All posts by z3u9t.icu

Aston Villa have been hugely disappointing in recent times as they just can’t seem to ensure any consistency under Dean Smith, with their play-off hopes starting to vanish. 

The Villains have already managed to secure the services of Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Kortney Hause this month, but they could still do with bringing in an attacker and another defender to sure things up.

Sadly, the Midlands club had to wave goodbye to Yannick Bolasie recently as he activated a break clause in a season-long deal at Aston Villa to return to Goodison Park.

So, with a play-off place slowly slipping away, the remaining days left in the transfer window could prove crucial.

One player who could have a big impact at Villa Park is Chelsea’s Gary Cahill. The Englishman hasn’t been able to work his way into Maurizio Sarri’s plans in the current campaign and he’s good friends with John Terry, so perhaps the Villains will be able to secure a deal.

Indeed, the defender is reportedly set to snub Arsenal for a move to either Fulham or AS Monaco, but after witnessing Terry’s rise in the Championship and given their close friendship, perhaps Terry can turn his head.

Cahill’s experience and leadership qualities would make him a great signing for Villa, with his defensive qualities alongside James Chester taking the club’s defence to another level.

Of course, finding a replacement for Bolasie will be the next thing for the Villains to try and sort out before the January transfer window shuts, as he was just starting to come into his own at Villa Park.

Neal Maupay may not be a winger by trade but he certainly has the qualities to provide an attacking threat from the left-hand side, or he could even force Smith into changing up his formation as it clearly hasn’t been working recently.

Smith will be very familiar with Maupay as he signed the Frenchman permanently during his time at Griffin Park. He currently has 17 goals and six assists to his name, so securing the services of the forward would make Villa a dominant force in the final third as a partnership that involves Tammy Abraham and Maupay would be frightening.

Aston Villa fans – thoughts on potential moves for Cahill and Maupay?

Marco Silva is surely fighting for his future as Everton manager following a dismal run of form in the Premier League.

Expectations were high in the summer when the Portuguese was announced as Sam Allardyce’s successor. Working alongside new director of football, Marcel Brands, Silva secured plenty of promising transfers that had the Goodison faithful hopeful of a strong campaign. However, after a decent start, their form has curtailed since the Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield.

The former Watford boss is now fighting for his future as further poor showings in the remainder of the campaign could force owner Farhad Moshiri to find a new gaffer. Should Silva manage to save his job, he simply must attempt to solve Everton’s leaky defence. The Toffees have conceded far too many poor goals during the current campaign which cannot go on.

One man Silva should turn to is Real Betis rock – Marc Bartra. Valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, the former Barcelona man returned to Spain following a forgettable spell with Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 and was named Betis’ player of the year despite playing just half a season. The 28-year-old has once again been a pivotal player for his side and one of the most consistent performers in La Liga.

The former Spain international loves to get stuck in, averaging an impressive 2.6 tackles per game, but also reads the game expertly, allowing him to make 1.7 interceptions on average. Bartra is also decent in the air, winning 2.2 aerial duels per game, making him the ideal man to solve Everton’s defensive woes. As well as his defensive abilities, the Spaniard also thrives with the ball at his feet, completing 89% of his passes in La Liga meaning he is ideal for Silva’s system on Merseyside (WhoScored).

If Everton want to secure a return to Europe next season, splashing the cash on Bartra would be a wise move.

Everton fans, thoughts?

Wesley Hoedt was one of a couple of players Ralph Hasenhuttl decided to offload from his Southampton squad in the winter.

The defender joined Celta de Vigo on loan until the end of the season, with the La Liga outfit believed to have the option of turning his move into a permanent stay.

Despite being a regular for Mark Hughes, the Dutch international had been frozen out of the team following the new manager’s arrival and it appears he did not have any chance of forcing his way into the first-team.

Speaking to La Voz de Galicia, via Sport Witness, Hoedt explained that Hasenhuttl made it very clear that he ‘did not like’ him and ‘did not want’ him at the club.

“I was playing every game, but there was a change of coach and the new one made it very clear to me that he didn’t like me, that he didn’t want me.”

The Verdict:

Hasenhuttl had looked to make a number of changes at Southampton and they appear to have worked in his favour recently.

