All posts by h716a5.icu

It could be a busy summer for Tottenham. Indeed, the Daily Star are reporting Daniel Levy wants £200m from Real Madrid for Christian Eriksen, and if they take it, they mustn’t repeat the disaster after Gareth Bale’s departure.

Cast your mind back to the summer of 2013, when Madrid spent £90m on the Welshman and Spurs went on a transfer spree to add depth to their squad. Erik Lamela, Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado, Etienne Capoue and Eriksen were all brought in with their new-found cash.

It’s fair to say only the Dane in question was a success.

If that money had been better placed, Spurs could have been challenging for and even won a Premier League title by now, but the influx of players just didn’t work. Mauricio Pochettino came in and found that promoting and buying youngsters like Dele Ali and Harry Kane was a better option than using those signings, putting in place one of the most exciting projects the Premier League has ever seen.

It’s a period Spurs need to reflect on if they do sell the former Ajax playmaker. Yes, they do need to add depth to the squad, but they shouldn’t buy too many players that it upsets the current squad harmony. It’d take too much time for that many players to adapt to their surroundings, particularly with Pochettino wanting qualified success as he continues on without a trophy.

They have to use the money to buy three or four new world-class players who would increase competition around the squad and up the quality and depth at the same time. They’ll then have more chance at succeeding in the domestic cups as well and the league and Europe.

The mistakes of 2013 can’t be repeated.

Spurs fans, how do you feel the money should be spent if the club sells Christian Erikson? Join the discussion by commenting below…

[ad_pod ]Liverpool fans have been discussing the prospect of Lorenzo Insigne arriving at Anfield on Twitter, with the majority in a pessimistic mood regarding a move for the diminutive forward.The Italian international has spent his entire senior career with Napoli having come through the youth ranks with the Naples-based club, but his future is somewhat unclear after his agent, Mino Raiola, reportedly offered him to both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…After catching wind of this news, Liverpool fans have been in hot debate over whether or not the 27-year-old would be a good fit at Anfield.Insigne has hit 13 goals and recorded six assists across all competitions this season, impressing in yet another campaign for the Serie A side.

One thing that the Reds are in need of is some quality depth to support the attacking trident of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, and Insigne would certainly provide that for Jurgen Klopp.

Having said that, supporters of the Premier League title hopefuls on Twitter are bullish regarding the prospect of seeing Insigne in a red shirt…

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have breathed a sigh of relief after Manchester United confirmed the permanent appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager.

The Norwegian has signed a three-year contract at Old Trafford, per the club’s official website.

The move comes after months of frenzied speculation over the identity of United’s next boss.

Indeed, The Telegraph reported in December that Pochettino was the club’s only target to succeed Jose Mourinho.

Solskjaer has enjoyed a remarkably successful caretaker spell at United, taking the club into the Champions League quarter-finals, where they will face Barcelona, while also maintaining their push for a top-four place. They are currently fifth in the Premier League, two points behind Arsenal and three behind Spurs.

He has now been rewarded and Spurs fans are delighted, with it seemingly confirmed that Pochettino will remain in his post for the first full season at the club’s new stadium.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

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Speaking to Wolves.co.uk, footballer turned Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith has revealed what he thinks has been most impressive about Wolves’ return to the top flight.

The club have been outstanding this season and it appears Smith agrees with the consensus.

What’s been said?

The ex-Arsenal striker was full of praise for Nuno Santo’s men. In particular, he picked up on their form against some of the league’s top teams. He told the official Wolves website:

“There’s been a lack of fear. I did the Tottenham game at Wembley which was an amazing occasion, in the second-half I couldn’t believe what I was watching. That’s an example of how well they’ve done against the top six sides.”

Smith also picked up on other key areas, pinpointing some of the reasons behind their success this term.

“Wolves couldn’t have done any better I don’t think. They’re in that seventh position, there’s a glass ceiling above them, and for a newly-promoted team it’s been spectacular stuff. It’s the same manager and he has a way of playing, but it’s a few steps up in standard. To continue that philosophy at this level speaks volumes for him and the way the players have adapted. The recruitment has been fantastic. It’s easy to spend money, but not so easy to get it right, we’ve seen that at Fulham.”

Smith is spot on

It’s easy to get carried away when analysing Wolves this season but Smith’s words have hit the nail on the head. You have to admire the way they’ve played and some of their displays against the top six sides are hugely impressive.

The club has won matches against Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United this season so that tells you all you need to know about how they’ve adjusted to Premier League life.

Smith’s comments about recruitment and spending are also true. Raul Jimenez springs to mind when assessing their business last summer. Signing the player on loan has been significant and they could still yet make a permanent move for him in the summer.

