All posts by h716a5.icu

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to Saturday’s FA Cup defeat at the hands of Watford, and they’re not too happy with some of Rafael Benitez’s decision making.

Newcastle have not progressed to the fifth round of the FA Cup once since Mike Ashley bought the club, and that trend continued on Saturday afternoon with a truly torrid performance.

Watford took loads of criticism for their team selection as they made a whopping 11 changes for the clash, with pundit Chris Sutton saying: “I think Watford are a disgrace, I actually hope they get beaten this afternoon.”

That wasn’t to be the case though, as the Hornets “b team” were better in every imaginable way, keeping the Magpies at arm’s length with relative ease.

Which Man Utd star got fed by Salt Bae this week? Check out the video below to find out…

Andre Grey gave the visitors a deserved lead when he latched on to a pass from Will Hughes, and Isaac Success made sure of the result with a stoppage time counter attack.

Fans have often sympathised with Benitez’s dull and defensive approach to games, as they are fully aware that his hands are tied by owner Ashley, but they aren’t very happy with the Spaniard’s decisions in the 2-0 loss.

The gaffer opted for Joselu up front, who was absolutely woeful, and then used his final substitution to introduce a centre back with the score still at 1-0, despite leading goalscorer Salomon Rondon’s presence on the bench.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, look away now Rafa…

[ad_pod ]Tottenham Hotspur confirmed that left winger Georges-Kevin N’Koudou had joined AS Monaco on loan for the remainder of the season on Thursday, via a tweet from their official account.

What’s the word?

N’Koudou has struggled for minutes since joining Spurs in 2016Âand spent a portion of last season on loan at Burnley.

Despite being given a chance by Mauricio Pochettino in recent weeks – N’Koudou played against Fulham and Crystal Palace, as well as against West Ham United in October of last year – the Frenchman will now head back to Ligue 1.

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Spurs signed the 23-year-old from Marseille, as per the BBC, but he has struggled to stamp his authority on the left flank and remains behind Son Heung-Min in the pecking order.

He will now spend the second half of this season in France, with Monaco looking to turn around a season that has threatened to implode; the club are currently second-from-bottom in Ligue 1.

Son set for burnout?

Spurs now have a very weak looking left-hand side.

Son Heung-Min has returned from the Asian Cup but he cannot do it all on his own.

Christian Eriksen has the ability to play on the left flank but it seems as though Pochettino is betting on The South Korea international remaining fit for the remainder of the season.

It is a bold strategy, given some of the injury issues Pochettino has had to deal with already this term.

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Arsenal will have a transfer budget of £45million in the summer, per The Daily Mail.

Manager Unai Emery made just one signing in the January transfer window, bringing in Denis Suarez on loan from Barcelona.

The Gunners have struggled in recent weeks and sit sixth in the Premier League, three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and 15 behind leaders Liverpool.

They have not won away from home in the Premier League since November, when they defeated Bournemouth 2-1.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Since then, they have drawn with Manchester United at Old Trafford, Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX Stadium and lost at Southampton, Liverpool, West Ham United and Manchester City.

But it appears that they will not have the budget needed to revitalise the squad, with Emery not set to be given a war chest in the summer transfer window if The Daily Mail is to be believeed.

And several Arsenal fans on Twitter are fuming at the report, having witnessed years of underinvestment in the club.

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Crystal Palace are eyeing up a move for Montpellier right-back Ruben Aguilar, whilst Everton have also expressed an interest in signing the player as reported by Calciomercato.

What’s the word, then?

The Frenchman has excelled in defence for the Ligue 1 side this season, recording one goal and two assists in his 21 league appearances so far this season.

Aguilar’s impressive form has attracted the Eagles’ attention as well as the Toffees’, amid Seamus Coleman’s uninspiring season so far.

The full-back joined Montpellier from Auxerre in 2017 and has been a regular in defence ever since, whilst he has clearly done well as a result of the Premier League interest in him – he is yet to be capped at senior international level for France, however.

Palace planning for life after Aaron Wan-Bissaka?

The south London side have received plenty of interest in their rising star Wan-Bissaka, most notably from Manchester City, Chelsea and even Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund, who are all chasing the £40m-rated full-back.

The England Under-21 international has been a phenomenon since breaking into the first-team at the start of last year, following an injury to first-choice right-back Joel Ward.

Wan-Bissaka is statistically the best tackler in Europe and has shown defensive ability beyond his 21 years since his first team debut.

His first few games in senior football saw him come up against the likes of Marcus Rashford, Eden Hazard and Christian Eriksen, but he handled them all admirably and convincingly before going on to be one of the Premier League’s standout players in the 2018/19 season so far.

