All posts by h716a5.icu

[ad_pod ]Arsenal sealed a 3-1 win over Valencia on Thursday at the Emirates in the first leg of their Europa League Semi-Final.An Alexandre Lacazette double and a late Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang goal have handed Arsenal a huge advantage as they head to Spain for the second leg next week.The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…Many players excelled for Arsenal including Lacazette, Granit Xhaka, Aubameyang and Sokratis.Therefore it seems strange that former Arsenal player and BBC pundit Ian Wright chose to single Laurent Koscielny out for praise.

He played quite well but Sokratis along side him was much more impressive, dealing with the dangerous Rodrigo as well as showing impressive pace to nullify Goncalo Guedes on numerous occasions.

Meanwhile, Koscielny’s lack of pace was seriously exposed by Valencia but they could not take advantage.

Koscielny lost Ezequiel Garay early on but the Argentinian fired over from three yards out. In the second-half Koscielny’s lack of pace was again exposed by the rapid Valencia strikers, Rodrigo got away from him on a few occasions and Petr Cech denied substitute Kevin Gameiro after Koscielny had not picked up his run.

Arsenal had a number of standout performers on Thursday but the 33-year-old Frenchman was not one of them.

It has been a roller-coaster of a season to be a Leeds United supporter, hasn’t it?

Following a disappointing year where the Whites slumped to a 13th place finish in the Championship, it was clear that the club needed a fresh approach and so Andrea Radrizzani decided to appoint Marcelo Bielsa last summer.

A managerial maverick, the 63-year-old brought a wealth of experience to Elland Road as well as a distinctive possession-based style of football which has transformed Leeds’ fortunes over the last 10 months.

Although the Yorkshire-based outfit missed out on automatic promotion in April, Bielsa will be hoping that he can lead the club back to the Premier League via the play-offs.

If they can overcome the likes of Derby County, Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion to secure their long-awaited return to the top flight, it is almost certain that the Argentine will remain in charge next season.

However, if Leeds cannot succeed in the knock-out competition, Bielsa’s future could be brought into question as it would not be at all surprising if he garners interest from elsewhere in Europe that could tempt him to call time on his stay in England.

If this is indeed the case, it could be argued that the Whites already have the perfect replacement for Bielsa at Thorp Arch.

Having joined the club in 2017 as Leeds’ under-23 manager, Carlos Corberan has revolutionised the fortunes of the side and capped off a fine season in March by winning the Professional Development League-North title.

Despite only being 36-years-old, the Spaniard has been given the chance to work with the first-team this season as their coach and is seemingly destined for big things in the future.

With Corberan preferring a similar style of play to Bielsa, it could be argued that the senior side will not have to make too many adjustments if he is given the opportunity to take over at Elland Road in the coming years.

What do you think Leeds fans? Is Corberan the ideal successor for Bielsa if the Argentine leaves the club? How impressed have you been with the under-23’s this season? Let us know below.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter in fury after reading a story on Sky Sports, which states that former midfielder Darren Fletcher is a ‘leading candidate’ for the role of technical director.

Whilst their anger would be justified with that appointment alone, seeing as the current Stoke man is woefully under-qualified for a role like that, what has irked the United supporters more is the fact that whoever gets the job isn’t expected to be a ‘transfer guru’.

Will OGS still be in charge of Man Utd come next May? The Flying Pig discusses in the video below…

Instead, the report states that the Red Devils are simply looking for someone to act as the ‘glue’ between the board and the manager; this should mean that the much-disliked Ed Woodward stays in charge of recruitment.

Woodward isn’t highly thought of around Old Trafford, and the news that a technical director will merely act as ‘glue’ hasn’t gone down too well with the supporters on Twitter, who have slammed Woodward and questioned the merits of the role.

Here’s what the fans on Twitter had to say in response to the report…

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Crystal Palace secured a 12th-placed finish with their thrilling 5-3 victory over Bournemouth on the final day and, having ended their term on a solid run of form once again, will be targeting a much stronger start to the 2019/20 campaign in the hope that they can make the top ten next time around.

With Michy Batshuayi returning to Chelsea, it’s clear that the Eagles need a new striker this summer if they’re to realise their ambition of competing with the likes of Leicester and West Ham, although club legend Clinton Morrison has indicated that the key to such an achievement is already at the club.

What did he say?

