All posts by h716a5.icu

When Philippe Coutinho left Liverpool over a year ago, many fans thought it was the end of an era.

The Brazilian playmaker had been one the Reds’ best players for the good part of four seasons, and his club-record departure from Merseyside to Liverpool was feared to be likely to send Jurgen Klopp’s side down a peg in their quest to return to European’s elite.

Fast-forward to now and things couldn’t be more different.

Although Coutinho has experienced success in the Catalan capital with two La Liga titles already, Liverpool have gone from strength to strength without the Brazilian in the side, taking the Premier League title to the final game this season and completing one of the greatest Champions League comebacks ever against Barcelona to send the Reds to their second European final in two years.

Liverpool have been on an upward trajectory since Coutinho’s departure, but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t been missed. The Reds have still largely been unable to add that creative quality the playmaker, left, but they could soon replace that if reports in Spain are to be believed.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Klopp has reignited his interest in Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio, who has found it hard to keep a first-team spot for Los Blancos.

Signed for just £3.15 million (as per Transfermarkt), Asensio would be the perfect player to add that creative spark back into Liverpool. The Spanish midfielder is a joy to watch on the ball, able to create chances anywhere in the final third and occasionally pop-up with a goal or two.

Nabil Fekir was obviously a target over the course of last summer but the Real Madrid man is undoubtedly an upgrade here. Yes, his progress might have slowed down since he initially burst onto the scene in the Spanish capital, but the La Roja ace has so much of his career ahead of him and boasts a frankly astounding level of ability.

He’s got the technical quality you’d expect of a Spanish attacking midfielder these days but also the kind of engine that’d help him flourish under Klopp, who famously likes to adopt a heavy metal style. A dream signing perhaps, but FSG have proven they’re willing to splash the cash on some of Europe’s elite talents.

Liverpool might have grown leaps and bounds since Coutinho’s departure, but the creative quality Asensio can bring to the club will be nothing but a positive for Klopp’s side.

Liverpool fans, would Asensio be a smart signing for the club? Let us know!

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Is the Champions League papering over the cracks for Tottenham Hotspur?

It feels like an incredibly unfair question to ask, particularly after their scarcely believable heroics on Wednesday night, yet it is a pertinent one.

Of course, this is a club that will be playing in the final of the biggest competition in European football on June 1. They will take on a Liverpool team boasting the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk. It will be the first all-English final since 2008, when Manchester United and Chelsea locked horns in a rainy Moscow.

This time, they will play in Madrid, fighting for the right to be called European champions. Anything could happen. Spurs could win.

But there is a lingering feeling that this domestic season, when taken in isolation, has been a worry. Spurs have lost 13 games and yet, they sit in the top-four. They have been beaten more times in the Premier League than Wolves. They have drawn once, though, and that perhaps explains the absolute ridiculousness of this Spurs team finding themselves in the top four with only one game to play. If they avoid an eight-goal swing in Arsenal’s favour on the final day, they will qualify for the Champions League via their league position. Even if they don’t, they could qualify by winning the whole thing.

One has to examine the flaws, though. Spurs are in a final, yes, but they have played with Fernando Llorente up front for much of their run. They have been shorn of Harry Kane through injury and have no truly like-for-like replacement. Llorente is a battering ram of a centre-forward; Kane has a great deal more class than the Spaniard.

Dele Alli, reborn against Ajax, turning in a performance of maturity and elegance, has a ridiculous workload because there is no alternative in the squad; the same is true of Christian Eriksen.

This is a squad that has been stretched to its absolute limit. The midfield options at one point, due to both injury and general misfortune, were 18-year-old Oliver Skipp and Moussa Sissoko. That was it.

It must be said that Mauricio Pochettino has worked miracles with this squad. He has silenced the doubters and proven the devotees right. He hasn’t won a trophy yet; his first could be the Champions League.

And yet we cannot look past the holes. Kieran Trippier and Serge Aurier both need upgrading. Ben Davies probably isn’t good enough. Nor is Eric Dier, or Erik Lamela, or, actually, Llorente.

This patched-up band of brothers have done more than anyone could have expected of them but sentiment can’t cloud the judgement of chairman Daniel Levy.

