All posts by h716a5.icu

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Aston Villa got back to winning ways with a battling 2-1 victory over Ipswich on Saturday to bring them within four points of the play-off spots and, while Tammy Abraham will have undoubtedly won the plaudits for his game-winning brace, there was an unsung hero in the ranks who some Villa fans would surely hesitate to praise.

On the chalkboard

Dean Smith set his side in a 4-1-4-1 formation with an enforcer between to provide cover – that defensive midfielder was Glenn Whelan, a man who has been annihilated in the past by supporters, even when they have won. This season too, the Irishman has suffered his fair share of stick on social media…

At 35 years of age, Whelan is still going strong despite being well into his twilight years, however his inclusion in the starting XI against the Tractor Boys raised a few eyebrows.

But Whelan was impressive in the middle of the park and his tidy work on the ball combined with his dirty work off it was hugely important as the Midlands outfit gritted their teeth to a first league win of 2019 – finally.

Well played, Whelan

The 5-foot-11 tough-tackler completed 84% of his passes, using the ball sensibly in midfield, while also playing dangerous forward balls – he achieved one key pass in his 78 minute spell on the pitch (stats per WhoScored).

Not afraid to stick his foot in, either, the number 6 completed 2 interceptions and a tackle, cutting an assured figure in front of a defence that had looked uncertain and leaked goals for fun previously. The likes of Tommy Elphick and James Chester will have been thankful for the veteran’s presence.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video above…

Whelan might not have the legs to do anything particularly special on the ball, and this may be why he is crucified for making mistakes, but he hardly put a foot wrong on Saturday at a time when Villa needed calmness and effectiveness most.

Maybe those fans that have had a go at him in the past have been a little harsh – Whelan may not be glamorous or fashionable, but he’s an important player in this Villa team.

Lucas Torreira started the season brilliantly at Arsenal, and he looked to be exactly what the club had been lacking. He was quick, he was aggressive, and he was energetic, and he added new life to the Gunners’ midfield.

However, there’s no getting around it – he’s dropped off somewhat over the last few weeks. Whether he’s just lacking fitness or whether he’s in a poor run of form is yet to be determined, and though he’s still had a few good games recently, there’s no doubting the need for further midfield depth in his place.

Unsurprisingly, then, Arsenal and Unai Emery are apparently keen on a move for Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye – according to Sky Sports – and the 29-year-old could be just the ticket.

Like Torreira, he’s an aggressive and mobile midfielder with one simple aim – to win back the ball and move it forwards. Unlike Torreira, he comes with lots of experience in English football, and he’s been at the heart of everything good that Everton have done over the last few years. He’s been the Toffees’ answer to N’Golo Kante, and he’s served as the primary defensive shield for a team that has struggled at the back for a while.

At 29-years-old, he’s a player that is arguably coming to the end of his peak, but he could still provide a lot for Arsenal. He’d serve as a valued depth option, whilst he’d also be able to play alongside Torreira in a pivot, which could help the Gunners against some of the bigger teams in the Premier League.

If nothing else, his arrival will simply keep Torreira on his toes, and whilst he’s undeniably the long-term option in the role for Arsenal, Gueye could be a great choice for the present.

Thoughts?

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Tottenham Hotspur have been one of the most consistent producers of the next generation of talent in recent years, and murmurs emerging from their academy ranks hint that Troy Parrott is one to watch for the future.

What’s the word?

Parrott is a name which Tottenham supporters have become increasingly familiar with in recent weeks in light of Harry Kane’s absence.

After scoring 11 goals in just seven games in the U18’s Premier League this season, it was no surprise that Parrott was mentioned as a potential candidate to replace Kane during his spell on the sidelines.

But, at just 17 years of age, it’s even less surprising that a call-up has yet to materialise. The club’s long-term vision for Parrott, however, is beginning to take shape after the budding goal machine signed a contract extension with the club.

Indeed, according to football.london, Parrott signed his first professional contract with the club on his 17th birthday on Monday, with the player taking to Instagram to express his delight at the ultimate birthday gift.

Daniel Levy has learned from Reo Griffiths setback

That Daniel Levy has wasted absolutely no time in offering the prolific forward a professional contract surely has its roots in Spurs’ transfer history.

Around this time last year, Reo Griffiths was bookmarked as one to watch in Tottenham’s youth ranks. The teenage sensation, like Parrott, boasted a relentless record in front of goal, prompting speculation over his credentials to solve the club’s notable second striker conundrum.

But unforeseeable disappointment laid on the horizon as he completed a permanent transfer away from north London last summer when he agreed terms with Lyon.

Spurs’ inability to keep hold of their academy jewel represented a huge setback and the fact Levy has moved to tie up a deal on Parrott’s 17th birthday is telling: he has seemingly learned his lesson from Griffiths’ departure.

In the midst of an era which is slowly being defined by the willingness of aspiring academy players to challenge themselves away from the comfort and familiarity of English football, Tottenham’s latest agreement should be regarded as an excellent piece of business.

