All posts by h79snht.top

It’s funny how the opinion of the Premier League table being able to tell us nothing to it being all-important swings around the turn of November every season.

The early weeks of the campaign are often a bedding-in process for teams up and down the division, but with eleven games gone, we’re now entering the main body of the campaign – which is prompting talk surrounding title and relegation fights.

Middlesbrough are a side widely expected to be battling in the latter mini-league, with the newly-promoted Teessiders among arguably the six weakest teams in the division.

However, Football FanCast have been impressed with Aitor Karanka’s side thus far, so we’ve done some digging and unearthed THREE stats that really do hint that they’ll be a top tier team this time next season.

A point-per-game

Since the 1995/96 season, the 18th placed team in the Premier League has averaged 0.9 points-per-game, with 17th staying up on 38.4. Boro, as things stand, are averaging a point-a-game with eleven from eleven, which will put them, albeit narrowly, in the window of safety. Granted, Bolton slipped through the trapdoor with 44 points in 2002/03, but that was very much an anomaly, with Newcastle (37), Hull (35) and Norwich (33) the most recent 18th-place finishers.

(Graph via the Mirror)

Not travelsick

Away form can often be the factor that splits those who drop and those who don’t, so Middlesbrough’s success on the road this term is encouraging. Their last-gasp equaliser at Manchester City took them to seven points from six games, a record bettered by only 11th place West Brom in terms of bottom half teams – the Baggies have eight. Boro’s record stands at one win, four draws and one loss.

Defensively resolute

Of all the teams in the bottom half of the table, Boro have conceded the fewest goals. Twelve shipped in eleven games is some going, with table-topping Liverpool having had their backline breached 14 times. Scoring goals is the issue, however, with their ten the joint second-worst record in the division – only Sunderland (nine) have been less effective in front of goal. Another interesting stats in terms of defensive solidity is Middlesbrough’s 253 tackles, which is the highest registered by any team after eleven games.

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As we approach the half-way mark in the 2016/2017 Premier League season, it may be Chelsea and Manchester City who are looking early favourites for the title this season, but there are other headlines being written for the first time in a while about Manchester United.

The club has suffered a slump since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013, and, despite Louis van Gaal returning trophies and European football, they are still falling short of their previous selves.

This season potentially marks a change for the side, though. In came Jose Mourinho, who likes to win above everything else, as well as some high profile transfers in Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. While the French midfielder has grabbed the headlines for the ludicrous transfer fee paid for his services, the Swedish striker is making waves on the pitch, and, for the first time since ‘Fergie’ left, is proving to be a standout player who can single-handedly change the course of the club.

Here are the FOUR reasons behind Ibrahimovic’s success so far…

Age is nothing but a number

The age of 30 is dreaded by all footballers. Contracts get shorter, appearances dwindle as younger players score the goals you used to and your body can no longer do the things it used to.

But 35-year-old Zlatan is different. There are precious few examples of outfield players able to play top-level football in the latter stages of their careers (a recent example that springs to mind is Ryan Giggs, which may or may not be a coincidence that he was at Manchester United as well) as the physicality of the English leagues make it harder and harder to survive 90 minutes of football up to twice a week.

‘Ibra’ has missed just one match out of 17 in the Premier League this season (due to suspension against Arsenal), as well as playing in all three EFL Cup matches for the club and all group stage games (six in total) in the Europa League. In only three of these fixtures did he not play the full ninety minutes (one of them being a 2-1 loss against Fenerbahce), and he has scored in twelve out of 25 appearances for the Red Devils.

He has, of course, benefited from not having to play international fixtures this season after retiring from the Swedish side in the summer, but he is not the only one who doesn’t have such commitments in the Premier League. He is one of only two strikers who has made maximum appearances for his team this season in the top tier, the other being 34-year-old Jermain Defoe.

Form is temporary, class is permanent

While there are several world-class players currently in the Premier League (Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Alexis Sanchez to name just a few), there is no denying that the best players in the game currently tend to reside in the German and Spanish leagues. The arrival of Ibrahimovic to the top tier this summer brought an ilk player to the league not seen since Cristiano Ronaldo. While his salad days are certainly over, he is still one of the best strikers in the footballing world currently, and his arrival at Manchester United this summer was enough to worry the other 19 clubs in the league.

A player may lose their physical fitness and stamina as they grow older, but their talents still remain. As ‘Ibra’ has grown older, he has adapted his game but still remained the talisman forward he has always been. He still exudes the strength that remains a big part of his game (six yellow cards so far this campaign will attest to his aggressive nature on the field) and he has also proven why he is the perfect choice for the main forward, scoring eleven goals in the Premier League and 16 overall, with seven of United’s wins this season down to his goals.