Hoedt had been a mainstay under Hughes, however, things clearly were not working as The Saints continued to ship a number of goals on a regular occasion.

The Dutchman will be hoping the move to Celta de Vigo will go as well as possible, as it does not appear as though he will get a chance to play at the St. Mary’s Stadium in the future.

Southampton fans – thoughts?

Everton’s squad should be be set for another overhaul during the upcoming summer transfer window.

Marco Silva is surely fighting for his future following a dismal run of form in the Premier League that has left the Toffees adrift of the European places. The Portuguese was appointed in the summer and his arrival prompted a sense of optimism on Merseyside. However, the former Watford boss needs a strong end to the campaign to avoid being given the axe.

Owner Farhad Moshiri could be forced into another managerial change to keep the Blues competing for Europe yet again. New director of football Marcel Brands enjoyed plenty of success in his first transfer window at the club and will be relied upon again. The Dutchman could look to find a new right-back with Seamus Coleman failing to impress throughout the current campaign.

Brands should return to former club PSV Eindhoven to land Denzel Dumfries in the summer. Valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old arrived at the club last July, joining from Heerenveen for just £5m. The defender has made an instant impact at his new employers and has been ever-present for the side during his 30 appearances so far.

Similar to Coleman in his earlier years, Dumfries has proven to be a potent attacking threat from the back, helping his side’s cause with three goals and three assists in the Eredivisie. However, the youngster doesn’t neglect his defensive duties, winning 2.1 tackles as well as averaging 1.4 interceptions per game. Dumfries should have no issues adapting to the physicality of the Premier League as he has won an incredible three aerial duels per game so far this season (WhoScored).

Dumfries is still developing and improving – Brands should do all he can to lure the Netherlands international to Goodison.

Everton fans, thoughts?

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Tottenham Hotspur face a tough trip to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in a Premier League clash on Wednesday. Defeat would surely spell the end of Spurs’ title ambitions, which were severely damaged by their defeat against Burnley last time out.

Iconic former Arsenal midfielder and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson thinks Spurs’ chances of winning the league have already gone.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Ben Senior will never win the Champions League for one reason only. Find out what in the video below…

What he said

In his regular Sky Sports predictions column, Merson referenced the north London club’s habit of failing to go all the way and landing any silverware. He says “there’s something about them, where they get into a position to make things happen, and it doesn’t happen! This is not a fluke, this is quite worrying now if you’re a Tottenham fan.”

A growing concern

Mauricio Pochettino’s side are already out of the FA Cup and now it looks as though the league may have eluded them again. The club have won no silverware under the Argentine, despite having made a number of domestic cup semi-finals and finished in the top three in each of the last four seasons.

Whilst the manager must be credited for transforming the club into genuine contenders, and for some of the wonderful football his team plays, this failure to make the final step and achieve tangible success must be starting to worry the supporters.

Bournemouth have quietly gone about their business in the Premier League once again this term, with the Cherries more or less safe already and looking at a top half finish if they can.

Eddie Howe has been superb since getting the club into the top flight, and they deserve all the success they get along the way.

His signings, while often raising eyebrows due to who he’s gone after, have in the main paid off, and we here in the Tavern have been particularly impressed with the signing of midfielder David Brooks, who arrived in the summer on a deal from Sheffield United.

The Welsh youngster, who is still only 21, has taken to Premier League football like a duck to water, and we believe he should be firmly in contention for the young player of the year award in the top flight.

Of course, there are a number of top young players across the league, but Brooks has been superb, taking his first year in the top tier in his stride and becoming an integral cog in what Eddie Howe is trying to achieve at the club.

His ball control, match winning ability, and effortless way of gliding across a football pitch make him standout from the rest, and his six goals are just reward for an excellent debut Premier League season.

While Brooks has much to learn, there’s little doubt he can go right to the top, and if he could cap off this year with an individual award, then he’d be well on his way to a massively successful career.

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Sean Longstaff and Isaac Hayden have formed a formidable yet unlikely midfield partnership in recent weeks, but the former looks set to be sidelined for the foreseeable future after picking up an injury against West Ham on Saturday.

On the chalkboard

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Longstaff is set to see a specialist on Wednesday regarding the knee injury he sustained at the weekend.

