Arsenal have been given a huge boost in their chase to sign Liverpool target Virgil van Dijk after he revealed that being linked with the Gunners is a great feeling, Metro reports.
The 23-year-old defender is also being tracked by Everton and Sunderland is currently rated at about £10million by his club Celtic with the player said to be keen on a switch to the Premier League.
WANT MORE? >> Arsenal Transfer News | Liverpool Transfer News
“I have recently been thinking a bit about it [his career]. I am now 23 and have played at Willem II, FC Groningen and Celtic and am now linked to clubs like Arsenal. Isn’t that great?
“There are a lot of clubs interested, but Celtic is holding onto a big transfer fee. The club is clear: they don’t want to let me go in the winter, because we’re playing for four trophies.
“I understand the point of view from the club and I see it as a compliment that they don’t want to let me go.
“But we have to be realistic. If there’s a nice club from England, we have to talk. I want to develop myself as a player, that’s for sure.”
Arsene Wenger’s side have been rattled by a number of defensive injuries with Mathieu Debuchy being the latest victim to join the list as he is now deemed out for three months due to a shoulder injury.
The addition of another centre-back will be a lift for the Gunners as they currently only have two experienced centre-backs, Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Earlier in the season, Wenger was forced to use a number of his wingers in the middle of his defence when Koscielny was unavailable, prompting his search for a key defender to be a top priority this month.
Olivier Giroud found the back of the net twice at St James’s Park, and his status as a ‘world class’ forward was brought to light. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is backing his forward, saying there is even more to come from Giroud, but he is already world class. Is he right?
Olivier Giroud’s season did not get off to a great start: despite scoring in Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Everton, Giroud picked up an ankle injury back in August that was to keep him from playing football for five months. But Giroud’s impressive recovery – which was called one of football’s ‘best kept secrets’ – saw a return almost two months earlier than predicted.
During the time Giroud spent sidelined, Arsene Wenger’s side managed to win just three games out of nine. Looking at their current form, they are doing far better with Giroud. Arsenal are on course to retain the FA Cup, as well as making the top four in the Premier League – although some think they have the potential to win the title.
Olivier Giroud has 17 goals to his name for the season, 13 of them in the Premier League: the majority of which have been scored with his left foot. Ten of these goals have been netted in his last six games. No doubt had Giroud not picked up that unfortunate injury, he would have added plenty more to that tally. It is evident that he is crucial for Arsenal, and one is left to wonder would they have already pipped City to the second place spot had he been fit.
[ad_pod id=’football-friends’ align=’center’]
Using the comparison “Olivier Giroud has scored more goals in 2015 than Cristiano Ronaldo” is honestly stupi, though. Ronaldo being out of form does not make Giroud a Ballon d’Or candidate.
Giroud may not have made many headlines throughout this season, despite his good form, which could be down to Harry Kane filling column inches with his form for north London rivals Tottenham. Spurs’ main man has had an amazing season thus far, and is on course to lift the Golden Boot come May. It has been difficult for others to get a look in with the media because of this and, of course, the fact he is English.
It is clear to see that Olivier Giroud is very much keeping Arsenal’s chances to snag second place alive. If Arsene Wenger is right, and there is more to come from Giroud, then he can certainly be considered world class. I believe this accolade should be used few and far between, or else it loses all meaning entirely.
Lionel Messi is the epitome of world class, and Giroud could never match Messi. Although, Giroud absolutely deserves praise, especially in recent weeks. If he can continue this form into next season, and keep fit, he’ll be one to watch.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
There’s still plenty of speculation in the gossip columns surrounding the future of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, who continues to be linked with a summer move to Real Madrid.
It’s common knowledge that the Spanish giants could be looking to replace their long-term goalkeeper Iker Casillas who over the last couple of seasons has seen his performance levels dip beyond the standard required at the Bernabeu.
And having lit up the Premier League over the past couple of campaigns, De Gea has emerged as the prime candidate to replace the Madrid great. Yet to commit his future to the Red Devils with talk of a new contract still to be agreed, United fans are bracing themselves for the possibility of losing their star man who could make a big money move as early as this summer.
Although it would be seen as a disaster for United were they to lose the Spanish shot-stopper, there’s one man that could go a long way to filling the void he would leave; and that’s Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris.
Like De Gea, Lloris is considered one of the top keepers in the Premier League and certainly has the sufficient quality required to succeed at Old Trafford.
