There could be an all out war to sign Watford winger Richarlison this summer, and West Ham should be at the front of the queue for the Brazilian.
What’s the story?
Everton have become the latest club to be linked with a move for Richarlison, with the youngster seemingly unhappy with life at Vicarage Road.
The 21 year-old had an incredible start to his Premier League career, grabbing five goals and four assists before Christmas, but is now in desperate need of a fresh start.
Pellegrini’s 4-4-2 formation could be the perfect fit for the hard-working winger, and West Ham should rival anyone who pursues the crafty Brazilian this summer.
Perfect for Pellegrini?
Richarlison was the name on everyone’s lips shortly before Christmas, as the young Brazilian was in red-hot form for Marco Silva’s Watford.
The departure of Silva killed the youngster’s form though, and it is perhaps no surprise that he is being linked with a revival elsewhere.
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Manuel Pellegrini will have wanted reassurances about what he can spend this summer before joining West Ham, and Richarlison could be the perfect starting point for the veteran manager.
The tricky winger could operate on the left of Pellegrini’s favoured 4-4-2, which often turns into more of a 4-2-2-2, where his tireless work rate would be just as essential as his dazzling skill.
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Richarlison averaged 1.2 dribbles and 2.5 shots per game this season, which shows the youngster is still desperate to make things happen even when his form fell off a cliff. Mentality and attitude is half the battle with young players, and Richarlison’s is spot on.
His defensive work is what sets him apart from other wingers of his ilk though, winning an incredible 3.2 aerial duels per game, and also averaging 1.7 tackles per game, making him a perfect fit for Pellegrini.
So, West Ham fans, would you back a summer swoop for Richarlison this summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
As reported by France Football, Everton are interested in signing Angers striker Karl Toko Ekambi this January.
What’s the story?
Everton are scoring less Premier League goals this season than the teams around them in the table and signing a goalscoring forward to replace Romelu Lukaku should be seen as a big priority for Sam Allardyce when the transfer window opens in a few days time.
One player the Toffees are reportedly taking an interest in is Cameroon international Karl Toko Ekambi, currently at Ligue 1 side Angers.
That’s according to France Football, who say the Goodison Park club are competing with the likes of Crystal Palace and Burnley for his signature in January.
The interest comes after the striker rejected the chance to move to Brighton last summer despite a significant pay increase, say the outlet.
Who is he?
French club Angers are struggling in Ligue 1 this season, currently locked in a relegation battle in 19th position of a 20 team top-flight.
The only thing keeping them afloat right now seems to be the contribution of Karl Toko Ekambi, whose direct goal contribution makes up more than half of their 21 league goal haul.
He’s scored nine and assisted three more in 18 appearances for the club, highlighting he could have what it takes to make a Premier League splash should he make the move to England and surround himself with more talented teammates.
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With the ability to play through the middle and on both wings, he could be a versatile option for Everton and certainly knows his way to goal, making him an attractive proposition mid-season to give their attack a significant boost.
It wouldn’t be a FIFA event without controversy. The World Cup draw happened earlier this month, as representatives from each nation flew to Bahia to discover who they would be playing in 6 months time. After England’s tough draw, FA chairman Greg Dyke was in the press for the wrong reasons after being caught on camera making a throat cutting gesture. But that wasn’t the biggest controversy from the draw, oh no.
36-year-old actress and model Fernanda Lima was chosen to co-host the draw with FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke, which led to thousands of viewers taking to Twitter to share their comments on the model. It wasn’t long until Fernanda Lima was trending, with the Mirror claiming 10 people posted an update about her every second.
Whilst many of them would be men, possibly commenting on her gorgeous looks and pretty revealing dress, many females watching on weren’t just going to keep their opinions to themselves. The decision to make Lima the co-host has led to allegations of FIFA being sexist, employing a beautiful model with no relevance to sport to stand next to executives.
One of football’s toughest female executives, Karen Brady, was unimpressed with Miss Lima’s appointment: “Football is not only a game for everyone but incredibly influential. So for FIFA to put at centre stage a woman only there to be gawped at sends out a terrible message. I have had a number of young women contact me to complain about this. FIFA don’t seem to be able to get anything right at the moment.”