Palace are also said to be keeping tabs on Chelsea star Reece James, who is currently on loan at Wigan, which suggests Palace are considering right-backs who could step in and replace Wan-Bissaka if an offer comes in that the Eagles cannot turn down.

He’s a popular figure at Selhurst Park, but right-backs are always expendable for the right price.

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Everton’s sporting director Marcel Brands has revealed that he would love to bring PSV Eindhoven youngster Mohammed Ihattaren to Goodison Park.

The 17-year-old is widely regarded as one of the best young talents in European football and could be about to spark a scramble for his services.

What has Brands said?

Brands told Voetbal International:

“Frankly, I’d like to have him at Everton tomorrow. He’s so good, but I don’t think that’s the path he should take. He will need an intermediate step later.

“In that respect, Mo is good at PSV. The club plays European football, he has a great chance of playing time and he is in the national teams.

“If he now went abroad, he has a lot less guarantees. The step to the Premier League is really big and it can also go wrong with a talent.”

It is clear that Brands is a huge fan of Ihattaren, but Everton’s sporting director feels that the teenager should remain at PSV for now.

The fact that Brands has dropped the attacker’s name, however, is a strong indication that the Toffees are keeping a close eye on his development.

Barcelona have also been credited with an interest in the Netherlands Under-19 international, who has made three first-team appearances for PSV this term.

How good could he become?

It is always difficult to predict just how good players can become, particularly in this case as Ihattaren only turned 17 earlier this week.

The fact that he is getting minutes for a PSV team chasing the Dutch title, however, suggests that he is a pretty special talent.

A seven-time Under-19 Netherlands international, Ihattaren is capable of playing in attacking midfield, as a right winger and also in central midfield, according to Transfermarkt.

The teenager’s debut in the Eredivisie came against FC Groningen last month and he has since appeared against both Fortuna Sittard and FC Utrecht in the league.

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The fact that Ihattaren has a contract with PSV until the summer of 2021 does stand the club in good stead, but it seems likely that he will eventually move on.

Brands has confirmed that Everton are watching, but the Merseyside giants will seemingly have to fight off a host of Europe’s biggest clubs if they wish to seal his signature in the future.

Unai Emery is reportedly (via the Daily Mail) set to be handed limited funds to strengthen his squad during the summer transfer window.

The Spaniard was forced to settle for loan signings in January, landing Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez on a temporary deal. There is plenty of work to be done if Arsenal are to challenge Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs at the top of the table next season. Emery may be forced to offload many fringe players in order to boost his finances.

The long-term future of Mesut Ozil remains unclear after the German was left out of the matchday squad yet again against BATE Borisov. After falling out of favour under Arsene Wenger, the ex-Real Madrid man has struggled for form and fitness under the former Sevilla boss.

To replace him, Arsenal should make a move for PSV Eindhoven maestro – Gaston Pereiro. Valued at £12.6m by Transfermarkt, the Uruguay international has been a mainstay in the side since moving from Nacional back in the summer of 2015. Pereiro was crucial to the side that lifted the Eredivisie title last season and has been in fantastic form yet again during the current campaign.

The 23-year-old has been lethal in front of goal, netting ten goals in all competitions. As well as his goalscoring exploits, Pereiro has also been the creative force for his team, registering seven assists for his team-mates. Averaging 1.5 key passes per game in the Eredivisie, his arrival at the Emirates could mean even more goals for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the attack (WhoScored).

The playmaker possesses the quality to carve open defences and would be an excellent Ozil replacement if the former Germany international does leave England.

Arsenal fans, thoughts?

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Tottenham suffered their seventh league defeat of the season on Saturday, and Mauricio Pochettino needs to ditch two players who are massively struggling when the Lilywhites visit Chelsea on Wednesday.

On the chalkboard

Spurs missed a golden opportunity to gain ground on Manchester City and Liverpool on Saturday, falling to a 2-1 defeat at Burnley.

The Clarets have not lost in the league since Boxing Day, and they showed exactly why in the first half, stopping their guests from getting anything going with a stern defensive display.

Chris Wood then nodded the hosts in front with a second half header, though Harry Kane was able to equalise from a tight angle.

Ashley Barnes ultimately decided the match with one of the easiest goals he’ll ever score, and Mauricio Pochettino must now be ruthless with his players after perhaps their worst performance of the season.

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Stopping Hazard

Unfortunately, the first player that needs to miss out when Spurs visit Chelsea on Wednesday is Juan Foyth.

The 21 year-old has shown real character to bounce back from his shocking display in the 3-2 win at Wolves, but his lack of experience and maturity was on full display at Turf Moor.