The French international arrived at Spurs in 2012, a late signing in the summer transfer window in a deal woth around £12million. Having already established himself one of the world’s best keepers, it was seen as quite a coup for Tottenham as they looked to build a squad capable of reaching the Champions League once more.
However, despite his heroics at White Hart Lane, Spurs look set to miss out on qualification for Europe’s Premier competition once more, and so the 28-year-old may well be looking for a move away from north London in order to fulfil this ambition.
[ffc-gal cat=”manchester-united” no=”5″]
Should De Gea return to his homeland, Lloris has all the qualities and attributes that would help to quash the disappointment at losing their number one. Numerous top quality saves this season have highlighted his shot-stopping ability, while his leadership qualities would bring a great deal to United’s defence. His confidence and calmness on the ball means he distributes the ball effectively, which also would prove beneficial to their style of play under Louis van Gaal.
Though should United make a move for the Frenchman, he wouldn’t come cheap. Yet with United no doubt demanding a large fee for any potential deal for De Gea, this would more than cover the asking price from Spurs.
Although Spurs won’t be rushing to offer Lloris to any potential buyers, the fact they could make a healthy profit on their goalkeeper is something they will certainly consider, and with Michel Vorm waiting in the wings on the Spurs bench, they too already have an adequate replacement in place with proven Premier League experience.
Whether or not De Gea stays at United for the foreseeable future remains to be seen, however there remains an air of inevitability that he will eventually end up at Real Madrid at some point.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
And although it would a huge loss for the Red Devils, if they can convince Spurs to sell Lloris in order to bring the French star to Manchester, you have to say their starting XI wouldn’t exactly be any weaker as a result.
What a difference a month makes in the Premier League. After an FA Cup loss at home to Arsenal saw people questioning whether Louis van Gaal was truly the right man for the job at Old Trafford, three hugely impressive victories against Tottenham, Liverpool and now Manchester City has seen the Dutchman’s side climb to third in the table, with a second-placed finish an easy target. United are playing their best football at the most crucial moment of the campaign, and with a number of big-money signings being touted in the summer, surely the aim will be the title next season rather than another top-four finish.
2. Pellegrini’s days are numbered.
The parallels between Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini’s sophomore season and that of his predecessor Roberto Mancini are worrying. An excellent debut campaign has been followed up by a hugely disappointing second year, and after this crushing derby loss – City’s fifth away defeat in a row in all competitions – the club’s oil-rich owners may have decided that enough is enough. Pellegrini can have no excuses for how poorly his players have performed given how much money he spent in the summer, and it seems increasingly likely that he will pay for it with his job.
3. Kompany continues descent from hero to zero.
Touted as one of the best centre-halves in the game last season, City skipper Vincent Kompany’s fall from grace has been alarming and has come to embody his side’s underwhelming campaign. The Belgian was withdrawn at half-time against United having performed poorly in the opening 45 minutes, and was lucky to remain on the pitch after a desperate, ill-disciplined challenge on Daley Blind. Kompany has the air of a man completely devoid of confidence and belief in his own abilities. Much like his manager, is his time at Eastlands also up?
With the final ball of the 2014/15 Premier League season kicked, the title, the relegation places, the European qualifying rankings and everything in between now decided, it’s time to reflect upon what has been a typically gripping year in English football.
We’ve already had the Player of the Year awards and the PFA Team of the Season, but we at Football FanCast believe it’s time some of the division’s lesser decorated stars are given their spot in the limelight as well.
Therefore, we’ve created this honorary select Xi of rather ambiguous criteria. It’s not so much for those who fall into the ‘unsung hero’ category; rather, for those who haven’t received the recognition that their emphatic form deserves this term.
So without further ado, sit back and enjoy Football Fancast’s underrated XI of the year, filled with the Premier League’s most under-appreciated.
Are these eleven names the real stars of the show in the English top flight?
[interaction id=“none”]
GOALKEEPER – Costel Pantilimon
Football FanCast’s Underrated Glove award goes to, without a doubt, Sunderland’s Costel Pantilimon.
Last season, striker Connor Wickham was the miracle that kept Sunderland in the top flight. This year, it’s been the Romanian international, epitomised by his Man of the Match performance during a scoreless draw with Arsenal last Monday that affirmed the Black Cats’ survival.
Despite starting the campaign as understudy to Victor Mannone, the 28 year-old has gone on to record the sixth-most clean sheets and seventh-most saves of any Premier League goalkeeper from just 28 appearances.