Well, speaking to Football London, the former striker said:

“I feel we are good enough to finish in the top half of the table, but I think we have got to try and keep hold of Wilf (Zaha).

“He is the key to everything. I know people put a lot of onus on him, but he is a special player.

“The fans love him, the young kids love him and he is a role model and everyone looks up to him. He is a nice guy too.”

Keeping the ‘key’

The culmination of the season at Selhurst Park a week-and-a-half ago means Zaha exit rumours have begun to rear their ugly heads again, although this time the player has added fuel to the fire by expressing his desire to play Champions League football.

Currently in his prime, the 26-year-old will undoubtedly have no shortage of suitors in the coming months having had another excellent campaign in red and blue, but the Eagles won’t let him fly the nest that easily.

Has this guy found the worst stadium in English football? Decide for yourself by watching the video below…

The south London outfit reportedly value their star man at an eye-watering £100m – a fee Spurs have already baulked at – and Morrison seems to think that Palace must not budge on their big asking price if they want to improve on their 2018/19 campaign next season.

The number 11 proved his indispensability to the Eagles in the term just gone, scoring 10 goals and recording 10 assists – tallies Palace will struggle greatly to replace should they lose him for anything less than their reported nine-figure valuation – so they can hardly be blamed for setting what is seen as an astronomical price by anyone outside the club.

There’s no doubt about it, Tyrone Mings is a Premier League-quality centre-back. Indeed, if he signs permanently for Aston Villa then he’d be a dream signing for the club in their current state.

The Express and Star have reported that the Villans will push to sign the Englishman from Bournemouth this summer pending promotion to the Premier League, and frankly, they’d be stupid not to. Clearly, he has the ability to go right to the top and he can drag Villa there with him.

He’s hitting his prime now, at the age of 26, and nobody would blame him for moving to a side in the top half of the Premier League. If those behind the scenes can convince him to commit his future to Villa Park then the fans’ dreams of re-establishing themselves in the top division become more realistic.

He’s single-handedly cured the club’s defensive woes that even John Terry struggled to cope with. He shows experience way beyond his years, and it’d be hard to imagine the Villa back-line being anywhere near as effective without him.

The opportunity to sign these quality players doesn’t come around often. They’ve been lucky that he chose them to go out on loan to in the first place, but to secure his signature for another few years would be massive for the long-term future of the club.

Signing Mings would set a precedent that Villa are well and truly on their way back. If they can attract this calibre of player then they’re well on their way to being regulars in the Premier League once again. Will the dream come true though? We’re one game away from finding out.

Villa fans, where do you think Tyrone Mings will be playing his football next season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Celtic are interested in signing AZ Alkmaar midfielder Adam Maher this summer, according to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf.

What’s the story?

Now Neil Lennon has been appointed Celtic manager, the Hoops can crack on with hugely important transfer business ahead of the new season.

Lennon will likely be keen to make a number of changes to personnel at the club and there could be quite a turnover of players before the window metaphorically ‘slams shut’.

One player apparently on the Hoops’ radar is central midfielder Adam Maher, with Dutch paper De Telegraaf claiming on Saturday that Celtic were one of six clubs interested in his services.

With his contract expiring at the Eredivisie club, he would be available on a free transfer, making him a tempting budget signing.

Who is he?

Maher has long been a regular in the Dutch top-flight, breaking through at AZ Alkmaar before moving to PSV back in 2013 and playing over 100 times for the giants.

Spells at Turkish side Osmanlispor and FC Twente followed before returning to AZ Alkmaar for the 2018/19 season, helping them achieve European qualification in Eredivisie.

He won five caps with the Netherlands between 2012 and 2013 but failed to maintain inclusion in national team squads.

Still just 25 years old though he is a player of ability available on the cheap this summer, and is perhaps well placed to replace a Celtic star said to be on the verge of a Hoops exit.

Ntcham’s replacement?

It was reported last week by Football Insider that Celtic are ready to cash in on Olivier Ntcham during the upcoming transfer window for a fee of around £7m.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

He’s increasingly found himself on the fringes of Celtic starting XIs, with the emergence of Ryan Christie meaning he’s spent plenty of time on the bench this season.

Still a classy option, other clubs are likely interested in signing him and selling him for a substantial fee could allow the Hoops to reinvest in other areas of the squad, especially if a player of Maher’s calibre is available on a free.

