All posts by h716a5.icu

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

After a season where Arsenal’s most potent attacking weapon from out wide was Bosnian left-back Sead Kolasinac, it’s been little surprise to see Unai Emery’s side searching through the transfer market for a new winger.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested Bournemouth star Ryan Fraser is near the top of the summer shopping list for the Gunners, whilst The Sun claimed Emery himself has urged the club’s board to make a big-money move for Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha.

From 6-0 FA Cup final maulings to Mkhitaryan missing the the Europa League final, is football broken? Fans discuss in the video below…

But whilst some Arsenal fans are understandably excited at the prospect of seeing the Ivorian join the Emirates, a 19-year-old by the name of Reiss Nelson delivered a timely reminder in England U21’s 3-3 draw with Croatia on Monday night that he could well be the main man for next season.

On the chalkboard

The teenager is so highly-rated by those at the Emirates that former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger remarked back in April 2018: “He has the technical quality needed in the Premier League. He can run at players, he can dribble – you don’t find that a lot.”

Having spent last season on loan in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim, Nelson has admitted that his goal for next season will be trying to break through into the Arsenal first-team.

In his performance against the Croatians, the 19-year-old showed exactly why that is a very realistic possibility indeed. The winger took the game to the opposition whenever he could and he was immediately rewarded for his direct play and positive running when he had his legs clipped inside the penalty area.

He coolly slotted the penalty away and also had some eye-catching runs throughout the match, particularly in the second-half. At one point, having shown his defensive diligence in covering his full-back, Nelson carried the ball a good 40 to 50 yards and earned a free-kick deep inside the opposition half.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Gunners sorely missed a genuine ball-carrier with pace like Nelson last season, instead heavily relying on Kolasinac to provide width, whilst Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan often occupied spaces like a more conventional number ten.

Nelson had the second-highest number of dribbles and fouls earned for the Young Lions on Monday and was a constant threat to Croatia with his willingness to take a man on. Emery’s side last year looked so one-paced and one-dimensional in attack and it often suffocated the likes of Mesut Ozil, who thrives on speed and movement around him.

Promoting Nelson from within the academy instead of splashing the cash on Zaha would still give the Gunners what they sorely lacked; pace, trickery and an eye for goal.

[ad_pod ]

According to Sky Sports, Marseille attacker Florian Thauvin was watched by Arsenal last season ahead of a potential summer bid from the Gunners.

Marseille, though, are said to want ‘up to £50m’ for the 26-year-old, which might well price the Premier League club out of a swoop.

Thauvin has previously played in England for Newcastle United – scoring once in 16 appearances for the Magpies during the 2015-16 campaign.

The attacker has excelled since returning to Marseille, though, scoring 26 times in all competitions during the 2017-18 campaign before adding 18 more last term.

According to Sky Sports, Marseille are prepared to sell Thauvin this summer due to Financial Fair Play.

Check out the video below to find out why Arsenal fans aren’t celebrating Spurs’ UCL final defeat as much as they’d like…

The Arsenal fans have been on social media discussing a potential move for the 5 ft 10 ace, who was a part of the France squad that won the 2018 World Cup.

And it would be fair to say that there are a lot of mixed opinions – some want Thauvin this summer but others are not overly keen on the idea.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]

Uruguay were largely regarded as one of the favourites in this year’s Copa America competition, alongside hosts Brazil.

And that’s exactly why everyone was slightly taken aback by their unexpected elimination from the tournament, following an unsuccessful penalty shootout against Peru.

Lucas Torreira, a rising favourite amongst Arsenal fans and a second-half substitute in the defeat, took to

/BzWrvjWBA8H/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram to share an emotional message to the fans and his teammates alike.

Even though he was not a part of the starting line-up, Torreira featured from the 57th minute onward but unfortunately to no great effect as Uruguay had a total of three goals disallowed by VAR.

The message was aimed at the fans and his teammates, thanking everyone for their affection and support and vowing to keep trying and to come back stronger next time.

As for his Premier League campaign, he managed 34 appearances for Arsenal in 2018/19, scoring and assisting twice.

Even though his future at the club was somewhat uncertain, now it’s increasingly likely that he will, in fact, very much be a Gunner come next season.

[ad_pod ]

The Red Devils have touched down in Australia for their first two pre-season games.

Manchester United are set to play Perth Glory and then Leeds United in the opening two fixtures before jetting off to Singapore, where they will meet Inter Milan. The last three games of the tour will be held in Shanghai, Oslo and Cardiff as United face Tottenham Hotspur, Kristiansund and AC Milan respectively to finish things off.