We’ve found Raul Jimenez’s No. 1 fan and… it’s a little scary. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

Their spending wasn’t massive and in fact, some deals were considerably shrewd. They signed Joao Moutinho for as little as £5m whilst they also acquired the likes of Diogo Jota and Willy Boly on permanent deals too, two players who were already proven to them after loan spells.

Fulham, on the other hand, just spent at will and didn’t really seem to have a plan. Wolves looked more thorough in their process last summer and are reaping the rewards as a result.

Wolves’ progression has been so considerable that it could well see the club compete in Europe over the next few seasons.

It has been quite a turnaround for Keiren Westwood at Sheffield Wednesday this season.

The Republic of Ireland international was demoted to third choice behind both Cameron Dawson and Joe Wildsmith by former Owls boss Jos Luhukay before being brought back into the fray by Steve Bruce who took over at Hillsborough in January.

Since the 58-year-old’s arrival at Wednesday, Westwood has regained his spot as the club’s starting goalkeeper and has demonstrated a superb run of form. In the 11 fixtures that Bruce has been manager for the Owls, the former Coventry City shot-stopper has kept seven clean sheets with his latest coming at the bet365 stadium against Stoke City.

In what was an eventful game for Westwood, he almost single-handedly earned his side a draw which extended their unbeaten run to 12 games in the Championship and kept their dreams of finishing in a play-off position alive.

With the 34-year-old still producing on a consistent basis for the Owls, Bruce simply has to offer him a new contract in the summer, even if it is just for one more season. According to Transfermarkt, Westwood’s current deal runs out in June and so a decision on his future will have to be made over the next two months by the Yorkshire-based side.

Although it can be argued that it would be a risk to hand a new deal to a player who is in the twilight of his career, in this particular case it shouldn’t even be a factor in Bruce’s decision making.

Westwood brings a wealth of experience to Wednesday which allows the club’s defenders to have confidence in his ability whilst he could also play a role in helping to nurture the talents of his fellow goalkeepers. Regardless of what division they find themselves in next season, the Owls will be better off with him than without, as illustrated by their results during the 2018/19 campaign.

What do you think Wednesday fans? Should Bruce offer Westwood a new contract? Or is time for the club to focus on bringing through other options next season? Let us know below.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to ridicule Romelu Lukaku, after Federico Pastorello – the striker’s agent – told Sky Sports that his client ‘sees himself in La Liga one day’, and mentioned Real Madrid and Barcelona as potential destinations.

Lukaku has scored 15 goals this season, with 9 of them have coming since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stepped into the managerial hotseat.

Which “global superstar” has just been named Man Utd’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video above…

Despite his respectable tally, his overall play has mainly been the source of mockery throughout the current campaign, where his woeful first touch and inability to finish simple chances at times have led to fans insulting his talents.

It goes without saying that Real Madrid and Barcelona are arguably the two biggest clubs in the world, and can attract almost any player that they want.

As a result of that, Pastorello’s comments have led to United fans finding the quotes to be of some humour, as seen by their replies on Twitter…

Christopher Nkunku was a relative unknown in English football until he was linked with Arsenal, and now the fans see him as the heir to Aaron Ramsey.

The PSG midfielder overnight became the name on everyone’s lips when he was linked by BBC Sport with a move to north London in the January transfer window, but after a move failed to materialise, it is looking like the Gunners are going for round two to sign the Frenchman this summer, and news is they have received a big boost.

According to French outlets Le Parisien and Paris Team, the 21-year-old midfielder is unhappy with his playing time under Thomas Tuchel and is keen to not sign a deal with at PSG and move on from the France capital, with Arsenal in the run in to sign the midfielder this summer.

With a previous attempt to sign the midfielder already documented, it is likely Unai Emery will make a move back in for the PSG man when the transfer window opens, and with a reported transfer fee of £30 million, the midfielder could be a realistic signing for the Gunners.

Nkunku, who is valued at £10.8 million (by Transfermarkt), is a player with the potential to grow into a top midfielder and thrive in the Premier League having already established himself as a first-team player in Ligue 1, now it is up to the Arsenal transfer board to go in for the playmaker and make him one of the first signings of the summer.

Emery made a mistake in missing out on the French midfielder and opting to bring in Denis Suarez, who has yet to start a game for the club, and the Spanish manager can’t afford to be wasteful with time this summer and must go in for Nkunku as quickly as possible.

Arsenal fans, should the club sign Nkunku this summer? Let us know!

Robbie Keane was once the British record holder for a teenager, but his performances at Elland Road fell WELL short of expectations.