An overhaul of this squad is needed and is long overdue. Spurs haven’t signed a player since January of 2018, when Lucas Moura, the hat-trick hero on Wednesday, waltzed through the doors at Hotspur Way. He is now a legend.

But money has to be spent. This is a club that has reached the Champions League final; it is an attractive proposition for any player looking to further their career.

Has this team done more than anyone would have expected? Absolutely, they have. But, still, Levy needs to back Pochettino this summer.

New blood is needed and we are past the point of Spurs recruiting promising talent. Genuine winners are needed if they are to take the next step: winning the Premier League.

It won’t be easy. It will be expensive. But this Champions League run has only served to strengthen the argument. Pochettino, after all, has done this in spite of the club’s lack of investment, not because of it.

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Consistency is one of the hardest things to achieve in football.

The game has seen plenty of players who look like they could be the next big thing, but ultimately turn out to be a mere flash in the pan: stars such as Ravel Morrison, Adnan Januzaj and Freddy Adu all looked like world beaters at one point.

Liverpool are a club that have been bitten on the backside in recent years by players who have performed well in spells, but ultimately tailed off – however, Jurgen Klopp’s current crop of stars are unerringly efficient.

One man above all has been hitting the high notes on a seasonal basis for seven years now: Sadio Mane.

Has Salomon Rondon had a better season than Bobby Firmino? Matt from The Magpie Channel discusses in the video below…

The Senegalese international has recorded his best ever goal-scoring campaign this year with 26 goals in 49 appearances, averaging roughly a goal every two games. A very impressive strike rate, it must be said.

But how has he done over the course of the last seven years since he really started finding his mojo in Europe with Red Bull Salzburg?

The 27-year-old forward has hit a staggering 129 goals and recorded an excellent 68 assists since the 2012/13 season, averaging around 18 goals each term.

That is a very, very good rate, and highlights in black-and-white just how efficient the former Southampton man is.

One other thing that Mane should be commended on is his fitness. It is all well and good scoring the goals and setting them up, but you have to be present for your team out on the pitch in order to do so.

The Liverpool No.10 is always available for his side and impressively hasn’t missed a game this season, giving his all in the ultimately unsuccessful battle for the Premier League title; there is, however, still the chance to win a sixth Champions League for the club in Madrid soon.

Having scored in the final against Real Madrid last year as Liverpool suffered defeat, Mane should be raring to right the wrongs of that game this time around.

When it was announced Matteo Guendouzi had signed for Arsenal, a lot of supporters were left scratching their heads.

The Gunners had signed a teenager from Ligue 2 that not many fans outside of France had heard about, but nearly 12 months later, it proved to be one of the signings of the summer for Arsenal.

Guendouzi has, for the most part, been a massive success for the Gunners this season, adapting to Premier League football well and looking likely to be part of the Arsenal furniture for years to come, and according to recent reports, the club are heading back to the division and Lorient for another summer signing.

According to the Mirror, the Gunners have entered the race for 20-year-old winger Alexis Claude-Maurice, who has enjoyed a breakout year in France this season with Lorient in the second division, scoring 14 goals and assisting four in 34 appearances this summer.

A France U-20 international, Claude-Maurice has been a sensation in Ligue 2 this season and is on the radar of many teams all over the continent, and with Lorient looking for a reported £9 million for their youngster, the attacker could be another immensely good signing for Arsenal.

The Gunners signed Guendouzi from Lorient for a reported £7 million, and with the club in need of wingers, it’s almost too easy to say that Claude-Maurice, who is valued at £900,000 on Transfermarkt, could have as big an impact on the team next season than what his midfield counterpart had at Arsenal this campaign.

Arsenal are in need of wingers, and after such an impressive season with a club that the Gunners have a good history of signing talent from, Claude-Maurice could be the next youngster to make a name for himself in north London.

Arsenal fans, would Claude-Maurice be a good signing? Let us know!

Being a Manchester United fan at this moment of time is incredibly frustrating and you cannot help but feel sorry for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The club is a complete shambles and plenty of things need to change, both on and off the pitch.

Players seem to turn up when they feel like it and not one of them appears to be playing for the club’s badge with any pride that playing for the Red Devils should bring. It seems many of them are happy to earn their hundreds of thousands of pounds each week and put in minimal effort on the pitch.