The club has recently dropped an official video where the squad’s first walk through Perth was filmed and fans were quick to notice what seemed like a slight bust-up between Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba.

But, perhaps in a bid to immediately put that story to bed, Lingard shared an Instagram snap with the Frenchman as they enjoyed their first training ahead of the Perth Glory game.

Whether there really was some friction between the two Red Devils or not remains to be seen, but it seems that Lingard has at least attempted to address the situation on social media as pre-season gets underway.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Telegraph, Leicester are one of the teams to have shown an interest in Southampton’s Mario Lemina.

What’s the word?

Leicester have already done brilliant work in the transfer window, securing the signings of Ayoze Perez and Youri Tielemans.

They were two successive deals that broke the club’s transfer record as the Spaniard arrived for £30m before the latter then came back through the doors of the King Power for £40m following his loan spell.

However, it looks as though the Foxes could be active in the window again.

Per a report from The Telegraph, they are interested in Lemina but there could be a fierce battle for his signature.

Also in the running are Manchester United and Arsenal, who could be looking to complete a move after the former Juventus man was left out of Saints’ pre-season tour to Austria.

Watch Leicester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Choudhury in danger?

Lemina is a defensive midfielder by trade but only featured in 21 Premier League matches last season.

Rated at £13.5m per Transfemarkt, he could now be on his way out of the south coast if reports are to be believed.

Yet, if Leicester were the team to conclude a deal, it could put Hamza Choudhury’s development in danger.

Towards the back end of last season, the young midfielder started to appear more under Brendan Rodgers, playing four games over April and May combined from deep in midfield.

A holding player like Lemina, Choudhury starred against Arsenal, completing three tackles and making two interceptions.

Performances like those, however, could be more of a rarity if the Southampton man arrives.

Could Daniel Sturridge be set to reunite with Brendan Rodgers? Check out the video below to find out…

The fact of the matter is that it’s highly unlikely Wilfred Ndidi will be dropped after being ever-present in the Premier League last term and with Tielemans also coming in, spots in midfield will be limited.

Despite his restricted game time, Lemina did boast impressive defensive stats, completing 2.3 tackles and two interceptions per game.

If they’re considering bringing him to the Midlands, it would be strange if he wasn’t considered as someone who could then start.

Therefore, it could be a huge setback in terms of Choudhury’s development.

[ad_pod ]

Lots of Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Eddie Nketiah, after the young striker yet again made a big impact with the first-team in pre-season.

The 20-year-old netted twice against Fiorentina on the Gunners’ tour of the US, and also bagged a late winner in a 2-1 friendly victory over Bayern Munich – he certainly knows where the back of the net is.

Check out 5 reasons why Arsenal need Wilfried Zaha in the video below…

Nketiah is fairly well known amongst the north Londoners’ fanbase after scoring his first Premier League goal against Burnley on the final day of last season.

Before that, however, the 5 foot 9 forward burst onto the scene with two goals against Norwich in the Carabao Cup, where he found the net 15 seconds after coming on to take the game into extra time, before scoring the winner.

His form this summer will definitely have caught Unai Emery’s eye, so let’s take a look at what the Arsenal fans on Twitter have been saying about their academy graduate…

[ad_pod ]

After a disappointing end to the campaign last season saw them finish with a draw and defeat to already-relegated Huddersfield and Cardiff respectively, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seemingly been intent on revamping Manchester United this summer.

The Red Devils have already sealed deals for young stars Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whilst the club are still pursuing a big-money move for Leicester centre-back Harry Maguire.

But whilst the club continue to try and make waves in the transfer market, Solskjaer is reportedly keen on rectifying some of his side’s problems on the pitch too.

The Evening Standard claim that United’s players have been put through double sessions this summer, with a clear focus on running and fitness, and a major change in intensity from the last pre-season under Jose Mourinho.

The report adds that Solskjaer wants his side to rival the high-energy game being utilised by rivals Liverpool and Manchester City and feels fitness could be the key to closing the gap to the Premier League’s top two.

After hearing the news, United fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Solskjaer’s new training regime and many were seemingly very impressed.

Some Red Devils supporters appeared to take a shot at former manager Jose Mourinho and his defensive tactics and praised Solskjaer for trying to fix that with a more intense approach.

Indeed, many United fans revealed their excitement for the new season and insisted that a lack of fitness was a major reason behind some of their disappointing performances last year.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Leeds United fans on Twitter are split on the subject of the club’s ownership not spending money during the summer transfer window in order to help them return to the Premier League.