England Women’s football captain Casey Stoner also shared her disappointment at the choice of co-host, telling the Telegraph: “Giving the job to a model has sent out completely the wrong message. Unfortunately I wasn’t surprised. They could have had a woman high up in the game or else a player with proper international standing. This should have been about football.”
And it seems Stoner isn’t the only person to believe that a female player should have been on the stage. BBC broadcaster Jacqui Oatley shared a similar view to the England captain: “What a missed opportunity. Brazil have arguably the most talented female footballer in the world, the great Marta, five-time FIFA World Player of the Year. Why not use her to showcase the best of Brazil and show some of her spectacular goals?”
Is there any argument against this? Surely the draw for the biggest football tournament in the world should have football relevance? It’s not the first time that Sepp Blatter has been involved in allegations of racism. As well as describing one of the executive committee candidates as “good, and good-looking”, he upset many female audience members at the FIFA congress in May by saying: “Any ladies in this room? Say something ladies! You are always speaking at home. Now you can speak here.”
Back in 2004, Blatter suggested female footballers should have different rules on kits, in order to portray their beauty: “They could, for example, have tighter shorts,” Blatter remarked at the time. “Female players are pretty, if you excuse me for saying so, and they already have some different rules to men – such as playing with a lighter ball. That decision was taken to create a more female aesthetic, so why not do it in fashion? Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball.”
It’s not surprising that a dinosaur like Blatter can be involved in another sexism row, but it is surprising that he can be so blatant about it. Are FIFA only focused on impressing their male viewers, and forget that football is a sport for both genders? The appointment of Fernanda Lima was clearly for the large male viewing numbers, to give them someone to look at and enjoy, instead of listening to Blatter or Valcke ramble on about the confusing draw. Surely this cannot be acceptable in this day and age?
Is there any excuse or argument for Fernanda Lima’s involvement? Let’s not ask Blatter, and here one of his representatives defend him. What do you think? Share your views below!
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Comparing teams from different decades and generations is a thankless task but one that I’ve been assigned ahead of this weekend’s big game between the two giants of English football. Liverpool excelled at home and abroad throughout the 1980s, while Manchester United have since established a dominance over the Premier League that has yet to be matched since and they more than replicated the successes of the Merseyside outfit. Nevertheless, it provokes a bit of healthy, interesting debate between two clubs and their sets of fans at a time of reconcilliation, so let’s get this ball rolling.
Firstly, we need to establish some ground rules. The first category will of course be domestic form, the second European form and the third and final one being legacy, for nothing spells true greatness than the safe passing on of the baton to the next side, otherwise you merely have a spell of success as opposed to a dynasty.
It’s important when looking at Manchester United to understand that Sir Alex Ferguson during the 1990s created at least two great teams. The first, as misty-eyed romantics will tell you, around 1993-4 which included the likes of Paul Ince, Roy Keane, Mark Hughes and Steve Bruce was the finest, although the majority will realise the 1999 vintage was far superior simply by virtue of their triumph in Europe.
During the 1990s, Manchester United won seven league titles (six if you don’t count the season which started in 1999 but ended in 2000) and four FA Cups. Contrast this with Liverpool during the 1980s and they also won seven league titles (if you include the 1979-80 season) and two FA Cups. So far, it’s pretty even with perhaps Liverpool just about edging ahead when you also factor in that they managed to win four League Cups while Manchester United didn’t win any.
The strength of the competition also has to be taken into account. At the start of the 1980s, money didn’t play anywhere near as big a part as it does nowadays and it didn’t distort the league as much. While it would be misleading to say that Liverpool didn’t flex their financial muscles at the time when they had to, they won the 79-80 title from Manchester United by just two points, the 81-82 league title from Ipswich by four points, the 83-84 league ahead of Southampton by three points and the 85-86 title ahead of Everton by just two points, which would indicate the sort of strength in depth that we simply don’t have these days and the fact that more good teams emerged out of the blue.
It was easier back then to come out of nowhere, have one great season and win something than it is now and Everton were a truly superb side during the mid to late 80s, certainly as good as the 1990s had to offer. The other three league wins were by significant margins, which if anything, highlights the quality of the side more.
Manchester United by comparison have had to face off against Arsenal, Blackburn and Newcastle for variously spells in length, with only Arsene Wenger’s side providing a sustained challenge, much in the same way that Everton did to Liverpool in the 80s. Only in 1995-6 with Newcastle by four points and 1998-9 with Arsenal by one point were they genuinely challenged for the league crown in the years that they won it. The average points tally between them and the team in second place in the years that they won the title was 6.8 points, while for Liverpool it was 5.7 points.
It all really depends on how you look at it – one person’s strength in depth can be seen by another person as a sign that there wasn’t one truly great team around, much like there is now. However, what we can all agree on, is with the introduction of the Premier League, once you got good, with the rewards the money brought and most importantly, what they bought, it was a lot easier to stay good.
Personally, I’d mark Liverpool fractionally ahead in terms of domestic success by virtue that money played a slightly less significant role so the playing field was more level than it is these days and that they won more silverware, even if they are tipped ahead by the number of League Cups they won. Of course, that a lot of Ferguson’s side during the late 1990s were academy graduates such as Scholes, Giggs, Beckham, Neville and Butt counters this, but they still spent significantly on the likes of Andy Cole, Dwight Yoke, Roy Keane and Jaap Stam, figures that when you compare to Liverpool’s expenditure in the 80s, even when you factor in inflation, is still a lot more.
Moving on to European success and the clear winner here is of course Liverpool. There’s not really any great need to go into it. Winning the 1981 and 1984 European Cups and making the final again in 1985 before being beaten by Juventus far outweighs the solitary appearance by Manchester United in 1999, where a good degree of fortune saw them win in dramatic fashion in the last few minutes against Bayern Munich in a match that they were out-played in for prolonged spells.
Much in the same way that the 1999 victory wasn’t as good as the manner in which they triumphed in 2007-8, Liverpool’s victory in 2005 could be said to be far more fortunate than their 1970s and 80s successes. There’s a big difference between winning a tournament as the best team and turning up and stealing a match, just ask Chelsea fans, although the strength in depth across the continent is a lot more stronger in the 90s than it was in the 80s, so it’s all about perspectives when comparing the two eras yet again.
Which leaves us with legacy and this is where Manchester United truly come into their own. Liverpool are in the midst of a 22-year league drought, while Manchester United have won the title six times since the turn of the century. Liverpool have won a decent, if unspectacular tally for a club of their size, two FA Cups, three League Cups and a Champions League. Ferguson’s charges have matched that on top of their league dominance with one Champions League final triumph, two further final appearances against quite possibly the greatest club side in history, Barcelona and one FA Cup trophy and the League Cup in its various incarnations a further three times.
It’s been well documented how Liverpool failed to see the potential of emerging global markets to the same extent that their rivals did and they’ve suffered financially as a result, while they also struggled to replace crucial players at key times while Manchester United are an ever-evolving, well-oiled machine. It could be argued that Liverpool’s legacy was the 1980s built on the solid platforms of gradual but continued success of the 1960s and 70S, so again, it’s all about context and how you approach it.
It’s a no contest on this category, but Liverpool do have the edge on the other two and it may have been completely different had Kenny Dalglish decided to stay on longer in charge during his first spell, for there was always a suspicion that he had Ferguson’s number to an extent and that Liverpool wouldn’t have rolled over to quite the same extent had he remained in charge, but we shall never know.
Often, tribalism gets in the way when analysing matters such as this, but both are quite simply extraordinary teams and Kenny Dalglish, Joe Fagan, Bob Paisley and Sir Alex Ferguson were and still are all quite extraordinary managers when put in the context of history. It’s nye on impossible to present a case without being accused of inherent bias and there may well be other factors that I have missed or simply glossed over for the sake of brevity. Liverpool of the 1980s is my choice by a nose and I’m sticking to it, at the risk of being abused by a generation of Premier League supporters.
Which generation of team would your choice be – cast your vote below
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Liverpool have employed a rotation strategy throughout the season, which has intensified in recent months in order to see the side into the final of the Champions League.
It has brought mixed success; it has clearly worked in terms of getting Jurgen Klopp’s side through the round in Europe but it has weakened their league form, rendering them unable to mount a title challenge as well as putting the handbrake on their cruise into the Premier League’s top four.
Klopp’s plan to ensure his players do not play as many games has now, conversely, led him to a position where he must take even the 38th game of the league campaign seriously – while Manchester United and Tottenham have sewn up their Champions League spots with time to spare.
That has left the German with a conundrum; does he play his best team against Brighton on Sunday, needing just a point to secure a seat at Europe’s top table next season and risk another injury blow ahead of the Kiev showpiece on 26 May?
That’s what we asked you and the response was clear; 79 per cent of Reds want Klopp to go all out for the point needed to get into the Champions League.
Check out the full results of the poll below…
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According to The Mirror, West Ham United are considering a swoop for Newcastle United midfielder Jonjo Shelvey in the January transfer window.
What’s the story?
It is hardly breaking news that West Ham boss David Moyes wants to improve his squad next month, and the Scot has consistently spoken of the need to boost his midfield options.
According to The Mirror, Moyes is targeting a move for Shelvey as he is a fan of the six-time England international’s passing qualities.
Shelvey is said to have a difficult relationship with Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez due to his disciplinary problems, and it is thought that the Magpies would be prepared to sell for the right price in the January transfer window.
Newcastle paid Swansea City £12m to sign Shelvey in January 2016, and it is understood that West Ham would have to at least meet that figure in order to sign the midfielder next month.
Would Shelvey be a good signing?
Underneath the red cards and questionable conduct, there is a serious football player.
Shelvey’s passing ability earned him a move to Liverpool in 2010, and he scored seven times in 69 appearances for the Reds before moving on to Swansea.
After 10 goals in 96 appearances for the Welsh outfit, Shelvey joined Newcastle, and he made 42 Championship appearances during their title-winning campaign.
He has already been sent off twice in the Premier League this season, which has led to a strained relationship with Magpies boss Benitez.
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Some would argue that Shelvey, who is valued at £9.9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has had enough chances to prove that the penny has dropped, but a move to West Ham might suit all parties.
He is the type of player and indeed person that could thrive at the London Stadium, and the thought of Shelvey feeding passes through to fellow hot-head Marko Arnautovic is an exciting thought for the West Ham supporters.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has expressed just how vital Champions League is to him and the club.
The 33 year old has his testimonial today against Olympiakos at Anfield after a super, loyal career on Merseyside.
The England skipper had got used to playing Champions League football and competing at the top of the Premier League but has seen that slip away in recent seasons.
The Merseyside-born midfielder has vowed to help Liverpool return to those glory days before he retires in a few years’ time.
Gerrard knows that the fans will stay loyal until the club get back in the top four.
“While I’ve still got a couple of years left – and maybe a few more who knows – I have to make the most of it,” Gerrard told ITV Sport.
“And that is about adding more medals to what I already have and to leave this club in the Champions League. That is the challenge for me personally.
“It is not the same club (I joined) because we are not in the Champions League, so it becomes an awful lot more difficult to attract the top players.
“But I think the club’s history and size – we’ve just been on a tour which has seen us play in front of nearly a quarter of a million people in 10 days – means the pull is still here.
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“We need to break back into the top four to get back the pull we had four or five years ago when we were comfortably in the Champions League year in, year out and challenging to win it.
“Players who come and get the club back into the Champions League will experience some of the biggest nights of their career, because playing European football in front of this crowd is different to any other.”
England under-21 boss Stuart Pearce has stated that he would like to pick full internationals for his side’s upcoming Euro 2013 play-off fixture in October.
The likes of Kyle Walker, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Butland are players that are involved in the senior side but Pearce is eager to select them for the under-21’s.
“I’ve spoken to Roy already in that respect and he’s aware of my feelings,” Pearce told reporters, published in The Telegraph.
“I wouldn’t say the depth of talent we have in this country is massive, by any means. It’s quite a shallow pool and we need to have to keep building on it, but it’s important that our high-fliers and best players are all playing in every international get-together.
“You’ve only got to look at the best team in the world at this moment in time, Spain. Three players went to the Euros this year and then went to the Olympics,” he concluded.
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After drawing with Huddersfield on Wednesday night, Chelsea need a win on the final day of the season to maintain any hope of qualifying for the Champions League – and even then, they’ll need Liverpool to lose against Brighton at home.
While the all-important FA Cup final may linger in the background, Antonio Conte doesn’t really have much of a choice but to field his strongest starting XI this weekend, simply because of the incredible financial incentives Europe’s top competition offers.
That inevitably means starting Eden Hazard when Chelsea face Newcastle United on Sunday, which leaves the Blues boss facing a key decision over which attacking midfielder to drop from his midweek starting lineup.
64-cap Spaniard Pedro bore the brunt of criticism from fans after Wednesday’s underwhelming performance, but Willian didn’t exactly bring his best form either and conceded possession for Laurent Depoitre’s goal.
So, Chelsea fans, which player would you axe from the starting XI to make room for Hazard, who Transfermarkt value at £90million? Let us know by voting below…
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Although Arsenal have sat back over the weeks following the end of the season and let rivals such as Liverpool and Manchester United make the early signings, the Gunners seem to be making up for lost time now. Reports on Monday revealed that a deal for Chelsea’s Petr Cech is all but done, and with fans still coming down from the euphoria of developments, another name has been thrown into the transfer mix… Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The pacey Gabon international is known by supporters – particularly those who play FIFA or Football Manager – for his eye for goal and extravagant skills, and although the Gunners are well-stocked in the final third we at FFC Towers think this is a deal Arsene Wenger should really be exploring…. And here are FIVE reasons why.
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Pace!
If there one thing, albeit a bit cliché, defenders don’t like. It’s pace. Although this old adage is a bit over-used and bears the hallmarks of lazy pundits on Match of the Day, there is some bulk to it. No matter how good a centre-back, or full-back, is, if they’re chasing a loose ball against a significantly quicker opponent, there’s only going to be one winner.
Aubameyang has long been talked of as one of the quickest players in the Bundesliga – he was also lauded for the same trait during his spell in Ligue 1 – and with Arsenal a side set up to hit on the counter-attack, it would appear that the Gabon international would be well-suited.
Able to play across a front three
Although he spent the majority of last season as Dortmund’s centre-forward – perhaps partly due to Robert Lewandowski’s exit and the form, or lack of, shown by Ciro Immobile – Aubameyang has played most of his career as a wide forward. His pace lends him well to the position, and although his delivery can be a bit hit and miss, he is useful in an inside forward role – akin to that Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez have been deployed in.
Wenger is known to favour a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 set-up, and the wide forward roles as well as ‘up top’ would be boosted by the addition of Aubameyang.
Statement of intent
With Cech almost in as a real marquee buy, Arsenal would be sending a massive signal to their rivals by snapping up one of the Bundesliga’s top talents. Although not in the very highest calibre of player on the market, Aubameyang is highly thought of among football fans and pundits alike, while his silky skills have even led to the moniker the ‘African Neymar’.
Rivals also want him…
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The Bild report revealing Arsenal’s interest also suggests Chelsea and Manchester City are teams in the running, while Liverpool have also been aligned with the rapid attacker. Although not the wisest foundation for transfer business, snapping up a player to keep him from rivals has its benefits, as was shown by the addition of Alexis Sanchez last summer – Liverpool were also keen.
A character
Modern football can be a bit bland. Players are so media trained that stock answers tumble out of their mouths when quizzed after the game, while some are afraid to be a little ‘out there’ for fear of the social media backlash and ribbing from fans.
‘Auba’ is a little different though, and you get the impression that he plays the game with a smile on his face. Take his recent celebration with team-mate Marco Reus, in which the duo donned Batman and Robin masks. Excellent!