All posts by h716a5.icu

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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…

Despite the high-profile departures of both Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini in recent transfer windows, Manchester United have done little to replace some of the players they have lost in midfield. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has publicly insisted he trusts in the club’s youth talents to make the step up to the first-team, and one man who the Red Devils will heavily rely upon to have an impressive campaign, is Scott McTominay.

The 22-year-old has played in a variety of positions for the club since making his senior debut, and that has cost him more than anything. Versatility is often a desired trait in players, but it can also lead to a case of not knowing where your strongest role is. McTominay has played across most midfield positions, but this season United will surely need him to nail down a spot.

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Solskjaer has used the Scot as part of a deeper-lying midfield two in pre-season, and his energy and industry is something United desperately need. In the high-intensity game the side are looking to implement, McTominay’s role in closing down opposition players and shielding the back four will be crucial.

Whilst much of the criticism when a goal gets conceded is aimed at either the defenders or the goalkeeper, the protection in front of them also needs to be scrutinised. If, as pre-season indicates, McTominay plays alongside Paul Pogba in a midfield two, then it will be the former who has to retain some defensive responsibility. At 22, McTominay is no longer at an age where mistakes or bad performances can be put down to inexperience.

After a summer where the club failed to land its midfield targets, it will be up to McTominay to really step his game up and show that serious progress is being made.

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Jadon Sancho has agreed to a huge new contract with Borussia Dortmund, per BBC, but Manchester United fans aren’t letting that deter them from their summer 2020 dream.

It’s beyond obvious at this point that the Red Devils need a right-sided attacker, and at just 19 years of age, Dortmund’s Sancho fits the youth revolution Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is building at Old Trafford.

He has scored 16 times and provided 25 assists for the German outfit’s senior side, and has already earned six England caps.

The teenager was linked with a switch to Manchester this summer, but the interest in the long-term target was reportedly cooled, and he is now set to sign a whopping £190,00-a-week deal at the Westfalenstadion, say BBC.

Surprisingly though, fans are still feeling optimistic they could make a move for the wing wizard in 2020, pointing out the fact that several other players have extended their contracts in recent times only to earn their club a higher transfer fee when they leave.

For example, Harry Maguire signed a new Leicester deal in September of 2018 only to join up with the Red Devils this summer.

Take a look at some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on Goals on Sunday, former Leicester City ace Danny Simpson has backed “world-class” James Maddison to make a move to Manchester United in the future.

What did he say?

Maddison has enjoyed an impressive time with the Foxes since moving to the club from Norwich. So much so, recent reports had suggested the England U21 international is being lined up by United for a big-money transfer in January.

Now, Simpson has admitted he could see his former teammate easily make the grade at Old Trafford, and insisted he has all the attributes to fit right in.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

When asked whether he could see a potential move happening, Simpson said, as quoted by The Manchester Evening News: “Yeah. He, for me, is world class. I think people are speaking right now but honestly I think for an English player as well, honestly he’s world class and he’s only going to get better and better.

“He’s that good, honestly. Honestly, he’s got it all. He’s quick in his mind so I think he doesn’t need to have blistering pace running past people because he’s clever and he thinks before everyone else. He gets in them little pockets, gets into the right spaces, he’s kind of got eyes in the back of his head. The way he receives the ball and turns and puts defenders on the back foot.”

A much-needed signing

Even without the element of bias that comes with Simpson describing one of his former teammates, Maddison’s remarkable rise since his arrival in the Premier League is difficult to look past. The 22-year-old has taken to the top-flight like a duck to water, and has orchestrated the Leicester attack with consummate ease.

In his debut campaign in the Premier League last season, the attacking midfielder registered an impressive seven goals and seven assists. United are currently relying on the woefully out-of-form Jesse Lingard to provide the side’s cutting edge from the number ten role, and so a move for Maddison would address a real problem area for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Having someone who can knit together attacks and play a killer pass in the final third is so key for a team bursting at the seams with pace. He is perhaps the ideal signing for the Red Devils.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Nottingham Forest captain Michael Dawson has compared his current boss Sabri Lamouchi to the one that let him depart Tottenham Hotspur after nearly ten years at the club.

What’s he said?

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino allowed the popular centre-back to join Hull City despite holding the captaincy in North London.

