All posts by h716a5.icu

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It’s finally official – Juan Mata has signed a new contract with Manchester United that will see him prolong his stay at Old Trafford until June 2021.

The midfielder and the club both confirmed it and it has already found its way onto social media as Mata posted an

/By5dq1FIKHk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram snap to celebrate this huge deal. Of course, club stars and his teammates were quick to congratulate him with a sea of replies below the image.

Mata has been a part of the red side of Manchester since January 2014 when he joined from Chelsea. The Spanish midfielder has managed 45 goals and 37 assists in 218 appearances for the Red Devils. It’s safe to say that his teammates were thrilled with this news.

Last season, Mata was also a big part of his coach’s plans. He managed fewer appearances with 22 but compensated with a good return of three goals and four assists.

This contract is a big sign of faith and goodwill from the club since by the time June 2021 arrives, Mata will already be 34 years old. But you know what they say – form is temporary, class is permanent.

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Celtic are interested in signing Huddersfield Town full-back Tommy Smith, according to The Daily Mail.

What’s the story?

The Hoops have said goodbye to three right-backs this summer already, with the long-serving Mikael Lustig’s contract expiring and other options like Cristian Gamboa and Jeremy Toljan also leaving Glasgow.

The Mail report that the £3m-rated Tommy Smith is now a contender to fill the position, although the Hoops do have competition from English Championship side Stoke City for his signature.

How can Celtic improve next season? A Hoops fan tells us how in the video below…

What’s his pedigree?

As club captain of the Terriers, Smith clearly has strong leadership qualities, and that’s something the Hoops will be missing in the absence of Lustig, who was the designated vice-captain to Scott Brown in the dressing room at Celtic Park.

Smith’s initial football education came at Manchester City before moving to Huddersfield in 2012.

Since then the 27-year-old gone on to make 200 appearances for the club, proving to be a big part of their promotion to the top-flight in 2016/17 with four goals and eight assists. In the two subsequent seasons he’s featured 39 times in the top-flight.

Celtic need a player ready to hit the ground running in the first-team this season.

For all Lustig’s faults, he was an experienced campaigner and it’d be a mistake to trust the position to a young, untested talent.

The Hoops may need to enter the market for yet another right-back to have the competition and back-up required but it seems Smith, with his experience in two competitive leagues, at least ticks the boxes required to be one of the players that arrives at the Hoops this summer.

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Manchester United fans will have plenty of fond memories from Park Ji-Sung’s decorated stint with the Red Devils.

Rio Ferdinand knows it too and probably a bit better than most of us.

United’s legendary figure was reunited with Park earlier this week as the duo both attended a promotional event back in Vietnam.

Of course, being the big social media personality that he is, Ferdinand couldn’t pass up the opportunity to snap a photo with his former teammate.

He uploaded the picture to his

/BzGr3PHAW88/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram page in a gesture of nostalgic sentiment.

Patrice Evra, a player who started alongside both players on a multitude of occasions, quickly jumped onto the thread and replied with some banter aimed at Ferdinand, as the duo seemingly fought over the 38-year-old South Korean.

Park hardly needs an introduction but Ferdinand’s description of the snap served that purpose perfectly.

Arriving in July 2005, the combative midfielder ended up spending seven years at Old Trafford, racking up 204 appearances and bagging 28 goals and 29 assists along the way.

He played a key role in facilitating the influx of trophies which were put into the cabinet during his time in Manchester, as Ferdinand was kind enough to list in his Instagram tribute.

All that for a sum of £6.57m. Talk about bargains…

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

According to Spanish publication ABC de Sevilla, Manchester United are interested in bringing Wissam Ben Yedder to Old Trafford this summer.

What’s the word?

The report claims Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have been impressed with the striker’s performances in recent seasons and he is being lined up as a potential replacement for Romelu Lukaku, were the Belgian to leave for Inter.

With Lukaku netting a measly 15 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions last season, it has been little surprise to see the club look to ship him out.

A move for Ben Yedder – a proven goal-scorer over a number of seasons – could be exactly what United need this summer.

The man for the big occasion

When Sevilla met Manchester United in the Champions League last 16 in March 2018, it was supposedly a foregone conclusion that the Red Devils would march on. Instead, the Spaniards had other ideas and in particular, Ben Yedder.

Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…

The Frenchman netted twice at Old Trafford to send United crashing out in humiliating fashion and the big talking point of the game was this: having scored three times against Liverpool in the group stages, Ben Yedder took his tally against England’s top-six sides to five. Lukaku on the other hand had one, despite playing in the Premier League.

It was the 5ft 7in Ben Yedder who stood tall on that night, leaving the burly Lukaku feeling like the smaller man. The 28-year-old has carried that big-game mentality since and this season scored in impressive 3-0 and 2-0 wins over Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively.

Indeed, after another prolific campaign this year, France manager Didier Deschamps said when opting to select Ben Yedder over Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette: “He has scored 30 goals in all competitions this season. He scored in big games, he knows how to play in alone in attack.”