We can understand why managers go a little wild when they are handed a transfer pot to play around with. Heck, we do the same on Football Manager – and that is just a video game. New and exciting talent joining the squad from all four corners of the world – strutting their stuff in front of fans. In a way, the player’s success feels like an extension of your own. As a manager, you made it happen – after all. But David O’Leary took it one step too far. Like a fat kid in a sweet shop, the former Leeds United manager dipped his hands every available jar – making 18 signings at a total outlay of £96.3m (as per The Guardian).

Following an impressive season with Coventry in which he claimed 12 goals in 31 games Inter Milan saw fit to recruit his services, instigating one of the most unlikely interactions between two football clubs. Unfortunately, however, Keane did not take well to Italian football and after just a single year he found himself back in England – Leeds United the suitors.

Any man who performs well alongside cult hero Mark Viduka gets the green light from just about anyone in the footballing world, and that is exactly what Robbie Keane did. In his first season at the club (on loan) the Ireland star bagged eight goals for his new employers, kicking off what probably should have been a very healthy relationship with one of the nation’s most iconic footballing institutions.

His pace and niftiness around the box complimented the brutish but elegant style of Leeds established forward, and at such a young age, the competition he created with the Whites other youngster, Alan Smith, was extremely healthy.

All was well. Until the following season happened, anyway. After making his move to West Yorkshire permanent for an estimated £12million (as per Daily Mail), the Ireland star flopped pretty badly and in the 25 league appearances he made, he picked up the same number of yellow cards as he did goals – three.

Although Leeds managed a fifth-place finish that year, we think it is fair to say he played a very insignificant part.

He joined Tottenham just a year later and, while he’s rightly recognised as one of the Premier League’s most prolific strikers, did little to prove worth Leeds’ money.

[ad_pod ]Sheffield United fans on Twitter have laughed off conspiracy theories invented by Leeds fans after their 3-0 win against Hull City.Leeds fans believe there was foul play at work as the Blades dispatched of Hull with ease as Sheffield born former goalkeeper George Long started between the sticks for the Tigers.Fans have accused the goalkeeper of throwing the game after the first three shots that Long faced found the back of the net including a 25-yard-screamer from David McGoldrick.Unsurprisingly Blades fans have laughed off this speculation and labelled it no more than a coping mechanism as Leeds now look unlikely to be promoted to the Premier League automatically this season.Fans of Marcelo Bielsa’s side seem to be losing the plot as the promise of promotion slips away from them with just a few games to go.On a day where Leeds lost and their closest rivals won Sheffield United fans have taken great pleasure in mocking the meltdown that the results have caused.Here’s the best of the reaction on Twitter…

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13 points is the tally Wolves have amassed against top six sides this season. It’s a great record for any club, let alone one who came up from the Championship last term.

And this week, they have the opportunity to take that to 16 against an Arsenal team who have struggled repeatedly on the road.

However, their recent run of form and Arsenal’s need for points in the top four race means it won’t be quite as straightforward as the Gunners’ horrific away form suggests.

If Nuno Santo’s men are to have any chance of continuing their fantastic performances against the big teams, then they must ensure they do one key thing on Wednesday night.

On the chalkboard

Wolves’ performance against Arsenal at the Emirates earlier in the season was outstanding. They were brilliant on the counter-attack and at the back, were solid as a rock.

It was a game they should have won. Morgan Gibbs-White hit the crossbar late on whilst there were numerous good chances in the game for Nuno’s team.

However, Arsenal somehow found a way to rescue a point when a swinging cross from Henrikh Mkhitaryan on the left-hand side went through a crowd of bodies and nestled in the back of the net.

This game could be very similar but with Arsenal needing a win, they will likely have a more open approach.

With that in mind, Wolves must learn from something Crystal Palace did to devastating effect against the Gunners on Sunday – press the north Londoners’ less technically gifted players as much as humanly possible.

Fielding a midfield of Mohamed Elneny and Matteo Guendouzi, Arsenal were pressed and harried relentlessly by the likes of James McArthur and Cheikhou Kouyate on Sunday, leading to several quality counter-attacking opportunities.

Wolves were full of energy and intensity at the Emirates in their pressing and this is something they must replicate this week to have any chance of beating Arsenal, just like Palace did.

Raul Jimenez is turning it on for Wolves and Mexico right now! He definitely deserves the song in the video below…

Plenty of teams have already done it when Unai Emery’s men have come to town and they haven’t been able to find many answers. This was all too evident for the north Londoners in matches against Everton and Watford recently.

Leander Dendoncker and Joao Moutinho could be the Wolves players tasked with leading the press and if they manage to pull it off, the club could find themselves back to winning ways after three games without a victory.