All posts by h716a5.icu

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The likes of Wolves, Everton and Leicester have done their utmost to bridge the gap between the top six and the rest of the league this season but the fact remains that there is still a huge gulf in terms of funding which, unfortunately, is what football is determined by these days.

For many teams placed seventh and below, a successful season constitutes survival, with anything else deemed a big achievement – Palace and Bournemouth, despite the outstanding quality they have on paper, are two of these teams.

The southern pair’s respective groups of fans surely feel that they could be doing better than their current mid-table finishes, so they will be expecting a big summer in terms of transfers to push the team that extra way.

But what if the two teams combined? With the likes of Ryan Fraser at Bournemouth and Wilfried Zaha at Palace, it’s a frightening prospect.

With Callum Wilson leading the line and the aforementioned Fraser and Zaha on the wings, this is a front three to strike fear into the hearts of any opponent.

Both Eddie Howe and Roy Hodgson’s sides thrive on the counter, with the Eagles and the Cherries scoring for fun on the break this season, but by merging the attacks you have a different animal.

Wilson and Fraser are one of the league’s best partnerships this season, while David Brooks has chalked up seven goals and five assists for Bournemouth since signing from Sheffield United last summer.

Capable of playing all across the midfield or behind the striker, the 21-year-old is best suited in a central role, where he can pull the strings and feed Palace’s Zaha in behind, for instance.

The influential winger may have played his last game in red and blue by the time Bournemouth leave Selhurst Park this weekend, having had a fantastic campaign, notching a personal-best 10 times and assisting eight.

He typically operates on the left side of the attack but he would be forced to move to the right wing to accommodate Fraser.

The 26-year-old offers plenty of speed out wide and has a box of tricks to rival that of Ronaldinho – he’s a full-back’s nightmare and arguably this combined XI’s standout player.

A defensive midfield pairing of Luka Milivojevic and Jefferson Lerma form a hardened wall of Serbian and Colombian steel in front of a back four that’s surely the best outside the top six.

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…

With Patrick van Aanholt and Diego Rico enduring respective struggles this campaign, Nathan Ake shifts out to left-back, where he impressed in the 5-0 thrashing of Brighton last month, while the Eagles’ pairing of Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins is difficult to split up.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka needs no introduction. The 21-year-old was named both players’ and fans’ player of the season recently and has established himself as one of the best young defenders in the Premier League.

This combined defence would be a real hassle to get through.

There’s no question that West Ham were one of the more successful teams in last season’s transfer window.

Issa Diop has shown to be a solid defender in the Premier League, Lukasz Fabianski has been one of the best ‘keepers in the division, and Felipe Anderson could be in contention for one of the signings of the season.

The Brazilian winger has been a sensation in east London since his club-record move from Lazio, scoring nine goals and assisting four in 36 league appearances for the Hammers this season and delivering in big games for Manuel Pellegrini.

Anderson has been great to watch this season, but his brilliance for West Ham has highlighted a big problem for the club, that being he is the only quality winger in the squad, and this could be addressed next summer.

Reliable ITK West Ham Twitter account @ExWHUemployee has claimed that the club are interested in signing Porto winger Yacine Brahimi this summer, whose contract expires this summer.

The French-born Algerian international has long been one of the most prolific wingers in Portugal, this season alone scoring 10 goals and assisting four in the Primeira Liga, and Brahimi could solve West Ham’s winger problem.

Largely played out on the left, the 29-year-old could play opposite Anderson in the West Ham side and cause all kinds of mayhem to opponents as well as being able to chip in with goals and assists from the wings. It’s clear the club need a striker but introducing more goals all over the park would be another way to solve Pellegrini’s goalscoring headaches, so any move certainly does make total sense.

West Ham’s signing of Anderson has shone a light into a problem at the club that can easily be fixed, and in Brahimi, the Hammers will be solving it with a quality addition who can progress the club forward.

West Ham fans, would Brahimi be a good summer signing? Let us know!

Clearly, Celtic fans absolutely love their captain and midfield monster Scott Brown, but at the age of 33-years-old and with his 34th birthday coming up in June, the Parkhead skipper doesn’t have long left. As Neil Lennon, or whoever else takes on the Celtic job, is tasked with looking for a Broony replacement, they need only look as far as Callum McGregor.

Scott Brown may be one of the most iconic men in Scottish football. Everyone knows the scene, the veteran Scot has just scored, the Parkhead atmosphere is electric and the midfield man just stands there, arms aloft, screaming in delight. Soon, that will be just a memory and not a common occurrence, if Scott Brown scoring was ever common, but it could be set to get better for the Bhoys in his retirement.