The big stick with which to beat Lukaku over virtually his entire career at Old Trafford has been that he fails to turn up for the big occasions. He looks isolated playing up front on his own, his touch often deserts him and his finishing is woeful at times. After a defeat to Arsenal in March, the Belgian had a frankly horrific record of just one goal in 17 games against the ‘big six’.

Ben Yedder might be tiny in a physical comparison to his striker counterpart, but time and time again, when the pressure’s on, he’s a giant amongst men.

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According to Football Insider, Crystal Palace have had a bid rejected for Bolton Wanderers goalkeeper Remi Matthews, and Eagles fans on Twitter are not impressed with the club as a result.

Football Insider report that the south London outfit are looking to strengthen in the goalkeeping ranks during the summer transfer window, as they look to provide competition for Vicente Guaita and Wayne Hennessey.

However, they have failed with an offer to bring the 25-year-old Championship stopper to Selhurst Park, even though Wanderers are described as being “cash-strapped”.

Watch Crystal Palace Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Palace are still yet to sign a new player with only five weeks left until the window slams shut, having already lost Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United for an initial £45m fee.

Matthews made 18 Championship appearances for Bolton in 2018/19 as the Lancashire-based outfit were relegated to League One, conceding 34 goals and keeping two clean sheets in the league.

Are Crystal Palace right to slap a £100m valuation on Wilfried Zaha’s head? Check out the video below to see why they are…

Many Eagles supporters on social media are clearly not impressed however, with one asking “what is wrong with our club?”

Another accused them of shopping in the “bargain bin”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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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…

Speaking to Football Insider, former Leeds United defender Danny Mills relayed information he had been given about the Whites’ upcoming transfer plans.

The ex-England international stated that the Yorkshire outfit will be signing a new centre-back very soon, and that should be music to the ears of many Leeds supporters, some of whom were far from happy on Twitter with the departure of Liam Kitching this week.

What’s been said then?

Mills stated that he expects a new defender to arrive at Elland Road.

“I would definitely expect Leeds to bring in a new centre-back,” he told Football Insider.

“I’m pretty sure the recruitment team is out there looking already and I’m convinced there will be a new signing in the offing fairly soon. That’s what I’ve been told by Leeds.

“Leeds have clearly known for a while that Pontus Jansson was creating one or two issues. This situation hasn’t happened overnight, it’s been going on for some time.

“Leeds have known this was coming and were trying to target a new centre-back.”

Exactly what they need

Many United supporters should be buzzing about these comments from their former player.

There is a huge need for a centre-back in the Whites’ squad as they lack depth in that position – Liam Cooper, Gaetano Berardi and Ben White are the only senior players capable of playing in that role at the moment.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side had a number of injury worries last season, and with Berardi being the joint-most red carded player in the club’s history, there is no guarantee that these players will be fit and available all season.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Luckily Mills has stated that the club are working on bringing in a new centre-half, and during a week where Leeds fans have had plenty to complain about following Pontus Jansson’s exit to Brentford, this may be the best news they could have received.

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Darren Bent has told Football Insider that he thinks Neil Lennon should sign “consistent” trialist Danny Simpson for his Celtic side.

What’s he said?

The former Derby County striker has spoken of his admiration for Simpson, who has joined the Hoops on a trial period this week, per The Scottish Sun.

“He’s been around the block so he knows the game, he’s a great signing for them because they know what they’re going to get from him,” Bent told Football Insider.

“Every game you’re going to get seven out of ten, solid performer, consistent, knows his job. It’s a very astute signing.”

Simpson joins the Bhoys as they prepare for the Champions League qualification second round tie with Nomme Kalju this week, with the Estonians coming to Parkhead on Wednesday.

Right-back has become a problem position for Lennon, after Jeremy Toljan, Cristian Gamboa and Mikael Lustig all departed this summer.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

An astute bit of business?

If Simpson were to secure a permanent deal at Celtic Park then it could have an impact on the career of Anthony Ralston. The young right-back wasn’t trusted in the Sarajevo games so it doesn’t look like it’ll be his breakthrough year at Parkhead.

That leaves Lennon with no trusted right-sided defenders in his squad and with the Premiership season starting soon a new signing is certainly needed. Kristoffer Ajer has filled in admirably at right-back in the Sarajevo double-header but his long-term future is surely in the centre of the defence.

This leaves Simpson with an opportunity and Bent thinks the 32-year-old can take it. The former Spurs forward described the right-back as a “seven out of ten” performer, and that consistency will surely be music to the ears of the Hoops fans.

Watch Celtic Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Being reliable could be a trait that is of high-value to the Celtic manager this season. Bolingoli-Mbombo has already shown himself to be exciting, if a little rash, on the left-hand side of the defence, and with a lot of young players in the defensive ranks some experience will be necessary.

If Simpson can be as consistent for the club as Bent reckons he is then he would indeed by very a “astute” addition for Celtic and Lennon.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Patrick Bamford’s time at Leeds has been one full of trouble after making the move from Middlesbrough.

Following his outing against Manchester United on Wednesday, it doesn’t look as though it’s going to get better either.

The striker missed a straightforward chance that could have put the Whites back into the game, but instead, he fired at the goalkeeper’s leg in a passage of play that rather summed up his indifferent spell under Marcelo Bielsa.

Bamford scored nine times last term but during the first half of the season found himself on the sidelines through injury, subjected to watching Leeds dominate with Kemar Roofe scoring the goals instead.

He netted on 15 occasions throughout 2018/19, finishing as the Whites’ top scorer, an achievement Bamford himself undoubtedly would have wanted when he walked through the doors.

But his rather unconvincing displays were overshadowed by other incidents.

A two-game ban followed a rather unsavoury incident against Aston Villa for deceiving the officials before he was then shown a yellow card for diving against Derby in the play-offs.

It appeared he hadn’t learned his lesson, although he now does regret what he did.

However, despite needing to improve in terms of his maturity, his ability to cause trouble in the right way can be improved if he sorts out his play in possession of the ball.

Last season, he managed three unsuccessful touches per match, a tally that put him top of the tree for that statistic in the Leeds squad.

Roofe sat behind him on 2.6 loose touches whilst Tyler Roberts averaged two per match.

And if Bamford’s struggles at Elland Road are to end, it’s an area he simply has to improve in.

The fact of the matter is that the 25-year-old needs to become more careful with the ball at his feet, especially if he has desires of living up to his potential.

At one point last season, the former Chelsea man managed a mighty eight unsuccessful touches in a game against Wigan whilst he also managed seven against Brentford and Birmingham.

The fact he had four or more unsuccessful touches in 11 games tells the story of a frustrating season.

The frequency at which he lost the ball simply wasn’t good enough, but if he improves, it’ll undoubtedly make Leeds a better team.

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Christopher Jullien made his debut against Nomme Kalju and the supporters are loving his first outing in the famous green and white hoops.

Jullien started in the Champions League qualifier as Neil Lennon’s men kept a clean sheet in the second leg of the 7-0 aggregate win.

An Aleksandr Kulinits own goal was followed up by a late Marian Shved strike to ensure safe passage through to the third round and a comfortable 2-0 win.

The resounding victory over the Estonians sets up a clash with Romanian champions CFR Cluj in the penultimate tie of Champions League qualifying.

Watch Celtic Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And the 26 year-old Frenchman got his first taste of action for the Celts after arriving from Toulouse in a £7m deal during the easy evening in Tallinn. He was partnered by Jozo Simunovic as Lennon returned to a 4-2-3-1 shape, having favoured three at the back at times in pre-season and the earlier Champions League ties.

Here’s what the excited fans had to say about Jullien’s maiden appearance in the Hoops on Twitter:

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

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa will set their sights on Rangers right-back James Tavernier should current first choice option Ahmed Elmohamady link back up with his former boss Steve Bruce at Newcastle United.

What’s the word?

Recent reports have suggested that Bruce is fighting to get Elmohamady at St James’ Park, after managing him at three different clubs – Sunderland, Hull City and Villa. However, those in charge of transfers at the club would prefer to sign a younger option.

A knock-on effect could lead to Villa boss Dean Smith pursuing Tavernier should his veteran right-back depart Villa Park before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

It it thought that Steven Gerrard’s Rangers will hold out for at least £10m with their club captain being in the peak of his career at the age of 27. He also still has three years remaining on his current contract.

Should the Egyptian leave Villa Park then Smith will be left with an inexperienced and young duo in James Bree and Frederic Guilbert – who the club signed on deadline day of the January transfer window from Caen, before loaning him back to the relegated Ligue 1 club.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

An ideal replacement

Tavernier could prove to be an ideal replacement if not a substantial improvement on Smith’s current options on the right side of defence.

Last season, the 27-year-old was probably one of Gerrard’s most influential players – not only because he was captain, but because of his goals and assists record.

He netted 17 goals and laid on 20 assists as Rangers finished runners-up to Celtic in the Scottish Premier League and were knocked out of the Europa League group stages.

Yes, 14 of those goals were from penalties but that only goes to show his spot-kick taking nous and you’d still take three goals per season from your right-back – that’s better than most in that position and is certainly more than what Elmohamady has managed in his entire Aston Villa career having scored just twice in 87 appearances.

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That assist figure is outstanding too – Liverpool’s Andy Robertson managed seven less, Eden Hazard three less and the Bradford-born ace was only short of Lionel Messi by two. That only goes to show the level of output in which Tavernier can produce.

The former Newcastle man may have little Premier League experience to his name, just like the two that would be behind him in the pecking order should Elmohamady actually depart, but he’s performed at an elite European level by competing in the Europa League on multiple occasions.

£10m in the current transfer market would appear to be quite the steal too – Kieran Tierney is commanding a £25m fee from Arsenal despite facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines through injury, and he underperformed in comparison to Tavernier having scored just once and only assisted a fraction of his figure with six.

Meanwhile young talent in the Premier League has seen some huge figures with 21-year-old Aaron Wan-Bissaka moving to Manchester United for £50m for example.

Villa boss Smith has shown he isn’t afraid to get the cheque book out on multiple occasions this summer – 12 new players have walked through the door at Villa Park for an amount surpassing £130m – there would be no harm in prising away one of the Scottish Premier League’s best players for just another £10m.

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