All posts by n8rngtd.top

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Conor Hourihane came up trumps for Aston Villa on Monday as the midfielder put in a fine performance against Derby County in the Championship playoff final.

Given the nod in the middle of the park over Glenn Whelan, Hourihane went about his business extremely well.

According to WhoScored, the 28-year-old had a pass success rate of 86%, which was absolutely key in such an important area of the field.

There will not be too many headlines written about him over the next few days.

However, it would be fair to say that the Villa fans appreciated what the unsung hero brought to the team against the Rams.

The Republic of Ireland international can also be delighted with his numbers throughout the season.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Indeed, a record of nine goals and 12 assists in 48 appearances for Dean Smith’s side shows his contribution to the cause.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Villa supporters can be seen below:

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Over the summer there is a strong case to be presented for giving every player at Leicester a clean slate.

After having just a few months to sort out the mess that Claude Puel left behind, Brendan Rodgers deserves time to see what he can do with a host of players who have perhaps disappointed.

In terms of managers Rodgers is arguably the best they’ve had in a number of years, barring the heroics of Claudio Ranieri of course. As a result, certain members of the Foxes’ squad shouldn’t be written off just yet.

One of those is Adrien Silva, a figure who has been largely underwhelming after joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2017/18.

Initially signing him in the summer transfer window of 2017, the club missed the deadline to register him by 14 seconds. Was it worth the wait once January came around? Definitely not.

However, his form for Monaco means a second opportunity at the King Power should be given.

On the chalkboard

After Youri Tielemans’ loan spell at Leicester came to an end it feels like there’s a real void left in the Foxes side.

Silva presents a different option but he could be the one to benefit most from the Belgian leaving.

The Portuguese midfielder plays further back but given how out of favour Nampalys Mendy was in the final months of the campaign, he’s the player that the Foxes should be looking to move on, rather than Silva.

Silva has a contract with Leicester until 2021, but according to The Leicester Mercury is expected to be sold. Although he’s now 30, he still has something to give and experience could be key in what is a relatively young Foxes midfield.

If Leicester fans needed any evidence of just good he can be in central areas, he shone against PSG only a matter of months ago, completing an impressive eight tackles in Le Parc de Princes against one of the top teams in Europe.

It’s that kind of form that shows why Rodgers should give more time to the 26-cap Portugal international next term.

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…

Alongside Wilfred Ndidi it would be quite the pairing and with James Maddison ahead of them, it presents Leicester with an ideal balance in the middle of the park.

The Foxes have made some massive transfer blunders in recent years. They cannot afford to make another one when it comes to Silva.

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Tottenham Hotspur hold a financial advantage in their bid to sign Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez this summer, per AS.

What’s the word?

The forward, who was linked with West Ham United in January, is also reported to be attracting interest from Valencia.

However, the aforementioned report claims that Spurs have an advantage in their pursuit, given the obvious riches afforded by the Premier League.

Gomez is said to have been identified by the club as the ideal replacement to veteran forward Fernando Llorente.

The Spanish World Cup winner is poised to depart north London once his contract expires, despite playing a key role in the club’s run to the Champions League final.

Gomez scored 13 goals for Celta in La Liga this season, while laying on five assists. He has won 11 caps for Uruguay.

Don’t splash out just because you can

Despite their self-imposed transfer ban – they haven’t signed a player since January 2018, when Lucas Moura arrived from PSG – Spurs have the ability to blow most European clubs out of the water when it comes to transfer fees.

They could potentially secure Gomez’s signature should they so wish, leaving West Ham and Valencia with no hope of competing in a bidding war.

Per a separate Marca report, he has a €50m (£44.3m) release clause but, at the end of the day, how often is he going to play?

Harry Kane is indisputably Spurs’ best striker, with Llorente included in the starting XI in the Premier League just six times in 2018-19. He started in the Champions League just once.

