All posts by h716a5.icu

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Lots of Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to heap praise on Deji Oshilaja after the right-back turned in an excellent performance in the 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest on Wednesday evening.

The 26-year-old was starting at right-back against Forest ahead of Chris Solly, and did his chances of retaining the shirt no harm with an excellent performance – the Addicks were just 12 minutes from another win but for Albert Adomah’s equaliser.

Oshilaja made a game-high four tackles against the Reds, as well as two clearances – Lee Bowyer’s men were unlucky not to keep a clean sheet.

The 5 foot 11 defender was also fortunate not to be badly injured following a brutal challenge from Sammy Ameobi, which really should’ve seen the former Newcastle forward sent off – luckily, no serious harm was done to the impressive Oshilaja.

Let’s see how the Charlton fans on Twitter reacted to the former Cardiff man’s performance…

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In the press conference ahead of tonight’s crucial clash with Legia Warsaw, Steven Gerrard was hit with a peculiar question about his star striker, Alfredo Morelos.

The Gers boss was asked by a local journalist if he thought the Colombian striker needed psychological help, to curb his disciplinary problems from last season.

The question has been met with ridicule from not just the fans, but also from Gerrard himself, who laughed off the ridiculous question.

It’s fair to say Morelos had a bit of a problem with cards last season, as in his 48 games he picked up 16 yellows and five reds. Yet, this season he appears to have turned a corner so far, making the question look even more absurd.

The striker has kept up his phenomenal scoring rate but has dropped the penchant for cards, receiving only one booking in eight outings this season. This fact hasn’t been missed by the supporters, who simply can’t believe the issue of psychological help was brought up in a pre-match press conference.

Here’s how they reacted on Twitter…

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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…

As quoted by The Manchester Evening News, Paul Ince has insisted Manchester United potentially swooping to re-sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a “no-brainer”.

What did he say?

The Swede sparked talk of a sensational return to Old Trafford after revealing that if United needed him, he would be happy to help out.

Now, Ince has thrown his backing behind a possible move for the centre-forward, and claimed he could also solve a huge problem the Red Devils have at the moment.

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He said: “They need a goalscorer, a Harry Kane or a Sergio Aguero. Someone that scores goals for fun, makes it look easy. Yes, they’ve got Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford who will create something, but will they score you 25 or 30 goals a season? No.

“Zlatan Ibrahimovic hinted this week that he might go back, and that’s not a bad idea. I’ve watched him in the MLS a few times and his record is phenomenal. He doesn’t run around much, he kind of stands about, but when that ball comes to him in the box – or outside of it – he will score goals.

“If he returned to Old Trafford, bear in mind his goalscoring record when he was there for the season, I’m not saying he should start every game, but if you look at games like Wolves or Palace where United were struggling to find the net, he’d probably resolve that in 15 or 20 minutes. You can guarantee he will come on and provide a bit of magic, set someone up or score – United don’t have that with anyone else. It’s a no-brainer to me if Ole and him both want to do it.”

Moment of genius

While Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s trust and faith in his young strikers is admirable, it’s difficult to expect them to fire the side to glory this season. To have a 17-year-old Mason Greenwood as the club’s third-choice option up-front seems a tad desperate, especially when the first two options are just as much wingers as they are centre forwards.

Convincing Ibrahimovic to come back to Old Trafford would provide United with an instant boost in quality, and bring a real presence into the dressing room too. The 116-cap star has the ability to score the sublime and relishes being the side’s main man. In those pressure cooker games, having someone like the 37-year-old would be invaluable. As Ince claims, it really is a “no-brainer”.

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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 monitoring Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze, according to Goal.

What’s the latest?

The Reds are believed to have sent scouts over to Spain to watch the 20-year-old in action, after he caught the eye having become a first-team regular last season.

He has maintained his place in the side at the start of the current campaign, too, and so far the winger has one goal in three La Liga games, adding to the five goals and two assists he got from 26 league matches in 2018/19.

Adrian was the only senior player to arrive at Anfield over the summer, leaving Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri as the club’s only experienced back-up options in the forward positions.

That could suggest that Jurgen Klopp is eager to add Chukwueze to the squad, but will first cast an eye over his performances to determine whether he will an effective addition.

Perhaps too early

Whilst the winger has done well to break into Villarreal’s side at an early age, his inconsistent performances – as highlighted by his goals and assists record – suggests he is not yet the finished article.

As a result, if he was to join Liverpool in the next transfer window he may struggle to make an impact, and certainly wouldn’t trouble players like Mo Salah or Sadio Mane for a first-team place.

If he found game time limited it could affect his development and it would therefore be a risk to bring him in now.

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Instead, the Reds should bide their time, keep tabs on him as they have so far, and if he develops into a more productive and consistent player they could then make a move for him.

Mane, Salah and Roberto Firmino arrived at Anfield when they were aged 24, 25 and 23 respectively, and have begun to hit their best form at the age of 26/27, which suggests the young Nigerian should be granted more time to develop given he is only 20 years of age.