Perhaps most tellingly of all, his save success rate of 78.4% is by far the best in the division, outclassing Thibaut Courtois (71.8%), Joe Hart (71.6%) and Manchester United’s David de Gea (69.4%) by quite some way.
RIGHT BACK – KIERAN TRIPPIER
Danny Ings has been the talk of the town at Burnley this season but the performances of right-back Kieran Tripper deserve equal praise.
Last term Trippier added 14 assists to the Turf Moor outfit’s promotion bid and he’s had a similar effect this year, recording the joint-most set-ups of any Burnley player, four, along with the aforementioned Ings.
The 24 year-old also been Burnley’s most prolific creator, with 1.7 chances per match, whilst his 2.4 accurate crosses per match is the strongest return throughout the Premier League.
A lack of top level quality ultimately cost the Clarets in their bid for survival, but Trippier has been providing it all year from right-back.
CENTRE-BACK – JORES OKORE
Tim Sherwood and Christian Benteke will be seen as the definitive factors in Aston Villa’s survival this season, but youngster Jores Okore deserves a noteworthy mention too.
Big things were expected of the 22 year-old when he first arrived at Villa Park two summers ago, only for an ACL injury in September 2013 to rule him out for over a year. The Danish international returned to first team action in November and his performances at the heart of defence have been pivotal.
From his 22 Premier League outings this term the Villains have kept five clean sheets, but perhaps most crucially conceded more than twice on just eight occasions – six of which have come against sides that finished in the Premier League’s top seven.
Regularly filling the void of ever-crocked skipper Ron Vlaar, Villa – who finished just three points off the drop – might not have been so lucky this term if Okore’s return to fitness had happened a few weeks later.
JOSE FONTE
Football – Sheffield United v Southampton – Capital One Cup Quarter Final – Bramall Lane – 16/12/14Jose Fonte of SouthamptonMandatory Credit: Action Images / Ed SykesLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
I’d describe public and punditry appreciation of Southampton’s Jose Fonte as largely in accordance with his abilities, but the Portugal defender makes it into this select Xi for one predominant reason – his shock exclusion from the PFA Team of the Year.
No doubt, Chelsea duo John Terry and Gary Cahill have been absolutely fantastic this season, but the Saints finished the campaign with just one more goal conceded and two less clean sheets than the Premier League champions.
Skipper Fonte, who claimed the Player of the Year award at St. Mary’s this season, played in every single minute of their Premier League campaign barring a single game’s absence due to suspension.
In the process, he’s averaged the third-most interceptions per match, 3.2, of any Premier League centre-half.
DALEY BLIND
He may not have the awesome goalscoring record of Radamel Falcao or a record-breaking transfer fee like Angel Di Maria, but pound for pound Daley Blind has proved to be Manchester United’s best signing of summer 2014.
Utility men of the Netherlands international’s variety tend to fall into two categories; they’re either equally terrible in every position or equally brilliant.
Blind firmly belongs in the latter, producing equally strong displays at left-back, left wing-back, central midfield, defensive midfield and even making a few outings as an emergency centre-half, whilst his two goals of the campaign clinched United vital draws against West Bromwich Albion and West Ham – just as the pressure was beginning to mount on Louis van Gaal.
Clearly a victim of his own versatility, Blind will likely always dodge his fair share of the praise at Old Trafford. But in my opinion, the 25 year-old would be a huge asset to any top European club.
Defensive Midfield – KI SUNG-YUENG
So underrated he didn’t even claim Swansea City’s Player of the Year award, Ki Sung-Yueng might well be the most underappreciated central midfielder in the Premier League.
He’s been the metronome in a Swans side that have now recorded their highest ever points total of the Premier League era, conducting traffic with deft flick-ons and neat one-twos to record a pass completion rate of 89.9%, whilst shielding the back four with his exceptional anticipation – epitomised best by his 1.8 interceptions per match.
But most impressive of all is the 26 year-old’s goal tally. Eight goals makes him Swansea’s top scorer in the league – with the exception of Wilfried Bony, now with Manchester City – whilst Yaya Toure and Steven Gerrard are the only Premier League centre-mids to have scored more this year.
There isn’t too much speculation in the tabloids at the moment but something tells me England’s top clubs will be considering bids for the South Korean this summer.