Paying over £40m for a player who is mostly going to sit on the bench simply doesn’t make sense and is out of whack with the club’s transfer strategy, where they pride resale value and opportunity for growth.

Spurs, then, would be better off bowing out and allowing Valencia the chance to land their man.

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Inter Milan are set to test West Ham United’s resolve by bidding £30m for striker Marko Arnautovic, according to The Sun.

What’s the word?

Arnautovic signed a new contract in January amid flirtation with a move to China.

The Austria international put pen to paper after the club rejected two offers worth in excess of £40m, with the new deal including a release clause that stands at £45m.

The Sun claim, however, that the club could be tempted to do business with the Italian club, having paid £20m to secure the feisty frontman’s signature from Stoke City in 2017.

Arnautovic is said to be keen on a move to Italy too, having played for Inter on loan between 2009 and 2010.

Roma are also reported to be interested and West Ham could potentially reinvest the money in one of their own striker targets.

Football FanCast understands that Salomon Rondon, of West Brom, and Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic are both targets.

The club have already confirmed that Andy Carroll will leave the London Stadium once his contract expires, while Javier Hernandez and Lucas Perez are both deemed expendable.

Last chance

This is West Ham’s final opportunity to cash in on Arnautovic.

New Inter boss Antonio Conte is said to be spearheading the club’s efforts to recruit a new forward – Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku and Roma’s Edin Dzeko are both targets – and a move for the Irons ace would see Manuel Pellegrini’s men pocket a fair chunk of change for a player who was in truly horrendous form throughout the second half of the 2018-19 season.

He went 11 games without scoring following the collapse of his move to the Far East and is a moody, volatile presence.

Cashing in this summer makes sense and it would allow the Hammers the chance to reinvest.

Football FanCast understands that manager Manuel Pellegrini has been told he has £30m to spend before player sales; ridding the club of Arnautovic would double that at a stroke.

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Tottenham Hotspur have identified Real Betis star Giovani Lo Celso as one of their “top targets” this summer, according to Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas via the Last Word on Spurs podcast.

What’s the word?

Spurs have been linked with a number of top midfield talents this summer, from Tanguy Ndombele through to Lo Celso.

The latter is said to have an £88m release clause but Thomas, who primarily covers Spurs, does not believe that the Spanish club are in any rush to accept any offers for their prized asset.

Nevertheless, he has claimed that the two clubs are in talks, but despite reports in Spain, there has yet to be a formal bid tabled.

He said: “I think he’s a top target for the No.10 position. As I understand it now, the clubs have been talking for over a week now, maybe coming up to two weeks obviously off and on. He’s now on Argentina duty.

“There was a reported offer in Spain, what I was told from a source was that that wasn’t necessarily quite correct. What I can gather is that the offer was probably a bit more informal or at least it was probably an indication of what Spurs were willing to pay.

“I hear Betis have been tempted by it. But they’re in a situation where they’re tempted by it in the sense that they’re not regularly in a position to take €60m or €70m for a player, that kind of area.”

He added: “But they’re also thinking about this release clause they’ve got. It’s a difficult one for them, I think they can afford to be patient and sit on it and wait to see how things play out with the transfer window.

“From Betis’ point of view, if you’ve got a release clause, I think from a business point of view, you don’t necessarily take the first offer that comes your way, do you?”

Necessary signing

Whether or not Christian Eriksen leaves the club, reinforcements are needed in attacking midfield for Spurs.

For too long, the Denmark international has been allowed to coast by, safe in the knowledge that he won’t be dropped because there simply isn’t any competition.

He has expressed a desire to leave the club but regardless of whether or not he departs the club, Lo Celso is a required addition.

He scored 16 goals for Betis in 2018/19, along with registering six assists, and would be exactly the right type of player for Pochettino.

He is dynamic, exceptional when dribbling and excellent in the box; he could replace Eriksen or he could add some much-needed competition behind him.