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Samuel Umtiti has been through some very difficult periods during his time at Barcelona.

The 25-year-old Frenchman has been ridden with various injuries as of late that were predominantly connected to his knee. It all started in 2017/18 and continued throughout 2018/19.

And then he got hit by the “FIFA virus” during his stay with his national team and has left the camp with a foot injury.

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That piece of news shook the Barcelona fanbase and many of them are not really sure about their defender anymore. Loads of them took to Twitter to express their opinions and it seems that many want the Frenchman out of the club as they feel he has no future with the Catalan giants.

The injuries have definitely played a  major part in forming popular opinion since many now feel Umtiti is no longer reliable enough and has, for that reason, become expendable in their eyes.

You can see some of their reactions in the collection of tweets down below:

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Leeds United are thought to have rejected an offer of around £27m for Kalvin Phillips during the summer transfer window, according to a report by Football Insider.

Although no club has been named, it is said the offer for the defensive midfielder would have been made up of additional add-ons and bonuses.

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Indeed, Phillips has just signed a new five-year deal to remain at Elland Road, although it is understood that a release clause of between £20m and £25m was inserted, should the club fail to win promotion to the Premier League this season.

Phillips has been an instrumental figure for Leeds and Marcelo Bielsa over the last year or so and has been nothing but impressive for the Whites with his performances on the field.

Having recorded statistical data such as an average of 4.7 tackles (in which he leads the rest of the squad), 1.3 interceptions and 1.8 clearances this season (WhoScored), he has been steadily building on the previous campaign’s impressive averages of 2.6 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 2.6 clearances, 0.6 key passes and a passing success rate of 82.1%.

Indeed, it is no surprise that there were clubs interested in signing the 23-year-old throughout the summer, with Aston Villa having been heavily linked with a potential deal following their promotion to the Premier League.

Although it might not have been a surprise that Leeds rejected an offer in the region of £27m, they may have shot themselves in the foot in regards to getting a figure any higher than that.

As Football Insider recently reported, should Bielsa fail to get the club into the top-flight at the second time of asking, the Elland Road outfit are going to have to accept any offers that come for Phillips at a slightly reduced rate.

Phillips is, undeniably, an important member of the Leeds squad and he will, surely, play a vital role in trying to help the club finally make their return to England’s top division.

It does not come as a surprise to hear that an offer was rejected for one of their top performers, though it could only be a matter of time before the 23-year-old is packing his bags and leaving Elland Road, especially if Bielsa does not get them back to the Premier League.

Leeds fans, what do you make of Leeds’ decision to reject a £27m offer for Phillips? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them in the comments section below!

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Expert Roundup feature, which provides three quotes from those in the know in order to illuminate fundamental strengths, weaknesses, quirks, stylistic comparisons and general observations of players, transfer targets and confirmed signings.

Following the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last year, the big talk surrounding Manchester United has been their greater reliance on young players. The Red Devils boss has publicly insisted he will give chances to the club’s brightest academy prospects, and pre-season under-lined just how keen the Norwegian is to stick to his word.

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The prospect on everybody’s lips has been Mason Greenwood, and one player who has similarly dominated the youth scene, but has seemingly fallen into the shadows behind his 17-year-old teammate, is Tahith Chong.

The Dutchman came off the bench in the 1-0 victory against Leicester, and according to the experts below, it will be no surprise if he becomes a United star sooner rather than later.

Jose Mourinho – Former manager

Mourinho may not be heralded as the greatest of believers in young talent, but he certainly seemed to take a liking to Chong. The winger made his first senior appearance for the Red Devils in a pre-season friendly against Club America last summer, and the ex-United boss hailed his willingness to take the “initiative” after coming on as a substitute.

“He came with the intention to show, and in a moment where we have no strikers on the pitch, we needed people to create, have some initiative, which he did. When he makes the ball move and attacks people one against one, he has quality.”

Kieran McKenna – Former U18s manager

Having arrived from Eredivisie side Feyernoord in 2016, the 19-year-old could easily have been forgiven for taking the time to settle, or failing to embrace a new culture and lifestyle. Instead, his former U18s manager at Old Trafford, McKenna, praised his ability to adapt.

“Tahith has hit the ground running in his time here and I think he’s just a fantastic professional. On the pitch, everyone has been excited by his performances; he’s an eye-catching player.”

Doron Salomon – Follower of United’s youth set-up

As everybody knows, the ‘Class of 92’ boasted some of the greatest academy players United have ever produced at any one time. Chief amongst them was Ryan Giggs, and the Red Devils have since had numerous pretenders to the throne. But according to Salomon, Chong’s style of play is eerily reminiscent of the Welsh wizard.

“Tahith Chong is such a gifted footballer. Carries the ball like Giggs used to with great close control and balance, add to that both strength and grit but also so hard to pick up as he can go direct on the inside and wide on the outside.”

Verdict

It may be early stages in Chong’s United career, but with a manager like Solskjaer at the helm, the Dutchman has everything set up for him to make a real mark in the first-team.