Mourinho’s main man

Jose Mourinho has always enjoyed having a talisman up front, a ‘classic No.9’ who can be relied upon to fill one of the most important roles in his formation. At Chelsea, it was Didier Drogba, Inter Milan had Samuel Eto’o, Karim Benzema was it at Real Madrid and, with his return to the Blues, Diego Costa became the leading man under Mourinho.

With last season’s top goalscorer at Man United on the wing, and the best ‘No.9’ at the club toward the end of the season being youngster Marcus Rashford (with Wayne Rooney becoming more of a midfielder himself last season), it was clear that someone new had to come in to help Mourinho rebuild his successful career after failing at Chelsea last season.

Then there is also the price. While ‘Ibra’ came to the club on a free transfer after his contract expired at Paris Saint-Germain, there is no doubt that, despite his age, he would still command a large transfer fee (he cost the French side just under £16m in 2012), and these high price-tags are also a feature of Mourinho’s forwards. Drogba arrived at Chelsea in 2004 for £24m, becoming the most expensive player in English domestic football at the time. Ten years later, he identified Costa as his principal transfer target for Chelsea and the club met the buy-out for the Atletico Madrid player, spending £32m for him.

Ibrahimovic is the perfect fit for a Mourinho team – a player who can guarantee the same level of service that his previous strikers have and, so far, has lived up to his billing.

Seizing his last chance at an elite club

There aren’t many youngsters in the game who wouldn’t jump at the chance to play at Manchester United at some point in their career. Despite the dip in form the club has suffered in the years since Sir Alex Ferguson has departed the game, ManUnited still remains a global institution in the game, and Old Trafford is still a tough place to visit for opposing sides.

While Zlatan is still in fine form, he must consider he only has two or three years left in the game before he must either take a step down or hang up his boots entirely. While he was only offered a one-year deal at United (with the option of a second in the deal), the opportunity to play for Manchester United at Old Trafford would have been too much for Ibrahimovic to pass on.

It’s not just the club, but also the players who have played there in the past. Zlatan joins a list too long to reel off of greats in the game who have plied their trade at the Theatre of Dreams, and just the opportunity to be named alongside former legends in the game will ensure that his status remains golden as he bows out.

It also completes his ‘bingo card’, for lack of a better term. Ibrahimovic has played at arguably the best clubs in Europe, with Ajax, Juventus, both Milan giants, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain on his CV. Minus Germany, he has performed in all the major leagues in the world of football, and the Premier League completes that. Not only has he secured his final playing days in the top tier of English football, but he has a vital position at still the biggest (and most well known) clubs in the league: Manchester United.

The question is often asked if Jose Mourinho invests enough time in youth. Many say that he spends his clubs’ money on big name players instead of young prospects, but my question is: can Manchester United rely on their youth players to continue the success of the club?

Over the summer transfer window, Mourinho brought in four big name players, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Eric Bailly and Paul Pogba and these players, in recent weeks, have shown why they are worth the big money. Mkhitaryan’s recent good form, Ibrahimovic’s 17 goals in all competitions, Pogba’s powerful, all-around presence – including three assists for team-mate Zlatan – and Bailly’s encouraging start, before his injury all illustrate why the ‘Special One’ wanted them.

However, the average age of these players is 27 (26.75). Although this is increased by Ibrahimovic (35), it is not the first time Manchester United have had a high average age of players being brought in, last season 2015/16, the average age was 25 (24.5), including Anthony Martial and Matteo Darmian. This system of buying players at their peak is a real problem for Manchester United’s youth development.

However, the common argument with the system, of buying players in their prime is that if you want to be the best club you must have the best players at the time. Top clubs are reliant on money being poured in to try and win the league and to achieve their money back on expenses for these names.

However, Manchester United have had consecutive seasons where they have not contested for the title and personally I believe the idea of quick fixes, through buying players who either were considered the best or in their decline, needs to stop and a better system would be to welcome younger players into the first-team.

The idea of buying players at their peak must be a real worry for their youth system. Are youth players going to want to be part of Manchester United if they see players like Ibrahimovic coming to take vacant positions? Marcus Rashford and Timothy Fosu-Mensah are both players who, last season, gained great experience by playing in many matches for Manchester United, yet this year the former has only had a handful of starts and the latter has been forgotten.

Now, of course, Fosu-Mensah and Rashford have their flaws when compared to players like Ibrahimovic and Bailly but they are only 19 and 18 and have plenty of time to fix these and improve as players. The system has also been shown to negatively impact younger players at Manchester United such as Adnan Januzaj and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, who are young promising players forced out on loan just to get games.

So how does this answer the question: can Manchester United rely on their youth players to continue the success of the club?

Overall, with the system they are running now, the answer is no. If Manchester United wish to be a club well known for having a young and exciting team they need to give their youngsters a chance to prove themselves over a prolonged period.

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Despite being six months into his Everton tenure, Ronald Koeman is still attempting to forge his own side at Goodison Park.

The summer window witnessed some movement in and out of Merseyside but the Dutch gaffer will undoubtedly be keen to make further changes when the transfer window opens in January.

Players from prior regimes still remain at the club and these passengers must be shipped out to make way for better players.

Chinese football exploded onto the world stage earlier this year by paying astronomical fees for high-profile stars of the European game, such as Ramires, Jackson Martinez and Alex Teixeira, and has already lined up its star-studded addition for 2017 in Chelsea star Oscar.

That has made the Chinese Premier League the ideal dumping ground for European clubs whilst the less physically-demanding style of football and ludicrous salaries have made it a very attractive prospect for players also.

With that in mind, Football FanCast look at five players Everton should flog to Chinese clubs – picking up tasty transfer fees in the process.

Aaron Lennon

With just eighteen months remaining on his current deal at Goodison, January may be the ideal time for Everton to sell Lennon.

The Chinese season commences in the coming weeks and teams are still looking to sign some marquee players. As a former England international, Aaron Lennon fits the criteria perfectly.

Letting Lennon’s situation linger for another six or twelve months would allow the interested party the advantage in any potential deal.

Oumar Niasse

Niasse’s time in England has not brought much fortune for the Senegal striker.

Playing in a weaker league, Niasse thrived for Lokomotiv Moscow last season, and that form will have undoubtedly generated some interest in the CSL.

Recouping some of the £13.5million fee paid for him may be a priority for Koeman. But considering the riches in China, the club could be rewarded with an even bigger fee.

Arouna Koné

The Ivorian forward Kone has just six months remaining on his contract with the Toffees and it’s unlikely he will be granted an extension anytime soon.

Out of favour under Ronald Koeman and aged 33, the club should attempt to attract a lucrative offer from the CSL in January and spend the money on a genuine understudy for Romelu Lukaku.

Darron Gibson

Republic of Ireland midfielder Gibson has spent the majority of his Everton career watching from the sidelines as injuries continue limit his first-team involvement.

Gibson may therefore favour a move to China where the frequency of injuries is lesser due to the slower speed of play.

A former Manchester United player would be warmly welcomed in the most populated country on the planet.

Phil Jagielka

Phil Jagielka is club captain and has been a fantastic servant to the Merseyside club, currently amid his tenth campaign.

But now 34 years old, the England international is coming to the end of his career and a move to China, a lucrative retirement contract and a change of lifestyle may appeal to the ageing Everton icon.

As reported by The Daily Mail, Crystal Palace are very interested in securing the signature of Sunderland’s in-form left-back Patrick van Aanholt in this month’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Only Swansea and Hull have conceded more goals than Crystal Palace this season and that has left new boss Sam Allardyce seeking solutions.

The man said, by The Mail, to be at the top of his list this January is Sunderland left-back Patrick van Aanholt.

The paper say that Palace have already made a bid worth up to £8m for the defender but that Sunderland will hold out for more. David Moyes is keen to maximise fees for players to give him room to manoeuvre himself in the transfer window.

What they need?

With Papa Souare ruled out for the rest of the season Crystal Palace badly need depth and competition in the left-back area. Neither Martin Kelly nor Joel Ward have particularly impressed there and resources are stretched thin with both players taking turns to fill in the position.

In contrast, Van Aanholt has been one of Sunderland’s better performers this season both in a defensive and attacking sense. If pace and guile is what Allardyce is looking for then the Dutch international is his man.

He can do a shift defensively too although given Palace’s propensity to get forward to showcase their best players, it could be his dribbling and passing ability that is most attractive for Allardyce.

Signing one of the better performers from relegation rivals would be a shrewd move from the Eagles and if they can pull it off, it could be a signing that might just make the difference come May.

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Robert Snodgrass has been in demand by plenty of Premier League clubs in the January transfer window, but it appears that proceedings are reaching a conclusion.