Davinson Sanchez may be a bit rash at times, but the beastly Colombian international will have a far better chance of stopping the irresistible Eden Hazard than Foyth, who looks like an accident waiting to happen at the moment.

Extra protection

The next man that needs a rest is surely Moussa Sissoko, who had a run of fantastic form earlier this season, finally proving why the club shelled out £30m for him back in 2016.

The 29 year-old’s performances have dipped a little bit in recent weeks though, and he was back to his old self against Burnley – flying all over the pitch with plenty of effort but offering nothing of any quality or substance.

With Chelsea sure to be absolutely desperate for three points, Victor Wanyama might be the best choice to replace the Frenchman, offering that extra bit of defensive security in front of the three centre backs.

The Kenyan international has been in the squad for the last three Premier League games and played for ten minutes against Leicester, so if he is not ready now then he never will be.

So, Spurs fans, do you think Foyth and Sissoko should lose out? What other changes would you make for the trip to Chelsea? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

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Crystal Palace emerged 3-1 victors of their clash with Burnley on Saturday and Wilfried Zaha’s exploits were enough to land him a place in Garth Crooks’ team of the week – the BBC Sport pundit was extremely impressed with the Ivorian winger, who joined Romelu Lukaku and Troy Deeney in his front three.

What did he say?

Writing in his regular feature on BBC Sport, Crooks said:

“It was like a rendition of The Beatles hit Twist and Shout. Only this time it wasn’t John Lennon on vocals but Wilfried Zaha calling the tune.

“The Ivory Coast international had Burnley’s Ben Mee and Charlie Taylor performing the dance before slotting the ball past Tom Heaton.

“There is nothing more humiliating than a skilful winger making defenders dance around the pitch unable to lay a boot on the player.”

Zaha’s the star

The 26-year-old has chalked up five goals and one assist in his last seven appearances, in which he has been restored to his berth on the left-wing.

Prior to this recent purple patch, the former Manchester United man had been having an underwhelming season in terms of goal contributions but he is now showing, for yet another campaign, that he can be simply unstoppable when he’s at his best.

The tricky number 11 played a crucial role in the build-up to Phil Bardsley’s own goal and then, as Crooks says, had Clarets defenders Mee and Taylor slipping and sliding all over the place before firing home on his weaker foot.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

The Selhurst Park faithful will surely be hoping that their hero will be in scintillating, ankle-breaking form once again when they face arch-rivals Brighton this weekend.

[ad_pod ]Former West Bromwich Albion star and ex-teammate of Darren Moore, Jonathan Greening, has reacted on Twitter following the sacking of the 44-year-old on Saturday, and it’s fair to say he isn’t happy.

The west Midlands outfit decided to wield the axe on the former centre-back following the 1-1 draw against a lowly Ipswich Town at The Hawthorns at the weekend, which left them nine points adrift of the automatic promotion spots with 10 fixtures remaining.

While the Baggies still lie in fourth position in the Championship, one point from the previous nine – and successive defeats against fellow top-two contenders Sheffield United and Leeds United – meant that Moore paid the price.

Albion owner Lai Guochuan will now be looking to make an appointment that results in the club returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking, but it is looking more and more likely that they will have to do it via the play-offs unless there is a massive slip from either leaders Norwich City or Marcelo Bielsa’s Yorkshire outfit.

Greening took to Twitter to have his say on the decision, and he wrote: “Absolutely embarrassing decision from an owner who hasn’t a clue about football.”

The 40-year-old clearly thinks the wrong call has been made, and it was a very surprising one when you see how West Brom are doing compared to the other two teams that joined them dropping down to England’s second tier – Stoke City and Swansea City.

That said, Guochuan clearly wants promotion this term, and if he didn’t feel that Moore could deliver then you can’t blame him for making a change – even if it is a controversial one.

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Reports late last week suggested Rangers will secure a pre-contract agreement with Jake Hastie, and fans are absolutely ecstatic over the potential deal.

According to a recent report from The Scottish Sun, Rangers are set to win the race to sign Motherwell’s Hastie this summer.

The young winger is attracting interest from Celtic, Middlesbrough, Derby, Millwall and Hull claims the report, but Steven Gerrard “has won the race for his signature”.

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The 19 year-old is of course out of contract in the summer, meaning the Gers can snap him up for free so long as they agree a deal with the player.

Hastie has scored ten times and registered seven assists this season, an impressive return for such a young player.

And the Gers are in need of a little extra dynamism up front, as outside of Alfredo Morelos you couldn’t call any of their current attackers consistent.

However, if they can secure Ryan Kent on a permanent deal and sign Hastie then Gerrard would have two explosive young wingers in his arsenal, and the Twitter reactions down below are desperate for it to happen…