As mentioned, it is not just the men on the pitch that are to blame with the members of the board also having a huge impact on the disaster show currently happening at Old Trafford.

Ed Woodward, you are one man that has attracted plenty of criticism for your role at the club and it seems you may have just caused more discontent with the players in the changing room.

According to a report by The Times, divisions between players have started to form in the dressing room because of the contracts being handed out (and not being handed out for that matter).

It is claimed that many of them do not agree with the deals being handed out to some of the club’s English players as they feel they do not merit the ones that are being offered to themselves; the likes of Ashley Young, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have all recently been ‘rewarded’ (not quite sure that is the right word).

Ander Herrera will be walking away from the club after failed contract negotiations, Juan Mata is yet to commit his future to a new deal and David De Gea does not appear to be happy with what he has been offered either.

Thus, Woodward is the only one that can be left to blame for those decisions.

If the situation does not improve, then things for Manchester United will not improve and fans will be left to be feeling frustrated with the way their club is being handled for a lot longer than they have too.

Man Utd fans, do you think Woodward is to blame? Let us know your thoughts below!

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On loan from AFC Bournemouth of the Premier League in the second half of the season, centre-back Tyrone Mings has put injury woes behind him to help secure Aston Villa Championship promotion via the play-offs.

The towering defender proved to be a key January signing for the Birmingham-based club, helping them turn their fortunes around after a disastrous start to the campaign that saw Steve Bruce sacked and made promotion seem like a naive pipe dream.

And now Sky Sports are reporting that Dean Smith’s men are determined to permanently sign the 26-year-old Englishman in the summer transfer window, following his immaculate displays at the heart of their backline.

In light of this, three Football FanCast writers give their verdicts below on whether Villa should make the move or seek an upgrade for their return to the Premier League. Here’s a look at what they had to say on the matter…

Christy Malyan

“Mings has been a key part of Villa’s promotion bid and it would appear Smith rates him highly. But Villa’s team overall lacks Premier League experience and Mings is another in that bracket with only 17 top flight outings under his belt. Villa should prioritise someone with a proven record in the Premier League who can help organise and lead this incredibly young team, especially when you factor in Mings’ injury problems of recent years.”

Matt Dawson

“Aston Villa must do everything possible in order to bring Mings through the door on a permanent deal. He almost single-handedly fixed Villa’s defence when he arrived in January and without him I doubt they’d have achieved promotion. Whatever the cost, this would be one of the club’s best signings in years.”

Harry Sherlock

“Mings has been excellent in the Championship and Villa should be doing everything they can to get him to sign on a permanent basis. He’s got all the leadership qualities needed to steward Villa through the difficult first season after promotion and wouldn’t cost the Earth, either. It’s a no-brainer.”

The biggest night of them all, the biggest night of any Spurs fans’ life, the greatest achievement, should they overcome what will be an extremely talented Liverpool side. Champions League fever is well and truly here and with the most coveted trophy up for grabs, Mauricio Pochettino knows his side must bring everything they have. 

Indeed, this is the greatest night Tottenham Hotspur and the club’s fans will have ever experienced. You can be sure that most of them can’t even believe that they are at this point, seeing as the last piece of silverware won was way back in 2008! It really is unknown territory for this Spurs side.

So, just how does Pochettino manage to give Jürgen Klopp yet another final defeat? Here’s a couple of decisions we feel the 47-year-old should make to his side in order to lift the biggest trophy in club football.

Harry Kane must start on the bench

He has claimed he’s fit enough to play, but we have seen this from Tottenham’s main man before haven’t we?

After getting injured against Manchester United the 25-year-old was rushed back into the side far too quickly, which in turn then led to further damage, and we now haven’t seen the Englishman, who is currently valued at £135m (by Transfermarkt), since April.

Out since April? Well isn’t that long enough? I can already hear the questions being asked. But do you really want someone who hasn’t been involved in football for three months to start against a strong Liverpool side in the Champions League final?

Start Victor Wanyama 

Having come back into the side over the past few months, we have begun to see the return of the real Victor Wanyama, someone who dominates the midfield and bullies anyone off the ball.

The inclusion of Wanyama will allow Pochettino to move players like Moussa Sissoko and Christian Eriksen a little further up the pitch, something he couldn’t manage to do in their final Premier League game, the 2-2 draw against Everton.

