I never thought they would win it.”

Has he got a point?

Shearer is spot on in his criticism of Spurs’ performance, as the visitors at Turf Moor created little of any substance, yet looked vulnerable to every high ball into their box.

However, to say Pochettino’s side are out of the title race is truly absurd, as they still have games play against both of the sides above them.

The north Londoners are just six points off the top of the league, with trips to Anfield and the Etihad still to come.

Those will of course be mightily difficult fixtures to take three points from, but counting Spurs out is short-sighted and foolish.

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Crystal Palace host Manchester United on Wednesday night and they will be hoping to make it seven consecutive games unbeaten in all competitions. Roy Hodgson got his game plan versus Leicester spot on and it would surely be tempting to go with the exact same approach against the Old Trafford outfit, but there’s a better one to be taken.

On the chalkboard

The Eagles’ 4-1 win over the Foxes saw them defend diligently and hit their hosts on the counter-attack again and again, with Michy Batshuayi leading an attacking trident which Wilfried Zaha seems to be enjoying – the Ivorian bagged a brace against Claude Puel’s men.

There was an element of luck about the result and it has to be said that their opponents on Saturday weren’t at their best; going about the United clash the same way could easily see the Selhurst Park outfit on the receiving end of a drubbing.

Instead, going with an approach that has been tried and tested against top-six opposition may be better if Hodgson wants to pull off another shock result.

Townsend’s legs crucial, Zaha won’t be happy

The incredible 3-2 victory over Manchester City in December saw Hodgson opt for a 4-5-1 formation in an attempt to suffocate the champions’ often sublime build-up play and it worked brilliantly – albeit the three points were won in no small part thanks to Andros Townsend’s volley.

The 13-cap England international’s thunderbolt surely made most forget about the excellent work he did in defence, though – his tracking back was essential and he did all he could to help out Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whom he was deployed just in front of.

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

This work-rate will be essential again against the Red Devils, 45% of their attacks come down their left-flank, particularly if Wan-Bissaka is still unfit – the impressive youngster missed the Leicester clash and Joel Ward deputised at right-back.

Townsend seems happy to run all game long, but Zaha is less inclined to track back and he would be gutted if Hodgson took this approach – the Ivorian thrives off of freedom on the pitch, of which he would have considerably less in a 4-5-1, whether he would be deployed as a lone striker or on the opposite flank to his fellow attacker.

Switching away from a formation that is beginning to look like a winning formula might be unthinkable, but doing so gives Palace their best chance of upsetting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and co.

[ad_pod ]Forgotten Nottingham Forest attacker Hillal Soudani tweeted a video of him doing keep-ups with a rugby ball on Wednesday as the 31-year-old appears to be edging closer to a return to first-team action, and he is desperately needed right now.

On the chalkboard

Well, the Reds signed the Algeria international for an undisclosed fee from Dinamo Zagreb during the summer, but he has only made eight appearances since having suffered separate knee and leg injuries, with DZ Football reporting last month that he is expected to be out for the rest of the season.

The African’s last appearance for the east Midlands outfit came against Burton Albion at the end of October, but despite only playing 145 minutes of Championship football to date he still has two goals to his name.

Soudani also tweeted at the end of last month that he would be “back soon”, and his latest post will give some hope that he could still appear for them again before the campaign comes to a close.

A boost for Martin O’Neill?

It certainly would be.

86 goals and 54 assists in 196 outings for Zagreb proves what the versatile attacker is capable of in the right environment, and a player that can feature out wide or through the middle can be hugely useful for Forest as they look to secure a top-six finish during the run-in.

The Reds have only scored eight goals in eight league games since O’Neill replaced Aitor Karanka at the helm in January, with the likes of Joe Lolley and Lewis Grabban not quite in the same form as earlier in the season.

They are in need of an added goal threat right now with players like Joao Carvalho out of favour, and Soudani might well be the player to provide it.

While the last summer transfer window was a good one for Everton, supporters would not have been completely satisfied after the club failed to bring in a new centre-forward. 

And the upcoming market could follow a similar theme with director of football Marcel Brands not ruling out the possibility of a No.9 not being signed.

The Breakdown

“I think we have a good squad and I am aware that the fans are asking if we can find a new striker who can score 20 goals,” Brands was quoted as saying by the Liverpool Echo.

“I think we are a very, very lucky club in England that we have three players with great potential who are just 21-years-old. We have Dominic [Calvert-Lewin], we have Richarlison and we have Ademola [Lookman]. And if I bring in a new player, a huge striker or a name, should I destroy one of them? It is also my goal to protect those boys.”

The above is certainly a fair point made by Brands, especially when considering the form of Calvert-Lewin in recent weeks.

However, for a club that aspires to be a Champions League outfit, not investing in a No.9 who has the potential to score 20 goals a season is bizarre.

Perhaps Brands and Everton are taking inspiration from a side such as Tottenham, who adopted the same approach with Harry Kane and are now reaping the rewards.

A previous spending spree by the north London club that went horribly wrong is also an example of splashing the cash not always being the answer.

Yet in this case, it is probably something the Goodison Park faithful want to see after a pretty underwhelming campaign where Marco Silva has bee without a consistent No.9.

Everton fans, do you still want to see a new striker brought in after Brands’ comments? Join the discussion by commenting below.

It only seems like yesterday when Arsenal fans were excited about the prospect of Denis Suarez joining the club. Two months later, and it’s hard to identify what all the hype was about.

The Barcelona loanee has only featured six times for the Gunners since his much-anticipated move from the Catalan giants, and during his time in north London Suarez has yet to start a game for Unai Emery’s side and has only played over an hour of Premier League football.

It was originally planned that Suarez would join the Gunners permanently in the summer for a reported fee of £18 million as a ready-made replacement for Juventus-bound Aaron Ramsey, however, it is now emerging that the Spaniard will be shipped back to Barca at the end of the season.

According to the Sun, Emery and the Arsenal board are shifting summer interests to alternative options to replace Emery, with PSG midfielder Christopher Nkunku heavily linked with a move to the Emirates in the transfer window.

The news will come as no surprise to Gunner fans, who have been far from impressed with Suarez’s involvement in the first-team since his arrival, but how has the Barcelona midfielder, who has enjoyed success under Emery, failed to make the grade at Arsenal?

A shift in preferred personnel seems to be the big reason why Suarez has not seen minutes in north London. Although the former Manchester City academy star can play a multitude of positions, it appears Emery sees him as a central midfielder in Arsenal’s system, and with the recent return of Granit Xhaka and Ramsey getting a run in the first-team, this leaves little room for the 25-year-old playmaker to break into the starting XI.

With Xhaka and Ramsey impressing and Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi already waiting in the wings, why did Emery even bring in Suarez when there are glaring holes in the Arsenal team that needed addressing?

Emery and the Arsenal transfer board are eager to fill out the Ramsey shaped hole that will be left when the Welshman makes the move to Turin this summer, and although replacing this void is of importance, it is something that didn’t need solving whilst the player is still at the club.

Instead of trying to bring in an extra centre-back or find a short-term replacement for Hector Bellerin, Emery and co decided to find the solution for a problem that can be solved in a few months time, and this incompetence has not only cost Arsenal financially but added numbers to a position that didn’t need adding.

The Suarez signing reflects an arrogance amongst the Arsenal transfer committee, and the Spaniard’s failing as a player at the club should serve as a lesson to those who make these decisions that it’s about strengthening in the right areas, not the bloated areas.

Arsenal fans, will Suarez redeem himself at the club?