With only just over a week to go until the deadline, the only first-team arrivals at Elland Road so far have been on loan, with Jack Clarke and Jack Harrison returning, Ben White another addition and Helder Costa joining the Whites from Wolverhampton Wanderers – although the temporary move will lead to a permanent £15m move next year.

However, the loss of Pontus Jansson from their backline has left supporters of the Yorkshire outfit concerned at their lack of quality and depth in defence, while they may also suffer in terms of a goal threat in the early stages of the season with Kemar Roofe currently absent.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Leeds obviously came so close to going up last term, before their campaign eventually fizzled out and they were beaten by Derby County in the play-offs.

Those members of the Elland Road faithful who may have been hoping for a big summer of spending will have been left disappointed so far, but Whites fans are largely split on whether the ownership is to blame.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

While one individual agreed with the original poster Leeds United HQ and labelled the situation as “a disgrace”, another disagreed and pointed out that they are the favourites to win the Championship – frustrating as it is, United have had to tread carefully when it comes to FFP issues, although a top replacement for Jansson is surely a must before next Thursday’s deadline.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur are determined to sign either Sporting Lisbon’s Bruno Fernandes or Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso in the coming week, per The London Evening Standard.

What’s the word?

Spurs have thus far only signed Tanguy Ndombele to strengthen their squad ahead of the 2019/20 season, with Jack Clarke loaned back to Leeds United after his acquisition.

But The London Evening Standard now reports that Spurs are desperate to buy a potential replacement for Christian Eriksen before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

Indeed, Eriksen has aired his desire to take on a new challenge in this transfer window but there is the possibility that he will be sold after the English market closes, with most European windows remaining open until the end of the month.

Indeed, the report states that the club are not expecting to buy both players but want to sign one in the next week.

Fernandes is valued at £64m, while Lo Celso has an £88m release clause, per the report.

Indeed, Spurs have been chasing the latter all summer, with the BBC reporting in May that they had tabled a £53m bid for the Argentine.

Fernandes the goalscorer

Fernandes is a far more prolific player than his Betis counterpart.

While Lo Celso netted 16 goals last season, the Portuguese doubled that and also added 18 assists on top.

Capable of playing as a central midfielder and an attacking midfielder, he offers the opportunity to lighten some of the load on striker Harry Kane.

[ad_pod ]

Indeed, no Spurs player, not even the England captain, managed to score over 30 goals last season. Eriksen laid on 17 assists, one fewer than Fernandes.

While Lo Celso could pick the lock, Fernandes has the sledgehammer needed to knock the door down.

He could be an even more astute, and even more exciting, signing.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Alex Iwobi is now officially an Everton player after completing his move to Goodison Park. Whilst some may think that the Gunners have got a decent deal for someone who didn’t fulfil his potential in London, his departure may spell bad news for one of the club’s key strikers.

What’s the story?

This deal came to light just as the transfer window was closing at 5pm on Thursday. The Nigeria international made 149 appearances during his time at the Emirates Stadium, scoring 27 goals.

Having made just 22 starts and scored only three goals in the Premier League last season, the 23-year-old might not seem like the biggest lost on paper, but he does leave a round hole within the squad that Unai Emery may well call upon a square peg to fill.

[ad_pod ]

Good news for Lacazette… but not for Aubameyang

Arsenal’s two star performers in attack are Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Between them, they scored 50 goals last campaign, and also provided a combined 17 assists. However, they rarely played as a two up front, with the most popular choice being a 4-2-3-1.

Lacazette was always given a striker’s role, whilst the Gabon international was pushed to the wing on some occasions. When played out wide, the former Borussia Dortmund striker was less effective though; compared to 32 goal contributions in 38 games as the main striker, he had just seven in 13 from the flanks.

When Iwobi took up a similar position, Aubameyang was often moved up front but with the 23-year-old now having left the club, there is a lack of talent to choose from in that role. The only obvious choice would be Henrikh Mkhitaryan, but his recent form will not give Emery much confidence, while youngster Reiss Nelson could perhaps stake a claim.

But Aubameyang looks more likely to be field out wide instead and curiously enough, the 30-year-old has featured there frequently in pre-season, even switching from one flank to the other in a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid.

That would be great news for Lacazette, who has effectively seen his only competition for a starting berth be fielded in a different position that won’t necessarily highlight his natural strengths.

But Aubameyang looks set to feature in a less favourable role that saw him be less potent last season – that could well prove to be bad news for Arsenal as well.

[ad_pod ]