Central Midfield – JASON PUNCHEON
Yannick Bolasie is the first name that comes to mind when reflecting upon Crystal Palace’s many fantastic performances under Alan Pardew – but Jason Puncheon has been the real star of the show.
With six goals and seven assists in 31 Premier League starts, he trumps the Congo winger in terms of output and has been the driving force in the Eagles’ midfield, epitomised best by his impressive averages of 1.8 shots, 1.8 chances created, 1.6 successful dribbles, 1.8 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per match.
Pardew hailed the 28 year-old as Palace’s best performer earlier this month as he signed a contract extension until 2019 and Football Fancast firmly agree. The south London outfit’s Player of the Year award, however, went to Scott Dann.
Central Midfield – JAMES MILNER
The undisputed king of modern day unsung heroes in the Premier League, despite receiving more adulation than normal this season James Milner was always going to make this select Xi. In fact, he’s wearing the captain’s armband.
The England international has just ended his strongest campaign to date for the Citizens, claiming five goals and seven assists in the Premier League whilst also netting a vital Champions League goal against Spartak Moscow, but received just 18 league starts from Manuel Pellegrini.
Yet to extend his contract past the end of the season, the 29 year-old will most likely leave the Eithad this summer – hopefully for a club with a much better appreciation of his many talents.
Right Wing – WILLIAN
If James Milner were to pass on his crown as the Premier League’s least-sung of unsung heroes, his successor would undoubtedly be Chelsea’s Willian.
The 26-year-old will never be a world-class talent in the same vein as Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa or Eden Hazard, largely due to his ever-underwhelming output. This season he’s bagged just two goals and three assists in 36 Premier League appearances.
But the Brazil international’s incredible industry and work-rate has been equally as pivotal to the Blues’ successful title bid this season, providing intrinsic balance to Hazard on the other flank and epitomising everything about the Jose Mourinho philosophy.
Likewise, he’s absolutely lethal on the counter-attack, with his power, pace and dribbling ability laying the framework for countless Chelsea goals this year. He’s very much the assistor to the assistor, the instigator of attacking moves others take statistical credit for.
Perhaps most tellingly of all, Willian’s importance to Chelsea has increased as the season’s gone on.
LEFT WING – Nacer Chadli
Admit it. You thought Nacer Chadli was a waste of space and so did we at Football Fancast. He’s one of many Tottenham signings who left an underwhelming impression last season but the Belgium international has hit back in emphatic fashion, bagging eleven goals and five assists in 28 Premier League starts.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Harry Kane has been the talk of the Lane this season with supporting act Christian Eriksen not too far behind – largely due to his unique ability to bag last minute winners for the north London club.
But Mauricio Pochettino’s side wouldn’t have finished in fifth without Chadli’s goals either. In fact, the 25 year-old’s strikes have proved decisive on five occasions this term – earning the north Londoners four draws and one win.
Striker – MAME Biram Diouf
Due to the fact strikers are by nature the habitual stars of the show, choosing a front-man for this select Xi was the toughest task Football Fancast faced.
Crystal Palace’s Glenn Murray, Southampton’s Graziano Pelle and Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy were all in the mix but we’ve gone with Stoke City’s Mame Biram Diouf – purely because his fantastic form in front of goal hasn’t received the column inches it deserves this season.
The 27-year-old may not be the greatest front-man to ever face the Premier League but his eleven goals for the Potters is a significant achievement in itself. No striker has scored more for the Britannia outfit in a single campaign throughout their Premier League history.
It caps off a sensational season for Mark Hughes’ side, in which they recorded the highest ever points total and joint-highest league standing of the Premier League era.
Subs Bench – Honourable Mentions
Adrian – The Spaniard rarely gets discussed as one of the Premier League’s top goalies but he’s been in sensational form for West Ham yet again this year.
Ashley Williams – As consistent as ever, if Ashley Williams wasn’t already held in high regard he would’ve made the starting XI.
Ahmed Elmohamady – The wing-back can hold his head high despite Hull City’s relegation. He’s been their biggest threat going forward and made significant contributions in defence too.
Lucas Leiva – Liverpool’s upturn in form around Christmas time coincided with the Brazilian’s return to the starting Xi. He’s averaged the most tackles per match, 3.9, of any Premier League player this year.
Gylfi Sigurdsson – The Swansea midfielder is little too unappreciated the PFA Team of the Year but a little too appreciated to make our starting Xi.