Scott Brown has made a name for himself at the base of the Bhoys’ midfield, and whilst Callum McGregor has been going about his business much further up the pitch it could be a good opportunity for him drop deeper as he looks to fill the shoes of his surely soon to depart captain. Perhaps it’s not imminent but, obviously, Brown may have a couple of seasons left in him, but sooner or later it will be up to McGregor to replace the iconic Scot.

McGregor has plenty of time to learn the ropes of the deeper midfield base. He has featured there before but is more comfortable when playing further up the pitch in the #10 role in front of the Parkhead crowd. What he does have, though, that’s key for the role is reliability and durability. This season has seen the Scot feature 57 times for Celtic in all competitions, a remarkable stat in itself.

In those 57 appearances, he’s contributed six goals and 15 assists, and if he can carry on producing numbers similar to that whilst operating from Scott Brown’s deeper role then he’ll be well placed to not only act as his skipper’s replacement but also an improvement. There is no shame in admitting that Brown is starting to show signs of his age, and if McGregor can come into his position and add some life next season, slowly phasing out the 33-year-old it would be a step in the right direction.

Celtic fans, how long do you think Broony has left at the top of the Scottish game? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

Sunderland fans are all well aware of how important their play-off final against Charlton is going to be on Sunday. So much is hinging on this and there are fears that Jack Ross could be making his bow at the Stadium of Light if they lose as The Express, via The Chronicle, claim he could make an exit.

If Jack Ross does find himself leaving the Stadium of Light, whilst some estranged sections of the Mackems’ support will be delighted, for the most part, he will be sorely missed. The Black Cats owe a lot of Ross for his work this season. Despite the fact a 5th place finish looked underwhelming, the way this side has been playing is all that matters as they’ve been forced to navigate the play-offs.

The challenge of getting past Portsmouth over two legs was not an easy one, but with Chris Maguire firing in the only goal of the tie at the Stadium of Light, Ross then played the second leg perfectly. Now, we find ourselves with a repeat of the classic 1998 classic Wembley play-off final, and Sunderland fans will be hoping that Jack Ross can do his homework to prevent Charlton having a Clive Mendonca amongst their class of 2019.

Should Ross be the man to fire the Black Cats back to the Championship then there’s no reason why he won’t stay on and try and help the club back to the Premier League again. However, with a loss, the temptation of the vacant Swansea job may be too great to ignore and Sunderland could find themselves devastated by the double blow of losing to Charlton and losing Ross.

Ultimately, anything that the Sunderland fans can do to try and convince Ross to stay they’ll need to do, if they can overcome Charlton then it won’t matter one bit as instead of leaving for Swansea in summer he can take his defiant Mackems to the Liberty Stadium in the 2019/20 season anyway. For now, though, everything is in limbo as the Sunderland supporters nervously await 3pm on Sunday.

Do you want to keep Jack Ross for next season, Sunderland fans? Comment below, let us know!

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Manchester United supporters on Twitter have mocked reports linking the club with Kevin Strootman after United had initially been linked with a move for the midfielder as far back as 2013.

After starring at PSV Eindhoven, the 29-year old ended up joining Roma where the links persisted until horrendous knee injuries caused his career to stall.

Strootman left the Italian capital for Marseille last summer, but Sky Sports have reported that the French side are willing to let the Dutchman leave and have offered United, Everton, and West Ham the opportunity to sign him on loan.

The 42-time Dutch international was a regular for Marseille this season, playing 27 times in Ligue 1, but with one match left to play and a disappointing sixth-place finish on the cards, Strootman looks set to be a casualty.

Rumours are flying all over the place and United are unsurprisingly being linked to a bevy of players all around the world, so the Red Devils’ supporters on Twitter haven’t taken this incredibly bizarre link too seriously.

Check out the best of the reaction below!

[ad_pod ]Oliver Burke is an enigma. There aren’t too many other ways to describe the young Scot.After arriving at West Brom for a massive £15m from RB Leipzig, he’s never been able to hit the ground running. But with the 22-year-old now returning to his parent club after a loan spell at Celtic, Albion fans have been quick to discuss whether they want him in the team next term.With as many as five players potentially departing the Hawthorns, he could be someone who benefits from a mass exodus for the Baggies.Sharing their views on Twitter, one fan suggested that he should be integral to next season’s plans whilst another said the club should try and mould him into a striker.A further supporter hoped that West Brom wouldn’t give up on the 6 ft 2 winger. There was also a comment made in reference to the managerial situation that has engulfed the club, claiming that if Burke was to develop then a progressive coach needed to arrive.West Brom fans will want to cover their ears for the video below…The former Nottingham Forest man scored four goals in 11 SPFL appearances whilst at Celtic but has rarely been afforded much game time with Albion.However, that could be about to change next season.Here’s the best of the debate.

