All posts by h716a5.icu

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Brandon Barker has become the ninth signing of the summer for Rangers, and plenty of fans are delighted with their latest recruit.

Barker joins the club from Manchester City on a three-year deal, having been on loan at Championship side Preston last season.

It won’t be the 22-year-old’s first stint in Scotland, as he previously enjoyed a temporary spell at Hibs, scoring twice and setting up a further five in his 30 appearances in the capital.

The ex-Manchester City man isn’t the first winger to be brought to the club this summer though, as Steven Gerrard has looked to increase his quality out wide. Sheyi Ojo, Jake Hastie, Greg Stewart and Jordan Jones have all arrived as the Liverpool legend goes in search of his first managerial silverware.

And the supporters are delighted with the addition of Barker, even if they haven’t always felt that way about the young winger.

Upon hearing that he was nearing a deal to come to Ibrox, the fans weren’t particularly excited. Yet, it seems that they’ve changed their minds and look forward to seeing the wide-man in the Gers strip this campaign.

Here’s how the excited supporters reacted 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 The Daily Record, Celtic are set to open talks with Kristoffer Ajer over a new deal.

What’s the story?

Despite him being under contract until the end of the 2021/22 season, Neil Lennon wants to offer his Norwegian defender fresh terms.

The centre-back has been the subject of interest from Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City and European heavyweights AC Milan this summer, which has perhaps instigated the club’s desire to extend his deal.

The Hoops are aware of the interest in their star but want him to be a mainstay in the side for years to come. The 21-year-old is one of the ‘untouchables’ in Lennon’s squad.

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Having become one of the key players under Lennon, Ajer could demand a top wage at the club, particularly as they can’t offer him Champions League football this season.

Get it done

The Celts boss is right about Ajer’s importance to his side, the centre-back has so much potential and is presumably one of the first-choice pairing when fit, given his status as ‘untouchable’.

It’s a tricky time to be the club’s defensive leader too. With so much change around him, there’s the distinct possibility he could be the longest-serving player in the first-choice backline come September 2 and the closure of the transfer window.

That’s providing he’s still at the club. While the prospect of joining Rodgers in the Premier League is put back until January at least, the same can’t be said for Milan. Their window is still open for a week so tying him down to new terms will hopefully put them off an expensive signing in the wake of being booted out of European football.

Keith from C’mon the Hoops throws back to Celtic legend Charlie Mulgrew in the video below…

A new contract would also give everyone at the club a much-needed boost. The defeat to Cluj has left the support upset and the sale of fan-favourite Kieran Tierney has left plenty dejected too, so tying down an exciting talent to a long-term deal would be a worthwhile PR exercise.

More important than appeasing the fans, giving Ajer a new contract would secure the Parkhead future of one of the most exciting young defenders in Europe.

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Sunday marked a special occasion for David Silva as he brought up 400 appearances for Manchester City during their 3-1 win over Bournemouth.

The Spaniard won the official Man of the Match award as he left many City fans impressed with his overall display.

Silva could have earned his team a penalty too at one point when he was brought down by Jefferson Lerma but VAR deemed that there was no foul.

The 33-year-old was deemed legendary by one adoring supporter as another described the midfielder as a magician.

A further individual said he was class, failing to remember a time where he ever had a bad game for City. One fan went as far as saying he could be the greatest ever player to put on their colours.

Pep Guardiola’s side took all three points courtesy of a Sergio Aguero double and a strike from Raheem Sterling.

Silva claimed two assists during the match in what was another classy display from him. Last term, he scored six times and laid on eight goals for his teammates.

Here’s what supporters have been saying about him.

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

Harry Winks enjoyed an excellent performance as Tottenham Hotspur escaped from Sunday’s north London derby against Arsenal with a point.

On the chalkboard

The two teams drew 2-2 in a pulsating encounter at the Emirates Stadium.

Spurs, of course, took a 2-0 lead through Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane, but they were unable to see the game out.

Nevertheless, Winks played exceptionally throughout the 90 minutes.

Partnered with Moussa Sissoko in central midfield, the England international got up and down the pitch, kept the ball and was also excellent when it came to winning it back.

Per WhoScored, Winks had 51 touches of the ball, attempting 37 passes, and had a pass completion rate of 92%; the joint-highest of any player to start the game, alongside Sead Kolasinac, Arsenal’s left-back.

Winks also laid on two key passes and played a vital role in the build-up to Kane’s penalty, pirouetting on the left flank and playing in Son Heung-min, who was fouled by Granit Xhaka.