Regardless, Spurs need to bring him in.

[ad_pod ]Charlton fans surely struggled for sleep on Monday night after a stunning club statement detailed the imminent departure of manager Lee Bowyer, who had failed to agree on terms for a new contract with the controversial owner, Roland Duchatelet.The Belgian, who has been in the hot-seat since 2014 when his company, Staprix NV, acquired 100% of shares, is desperate to sell the club and is therefore reluctant to pump any more of his own money into it – the source of many Charlton fans’ hatred towards him – and this meant that meeting Bowyer’s demands was always going to be difficult.The Monday afternoon statement concluded that the ball was in Bowyer’s court, although he would have to accept terms well below what he was hoping for, with The Evening Standard reporting earlier in the day that the offer put to him was on par with “managers in the bottom half of League One”.Meanwhile, star striker Lyle Taylor, who tried to enjoy an innocent afternoon on Twitter, was bombarded with questions by the fans, who demanded to know what he thought of the situation. The 29-year-old was eventually forced to comment on the matter, as below, and he perfectly sums up the confusion and frustration felt by everyone involved…

It seemed certain, then, that Bowyer would depart The Valley having guided the Addicks into the Championship against all odds, although the situation would flip on its head by 7am the next morning.

Another club statement followed early on Tuesday with the exciting news that the 42-year-old had agreed to stay on at SE7 and continue his marvellous work – of course, this was very well-received by the Charlton faithful and Taylor, presumably, who joined the Addicks to work with Bowyer.

Lionel Messis have been spotted at The Valley, Boundary Park and even in Wales in the video below…

It has been a truly remarkable 24 hours for Charlton fans – an emotional rollercoaster, although they surely can’t expect anything less from their club. Perhaps, as Taylor says, laughing is the best therapy for the Addicks fans until Duchatelet finally ends his and their nightmare.

Southampton will undoubtedly enter the new season full of hope, after hero Ralph Hasenhüttl engineered a truly phenomenal turnaround that saw the Saints maintain a place in the Premier League. Indeed, failing to win any of their last five made the perhaps slightly more arduous than needed but that will not worry the Southampton fans, who look to push back towards the top of the table. 

While Hasenhüttl certainly proved an inspired choice, he is no magician, whatever you Saints think! Clearly, he will need investment, or will likely face another hard-fought season battling relegation.

So, who could be on his way in then? Well, according to L’Equipe, Southampton are interested in Bordeaux’s Francois Kamano. The 23-year-old winger impressed vastly last season, chipping in with an impressive 10 league goals and an assist in 36 outings.

A brief glance at the stats make it instantaneously and abundantly clear as to why the Guinean is in demand. Frankly, Southampton lacked goals last season. James Ward-Prouse and Danny Ings topped their Premier League charts with seven goals each which cannot realistically be good enough in terms of long-term planning.

Kamano is known for his direct style and blistering pace, while WhoScored recognise his finishing and long-shots as significant attributes.

Indeed Southampton have both Redmond and Mohamed Elyounoussi competing for places, while Sofiane Boufal looks likely to return after his loan spell at Celta Vigo. Plenty of options, but a real lack of goal threat between them. With that in mind, Kamano certainly seems a sensible option.

The attacker is valued at £13.5m (per TrasferMarkt) and L’Equipe report a ‘satisfactory’ offer would be enough to entice a sale. Sevilla are also reportedly interested, but Kamano could represent a quality player for a reasonable price. They would undoubtedly be adding to their attacking armoury should they complete the signing

Saints fans, what have you heard of this proposed move? Does it excite you? Or is this one that will leave you feeling slightly flat? Comment below!

Some players you see fire on loan and wonder just why they were sent out when their parent club could really do with what they have to offer. With Leeds United and Mallik Wilks, that was what a lot of fans might have been thinking last season considering their struggles in front of goal.