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Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths believes he is closing in on a return to Hoops action, speaking in a new interview with the club’s official website this week.

The forward, who was signed by Neil Lennon during the manager’s first spell at the club, will be joining his teammates for pre-season training in mid-June and he can’t wait to try and force his way back into Lennon’s first-team plans.

The Scotland international took a break from the game in December to focus on personal problems but is putting in the hard work to make an impact next season.

Check out Keith from C’mon the Hoops’ fascinating video on the origins of the Old Firm derby below…

As quoted by CelticFC.net, he said: “The way I’ve been training, and what I’m doing just now, will have me fitter than I have been in the past. It’s about maintaining that fitness throughout pre-season and making sure I do everything right. The hunger is probably greater now than it ever has been.”

It’s a great attacking boost for Celtic, who have been without credible back-up for Odsonne Edouard for a number of months now.

Griffiths has hit 104 goals for the club in a hugely successful career so far and is the kind of player you’d always back to get on the scoresheet whether starting matches or coming off the bench.

Fans are excited about his return, taking to Twitter on Thursday to share their thoughts…

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In quotes per Express & Star, Don Goodman has singled out an overlooked aspect of Wolves that deserves praise, claiming that credit needs to go to their medical team.

What’s the word?

Wolves had one of the smallest squads in the Premier League last season using just 21 players on their way to finishing seventh in the division.

Many of those players rarely played, as the likes of Max Kilman, Will Norris and John Ruddy featured in just a single game.

It was a phenomenal effort from Nuno Santo’s side who benefited from a lack of injuries to their side.

It’s that aspect of the club that has arguably been overlooked. With that in mind, Goodman has singled out Wolves’ medical staff as the unsung heroes. Speaking to Express & Star, he said:

“You have to give enormous credit to the people behind the scenes, the physios and the sports scientists who analyse all of the data.

“For Wolves to do what they’ve done, with such a small squad, is commendable. And Nuno has managed them perfectly.”

Deserved praise

To think that Wolves used so few players but didn’t pick up many injuries is remarkable. However, it’s a testament to those on the medical team behind the scenes.

The Midlands club look as though they’ve got their training methods absolutely spot on and that’s played a monumental part in them being able to achieve what they did this season.

As such, Goodman’s analysis is spot on and it’s interesting to see those who don’t often receive praise put at the centre of a club’s success.

In truth, they deserve as much credit as Nuno for his work with the team.

It’s evidence of the meticulous work that goes on behind the scenes but next season they’ll have to be even better at their jobs.

We’ve found Raul Jimenez’s No. 1 fan and… it’s a little scary. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

If Wolves get through Europa League qualifying then they’ll be faced with a lot more games than they’ve been used to since achieving promotion.

Squad depth will be vital but if their numbers stay the same in 2019/20, their medical staff will be faced with an even greater task.

Whether they can manage it could be make or break for Wolves’ season.

Jurgen Klopp is apparently (per the Independent) ready to give Harry Wilson the chance to prove his long-term worth this summer.

The Anfield youngster recently completed an impressive season with Derby County, which saw his side reach the Championship play-off final at Wembley and Wilson claimed 15 goals in the process.

In a side where graduate Trent Alexander-Arnold is already flourishing at right-back, Klopp has apparently made the decision that Wilson is ready to vie for a spot amongst some of the world’s best for the new season.

The Reds have eight friendlies to play alongside the Community Shield and Super Cup between July 11 and the beginning of the Premier League season on August 9 and, as such, Wilson will have more than enough time to prove his worth as a player, especially with Klopp surely wanting to avoid any injuries to key players in what is shaping up to be another hotly-contested-down-to-the-wire campaign.

Indeed, we’d argue that this is Liverpool’s optimum chance to squeeze the best out of their prodigy. Given that he’s relatively fresh from last term and presumably keen to show the world what he can do, the pre-season campaign will give him the ideal stage from which he can demonstrate his talents alongside established members of the squad. Relationships can be built, chemistry can be developed, and Wilson could lodge himself into the inner workings of an Anfield powerhouse that will surely be challenging again.