At just 23 years old, he is still learning and improving, but he completed the only dribble he attempted and also won six tackles, twice as many as second-placed Sokratis, who made three.

Handicapped

Winks played phenomenally well when one considers that he was playing alongside Sissoko, who was mysteriously quiet against the Gunners.

The Frenchman made just one tackle, had a mere 76% pass completion rate and was dispossessed twice.

Effectively, Winks was handicapped by the deficiencies of his partner.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He will surely improve as the season goes on, particularly when Tanguy Ndombele is back to full fitness and in full flow alongside him.

One should view his performance against Arsenal through the prism of his limitations, though, as it makes it all the more impressive.

Winks often mopped up behind the Frenchman and also progressed the ball whenever possible; this was a brilliant display.

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Raheem Sterling was on the scoresheet in England’s 4-0 win over Bulgaria on Saturday.

Indeed, the Manchester City attacker netted the third goal of the game early in the second period – converting a low Harry Kane cross from close range.

Sterling had also set up Kane for the opening goal of the match, and it was another strong showing from a player who continues to improve.

According to WhoScored, as well as his goal and assist, Sterling had a pass success rate of 86% whilst he completed five successful dribbles.

The 24-year-old has been in stunning form for City this season – scoring six times in five appearances in all competitions for the English champions.

And his high level of performance continued for the national team.

As expected, a number of City fans were delighted with what they saw from the former Liverpool forward, and a selection of their Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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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, Wolves will continue to keep tabs on Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips this season after having a bid knocked back during the summer.

What’s the word?

Reports are suggesting that Leeds rejected numerous bids in excess of £20m during the summer for their key midfielder, who played 46 times last season as they finished third in the Championship.

One of those clubs is believed to be Wolves, even though the club already has Ruben Neves performing well in a very similar role – scoring 13 goals and laying on five assists in 90 appearances in the west Midlands, per Transfermarkt.

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It is thought that the club will continue to watch the 23-year-old this season in preparation for another attempt at signing him next year.

Phillips has featured in all eight of United’s matches this season, playing every single minute available, so that only shows his importance to Marco Bielsa and his side.

Patience

Wolves can bide their time on this one.

They’ve got Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss rotating that position this season which is adequate enough cover.

The latter started against Everton and scored a first-half equaliser, as well as recording a rating of 7.07, per WhoScored – showing he is capable enough for the time being.

It has also been revealed that the Leeds anchorman has a release clause in his new five-year contract, so should they not get promoted, he will be available for between £20m and £25m, if reports are to be believed.

In a market that is becoming increasingly defined by the absurdity of transfer fees, Phillips would represent a massive bargain. He is a homegrown talent who has showcased huge potential in the Championship, earning his place in the 2018/19 EFL Championship team of the season.

Sean Longstaff and John McGinn – two fellow homegrown central midfielders – were both linked with £50m moves to Manchester United last summer, while West Ham reportedly placed an £80m price-tag on Declan Rice’s head amid interest from both of the Manchester giants. At the other end of the footballing spectrum, Manchester City broke their transfer record to land Rodri from Atletico Madrid in a £63m deal.

Evidently, outstanding central midfielders do not come cheap for Premier League clubs. Given the standard of Phillips’ performances since Marcelo Bielsa took charge at Elland Road and the aforementioned price-tags, there is no question that a £20-25m deal would represent excellent business for Wolves.

That is a similar amount to what Wolves would have bid for him this summer, so if he puts in another fantastic season and they don’t go up, the club won’t have to fork out even more than before – which is either incredible value for Wolves or dire foresight from the hierarchy at the Championship club.

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

As the international break comes to an end, Premier League clubs and fans alike can begin to look ahead to this weekend’s fixtures in satisfaction, knowing that the top-flight and all its drama, goals and VAR reviews is back.

On Monday night, two sides at either end of the table will go head-to-head for the first time this season as 17th placed Aston Villa host a West Ham side on the cusp of a European place, even if it is still early days.

Dean Smith’s men have lost three of their opening four matches and last time out they were embroiled in a controversial clash with Crystal Palace, which saw their winger Trezeguet sent off before a Henri Lansbury last-minute equaliser was wrongly chalked off by referee Kevin Friend.

Now it’s time to move on from that as there is still plenty of football to be played, and West Ham present potentially their toughest test since Tottenham Hotspur on the opening weekend – Manuel Pellegrini’s side have only lost to reigning champions Manchester City.

But where will the match be won or lost and what will decide the game’s fortunes?

On the Chalkboard

The battle between Tyrone Mings and Sebastien Haller has all the hallmarks of being a classic battle.