Southampton’s list of recent signings does not make for good reading, with the south coast club having brought in a bunch of players of late who have struggled to make much of an impact at St. Mary’s. 

The likes of Mohamed Elyounoussi, Guido Carrillo and Wesley Hoedt to name a few, have all failed to deliver, which has undoubtedly been a factor in the Saints’ massive decline.

As a result, the Premier League outfit now look set to change their transfer strategy.

According to the Daily Mail, the Southampton recruitment team, led by director of football operations Ross Wilson, will target homegrown players this summer as they look to build a British core similar to the one that included Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Nathaniel Clyne.

Given the success the club had with that one, it is something some supporters would probably like to see at St. Mary’s.

Whether the Saints’ recruitment team can deliver, however, remains to be seen.  Landing someone like Harry Wilson early in the transfer window, though, would show fans that the club are indeed trying to do the above.

Wilson, of course, is a Wales international and is currently being linked with a move to the south coast after an impressive loan spell with Derby County (Sky Sports).

After consecutive transfer windows of splashing out on players who have not done much since arriving at St. Mary’s, perhaps it is time for Southampton to shake things up. And signing Wilson could be the development that kicks things off.

Southampton fans, do you want to see the club approach this transfer window differently? Let us know in the comment section below!

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Lots of Manchester United fans on Twitter have reacted in outrage after it was reported by The Sun that Jesse Lingard is set to be offered a new contract, including a pay rise that would take his earnings to £130k-a-week.

The England international’s wage will rise by a quarter after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted his most integral players to be tied down – Lingard currently has two years left on his deal.

Could Harry Maguire be on his way to Old Trafford? Check out the video below to see why it would make so much sense…

It is certainly a strange decision seeing as it is arguable whether the 26-year-old even is integral at Old Trafford right now, whilst his 2018/19 statistics certainly don’t suggest that – he managed to net just five goals and record four assists for the Red Devils throughout the last campaign..

That is a sentiment which a number of United fans clearly agree with. They seem outraged that such a non-influential player is going to be rewarded for his efforts, and have taken to Twitter to let their thoughts be known.

Let’s take a look at the best replies…

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With Liverpool in a great position following a successful past season, there is no need for a host of incomings this summer. Most of the business at Anfield is expected to be in regards to players already on Merseyside, whether it be contract negotiations or transfer departures. Here’s a look at the latest news regarding the Reds…

Ojo earns new deal

One of those players who will be offered a new deal is Sheyi Ojo, according to Football Insider. Ojo spent last year on loan at French side Reims and, despite only scoring one goal in 19 games from the wing, Liverpool have decided to offer him a five-year extension to his current deal.

Another loan move for Kane

According to Goal.com, youngster Herbie Kane will spend another season out on loan next year. The 20-year-old midfielder impressed at Doncaster Rovers in League One, and now Brentford, Millwall and Hibernian are all interested in securing his services on a short-term basis.

Origi and Brewster instead of Kruse

Despite previous interest, the Reds are no longer in the hunt for Werder Bremen midfielder Max Kruse according to the Liverpool Echo. The former German international scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in all competitions for the Bundesliga side last season, but Jurgen Klopp has instead decided to place his trust in Champions League hero Divock Origi and youth academy graduate Rhian Brewster.

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As West Ham look to improve on their tenth-placed finish from last season, there are sure to be busy in this year’s transfer window. Having spent big last year, they’ll need to splash out again in order to further improve. With that in mind, here’s a look at the latest transfer rumours involving the Irons…

West Ham in battle for Sanson

One new arrival could be Marseille’s Morgan Sanson, according to Sky Sports. After the Ligue 1 side failed to qualify for the Champions League, they are valuing the former Montpellier midfielder at €35m (£31.21m) and West Ham are in talks to sign him. However, they could face competition from Wolves and Newcastle for his signature.

Gonalons to the London Stadium?

It seems that West Ham want to boost their midfield in particular, with AS Roma’s Maxime Gonalons also on their radar. According to L’Equipe, West Ham is a potential loan destination for the Serie A man next season, after he spent last term on loan at Seville. Everton have been mooted as well.

La Liga double swoop on the cards

Manuel Pellegrini’s side are also looking to make a double swoop for Celta Vigo’s Maxi Gomez and Stanislav Lobotka, according to the Daily Mail. The two are valued at £58m by the Spanish side, although Valencia have strong interest in the towering striker.