Back in May, the Daily Mail reported that the Reds were keen to sign a versatile attacker to supplement their frontline and, with the Independent recently claiming that were was absolutely no interest in Nabil Fekir anymore, could Wilson not be an in-house option? Promoting the youth has certainly worked with Alexander-Arnold and, though it’s not an exact science obviously, perhaps it could work again.

It would ridiculous not to try, at the very least.

Liverpool fans, would you like to see Wilson given an opportunity this summer? Do you think he’s ready to play in the first-team? Let us know in the comments below…

While they only narrowly missed out on the top four last season, the collapse towards the end of the season suggests it’s not hard to argue that Arsenal need to invest in the squad if they want to avoid another disappointing season in the Premier League and abroad.

It’s been a disappointing period for the Gunners of late. A domestic slump saw them win just one of their remaining five games and drop into the Europa League places behind close rivals Spurs and Chelsea. And in Europe, Maurizio Sarri’s men ran rampant in Baku, leaving travelling fans in a state of utter dejection and ruin.

Emery must get this summer right regardless of the relatively (per talkSPORT) minuscule £40million budget handed to him. To put Arsenal’s budget into context, Manchester United are working with an estimated £250million (per the Times via the Manchester Evening News). That surely means the Gunners need to prioritise signing reinforcements for the club’s most vulnerable positions, i.e. defence.

Arsenal completed the season with the worst defensive record in the top five, conceding 54 goals in total. That’s 12 more than Tottenham and Chelsea, and 29 more than Liverpool – the staunchest defenders in the league. Good enough? Absolutely not.

Recent reports from the Daily Mail linking the Gunners to Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney is a real step in the right direction, should a bid materialise. The 22-year-old Scotland international has been turning out for the treble treble winners since 2015-16 and would at least inject some fresh ability into a left-back position that is currently occupied by an ageing Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac.

With Tierney’s transfer in mind, we’re going to discuss three possible knock-on effects if he joins Arsenal in the summer…

Gunners sell either Monreal or Kolasinac

Perhaps it’d be a case of one in, one out.

Due to their apparent financial shortcomings, Arsenal might not have the luxury of holding onto three players in one position. Especially when one of them is 33-years-old and moving towards the natural end of his Emirates career in the form of Nacho Monreal.

It currently seems unlikely that Arsenal would cash in on Kolasinac, despite rumours suggesting (as per Mundo Deportivo) that Emery would be prepared to sell the Bosnian to Barcelona, given he’s got years left in the tank, but perhaps the budget concern would push him towards such an exit if Tierney did indeed arrive .

Arsenal bag a future star

The 22-year-old has been on the radar of a number of clubs for some years now (linked with the likes of Liverpool by the Daily Express back in 2015), having progressed through Celtic’s academy and into the first team at the tender age of 18.

Back in 2016, UEFA.com covered Tierney in one of their ‘weekly wonderkid’ pieces, in which they described him as an “all-action, swashbuckling, left-footed wing back” who is a “tenacious tackler when required and never wasted an opportunity to join in with the attack”.

And Celtic captain Scott Brown confirmed this sentiment claiming (via UEFA.com), “I love the wee man, he’s as hard as nails. He’d tackle his granny and he’d go into any situation and thrive just because of his attitude. He’s a born winner, a born leader and he’s a great young lad to come through at Celtic.”

Given Arsenal’s questionable defensive record in the Premier League and Kolasinac’s average overall output (which has been rated 6.71 by WhoScored), surely Tierney is the kind of player the club need to shake things up and improve with his overall rating standing at 6.97, (as per WhoScored) without even taking his Scottish Premiership and domestic cup stats into consideration. And, the crazy thing is he’s only 22-years-old.

Arsenal climb up the table

Obviously, this one is subject to how well Tierney moulds into the team. Should everything run smoothly, however, and Arsenal’s defence improves, then the Gunners will possibly climb up the table into the Champions League spots.

Why? The Gunners (73) have the third best attacking record in the league behind Liverpool (89) and Manchester City (95). They’ve shown that with the likes of golden boot winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and partner Alexandre Lacazette in attack, they have the necessary firepower to launch themselves towards the top of the table.

But they’re desperately top heavy, and that’s what has let them down this term. Should the Tierney deal pay off, then they’re taking one giant leap towards Premier League nirvana.

Arsenal fans, do you agree with our predictions? Let us know in the comments below…