The Hull City midfielder is widely expected to join West Ham United this week after his manager Marco Silva told BBC Sport that a deal has been struck between the two clubs.

The Portuguese coach also revealed following his side’s EFL Cup exit to Manchester United on Thursday night that Snodgrass has told the club that he wants to leave.

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Silva is quoted as saying: “He has not trained since they did a deal with West Ham. It is possible it will be done in the next hours.”

Burnley and Middlesbrough were also hunting for his signature, but it appears that the Scotland international has opted for East London.

BBC Sport claims that Burnley had an offer in the region of £10m accepted by Hull, but West Ham came in with a higher bid.

Plenty of supporters are excited about Snodgrass joining the Hammers, while others are not quite convinced.

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Manchester United are competing on three fronts for the remainder of this season (seeing as there is only one match left in their EFL Cup campaign). That is a feat considering the position they were in only a few months ago. Admittedly, one of those fronts is actually competing for a top four spot rather than the actual trophy itself, but still. They are a club tired of falling short, spoilt by the glories of Alex Ferguson and frustrated that they no longer have complete rule of the Premier League roost. They have fallen so short of their former peak, in fact, they are not even dining at the exclusive premium European table anymore.

Jose Mourinho is the man tasked with returning Manchester United to the top. To do that, they must show they can not only compete in one competition, but be able to win multiple trophies season on season. This year they are unlikely to do that – although a cup treble is not beyond the realms of possibility. The remainder of this campaign could be huge for United.

Qualification for the Champions League is an absolute must. Mourinho is fortunate he has the depth of squad to compete strongly for both a top four finish and for a late run into the Europa League. Although he has been widely critical of the Champions League’s exhausting, unfriendly cousin for much of his career, Mourinho should see it as a viable route back into the big time. It is a trophy, whether Mourinho respects it or not, and there is a feeling that he needs to lift his first trophy at a club very quickly. He is a man all about the ends, the means are disinteresting to him, so the ends must be there right away.

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Facing St Etienne this week, Mourinho’s team selection will be revealing of his plans for the rest of the season. In truth, Manchester United could rest the majority of their first team and still name a line-up capable of winning the competition. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marcus Rashford and others will be raring to go, while Mourinho’s first choice stars can lurk on the bench in case they are needed to save their team-mates from a crisis.

Following their Europa League return, Manchester United face Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup. The least relevant of their remaining commitments, one would think. A weakened side is surely likely against the former Premier League champions, but it would be one of the greatest shocks in recent memory if the Red Devils fail to qualify for the next round. The last thing Mourinho would want is a replay, though.

Manchester United, ultimately, are in a very strong position. Players are hitting form and their lavish investment over the past couple of years has enabled them to compete significantly on all fronts. Squad depth allows Mourinho to rotate, but that is where the problem lies. Rotation is not something often associated with Mourinho and a failure to keep his players fresh presents the greatest threat to United this season.

What looked like a troubling first campaign for Mourinho could yet be an overwhelming success. They have the squad to keep everyone fresh for their top four push, while continuing to aim for silverware in the cup competitions. It is now down to Mourinho’s squad management to see how it pans out – a glorious season rests on his ability to kick the bad habit and rotate his squad more.

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Chelsea have been flying in the Premier League this season and it’s going to take a huge turnaround for anyone other than Antonio Conte’s side to lift the title at the end of the campaign.

The Blues have looked pretty much unstoppable since adopting a three-man defence following a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal earlier in the season and their latest challenge sees them clash with West Ham United on Monday evening.

The Hammers endured a wealth of problems in the first-half of the campaign but have enjoyed a revival since, with Slaven Bilic’s side now sitting in the top-half of the table ahead of Chelsea’s first-ever visit to the London Stadium this weekend.

Whilst Bilic’s side may be optimistic of a result, former Arsenal man Paul Merson can’t see that happening and is expecting Chelsea to take further steps towards Premier League glory. Making his weekend predictions for Sky Sports, he said:

“Chelsea look like a well-oiled machine at the moment which is showing now signs of any faults. They did lose to West Ham at the London Stadium in the EFL Cup earlier in the season, but I do not expect a repeat performance. I expect Chelsea to win this game. West Ham have struggled in front of their own fans and are a better side away from home.”

Merson is predicting a 3-1 win for the visitors, which could potentially see the Hammers slip all the way down to 13th in the league standings.

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The 2016/17 season has so far had an eerily familiar air for Arsenal. A decent start was followed by a lacklustre end to the calendar year, with the Gunners now looking to rescue their season and push for a decent finish. A pretty standard year at the Emirates, then, all told.