The youngster only dropped down one division to turn out for Doncaster Rovers, and he gave it a good go in England’s third tier. At the age of just 20-years-old, the young Englishman fired in 14 goals and eight assists and now he could be set to try and do similar for the Elland Road faithful next season.

After chipping in a combined 22 goals and assists in his 46 games for Doncaster the youngster has surely proven to Marcelo Bielsa that he can be trusted, and the fact he failed to miss a single game shows the level of reliability that the versatile youngster has.

Considering how badly injuries impacted Bielsa’s first season in Yorkshire it would be a smart option for the Argentine to bring in and rely upon players who have got it about them to play twice a week, of which Wilks is certainly one of them.

Last season we all saw Jack Harrison run up and down the flank for Leeds to reasonably little effect (recording just four goals and three assists as well as being labelled as inconsistent by Noel Whelan), and it could prove to be an effective move to not only go with one of their own in Wilks instead of resigning Harrison, but to go with the man who’s produced the better numbers over the last 12 months.

It also usually goes a very long way to the Leeds supporters when they have one of their to get behind. Jamie Shackleton has felt the love this season from the fans, and with the likes of Bailey-Peacock-Farrell and Jack Clarke also starring, it would make perfect sense for Bielsa to give another young gun a go.

Leeds fans, do you want to see Mallik Wilks feature for you next season? Comment below!

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The Women’s World Cup is beginning to move towards its conclusion and there is a huge semi-final clash tonight be between two heavyweights of women’s football – France, the hosts of the tournament, and the world-famous USA, who don’t need much of an introduction.

Paul Pogba is still enjoying his holiday touring the States, judging by his latest Instagram activity, and he has now shared a story in which the coveted Manchester United player can be heard chanting “Come on, France” while zooming in on the match poster on one of the buildings.

This huge clash is on the schedule tonight and could very well already determine the winner of the whole tournament given the strength of both teams.

Pogba, however, still has his own future to resolve as he is reportedly pushing for a return to Italy and Juventus but the Red Devils are still not budging.

Last season, he played a total of 35 games in the Premier League, scoring 13 goals and assisting eight in the process, finishing as the team’s top goal-scorer.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Firstly, no disrespect to Steven Pienaar.

The South African is an icon at Everton having spent eight years at Goodison Park across two spells, and took the time out to have his say on some topics regarding the Toffees at a club event in Kenya, where he handed out boxes of training gear with Leon Osman.

However, his words on Ademola Lookman’s situation on Merseyside seem unhelpful – in an innocent way.

Pienaar said: “I am looking forward to Lookman getting more game time and developing as a player because he is a really exciting young player.

“He is still young and raw but I can see a lot of good signs in him. His talent is there, he just needs the finishing touches and hopefully this will be his season to break through.”

Thogden challenged himself to DM 100 footballers on Instagram. Find out who replied in the video below…

Whilst it is kind of the former Toffees winger to offer some words of advice, Lookman may feel that he has already proven what he can do and his lack of game time at the club isn’t his fault.

The England Under-21 international made just three Premier League starts last term, but did enough in his 18 appearances from the bench to impress the fans at least – they wanted him to start the Merseyside derby over Theo Walcott.

It does feel like Lookman has been hard done by at Everton. A loan spell in the second half of the 2017/18 season saw the 5 foot 9 attacker join RB Leipzig, where he absolutely shone.

The former Charlton man hit five goals and four assists in just 11 appearances, form which even prompted a big-money £25m bid from the Germans which was rejected.

Marco Silva went on to speak of his intentions to keep Lookman at the club, saying that he is the ‘present and future’ of Everton – that definitely wasn’t backed up through his use of the forward last season. Three league starts is disrespectful after snatching away a good opportunity for the player.

It’s all well and good for Pienaar to suggest what Lookman needs to do to get into Silva’s starting XI, but the unfortunate youngster could easily argue that he has already shown what he can do, and that his lack of game time is out of his hands.