The report also claims that an initial scan on Monday showed no rupture, but the severity of his injury should become clear after he sees the specialist.

Just as the 21-year-old was beginning to earn recognition throughout the wider media for his performances this season, it seems he has suffered a cruel blow. Unfortunately that is the nature of the game and Rafa Benitez will now be faced with a fresh selection dilemma in midfield.

Jonjo Shelvey’s return to goal scoring form for Newcastle’s U23 side on Friday evening was certainly a timely boost, while Mo Diame is fully fit and an obvious short-term replacement for Longstaff.

However, there is ample evidence to suggest that Benitez may be inclined to chop Isaac Hayden from his starting eleven to make room for both Diame and Shelvey in the coming weeks, despite Hayden’s surprising and refreshing performances since the back end of December.

Lessons from 2017/18 season are key

Hayden is emerging as a strong candidate for the Magpies’ most improved player of the season award, and rightly so. The 23-year-old has defied his critics by stepping into the first-team with a series of solid displays in 2019, including a disciplined showing in the win over Manchester City in January.

But, for all of Hayden’s impressive work, it’s fair to say that the dynamic, understanding and familiarity between a midfield duo is often conducive to a positive result.

Does Newcastle’s infamous title collapse of 1996 mirror what is happening at Liverpool right now? The Magpie Channel discuss in the video below…

The relationship between Shelvey and Diame blossomed as the 2017/18 season developed and their understanding formed a solid foundation of Newcastle’s survival bid, so Benitez should restore both players to his starting eleven in the absence of Longstaff.

It would be tough on Hayden, who has been a genuine surprise package this season, to drop him in favour of the returning Shelvey, but with the club’s Premier League status on the line it’s a decision which the Spaniard could be inclined to make.

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Aston Villa beat Birmingham City 1-0 in an ill-fated Second City derby on Sunday.

In a game marred by controversy, a goal from Jack Grealish gave Villa a vital victory, their second win over their bitter rivals this season.

Grealish was attacked by a Birmingham fan in the first half; the supporter evaded security and punched the England Under-21 international in the face.

A tweet from West Midlands Police later confirmed that the assailant had been arrested and Grealish hit back in the perfect manner, scoring the winning goal in the 67th minute.

Central defender Tyrone Mings, who arrived on loan from AFC Bournemouth in January, was a key member of the victory, too, turning in a colossal performance at centre-back to keep his side’s clean sheet.

Per WhoScored, Mings made two tackles, 10 clearances and one interception, while he also won four aerial battles throughout the 90 minutes.

And a number of supporters were delighted with their defender’s display as Villa took home the bragging rights yet again.

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Manchester City fans have taken to Twitter to celebrate after it was confirmed on the club’s official Twitter account that Bernardo Silva had signed a new long-term contract.

The Portuguese international’s new deal will keep him at the Etihad Stadium until at least 2025, and is reward for his exceptional performances this season which have led to huge praise from boss Pep Guardiola.

Who has been the best player in the EPL so far this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Silva, formerly of Monaco, has recorded nine goals and set up seven more in the current campaign, emerging as one of the Citizens’ most important players in a team full of world-class talent.

The 24-year-old has already won a Premier League title and two Carabao Cups with the current league leaders, and will most likely add some more silverware to his collection come the end of the season.

Let’s see what the City fans on Twitter are saying about the confirmation of Silva’s new deal, a player who has quickly become a fan favourite at the club…

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A video posted on Twitter by Leicester’s Ben Chilwell from England training has gained traction with many fans laying into Dele Alli who was the centre of attention in the footage.

The focus was on Alli’s small calf muscles as Tweeters hammered the Spurs man for having skinny legs, or as one fan put it – the calves of a ten-year-old. A certain Leicester fan meanwhile said that Chilwell’s reaction reminded them of David Brent from television programme The Office.

Supporters of both Leicester and Spurs used it as a chance to bicker over Chilwell’s future, urging the Foxes man to join Alli in north London. One Spurs fan said it was great to see them making friends whilst another claimed it would be great banter with the pair of them in the same squad next season.

However, one member of the Foxes faithful sarcastically commented that the left-back would rather play for a team who knows how to win the Premier League, something that Tottenham have not experienced since 1961.

Here’s the best of the reaction: