All posts by h716a5.icu

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Charlie Nicholas has said that he feels Sadio Mane is the main man in attack for Liverpool, and that it is no longer Mohamed Salah.

The Senegalese international has scored ten goals in his last ten games, with a match-winning brace against Bayern Munich last time out cementing his status as the Reds’ man in form ahead of the Egyptian forward.

What’s he said?

In his column for Sky Sports, the former Celtic player said: “A fantastic result in Munich could come at a cost. Yes, you’re in the draw and you deserve to be there, but it wasn’t a good performance.

Mo Salah has been brutally mocked for his recent diving antics in a new video by 442oons. Check it out below…

“Bayern were terrible, Liverpool were just a shade better. Sadio Mane is the man, not Mohamed Salah or Roberto Firmino.”

Extremely harsh on Salah

With his statement, Nicholas has been extremely harsh on Salah and seems to have forgotten everything that the former Roma man did for his side last season, and has continued to do this season.

Salah is still the Reds’ top scorer this season with 23 goals to his name, despite failing to find the back of the net in his last six games. Meanwhile, whilst Mane has hit ten in his last ten, he remains four goals behind Salah in Liverpool’s scoring ranks.

It is also criminal of Nicholas to say that Mane is the man, and not Salah, after the latter’s incredible form in the previous campaign.

The 26-year-old hit an astounding 43 goals and recorded 14 assists, numbers that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would be proud of.

Admittedly, Mane has been brilliant this season as well as in the previous term, but it goes without saying that Salah is the main man in that attacking trio including Roberto Firmino as well.

It is clear that Manchester City’s season hasn’t gone completely to plan this year. After last season seemed to be a walk in the park for the Centurions, Pep Guardiola must look to the summer in order to get back to the same level as before. 

Despite having a game in hand, Manchester City fans are not feeling as comfortable as they were this time last season. Liverpool are proving to be worthy challengers and Guardiola will be well aware that he cannot afford to allow his team to slip up from now until the end of the season.

Having slipped up more than they’re used to in the league, the Sky Blues have made life really difficult for themselves.

But what has changed? Have Liverpool just got better? Or is there a deeper frustration within the City camp, leading to some off par performances over the course of this season? A mix of everything really and, while this incarnation of the City side may peak with a stunning quadruple this season, things do need freshening up going forward.

Indeed, Guardiola will be eager to look for some changes during the summer, in order to get back the dominance of last season. Here are a couple.

Find a new Fernandinho 

With one of the league’s greatest holding midfielders beginning to show signs that his age may be catching up to him, it may be time for Pep to find someone who can emulate the masterclass that Fernandinho has been providing over the years.

The 33-year-old Brazilian has been in and out of the squad this season with injuries. So, Pep Guardiola must look to the board in the summer and find someone who will bring the same balance that Fernandinho does.

Clear a way for youth

With a number of players beginning to their reach mid-thirties, Pep must begin to look at where he can begin to move and replace around the club.

Phil Foden has become a prime example of the exceptional youth City have hiding in their academy, and with players like David Silva and Vincent Kompany reaching the end of their peak years, it will be no shock to begin seeing names like Philippe Sandler start breaking into the squad.

With the end of Kompany and Silva near, it truly is the end of an era at the Etihad.

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According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United could lose midfield ace Ander Herrera to Arsenal in the summer transfer window, for free.

What’s the word, then?

The original report claims that the Gunners are circling for the Spaniard as his contract at Old Trafford runs out at the end of the season, and he’s yet to sign a new one.

French champions PSG are also said to be in the equation but it’s understood that the 29-year-old is keen on staying in Manchester, with contract negotiations that have been raging on for 18 months now reaching crunch time.

Herrera is one of United’s longest-serving players and has become one of the more senior members of the squad in recent campaigns, following a move from boyhood club Athletic Bilbao in 2014.

A huge risk that really doesn’t need to be taken

Not making sure that Herrera is tied down to a new deal so close to his current one running out is a huge risk that the Red Devils really don’t need to be taking.

Since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer taking over, the likes of Anthony Martial, Ashley Young and Phil Jones have all put pen to paper on new deals – not the Spaniard.

Ed Woodward and the board must give the central midfielder what he wants, otherwise a move to a big domestic or European rival is a disaster waiting to happen.

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

Despite nearing his 30s, the Spain star still has plenty to offer any team and could do some real damage to the Old Trafford club in the future, especially if he moves to the Emirates Stadium.

The idea that not only would he be allowed to leave, but on a free, is a nonsensical one and United really can’t afford to leave one of their more important player’s future to chance.

If there’s any proof that Herrera is still a huge part of the set-up for Solskjaer’s men it lies in his 25 appearances across the board this term, and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that Man United must get him to sign, one way or another.

He has lots of options, doesn’t he? Graeme Shinnie’s Aberdeen contract expires in the summer and his performances have seemingly caught the eye of many onlookers across not just Scotland, but England too and specifically the second tier of football.

Shinnie has been a mainstay in the Dons’ side in which he is club captain, having really established himself there over what is approaching four years since his arrival.

The competition for the 27-year-old’s signature is truly on. FootballInsider have reported that Derby County leads the chase for Shinnie. The report also suggests that Sheffield United and Bristol City have made offers for his services but that their approaches have been leapfrogged by Derby.

With that being said, let’s take a look at what environment he would suit better. One of the clubs who have been interested, as displayed by the report, Sheffield United, as opposed to the side who allegedly lead the race for Shinnie…

Derby County

Shinnie is primarily a left-back and for that role, Frank Lampard’s side could do with a little for quality to push on next season.

Ashley Cole offers a solid level of experience, but, at 38, he cannot be relied upon truly. Scott Malone is another option there as the Rams well know, but Shinnie’s versatility and technical prowess would really suit this side where he could get guaranteed game time. He would offer quality in both the attacking and defensive phase, as well as the ability to play in midfield, too.

Grade: B+

Sheffield United

It seems unlikely, but there is still the small, outside chance that Chris Wilder’s side could make another offer for Shinnie.

In terms of where he would play in their system, the left-wing-back role is already occupied by Enda Stevens who performs it ever so well. Shinnie could also fill in in the middle of the park, but with the natural talent there too, he would struggle for regular opportunities in the starting 11.

With United possibly on their way up too, that would only limit the game time for Shinnie if he was to move, so the potential deal is not the best for either party.

Grade: D

TT VERDICT

Shinnie has the talent to hold his own in England and it is a testament to his mentality that he seemingly wants to go and prove himself in another country and division. If he does move to England, Derby is definitely the best option for game time and how Lampard’s style of play suits him, so the two could work well together.

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Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah scored his 50th goal for the club as the Reds recorded a vital victory over Southampton on Friday, to the delight of supporters.

The Egypt international scored the second goal in a 3-1 victory over the Saints at St Mary’s as Jurgen Klopp’s men jumped atop the Premier League standings at the expense of Manchester City.

The Reds now have five games of the season remaining as they attempt to overhaul Pep Guardiola’s champions and wrestle the title away.

Salah has been in middling form in recent weeks, going six games without a goal.

However, he got back on the goal trail on the south coast, capping a superb run with an excellent finish past Angus Gunn.

And supporters are delighted with the fact that the 5 foot 9 attacker is back amongst the goals as the Reds look to win their first league title in a generation.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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Everton’s hopes of finishing the season in seventh were handed a huge boost as they recorded their third successive Premier League win – and clean sheet – when they beat Arsenal 1-0 at Goodison Park on Sunday.

The Toffees followed up victories against two other London clubs in Chelsea and West Ham United with another assured display against Unai Emery’s visitors, which leaves the Merseyside outfit just one point adrift of Leicester City in a position that could still yield Europa League football this term.

Following yet another impressive performance, there are certainly a couple of players that will have gone up in manager Marco Silva’s estimations.

Phil Jagielka

The veteran centre-back was only named in the XI against Arsenal after Michael Keane was forced to pull out late on, and he certainly made the most of his opportunity.

It was only the 36-year-old’s third Premier League start of the season with Silva obviously deciding previously that the club captain is no longer good enough to start at this level on a regular basis, but the Portuguese boss may have to reconsider on this display.

It is never easy finding out you are suddenly playing so close to kick-off, but Jagielka dealt with it brilliantly and showed his experience and quality throughout the 90 minutes.

Helping the team to another clean sheet and scoring the winning goal, he has proved a point and may well be getting more minutes between now and the end of the campaign.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

At the start of this season Silva probably wouldn’t have envisaged that by April the England U21 international would be his first-choice striker option, but that is exactly what has happened.

The 22-year-old has been brilliant in recent weeks and his work-rate and general all-round centre-forward play means he is the most effective option for Everton in this particular system.

The Sheffield-born player caused the likes of Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi all sorts of issues at the weekend, and his record of winning 17 aerial duels during the 90 minutes is absolutely remarkable.

Simply put he just keeps getting better and better, and his manager will find it hard to leave him out for the remainder of the current campaign and potentially into the following one as well.

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West Ham are hoping that Celta Vigo are relegated from La Liga as they look to sign Maxi Gomez this summer, per Claret and Hugh.

The striker is reportedly manager Manuel Pellegrini’s top target for the upcoming transfer window.

What’s the word?

Football FanCast reported in January, amid Marko Arnautovic’s transfer saga that saw him linked with a move to China, that Gomez had been targeted as a potential replacement.

Gomez has a release clause of €45million (£38.8m) embedded into his contract but Claret and Hugh claim that figure drops to €22m (£18.9m) if the club fall through the trapdoor and out of the Spanish top-flight.

They lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid at the weekend, but they remain one point clear of third-bottom Rayo Vallecano.

The report acknowledges that both Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with Gomez, though they claim that West Ham believe those reports are merely the work of agents attempting to drive the star’s price up.

Gomez, a 22-year-old forward, has scored 11 La Liga goals in 29 outings, as well as providing five assists.

Sullivan & Gold go bargain-hunting again

This should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed West Ham for any length of time.

Co-chairmen David Gold and David Sullivan love a bargain.

It has worked in the past of course – a move for Lukasz Fabianski after Swansea City were relegated has paid dividends – while Carlos Sanchez and Lucas Perez were both signed last summer for under £5m, though to much less effect.

Gold and Sullivan appear attracted to yet another cut-price transfer – whether or not he flops will be the measure of this particular strategy.

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Leeds United confirmed on Tuesday that Ezgjan Alioski will miss the rest of the season as a result of tearing his meniscus in the defeat against Brentford on Monday, and Whites fans have picked a surprise name they want to see replace him.

The Macedonia international had started all 44 of the club’s Championship games this season including the trip to Griffin Park, but the issue that forced him off in the 12th minute has brought that impressive run to an end.

Manager Marcelo Bielsa must now decide who is going to fill in for the 27-year-old in the final two matches and potentially the play-offs, with a third-place finish looking increasingly likely.

With Barry Douglas also absent, the Argentine will likely select from Gaetano Berardi, Stuart Dallas and Leif Davis for the spot, but many Leeds fans believe there is another viable option.

Jamie Shackleton has proved to be a real utility player for the Yorkshire outfit this term having featured in central midfield – his preferred position – on the wing and at right-back, but it would surely be a big risk for Bielsa to blood the 19-year-old on the opposite flank at such a crucial stage of the campaign.

Whites supporters don’t seem concerned however, and obviously feel that the right-footed teenager can make an impact at both ends of the pitch even if in an unfamiliar role.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Tottenham picked up an absolutely vital three points against Brighton on Tuesday, but all anyone can talk about is the shock return of one Vincent Janssen.

The Lilywhites knew a win would take them four points clear of fifth place before Wednesday’s action kicked off, but Chris Hughton’s Seagulls did not make life easy.

As expected, Mauricio Pochettino’s side dominated most of the match, but Toby Alderweireld, Lucas Moura and Dele Alli all missed chances to break the deadlock.

Christian Eriksen finally settled the match in the 88th minute, striking a wonderful effort beyond Mathew Ryan.

Janssen, who has not played for the first team for 20 months and is surely Pochettino’s worst Spurs signing, was introduced with ten minutes to go when the score was still goalless.

The Dutchman, signed from AZ Alkmaar for around £20m, has flopped in England, mustering just six goals in 39 disastrous appearances.

Fans liked what they saw on Tuesday though, as he tried to redeem himself by chasing lost causes tirelessly – he won one aerial duel and one tackle during his short cameo.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where Pochettino’s one big failure may be turning things around…

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Dele Alli is struggling at Tottenham Hotspur.

Signed for £5million from MK Dons in 2015, Alli has emerged as a star under manager Mauricio Pochettino. He has already made 180 appearances for the club, scoring 53 goals and laying on 47 assists. He has been involved in a century of goals in north London, at a rate of more than one every other game.

The 23-year-old, then, is perhaps burning out.

He has not had a decent rest in two seasons; following the end of the 2017-18 campaign, he played a key role in England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals, playing five times, including 120 minutes in the last-four defeat to Croatia.

It is unsurprising that he has endured a number of injury issues in 2018-19. Hamstring trouble saw him miss four games between September and October, while he was also absent for six games between January and February with a thigh muscle strain.

On both occasions, Alli was thrown straight back into the fray upon his recovery.

In recent outings, against Manchester City, Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United in the Premier League and City and Ajax in the Champions League, he has clearly been half-fit.

Versus Ajax, per WhoScored, Alli completed one dribble and was dispossessed once, while he also failed to make a single tackle or clearance; he was also dribbled past once.

The sad fact is that this was perhaps his best game in recent weeks.

Against West Ham, in the club’s first defeat at their new stadium, he again, per WhoScored, failed to make a tackle, was dispossessed twice and had one shot on goal, which did not even trouble Lukasz Fabianski.

The crux of the issue, of course, is that Spurs simply do not have the squad depth to cover for him. In the first leg against Ajax, with Moussa Sissoko deemed not fit enough to start the game, the only other option past Alli was Oliver Skipp, an 18-year-old.

Skipp is not yet trusted to play in such games and with good reason.

But the main problem is that Alli is being asked to play in an unfamiliar role. He is, after all, a player who defies categorisation. He does not really play as a central midfielder because his talents lie in breaking down defences, while he also struggles in attacking midfield, because of the need to drop deep and link play.

In fact, his best season for Spurs came in 2016-17 when he was regularly deployed as a secondary striker, behind Harry Kane, or on the left flank, being allowed to drift infield. He scored 22 goals in all competitions that season and also laid on 13 assists. This was a player finally carving out his niche and avoiding defenders at all costs.

The following season, having built up such a trust from Pochettino, he played 50 games in all competitions. He scored 14 goals, laid on 17 assists, went to the World Cup and was instantly thrown back into the fray this term. Due to injuries and perhaps an understandable loss of form, he has contributed to just 13 goals this season.

This is a major issue for Pochettino, particularly as doubts continue to linger over the future of Christian Eriksen, linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Alli is the player best suited to replacing Eriksen in the XI if no direct replacement is bought with the money potentially recouped from the Dane’s sale.

But, as it stands, he simply doesn’t have the form or, seemingly, the motivation to do so.