Except, this season was supposed to be so different. With Arsene Wenger’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, and with no renewal yet in sight, the Arsenal fairytale was looking destined to take shape. Like a Hollywood blockbuster, Wenger was supposed to lead his side back to Premier League glory and ride off into the sunset – but at present, the film looks more like a repeat of Groundhog Day.

The Gunners are currently sitting in 4th place, with Liverpool breathing down their necks, and their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich is as good as over after being crushed in Munich.

All wasn’t lost though, with the always-influential Santi Cazorla expected to return for the second-half of the season. With confirmation that he is set to miss the rest of the season coming last week, though, could there now be no way back for Arsene Wenger?

On the surface, Cazorla doesn’t come across as the sort of player to really put his mark on games and dominate them – but for Arsenal, he has been absolutely vital in recent years. Though often utilised as a wide attacking midfielder or as a number 10, Wenger decided to play Cazorla deeper, and his decision has certainly been vindicated.

From that position, he is able to control and dictate games, with his majestic passing ability and tempo building play forming the cornerstone of Arsenal’s attacks. He is unique in the Arsenal midfield in that he is as technical as they come, but is solid enough to play as one of the deeper midfield two. Players like Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka and Francis Coquelin all play a significant role and are important, but their qualities are far more useful when Arsenal don’t have the ball. Cazorla comes to the forefront when Arsenal are attacking, with their entire play often running through the Spaniard.

That doesn’t take away from the defensive aspect of his game either. He has learned to compensate for his slight frame and attacking nature, with his ability to read the game and break up play within an instant becoming vital for the Gunners at the back.

The reason why players like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have been so influential in an Arsenal shirt is due, in large part, to the presence of Cazorla. He is able to pass and move, but he is also able to create space and move past players – allowing the players in front of him to get into more threatening positions.

Francis Coquelin brings so much to Arsenal’s first team, but he isn’t able to do half of what Cazorla can do going forward – and so it is no surprise that Ozil has struggled so much in his absence. The Spaniard has so often gone under the radar for the Gunners, and now they are suffering from his absence.

Many have tried and failed to fit into Cazorla’s place. Xhaka has looked poor, Ramsay has struggled, and whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been passable in the role lately – it is quite clear that he is a square peg in a round hole. That is a testament to just how influential Cazorla really is.

For Wenger, then, he may be going down a path from which he cannot return. An FA Cup trophy might not be enough to earn him a new contract, and so his lasting legacy could be one of failure, rather than success. If Cazorla were in the side, it could have been so different. Instead, though, Wenger is having to rebuild his side to cope with his loss, and the results are – unsurprisingly – simply not up to par.

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According to reports in The Sun this week, Southampton and Everton could go head-to-head for the £20m signature of Sporting Lisbon defender Ruben Semedo.

Saints boss Claude Puel is looking to sign a centre-back this summer as a replacement for Jose Fonte – who joined West Ham in January – and he might need to bring in another if Virgil van Dijk continues to attract the interest of the bigger sides in the Premier League.

Even though they brought in free agent Martin Caceres last month, the Uruguayan was only signed until the end of the campaign and his future at St Mary’s is far from certain either.

Meanwhile, with Phil Jagielka and Ashley Williams getting no younger, and few other options available to him, Toffees manager Ronald Koeman will also surely be looking to strengthen his options at centre-half in the summer.

The duo are both said to have regularly scouted Semedo, and it appears as though they have been largely impressed with what they have seen.

However, they may be slightly concerned that he has been dropped from the starting XI for his side’s last four Primeira Liga matches in recent weeks by manager Jorge Jesus.

Despite that, the 22-year-old might have done enough to convince scouts from both clubs that he is ready for a move to the Premier League, and his stats from this term back that up.

In 18 league appearances, Semedo has shown what a good defender he is by winning 34 tackles, as well as making 54 interceptions and 47 clearances.

If Saints do lose Van Dijk, Claude Puel will want someone who can replace his strength in the air and having won 48 aerial duels, Semedo has certainly shown that to be one of his main attributes.

Both Puel and Koeman like their centre-backs to be good on the ball, and with a 90% passing accuracy he ticks the boxes there too.

One negative does come in the form of the 22-year-old’s discipline though, with the centre-half being sent off on two occasions this term.

That is something that can be easily rectified though, and his impressive defensive attributes could be enough to see both Southampton and Everton launch bids to bring him to England this summer.