All posts by h79snht.top

Tottenham Hotspur play host to Rochdale in their fifth round FA Cup replay tie at Wembley on Wednesday night, and manager Mauricio Pochettino may see the clash against the League One strugglers as the perfect opportunity to give some game time to some of his younger players.

The Argentine boss picked a relatively strong line-up for the 2-2 draw against Keith Hill’s men earlier this month, but it wasn’t enough to get them the victory even with Harry Kane and Dele Alli both coming off of the substitutes’ bench.

The match against Dale starts a run of three home fixtures in a week for Spurs, with the cup tie being followed by a Premier League clash against Huddersfield Town and then the crucial Champions League last 16 second leg against Juventus next Wednesday.

With the north London outfit moving into the top four in the English top flight over the weekend and desperate to reach the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition, Pochettino will want to avoid any injuries to any key men and with some senior fringe players failing to impress when they have been given a chance to stake a claim for a regular spot in the team, the 45-year-old could turn to the youth.

Here are two Tottenham youngsters the Argentine must bring into the starting XI vs Rochdale…

Kyle Walker-Peters

The 20-year-old full-back has been rarely seen in the Tottenham team ever since he put in an impressive display at right-back in the 2-0 win against Newcastle United on the opening day of the Premier League season.

The youngster did feature against AFC Wimbledon and Newport County in the previous rounds of the FA Cup, but he only made the substitutes’ bench at Spotland last time out.

However, with this replay at home, Pochettino not wanting Kieran Trippier to get injured ahead of an important run-in and with Serge Aurier struggling against Crystal Palace on Sunday, now is the perfect time to give Walker-Peters a chance to shine.

Kazaiah Sterling

Having played back-up to Harry Kane for the majority of the season, Fernando Llorente was given a rare chance to impress in the starting XI at Spotland earlier this month, but he failed to take it.

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The Spaniard just doesn’t seem to fit in to Tottenham’s style of play, and he made little impact against Keith Hill’s side before he was replaced by Kane, who went on to score from the penalty spot.

Pochettino ideally won’t want to risk Kane at home to a League One side ahead of an important set of fixtures, and with Llorente failing to impress it could be the perfect opportunity to bring 19-year-old Sterling, who has scored 11 goals in 26 appearances in all competitions for the club’s various youth sides this season, into the starting XI.

Do you agree, Spurs fans? Let us know below.

Everton manager, Frank Lampard, is renowned in his managerial career for spotting and developing young talent, bringing them through the ranks at the clubs he has managed, and he could be onto his next big breakthrough at his current club.

Lampard famously gave Mason Mount, Reece James, Tariq Lamptey and Armando Broja their Premier League debuts at Chelsea, with all four young players going onto becoming some of the most talked-about stars in the Premier League, with both Mount and James integral in the Champions League winning campaign for Chelsea last season.

As a result of this successful development of young players in the past, there will be no doubt that the ex-Chelsea boss will be looking closely at the young talent thriving at Everton and youth player, Charlie Whitaker could easily be on Lampard’s radar this season if he continues to perform at the level he has been.

The 18-year-old attacking midfielder has been drawing attention to himself in the Everton U23’s team scoring five goals and bagging one assist in just 11 appearances in the Premier League Two, and this attacking output is not something new for the teenager, who last season scored 11 goals and assisted his teammates five times in the U18’s team, proving that his attacking capabilities are consistent.

The U23’s manager at Everton, David Unsworth, has made no secret of his praise for Whitaker, hailing the youngster “sensational” after scoring a hat trick against Southampton last year. The youth coach told Liverpool Echo:

“I’ve watched Charlie for a number of years and we always knew he had the quality in flashes.

“He has been sensational, he is a great trainer, great to work with and a great lad.”

Whitaker is no stranger to the senior side; the young player was chosen in a Premier League squad for the first time in October 2021, in Everton’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford, but did not make it off the bench, so the new Toffees boss could in fact seize the opportunity to give him his first Premier League debut in the same way he offered it to the thriving young Chelsea players too.

When it comes to attacking midfielders, there’s no role in a team that Lampard understands better, and if he was to give the chance to Whitaker to prove himself in the senior team and the unrivalled coaching and experience he can offer a player of his calibre, he could mould the young talent into his next £100m-rated midfielder, emulating the successful development of the likes of Mount.

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Everton are currently struggling to attack clinically, scoring 13 fewer goals than they have conceded in the Premier League this season, so if Lampard is looking to add a fresh attacking perspective in a player that he can coach and develop to his high standards, there is no better choice than the aforementioned teenager.

In other news: Lampard must ruthlessly axe Michael Keane

Jack Butland’s career appeared to be going places when he was included in England’s Euro 2012 squad after replacing John Ruddy, who was injured just before the start of the tournament.

After signing for then-Premier League side Stoke City in January 2013 for just £3.4m, the goalkeeper then spent the next 18 months on loan at four different Championship teams, including Birmingham City, where he began his career.

After a number of injury-ridden campaigns with the Potters, Butland particularly impressed during the 2015/16 and 2017/18 seasons, making 31 and 35 appearances respectively.

This led to Wolves being linked with a £35m move for the shot-stopper – who was once branded “excellent” by Steve McClaren – in 2018 after they won promotion to the top flight, at the same time that Stoke had been relegated to the Championship.

However, Wolves instead opted for Rui Patricio, who proved to be a much better investment after playing 127 games for the West Midlands club, only conceding 151 goals before moving to Roma last summer for a reported £10.6m.

Bruno Lage replaced him with £7.2m signing Jose Sa, who this season has averaged a 7.24 match rating (the highest out of any Premier League goalkeeper) – and kept an impressive ten clean sheets so far.

Meanwhile, Butland has since become a backup player at Crystal Palace, having joined two years ago from Stoke for just under £1m – a 95% decrease in value from the £35m that Wolves almost paid for him.

If any Wolves fans doubted whether Patricio would be a better signing for the club than the Englishman, their fears were quickly allayed, and it’s hard to see the 29-year-old playing much in the Premier League from hereon.

This season, he has averaged a 6.58 match rating in his six top-flight appearances, only once earning a rating above seven (against Brighton in January).

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It’s safe to say that nobody at Molineux will have any regrets about not lashing out £35m on Butland, whose career has dwindled since that Euro 2012 call-up nearly a decade ago.

In other news: Lage could solve major Wolves problem with £16.2m-rated star with “magical powers”

Newcastle’s defence has arguably been one of their weakest areas in recent years, having conceded 48 goals in 28 games so far this season, 62 the campaign before and 58 during the 2019/20 term.

In recent weeks under manager Eddie Howe, they have become more solid and organised at the back – but with their youngest centre-back, club-captain Jamaal Lascelles, being 28-years-old and turning 29 before the end of this year, fans will be frustrated by former Chairman Mike Ashley’s mistake in not signing Southampton star Mohammed Salisu back in 2020 after being interested.

At the time, the Ghanaian central defender was playing at Spanish outfit Rayo Vallecano aged 20, and and was subsequently signed by the Saints for £10.9m – peanuts in comparison to the £40m they paid for Brazilian forward Joelinton earlier in the same season – who has since transitioned into a midfielder after struggling up-top.

In January, the Tyneside club almost secured his services again – this time for £40m – a near 300% increase from the fee which they were initially debating with themselves whether or not to pay, just under two and a half years ago.

Excluding signings made in the winter transfer window, Newcastle’s highest performing defender across the season is Fabian Schar, who has averaged a match rating of 6.88 according to SofaScore, meanwhile, Salisu’s rating of 6.97, as well as a total of six clean sheets, beats them all.

Nicknamed a ‘Scorpion King’, he has made on average 2.4 interceptions and tackles each per game in the Premier League, with the Southampton star clearly possessing the qualities to have been a key player for Howe’s team to build his backline around.

Having been described as a “nasty” defender to come up against by his manager Ralph Hasenhuttl, the 22-year-old would be a crucial asset to have in any relegation battle.

Salisu is quickly establishing himself now not just as one of the league’s top up-and-coming defenders, but also in Europe too, ranking among defenders in the top five leagues and continental competitions over the last 365 days in the top 2% for tackles per 90 (2.86), top 7% for successful pressure percentage per 90 (41.9%) and top 7% for ball recoveries per 90 (11.49).

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It’s clear that Southampton have a gem on their hands, but from Newcastle’s perspective, they made a dreadful mistake in not snapping him up for cheap when they had the chance.

In other news: NUFC plot bid for £101m ace who Messi says “is one of the best”, it’s a huge statement

Aston Villa were having a rather rough time in the years before current owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris took over the club in 2018 in terms of their positions in the Premier League and Championship.

In terms of the transfers which took place in the years leading up to NSWE’s takeover, one player in particular with whom the Midlands club had a pretty big howler was Jordan Ayew.

Signed during the 2015 summer transfer window from French club Lorient, the Villans splashed out £12m to bring the attacker to Villa Park.

Upon the player’s arrival, then-Villa manager Tim Sherwood said that the Ghanaian “is a fantastic young player who is perfectly suited to the Premier League”.

However, with the benefit of hindsight, it’s safe to say that Ayew was not perfectly suited to playing for the Villans, for whom he only netted 10 goals in 58 appearances across all competitions. He therefore cost the club £1.2m for every goal he scored, and that’s before taking his weekly wages into account.

In January 2017, Villa cut their ties with the striker by selling him to Swansea City, where he also ended up making 58 appearances across all competitions, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists along the way.

Ayew then found himself back in England after Crystal Palace shelled out £2.5m to sign him in the summer of 2019. At Selhurst Park, he has gone on to score 13 goals and deliver 10 assists in 126 appearances.

This season has seen the former Villan make just four goal contributions in 25 league appearances, earning himself an uninspiring overall performance rating of 6.63/10. That makes him one of the lowest-rated players in Patrick Vieira’s squad to have started more than one league game in the current campaign according to WhoScored.

Taking into account the significant transfer fee that the Villans paid for him, and how little they got back in terms of regular goals and assists, it’s safe to say that this transfer just didn’t work out for the club.

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With Villa now boasting attacking players such as Philippe Coutinho, Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins, who have scored 16 league goals between them this season, it’s safe to say that not many fans of the Midlands club will harbour too many regrets about Ayew and his disastrous spell in claret and blue.

In other news: NSWE had lucky AVFC escape on “complete” £82k-p/w dud whose value has collapsed £25.2m

On-loan Sunderland striker Nathan Broadhead has made a decent impression on Wearside since making the move from Everton for the season, and he could see his move become permanent, with the Toffees reportedly open to selling the 23-year-old this summer in order to raise funds.

What’s the story?

According to Liverpool World, the Welshman could depart Goodison Park this summer, with only one year left on his Everton contract.

The 23-year-old has made just two first-team appearances for the Merseyside outfit, having had a decent tenure for the under-23s along with loan spells at Burton Albion and now Sunderland.

It is at Sunderland where Broadhead has impressed most, scoring seven goals in 17 appearances, but a recurring hamstring injury has held the Welshman back during the second half of the campaign.

The striker has made just one league appearance since mid-December, with his absence having a major impact on the Black Cats’ results. Out of the 16 league games that the 23-year-old has missed since 18 December, the Wearsiders have won just six, with Alex Neil replacing Lee Johnson in the dugout during that period.

Sunderland must sign Broadhead permanently

The Black Cats are currently seventh in League One, with automatic promotion now looking highly unlikely. Indeed, the Wearside outfit will need to get back into the play-off places, having seen Sheffield Wednesday leapfrog them into that all-important sixth position over the weekend.

Although the season hasn’t gone the way he would’ve wanted, Broadhead had made a strong impression in the first half of the campaign, with his goal away to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup a clear highlight.

If Neil can lead Sunderland to promotion to the Championship, perhaps other centre-forward targets will be approached. However, if the Black Cats are to once again be a third-tier club next term, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t make an attempt to sign the on-loan 23-year-old permanently.

Valued at £450k by Transfermarkt, the Welshman will almost certainly leave Goodison Park for a higher figure, but the fee may still be a cut-price one given that Broadhead has just one year remaining on his contract at his parent club.

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Having seen Jermain Defoe retire this week, Sunderland are suddenly lighter on options in the final third, with Ross Stewart the main contributor up front with 22 goals this term.

Neil will be desperate to have the 23-year-old striker back available and, should he play before the end of the season, Broadhead could make the definitive impression which sees his loan move made permanent in the summer. In turn, he could finally fire the Black Cats out of League One.

In other news – Forget Defoe: Alex Neil must now unleash “smashing” Sunderland beast, they need him

West Ham recorded a crucial 2-1 victory over Everton in the Premier League this afternoon as goals from Aaron Cresswell and Jarrod Bowen secured three points for the Hammers in the quest for European qualification.

The left-back scored an excellent free-kick to give David Moyes’ side the lead going into half-time before defender Mason Holgate volleyed a deflected equaliser past Lukasz Fabianski in the second half.

However, Bowen, on return from a month-long injury layoff, scored the decisive goal, tapping into an empty net after Michail Antonio’s strike was parried by Jordan Pickford.

To make matters even worse for Frank Lampard’s relegation-threatened side, captain Michael Keane was shown a second yellow card, the third consecutive league game in which Everton have seen a man sent off.

Although the English duo scored the goals, fellow countryman and midfielder Declan Rice was a rock in the middle of the park for the East London outfit at the London Stadium.

According to SofaScore, the Englishman recorded a 7.2 match rating after making 95 touches and enjoying a 94% passing accuracy against the Merseyside outfit.

Moreover, the 23-year-old won half of his ground duels whilst contributing one key pass, losing possession just nine times, an average of every 10.6 touches.

From a defensive point of view, the colossus showed just why he’s been dubbed an “explosion” and a “revelation” by his manager, contributing three interceptions as well as two blocks and one tackle.

It’s no surprise that West Ham’s prize asset was impressive, particularly against one of the top-flight’s biggest strugglers in Everton.

Rice has been repeatedly subject to a potential big-money move away from East London this summer, with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola labelling the 23-year-old as “an exceptional player.”

However, Moyes has recently stated that the midfielder isn’t for sale and that a fee north of £150m would be the minimum asking price if he is to depart.

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The Irons are now back into the Premier League’s top six after their important league victory, however, seventh-placed Manchester United are level on points and have a game in hand.

Next up for the Hammers is the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final against Lyon, another crucial game that Moyes will need all of his players to step up for. A performance similar to that of today’s from Rice certainly won’t be objected to by those associated with the Stratford side.

AND in other news: Moyes can finally axe “shocking” WHU dud as claim emerges, supporters surely buzzing

Despite picking up a much-needed league win over Sheffield United last Friday night, West Bromwich Albion are still way off the promotion places in the Championship.

The hot-and-cold Baggies – who have regularly stumbled in their pursuit of the playoffs in recent seasons – remain six points off the coveted top six positions, with nine defeats in league action already this season troubling Ryan Mason’s position as manager.

He has only been in charge since mid-June as the West Midlands outfit boldly handed him the reins after the failed return of Tony Mowbray, but football is a fast-paced and fickle game, with more defeats perhaps leading to an early dismissal.

Reporter Chris Lepkowski has come out to say that there is “no appetite” yet at the Hawthorns from the powers that be to get rid.

Still, that hasn’t stopped several high-profile names from being linked to the Championship job, with ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O’Neil suggested.

Why West Brom should steer clear of O'Neil

The close geography between Molineux and the Hawthorns makes this an obvious name to be linked, with O’Neil in the Old Gold dug-out for a turbulent 63 games in total.

He would come in with that Premier League pedigree, having also managed in the top division with AFC Bournemouth, but it’s clear from his final few months in the Wolves dug-out that he wouldn’t be cut out for turning around West Brom’s fortunes in the league below.

From his final 16 matches in charge of Wolves, who would ultimately turn around their depressing fortunes last season under Vitor Pereira, O’Neil only collected a miserable two victories, with Wolves chairman Jeff Shi openly admitting that he cut ties “too late”, looking back at giving him the rightful axe.

With no experience of a Championship promotion fight under his belt, either, it isn’t immediately apparent whether O’Neil would be able to handle that intense heat, with bruises surely still there from how his Old Gold stay ended.

Whereas, one out-of-work manager could be just what the Baggies need to push up the table, as a brand new Carlos Corberan-style figure is potentially appointed down the line.

Corberan 2.0: West Brom could hire "elite" manager

Truthfully, the West Midlands side has never gotten over their beloved Spaniard walking out on them mid-season for Valencia, with the aforementioned Mowbray coming in and failing, while Mason is yet to prove himself as well.

A high 47 wins would come Corberan’s way from 107 West Brom outings, leading to the much-loved 42-year-old guiding his side to a playoff finish come the end of the 2022/23 season. Before he left, too, only three losses had been suffered from 22 league games, with Mason already up to a damaging nine, to be at risk of the sack.

There is nothing to suggest that O’Neil would be able to lift the 16th-place side all the way up to the promotion positions to become the second coming of Corberan, with his worrying career tally of just 31 wins as a manager, falling flat next to the Spaniard’s wins total just at West Brom.

Instead, they could loo towards a certain Michael Carrick. He would no doubt believe in his own ability to be a transformative presence to rival Corberan, having consistently had Middlesbrough in and around the promotion spaces when he was still at the Riverside Stadium.

Having had to come out of the shadows of a coaching career in the north with Manchester United, much like Corberan under Marcelo Bielsa’s tutelage at Leeds, Carrick would instantly thrive in the Boro dug-out, with the once relegation-threatened outfit turned into promotion contenders, courtesy of the 44-year-old.

Subscribe for inside takes on West Brom’s managerial fate Get sharper context: subscribe to the newsletter for data-led analysis of West Brom’s managerial options, clear breakdowns of candidate profiles and realistic scenarios, and informed perspective on how each hire could shape the club’s promotion chances. Subscribe Subscribe for inside takes on West Brom’s managerial fate Get sharper context: subscribe to the newsletter for data-led analysis of West Brom’s managerial options, clear breakdowns of candidate profiles and realistic scenarios, and informed perspective on how each hire could shape the club’s promotion chances.

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Corberan did the same at the Hawthorns once upon a time, leading to suggestions from scout Petar Petrov that he is an “elite” coach. Coincidentally, Carrick was also labelled as an “elite manager” by one analyst on social media after an electric start on Teesside, even if he did ultimately run out of steam in the Championship side’s dug-out.

Carrick’s league record at Middlesbrough

Games managed

122

Wins

56

Draws

23

Losses

43

Win percentage

45.9%

Points

191

Highest position

4th

Sourced by Transfermarkt

He would never trump his first full season, as two playoff near-misses followed, but with 191 points accumulated in the tricky division overall, he could well go down as the club’s next Corberan, if he is the man they potentially go after.

O’Neil’s measly career win percentage of 31% also surely makes him an unattractive target to pursue, as West Brom are left in a tough spot right now, as they consider sticking by Mason or seeking out alternatives.

Related Patel could hire Ryan Mason upgrade who's "exactly what West Brom need"

West Brom should part ways with Ryan Mason to appoint this manager who would be an upgrade in the dugout.

Posts 3 ByDan Emery

Everton manager Sam Allardyce hinted that he is set to stay next season in his pre-match press conference for the Premier League trip to Huddersfield Town this weekend, and Toffees fans have been quick to have their say on the news.

The 63-year-old was questioned about what was discussed during talks with owner Farhad Moshiri in London on Thursday, and he replied by saying they were “discussing plans for next season” and that he has “some clarity moving forward now”.

The former England boss continues to be hugely unpopular among the Goodison Park faithful, who continue to slate him on Twitter, as they aren’t enjoying their team’s performances despite the fact they currently lie in eighth position in the standings.

Everton supporters were quick to have their say on Allardyce’s latest comments via social media, and while one said “he must go”, another said “we get what we deserve”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Chelsea have confirmed that Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti will be leaving the club at the end of the month after their contracts expire. With Deco also expecting to leave this summer there will be a few spots opening up in the Blues’ midfield, which has led to a media frenzy as many are speculating on who should Carlo Ancelotti sign to fill the shoes of the above.

Here are five players that Ancelotti should consider as replacements:

Bastian Schweinsteiger: the Bayern Munich midfielder has been linked with Chelsea in light of the recent exodus and many believe the 25-year-old could be a perfect replacement for fellow German Ballack and could inject some much needed youth into the Stamford Bridge outfit’s midfield.

The Germany vice-captain has enjoyed a good season with his club, who like the Blues won a league and cup double. Also, just like Chelsea lost to Inter Milan in the Champions League. Schweinsteiger is also a very versatile player and can be implemented anywhere in the midfield.

The transfer fee mooted is £25million, which doesn’t usually get you a whole lot these days and it could be a great deal for a player who has many years ahead of him.

Yaya Toure: I’ve already written an article on the benefits of the Ivorian as adding a defensive midfielder to the team would allow Ancelotti to play Michael Essien further up the pitch. Essien is probably Chelsea’s best player and I feel as though his talents are wasted as a deep lying midfielder, even though he plays the role so well (remember when he had Steven Gerrard in his pocket at Anfield in the Champions League in the 2008/09 season?).

Toure’s agent claims that the Ivory Coast star has already signed an agreement with a Premier League club, with many believing it is one of Chelsea, Manchester City or Arsenal.

Rafael van der Vaart: the 27-year-old Dutchman has had a mixed time at the Santiago Bernabeu and is expected to be one of the casualties as new Real Madrid manager is set to shake things up.

The former Hamburg midfielder could be the sort of playmaker that Chelsea are crying out for and many believe he could be bought for as little as £10million. He is also fairly versatile and is a lot better passer of the ball than Joe Cole. If he can have a similar impact as two fellow Netherlands stars who have left Los Blancos (Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben) then he would be a fantastic bargain for any club.

James Milner: considering UEFA’s new quota which states that a 25-man squad must contain at least eight home-grown players the Aston Villa midfielder is set to become hot property this summer. As Chelsea are set to lose and Englishman in Joe Cole it would make sense to replace him with another and Milner is the best available.

The 24-year-old scored a dozen goals for the Villains last season and won the PFA Young Player’s award. The only stumbling block is the player’s price tag which could be in excess of £30million…perhaps more if he impresses in South Africa.

Diego: although the mercurial Brazilian has previously insisted that he does not wish to give up on Juventus after just one season at the club his manager Gigi del Neri is unlikely to use the player in his preferred system.

So, according to Juve’s general manager Beppe Marotta the club will listen to potential transfer offers for the 25-year-old.

Marotta told Tuttosport: “There are offers for Diego,”

“Del Neri’s tactical requirements have the priority and I don’t think the Brazilian fits into the 4-4-2.”

“Faced with an impressive offer, I believe we could sell him.”

Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea were all previously linked with the player before he moved from Werder Bremen to Turin in 2009 and may renew their interest in the player. The playmaker could operate at the tip of the diamond if Ancelotti wished to revert to his preferred system and he is likely to be a cheaper option than £50million rated Kaka.

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Of course there are many other alternatives and fans will speculate and debate over who they want to join during the summer. Some may even argue that it is time for the likes of Gael Kakuta and Nemanja Matic should make the step up and be given more chances in Ancelotti’s first team.

Who would the Chelsea fans like to see replace Ballack, Cole and Belletti?

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