The talk has been all about Greenwood so far, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that it was the former who won the Young Player of the Year and Reserve Player of the Year awards in the past two seasons. And after making his first league appearance of the campaign on Saturday, the time is here for him to fully deliver on all the hype.

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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…

Tottenham Hotspur fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, but the match could have bigger consequences for two of their players – one of whom was involved against the Foxes, and one who wasn’t.

Kyle Walker-Peters started the 2019/20 season in the starting XI following the departure of Kieran Trippier to Atletico Madrid and with Serge Aurier seemingly out of favour, but he picked up an injury against Newcastle United that saw him miss the subsequent Premier League clashes against Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

However, with Aurier not travelling to Greece to face Olympiacos as Mauricio Pochettino rotated his team, the 22-year-old was back in the matchday squad in Athens.

He had to settle for a spot on the substitutes’ bench though as Pochettino selected Davinson Sanchez at right-back despite the same experiment not going well previously against Arsenal, as you can see from these fans’ reactions on Twitter.

That was a signal that the Argentine manager doesn’t fully trust the right-back seeing as he was surely fit enough to start having been named on the bench, and worse was to come for the trip to face Brendan Rodgers’ men at the weekend as he was omitted from the 18 altogether.

The situation is an indication of where Walker-Peters stands with the north London outfit, and that he isn’t viewed as good enough even when the only other options available aren’t natural full-backs.

Meanwhile, Victor Wanyama was linked with a move away from Tottenham during the summer, but both the English and European transfer windows closed without an exit materialising for the Kenya international, as a transfer to Club Brugge collapsed.

Prior to the Leicester encounter, the 28-year-old had been on the bench on three occasions this term, as well as missing out on the squad on three occasions as per Transfermarkt, but Pochettino decided to introduce him as a 67th minute from the bench against the Foxes with the visitors leading 1-0.

It’s fair to say that it was a disastrous cameo from the former Southampton and Celtic man, as he gave the ball away in the build-up to the hosts’ equaliser, before failing to close down James Maddison effectively for the winning goal.

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The African looks to be firmly behind the likes of Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele and Moussa Sissoko already in the central midfield pecking order, and this latest display may have just sealed his exit in the New Year if there are some takers for him.

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Some Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react to a compilation of Vicente Guaita’s best saves so far this season.

The Spanish glovesman – signed on a free transfer in June 2018 – has been in excellent form so far this term between the sticks for the Eagles.

Guaita has kept two clean sheets, the second-most in the league behind Manchester City’s three, and has also pulled off some amazing saves, as you can see in the video below.

What was meant to be a celebratory tweet from Crystal Palace’s official account, however, has turned into an opportunity for criticism from a handful of fans below – it should be noted that others have been more complimentary, on the other hand.

One said that it “must be awful” for the former Getafe keeper playing behind the backline, whereas another said that it’s a “shame” the rest of the team isn’t as good as the 31-year-old.

Let’s take a look at some more of the Twitter reaction from some Palace fans…

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…

When things are going well in football, there is always the possibility that everything could come crashing down.

The manager could get poached by another club.

A star player could potentially want out.

Or simply, the pressure of maintaining such good form could overcome the players.

In this instance, the first point is the one under the spotlight as far as Charlton are concerned, amid James Nursey’s report linking Lee Bowyer with a move to Stoke.

Potters boss Nathan Jones has overseen a club-record winless run of 10 games on home soil at Stoke, and his job looks on the line as results show few signs of improving.

As a result, Addicks boss Bowyer has been linked with a move to the bet365 Stadium along with David Moyes and Chris Hughton – as Nursey mentions in his tweet – and it is something that the south Londoners will simply have to get used to.

Bowyer has worked miracles since replacing Karl Robinson at The Valley, taking a side languishing in ninth place in League One – with just one win in their last eight games – to a side now sat sixth in the Championship following a start to the season that merited four wins and two draws from the opening six games.

It is always attractive to prospective suitors to see a manager perform such a significant transformation, while Bowyer’s work under tight financial restrictions with Roland Duchatelet looking to sell the club only adds more gloss to his work.

Clubs such as Stoke will presumably look at Bowyer and think: “If he can do that with such little resources, imagine what he could do for us with a bit more money”.

Nationality arguably makes Bowyer that bit more desirable too. While foreign managers can often do a fantastic job – such as Daniel Farke and David Wagner – knowing the nuances of the English game and being aware of good-value players in the lower leagues can go a long way to being successful in the Championship.

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder is a fantastic example of the aforesaid. The Blades manager navigated his side into the Premier League from League One with a predominantly British side, his vast experience in the English game proving fruitful.

Tellingly, this specific Stoke link comes just weeks after Bowyer was also linked with a move to Huddersfield after Jan Siewert was sacked by the Terriers, although they later appointed Danny Cowley.

Unfortunately, amid the good times at The Valley, these pestering reports linking Bowyer with a move away is just something the south Londoners will have to get used to.