You’ve got the 6 foot 5 towering Villa defender, whose previous life in the Premier League has been restricted due to a string of serious injuries, making just 17 appearances in four seasons for his previous club Bournemouth.

And then there’s the newcomer, who has been showing exactly why West Ham paid a club-record £45m for him.

Despite being the taller of the two, Mings has actually won fewer aerial duels (2.8) than the 25-year-old (5.7), so whoever comes out on top in that mini war of attrition and physicality is sure to get the upper hand; pre-game Haller has the advantage.

The forward’s height may generally be an advantage at 6 foot 3, but he’s actually a key component in their passing game, averaging 32.7 passes per match and this WhoScored heat map from West Ham’s victory over Norwich last time out shows that perfectly.

He was more involved outside the penalty box and still got on the scoresheet, possibly a hint towards his dangers on Monday.

Mings will need to be on his toes in order to keep a hold on the former Frankfurt striker.

The 26-year-old has every chance to as he is averaging 1.5 interceptions, 2.3 blocks and 9.8 clearances per game, with the latter being the highest in the league.

As good as Haller has been, he can be prone to the occasional unsuccessful touch, as he averages 2.3 per game and Mings is yet to even be dribbled past this season.

Villa could well do with a win, and it’s likely going to come down to whether or not their popular centre-back can handle one of the Premier League’s newest stars.

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Whoever hasn’t heard of Ansu Fati by now must be living under a rock.

The young 16-year-old La Masia sensation has really been the star of every Barcelona show whenever he’s featured on the pitch for the Catalan giants.

Of course, it all started with his first call up for a La Liga game back on matchday two and it continued quickly with him bagging both a goal and an assist in a single clash on matchday four, breaking multiple records along the way and writing history for Barcelona and Spanish football as a whole.

He went from a really talented 16-year-old boy, still learning how to walk in La Masia, to a 16-year-old kid bound to become a superstar in the foreseeable future. Things really do work fast in modern football and Fati is definitely feeling it on his own skin right now.

But breaking records solely on La Liga soil seemingly wasn’t enough for him so he decided to bring some of that to Barcelona’s first European trip of the season.

The Catalans travelled to Signal Iduna Park where they faced Borussia Dortmund in the opening game of group F in the Champions League. And not only did Fati travel alongside Lionel Messi and co. but he also started the game from the get-go.

That achievement made him become the youngest ever Barcelona player to feature in the Champions League at the age of just 16 years and 321 days, once again leaving the former record-holder, Bojan Krkic, behind in the dust.

He stayed on the pitch for 59 minutes and was replaced by Messi just short of the hour mark. And despite Barcelona’s goalless draw that definitely left a lot to be desired, the spotlight was firmly on Fati once again as the footballing world seemingly just can’t get enough of the teenage prodigy.

But Valverde will definitely have some decisions to make in the coming weeks. Does he keep Fati in the senior squad and officially promote him despite his young age and inexperience or does he grant him some more time to mature with Barcelona B?

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Barcelona’s coach did talk about Fati before the Borussia Dortmund clash and he insisted that playing him is not with an aim to break records but rather to help the team achieve victory.

And yes, seeing such a young player lighting up the stage is something many football fans love to see but is Fati actually ready to make such a huge step-up and don the Blaugrana kit on the biggest stage of them all?

We have to remember that he completely skipped the process of featuring for Barcelona B and went from the U-19 squad straight into the lion’s den and La Liga. This is a jump not even Messi did back in the day.

Even Barcelona’s best player in the history of the club followed and trusted the process, climbing through the ranks until he was finally ready to challenge the first-teamers. Sure, the skill he had and the quality he showed were immediately visible and his talent alone was proof enough he would indeed turn into a superstar of the future.

But he still had to mature in order to become a regular first-teamer or rather, a squad member within the first-team.

A player who enjoyed similar outcries of the media and lauding of various players and coaches was Krkic, a now 29-year-old Montreal Impact player whose various records Fati broke in the past weeks. But he also didn’t make such big jumps all at once.

Fati, for those reasons, is a very special case at Barcelona but that isn’t necessarily a good thing. Obviously, he’s very talented and skilled. After all, he wouldn’t have scored two goals and assisted one in three La Liga games if he wasn’t.

But the clash against Borussia Dortmund also reminded us of one other thing: Fati is, for all his skills, potential, talent and brilliance, still just 16 years of age, and that shows on the pitch.

Sure, Barcelona need a breath of fresh air and he is definitely that but he is also too immature and too inexperienced to be starting huge Champions League clashes like the on against Borussia Dortmund.