After four seasons at the KCOM Stadium, Dawson returned to the Midlands to the side that gave him his first taste of professional football, Forest.

Lamouchi was surprisingly appointed manager of the club just minutes after the sudden departure of Martin O’Neill and the 35-year-old, who has started every Championship game this season, has said the Algerian boss reminds him of Pochettino.

Dawson said:

“I had a short spell with Mauricio at Spurs before I left, and yes, his thoroughness, his way of playing…

“That takes time. You’ve got to get the right players and the right blend – he’s doing that.

“He’s great to work with – his energy, his willingness to learn the league.

“I’m loving working with him.”

Have Forest finally found their man?

Any form of reasonable success at the City Ground has long escaped them – their last foray into the playoffs was back in 2011 whilst the club haven’t featured in the top-flight since 1999.

Lamouchi is their fourth manager since the start of the 2017 season having had Mark Warburton, Aitor Karanka and O’Neill all chance their arm in the east Midlands.

The last manager to enjoy a spell that was longer than just a year was Billy Davies between 2009 and 2011 – the man to give them that playoff season.

They’ve had 12 managers since then, including their current boss.

The Reds have been in desperate need of some sort of stability, and Dawson’s comments about the 47-year-old offers great encouragement considering the flack the club received following his peculiar appointment.

Ensuring he’s given time and that they continue this season’s run of form, Forest have every chance of a more successful campaign this season.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Liverpool are yet to open talks with James Milner over a new contract, report The Athletic.

What’s the word?

Milner arrived at Anfield on a free transfer in 2015 and he has since become a very important player for the Reds, averaging 44 appearances per season for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

His current deal is set to expire at the end of the season and despite approaching the club over the prospect of negotiating new terms, Liverpool said they were not ready to open discussions, and talks are still yet to get underway despite that happening early in the summer.

There are reportedly three concerns over Milner’s situation – availability, fitness and performances – and with Milner now 33 there may be concern over his ability to sustain the same levels beyond summer 2020.

Another stumbling block could be his wages. He is said to be on £125,000 a week and although he is unlikely to get that kind of money elsewhere – at least in England – it is possible that his demands may not be met by the club.

Mistake to let him go

Whilst it is understandable that the club are unwilling to open contract talks with an ageing player who now primarily acts as a back-up, Milner has proved his fitness throughout his spell at Anfield and his performances and commitment to the club deserve to be rewarded with a new deal.

He is still one of fittest members of the Reds’ squad, once again winning Liverpool’s ‘acid test’ on the first day of pre-season – a test of endurance which consists of players running laps around the training ground at increased speeds.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Since Klopp’s arrival he has always been available and performed to a high standard on a consistent basis, and his reliability is invaluable for a team looking to compete in the league and in Europe.

His experience and presence around the dressing could be sorely missed if he departed, and it would likely be very difficult to replace him with a player of similar attributes in terms of ability and knowledge of the game.

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Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last 10 to 15 years, you’ll know that Arsene Wenger’s reign at Arsenal was a tumultuous one.

Having joined the Gunners in 1996, his time at the club up until 2005 was one full of success, with his side picking up two doubles along the way. The Invincibles of 2004 has gone down as one of the greatest teams in Premier League history.

From then on, though, the north London outfit fell behind.

How do football vloggers afford to watch their team week in, week out? Find out in the video below…

Per Mertesacker has been talking about the more barren period in his new book, “Per Mertesacker: Big Friendly German”. Amongst other things, he has touched upon the Frenchman’s loyalty to the players at his disposal.

“The fans wanted five top signings ever summer. But Wenger trusted the players he had. I never met another manager who believed more strongly in his squad’s ability,” wrote the former Germany international.

As expected, these comments have caused plenty of discussion amongst the Emirates faithful, and they have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts.

You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Everton’s forwards have enjoyed mixed success this season but Marco Silva shouldn’t make any changes to his frontline ahead of their clash with Bournemouth.

On the chalkboard

The Toffees began the season slowly in front of goal with three goals in three and that subsequently led to the introduction of two new signings, Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi, who have both made a significant impact.

Whilst Kean is still yet to get off the mark for his new club, a goal for Italy U21s in midweek should give him a confidence boost, and a regular run in the team, alongside the likes of Iwobi and Richarlison, will allow him to find his feet.

Effective pressing

One of the main reasons why Everton’s front three should remain the same is due to the pace it possesses. Other than Gylfi Sigurdsson Everton’s attack is very quick, and that could be as crucial off the ball as in possession.

That is because of the pressing style Silva has deployed this season. According to Opta, via Sky Sports, Everton head the Premier League rankings for teams with the most pressing sequences from the four league games so far, and it has produced results.

Against Wolves, Kean and Iwobi combined effectively and their pace was lethal, causing a mistake in the opposition backline that allowed the ball to fall for Richarlison to bundle home, and it could be used as a weapon once again on Sunday.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Bournemouth are a side who like to play out from the back.

Their main two centre-backs, Nathan Ake and Steve Cook, have averaged 41 and 37 successful passes per game so far this campaign, but if put under pressure it is possible they will be forced into a mistake.

If Kean can get into the right positions he may be able to pounce on an error and break his Everton duck.

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Leeds fans were left to wonder where things went wrong on Saturday as despite dominating their clash with Derby, they only came away with a point.

The Whites had over 60% of the possession and 13 shots but only drew 1-1 as Patrick Bamford hit the post and Mateusz Klich almost missed his spot-kick.

Marcelo Bielsa’s men received some good fortune in the first half when Max Lowe fired into his own net but that was all the luck they’d get as somehow Phillip Cocu’s men held the west Yorkshire side at Elland Road.

Understandably a host of their supporters were left angry by the result as some parts of the fan base decided to turn on their manager.

One suggested he was to blame for not starting Eddie Nketiah and Helder Costa which was a verdict echoed by other fans.

A further individual claimed the 64-year-old was very stubborn while another said they were sick of the loyalty Bielsa was showing to some of his players.

The Argentine has only made four changes to his starting XI in the Championship this season so it was perhaps unsurprising that he went unchanged against the Rams.

After dropping more points, however, he could be forced to change his ways.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Aston Villa’s game against Arsenal very much mirrored their season so far in the Premier League.

The summer was filled with so much promise and hope as manager Dean Smith splashed the cash on 12 players including the popular return of Tyrone Mings.

Villa took an early lead against the Gunners thanks to John McGinn, in the same way that they did against Tottenham on the opening weekend.

Despite being a man down, Arsenal found a way back to run out 3-2 winners, condemning the west Midlands club to a relegation spot for the first time this season – they have won just one of their six matches so far.

Up until this point, their defence was a positive having kept two clean sheets but individual errors effectively allowed Arsenal to regain control while in attack, they had struggled for goals scoring just four before now.

Though, one of their significant problems could actually lie in the link between the two aforementioned areas of the pitch.

On the Chalkboard

Jack Grealish is the star man in B6. Boyhood fan. Academy graduate. Club captain.

Last season he was an influential figure on their way to playoff glory – in 34 appearances, the 24-year-old scored six goals from midfield and also laid on seven assists.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

This season he has already racked up two assists and that’s in a team that’s struggling too. He could offer so much more that would not only benefit himself and the manager but the whole team too.

He needs to be played further up the field to allow his creative playmaking exploits to bear fruit – he averaged 2.3 key passes last term, but against Arsenal, he could only muster up 40% of his passes in the final third of the pitch.

The heat map below shows the main areas the midfielder frequently controlled during Sunday’s match, and it shows just how underused the entire pitch is and the areas he went missing.

His presence should be more frequent in an attacking role if Smith wants to get the best out of him.

It’s something that may also stop him from losing the ball regularly in important positions.

With the way the 48-year-old sets up this team, he can surely afford to push Grealish further forward considering Marvelous Nakamba rarely strays away from defensive midfield. Furthermore, there is also McGinn just behind the number ten role too.

Milner delivered a professional verdict after Liverpool won 4-3 on Wednesday.

He didn’t get carried away after the win, though he did enjoy a cheeky pop at whoever operated the Anfield scoreboard, which inexplicably read 3-3 when the score was actually 3-1, which of course became quite an impressive prediction by the hour mark.

The midfielder was clear in his message – there is work to be done at Liverpool if they want to retain their European crown.