Including Wanyama, who is valued at £22.5 million (by Transfermarkt), could be the tactical edge Spurs need to win a difficult midfield battle.

[ad_pod ]Kyle Walker has had a long season, starting way back at the beginning of August with the Community Shield. He played in almost every game as Manchester City sealed an unprecedented domestic treble, producing some immaculate football in the process.Now that his club season is over, however, attention has turned to two more games with England, as Gareth Southgate’s side look to secure the first piece of silverware of his reign after coming bitterly close to doing so during last summer’s World Cup.

Walker appears confident in his sides’ chances but to win the Nations League, England must overcome the Netherlands. Revived under Ronald Koeman after failing to make Russia 2018, Oranje boast the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Frenkie de Jong and Memphis Depay.

Was Gareth Southgate wrong to overlook potential England stars from Palace, Leicester and Saints? Fan discuss “big club bias” in the video below…

The Three Lions were very impressive in their Nations League group though. England put three past Spain in their backyard and came from behind to beat Croatia at Wembley to seal a spot in the semi-finals.

Walker – who has got used to winning trophies in his time at City – certainly seems confident about this Three Lions side, claiming they’re ready for the Nations League and praising the training camp England have put together.

There’s no guarantee Walker will play a key role for England in this tournament though, despite being such a crucial member of Southgate’s World Cup team. Southgate has since changed formations, making Walker’s centre-back berth redundant, and Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold has emerged as a potentially superior option.

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Whether you love him or hate him, Paul Pogba remains the heart and soul of most dressing rooms he’s involved in. The midfielder seems to enjoy close relationships with those at Manchester United, and it is seemingly no different at international level either.

After France’s 4-0 thrashing of Andorra in Euro 2020 qualifying on Tuesday, Pogba took to

/BylgmmPFOyj/” data-lasso->Instagram to congratulate Chelsea man Kurt Zouma, following the defender’s first goal for his country.

Les Bleus were by far the dominant side in their encounter, and after racing off to a three goal lead by half-time, saw Zouma lash home from a corner to round off the scoring and etch his name into the history books.

Despite being rivals on the pitch with their respective clubs, both Pogba and Zouma appear to have a very strong friendship off it and were pictured hanging out together in Dubai.

Zouma spent the entirety of the last campaign on loan at Everton and registered 36 appearances across all competitions for the side, scoring twice.

With Chelsea facing the prospect of a transfer ban being in place for this summer, reports in recent weeks had suggested that the 24-year-old would not be sent out on loan again next season and that he would be involved in the first-team squad at Stamford Bridge.

Pogba meanwhile has often been criticised for his attitude at Old Trafford, but this is not the first time he has shown his leadership skills while on France duty.

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The Championship fixtures are out, and while Leeds’ opening games don’t look too bad they may find it hard to start as they did last season.

Marcelo Bielsa’s first term at Elland Road began in the perfect way. The Whites went eight games unbeaten as they hit the ground running under their new manager.

Although supporters will be hoping for a similar start next season, it may be harder to get these types of results next time around.

Last season

Leeds’ win against Stoke on the opening day in 2018 was a breathtaking display of how football should be played as they outdid the then recently-relegated Potters in terms of possession and shots.

Bielsa had immediately stamped his mark on his new side with this incredible showing of high pressing, attacking play.

Stoke were blown away 3-1 that day, and Leeds were all of a sudden seen as a real threat. The dominance continued over the next few weeks as they beat eventual playoff finalists Derby 4-1 and the soon-to-be champions Norwich 3-0 at Carrow Road.

This season

12 months ago Bielsa had brought something the Championship had never seen before, but now that element of surprise has gone as teams started to figure them out.

The Yorkshire club didn’t win any of their final four league games as other managers started to get to grips with how the team played.

Heading into the new campaign each team will now have an idea of how Leeds are going to line up and how they are going to attack them.

Four of Leeds’ first five games are against sides who beat them last term, so they may struggle to start quickly.

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The Whites aren’t coming into this season as a surprise package team who just finished 13th. They are one of the favourites for promotion and opponents will be wary of that.

From the midpoint of the campaign onwards Leeds were only the 10th best team in the division, and with no wins in their final four games in 2018/19, they will head into the new season without any real momentum behind them.