As a result, he only tallied an 80% passing accuracy, as well as four unsuccessful touches and three dispossessions. Slandering a 16-year-old kid for an underwhelming performance in the Champions League doesn’t really seem fair but it’s also the reality of the situation.

It would be wise for Valverde to take a step back and think this through properly. Is this process helping Fati develop at a rate that’s best for him? Is he going to reach his potential if he continues doing what he’s doing now?

If so, then by all means, let the kid break more records and let him feature for Barcelona again.

But if there’s an off chance that this is all happening too fast and might hurt his progress then Valverde has to take it as absolute certainty.

The risk is far too great and maybe it wouldn’t hurt Fati to spend some time with his peers rather than wrestling players twice his age on a stage that still might be just a tiny bit too big for him.

The choice and the decision, however, will fall on Valverde’s shoulders.

Let’s hope he does the right thing, whatever that may be.

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…

The first big derby of the new 2019/20 La Liga season came and went in underwhelming fashion.

Real Madrid travelled across town to meet their city rivals, Atletico Madrid, at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium and despite a big build-up and expectations being high, as they usually are for Madrid derbies, we got served a goalless draw on the night.

And even though Zinedine Zidane will be happy to avoid defeat in such a tough away game and even happier to get a clean sheet, a couple of goals were still missing to spice the whole game up.

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Nevertheless, we did see a couple of great performances on the night and one in particular, from the Galacticos’ camp, that definitely caught many by surprise.

Nacho was the name chosen to deputise for both Marcelo’s and Ferland Mendy’s absences from the squad list and even before he set foot on the pitch, the 29-year-old was simply crucified by many of the fans at the start of last week.

Many of them dreaded the sheer thought of slotting the Spaniard into that left-back position but as well as helping Los Blancos keep a clean sheet against Osasuna, he ended up being one of Real Madrid’s top performers against the Mattress Makers.

Nacho was brilliant going both ways, assisting the attack with great passes and also keeping the defence pretty much rock solid. He recorded team-highest three shots, even edging out the likes of Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard in that one, and also two key passes, just one behind Toni Kroos’ three.

But his defensive display should also be highlighted. Nacho tallied two tackles, two interceptions and two clearances on the night, making sure Real Madrid put their third consecutive clean sheet together.

For all their struggles to keep the opposition away from their goal, they now seem to be thriving in that area, completely shutting them down to the extent that they reduced Atletico Madrid to only one single shot on target throughout the whole 90 minutes of play at the Wanda Metropolitano.

Once Marcelo and Mendy get back to full fitness, it’s unlikely that Nacho actually retains his spot but this performance silenced his critics amongst the Real Madrid support and proved to Zidane that in case of emergency, the 29-year-old can do a good job.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

As one lengthy unbeaten run came to an end, another continued its life as Nottingham Forest drew with Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday evening.

Joe Lolley was the man to rescue a point for the Reds with another one of his trademark screamers, smashing home a delightful effort from over 20 yards out.

Blackburn had taken the lead just two minutes prior to the winger’s strike as Adam Armstrong rounded off a rapid counter-attack.

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A win would have taken Forest to the top of the table, but Sabri Lamouchi will have to settle for a point as his side made it a ninth straight league game without defeat.

Though, the Frenchman almost put that impressive feat at risk with a critical substitution in the second half.

Snapshot

The Reds boss clearly wanted a chance at clinching all three points so with ten minutes remaining he introduced attacking midfielder Tiago Silva at the expense of Samba Sow, despite Joao Carvalho coming on less than 20 minutes earlier.

It was a bizarre move that ultimately unsettled the side and had an adverse effect rather than the one Lamouchi intended, thus almost costing his team a point, let alone the win.

Off the Bench

Sow put in an industrious showing in the heart of midfield during his 80 minutes on the pitch.

He formed a strong partnership alongside Ben Watson as Blackburn struggled to find a way to break the pair down.

The 30-year-old recorded six tackles and won 11 of his 15 duels, both on the ground and aerially, which reinforces his dominating presence in defensive midfield.

He even provided the assist for Lolley’s goal.

Forest very nearly crumbled when he was omitted from the game as Rovers piled on the pressure in the final ten minutes.

Goalkeeper Brice Samba was forced into a stunning save to deny a Derrick Williams header and Joe Worrall was needed with a couple of vital last-ditch blocks and interceptions.

The home side recorded ten shots and 77% possession in those dying stages, just going to show how Sow was the solid backbone in keeping the team’s structure throughout the game.

Several Forest fans seemingly agree as they took to Twitter to share their thoughts…