George Boyd – The Scotland international has given Burnley absolutely everything this year, grabbing five goals and two assists whilst averaging the eighth-most tackles per match of any Premier League player.
Jamie Vardy – Only an England call-up has stopped Jamie Vardy making the starting Xi. Five goals and eight assists doesn’t tell anywhere near the whole story of the striker’s influence on Leicester City’s survival.
Manchester City’s summer business is yet to really click into gear and their high profile targets seem to be slipping away. Paul Pogba looks to be on his way to Barcelona, Kevin De Bruyne’s future is seemingly in Germany and Raheem Sterling’s move is stalling and dragging, despite the Reds’ own moves.
Pedro, linked with the Citizens of late, has been marginalised even further at Barcelona with the signings of Neymar and Luis Suarez and the Spaniard looks a long way from even competing for a starting berth. In fact, Pedro’s best chance of a regular place is, probably, a Suarez ban for some insane behaviour.
Despite signing a new contract, it is likely the Spain international could be lured away from the Camp Nou if more starts were offered. Even with only 15 league starts last season, Pedro still managed six goals and six assists – the sort of end product that City sometimes find hard to come by.
Notably, Manchester City are often short on width and rely heavily on their overlapping full-backs. When Pablo Zabaleta and Gael Clichy/Aleksandar Kolarov are more restricted the game becomes severely cluttered in the centre, and breaking teams down increases in difficulty. Jesus Navas was signed to be the answer to this, but even with his electric pace his end product is often disappointing – he failed to find the net at all last season.
Pedro would bring a different approach to Navas’ and is more of a wide goal-scorer than creator, as he shows regularly at Barcelona. However, it is not just Navas who has been tasked with providing width at City, as previously James Milner was often used in a wide role. In failing to retain Milner for the 2015/16 campaign, City have lost not only a massively versatile player, but one of their more natural wide men.
Although Pedro is not a wide player in a traditional sense himself – do not expect to see him with chalk on his boots – he is could bring more width to City’s attacking moves than the likes of David Silva and Samir Nasri.
City are at risk of becoming further reliant on Silva if they are to use a 4-2-3-1. Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic are both likely to be sold and the revenue could be used to fund a move for Pedro, who will allow tactical flexibility and bring goals from deeper in the team. While Manuel Pellegrini wants to stay with his 4-4-2, City often look at their best in a 4-2-3-1 and Pedro would fit perfectly into that system, while allowing Silva to pull the strings in the ‘No.10’ position.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
With the move for Sterling still alive, Pedro could play on the opposite flank and allow their most creative force, in David Silva, to play in between the lines and create for Sergio Aguero. The cost of signing Pedro is far outweighed by the benefit of the extra goal threat, particularly when Aguero gets his regular injury.
Controversial pundit Alan Shearer has been at it again offering up his highly contentious views on all things football.
The dome-headed ticket-donator may be paid a ludicrous amount of license fee money for his opinions but when they’re so damn insightful they make us ordinary mortals reassess our very core beliefs; when they’re so utterly profound our doors of perception are blown clean off their hinges….well, how is that not worth every penny and more?
This time out the sagacious human think tank was asked by the BBC for his thoughts on the season ahead. His answers were rightfully given a prominent spot on their website, dwarfing Celtic’s Champion’s League travails and two Norwich City transfer coups.
Having read them our eyebrows are now permanently transplanted onto our crown so a warning here might be appropriate. Buckle in your brains people because we’re in for a bumpy ride where everything you once thought true will be catapulted into the ether.
Chelsea, according to forthright Al, will once again be the team to beat. Madness, we admit, but bear with him because he’s going somewhere with this. And let’s not forget his loads of goals for Newcastle and England that give his debate-stirring standpoints a great deal of weight.
If Liverpool fail to win any silverware this season then Brendan Rodgers may find himself under a bit of pressure. Mind. Blown. Shut the back door and let’s take a moment to recover from that one.
Okay, it took a lot quicker than we thought to recover. In fact let’s whizz through the rest because all this liquid gold is starting to sear.
Arsenal need a centre-forward while there is still work to be done for Manchester United. The top four from last term meanwhile will all inhabit the Champion’s League spots once again only “not necessarily in that order”.
Ah that is brilliant, quoting Eric Morecombe like that. Only Wor Al probably didn’t realise he was quoting Eric Morecombe. One genius’ famous punchline is another man playing it safe.
It could be argued that this bombardment of erudite truth-bombs could equally be gauged from a budgie having skim-read a few tabloid headlines left at the bottom of its cage but that would be quite, quite wrong.
Alan is a soothsayer and a seer and frankly in these trepidous times his wisdom is wasted on mere footy.
We that in mind we asked the Premier League’s top scorer (we didn’t really) to offer his unique insights on all manner of things ranging from this Sunday’s big game to global issues.
This should really have been titled ‘Alan puts the world to rights’. Here’s what he had to say (not really)…
Alan on….the Community Shield
“I think it’s going to be between Arsenal or Chelsea for this one. Look out for Diego Costa who is a big bustling centre-forward type of player – some might say similar to myself (laughs). He’s going to be in the thick of the action for sure. Then there’s Rooney? No? Are you sure?
“Fabregas! That’s it, Fabregas. He’s a midfielder and a good one too. I think he is good at what he does.
“On the touchline will be Jose Mourinho who likes to stir things up with some comments here and there. He certainly speaks his mind. As for Wenger…he doesn’t like to spend money does he.”
Alan on….ISIS
“It’s cheap and cheerful but decent quality to be fair. Though you wouldn’t get away with wearing their stuff in a Newcastle changing room that includes Rob Lee let me tell you. That man’s banter was legendary…”
(We remind Alan that we’re not talking about the online clothing company of a similar name)
“Oh bad people. The government will be disappointed and there’s still a little bit of work to be done. But they are definitely bad people.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“Handbags is one thing but….well, I’ll say it…they’re taking it too far now. Is disgraceful too strong a word? Perhaps.”
Alan on…the Labour leadership contest
“It’s going to be close. You can quote me on that. It’s going to be close. And I would say it’s between Andy Burnham, Yvette Cooper, Jeremy Corbyn, and Liz Kendall for me.
“All four need to do well in the weeks ahead and they will be looking to do that. They certainly have it in their lockers.”
Marmite
“It’s like golf. Some people like it and some people don’t. There are those who like it on their toast or in a sandwich whereas with others…and I’m going out on a limb here…they really don’t like the taste. Can I have that big cheque now?”
Manchester United failed to win in the English Premier League on Saturday, drawing 2-2 away to Leicester City.
The Red Devils were well on their way to victory after Juan Mata scored a double to put the away side ahead after Jamie Vardy’s first half striker, however they were eventually punished for a string of missed chances when Harry Maguire scored in stoppage time.
The result means they fall even further behind Manchester City, also failing to open up a bigger gap over Chelsea, who drew earlier in the day away to Everton.
Manchester United fans were left fuming with the result and had sharp criticism for the players who missed chances to put the game beyond doubt.
Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard were most culpable, failing to convert glaring opportunities in the second half, with substitute Marcus Rashford also proving to be wasteful in the final third.
Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
Toni Martinez has been the name on the majority of West Ham United fans’ lips this season, despite the 20-year-old not being part of the first team.
The Spanish forward caught the eye quickly by excelling in the club’s development side.
The youngster only joined the Premier League outfit in 2016, but supporters have been calling for a first-team start for a while.
This season, former manager Slaven Bilic opted against giving the forward a chance, while current boss David Moyes seems to be taking a patient approach with youth.
Over the weekend, though, Martinez eventually made his debut when he came on as a substitute in Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie against Shrewsbury Town.
The Spaniard replaced Javier Hernandez in the 71st minute, but he was unable to affect the scoreline as the match ended in a goalless draw.
Even though fans were frustrated by the result, many were pleased to see Martinez get some minutes.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Some, though, are baffled that it has taken this long for the youngster to be given an opportunity.
Despite Jose Mourinho stating that there would not be any more movement in the transfer market from Manchester United, an Italian journalists tweet has suggested otherwise.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Daley Blind could be on his way to Roma, after the Italian club sold their starting left back, Emerson Palmieri, to Chelsea.
Blind, who is valued at £18million on Transfermarkt, hasn’t enjoyed the most fruitful season at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman has featured in just five league games for United. And while he has been an ever present in the Champions League, Blind will be searching for more regular football, something that Roma are ready to offer him.
While there is no transfer figure being touted as of yet, Manchester United will likely want to recoup all of the £13.8million that they used to sign the Dutchman in 2014.
Upon hearing the news, United fans took to Twitter and were surprisingly happy to hear that the versatile defender could leave the club in the next 24 hours…
[ad_pod ]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.