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Liverpool Echo journalist James Pearce conducted a live Q&A with Reds fans on Thursday night, as reported by the media outlet, and while he revealed that RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner is on manager Jurgen Klopp’s radar, he believes one issue could stop the Germany international moving to Anfield this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 22-year-old centre-forward is one of the most impressive young players in European football right now, and he is once again in good form for the Bundesliga outfit this term having scored 13 goals in 24 appearances in all competitions – he has 55 in 101 games for them in total.

The Merseyside outfit could easily be in the market for a new attacker at the end of the season given Pearce also believes that Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi could be on their way, and he says Werner is a potential target.

In quotes as reported by The Liverpool Echo, he said: “He’s certainly on his radar but whether that leads to anything it’s too early to say.

“Liverpool will certainly have to bolster their attacking options in  the summer.

“Sturridge will leave when his contract expires and I wouldn’t be surprised if Origi also moves on in search of more regular action.

“One issue Liverpool have got with recruiting an attacker is that the front line of Firmino, Mane and Salah miss so little football. It would have to be someone content with being a squad player. Whether Werner would be happy with that role, I’m not so sure.”

Is he right?

He certainly is.

It seems likely that Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah will be Liverpool’s preferred front three for a while to come should Klopp stick with a 4-3-3 system, but an opportunity could be there for Werner to be a regular starter in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Firmino in the No.10 role.

That might well be unlikely on a regular basis however, and should Werner leave Leipzig at the end of the campaign he will want to make his mark at a big club, and be in the starting XI.

Settling largely for substitute appearances will surely not appeal to the Germany ace, and Klopp may well have a lot of work to do to convince him to come to Anfield if he does indeed want to sign the attacker.

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Manchester United face Liverpool this weekend as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side look to dent the title hopes of their bitter rivals.

Of course, a victory in the derby would hand an advantage to geographical foes Manchester City but, for United, it has often been about “knocking them off their perch”, instead of the “noisy neighbours”.

It would hurt, of course, if City won the title, but United have seen that happen before. Liverpool, for many fans, cannot be allowed to taste that glory again.

It is lucky, then, that the club have a manager who understands exactly that. Solskjaer is remarked upon as the baby-faced assassin and he has been astute in the dugout too.

United have lost just once this season under the Norwegian, in a Champions League game against PSG that was 0-0 when both Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard sustained injuries that could rule them out of the clash with Klopp’s side.

A 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup followed their 2-0 European defeat and saw a number of headlines written about the crisis engulfing the Blues and Maurizio Sarri. But Solskjaer effectively nullified the Chelsea attack with his tactical decisions.

Against Liverpool, though, it matters more. This is a rivalry that is as storied as it is passionate. It is about time United brought back some derby fire.

This used to be a game that would attract thunderous challenges and some genuine needle. Fans love to see the sort of passion that they show in the stands and Solskjaer often exemplified that in his playing days.

He may have scored the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final but there is an under-rated moment that perhaps solidified Solskjaer’s status as a cult hero a year before that glorious night in Barcelona.

In a 1998 clash with Newcastle United, with the scores poised at 1-1, Rob Lee surged towards the penalty box, ready to hand Arsenal the advantage in the title race. Solskjaer, in a show of genuine desire so rarely seen, sprinted back and took matters into his own hands.

He did not hesitate to swipe Lee’s legs from under him, committing a professional foul and preserving the point that United so desperately needed. He was sent off and the Old Trafford crowd gave him a standing ovation. David Beckham ran over to pat him on the head and it appeared as though Solskjaer mouthed “I had to”.

The fans knew what they had seen – this was a player willing to do absolutely anything for his team, for his team-mates, for its supporters.

He needs no reminding of what playing Liverpool means.

Solskjaer has been dealt a difficult hand, too. If Martial and Lingard are out of the game, Liverpool will instantly be installed as favourites. They have a better team. Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane pose a terrifying threat, while Alisson is perhaps the only goalkeeper who can rival David De Gea’s claim to being the best in the Premier League.

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

However, this game is at Old Trafford and that famous stadium can be a cauldron when genuine enemies step into the breach.

United need to make this game about them, they need to play with pace, with ferocity, with controlled aggression. They need, in short, to get back to those brutal derbies of old.

There have not been more than two yellow cards in a game between the pair since 2016, when there were four. Steven Gerrard was the last player sent off in the game, in March 2015. Of course, that red card came about as the result of a stamp just minutes after he came on as a substitute.

This is not to say that United need to scythe down Liverpool players every chance they get. But they need to rediscover the passion that Solskjaer so regularly embodied as a player.

Earlier this season, Liverpool won 3-1 at Anfield. United had six shots. The Reds had 36. United, in short, were a picture of passivity. Solskjaer is never going to settle for that.

Nor should he. Beat the Reds, put a dent in their title hopes, and the calls for the former Cardiff City boss to be given the club’s managerial post on a permanent basis will only grow louder.

At the end of the day, there is simply no better man for the job, both in the short-term against Liverpool and in the long-term for the club’s future.

Tottenham have been brilliant this season and although it’s a longshot, still have a chance in both the Premier League and Champions League.

Without spending a single penny and suffering badly from big injuries, Mauricio Pochettino and his players have just got on with things, not worrying about anything else apart from doing the business on the pitch.

There have been a number of terrific showings from Tottenham recently that have since brought them back into the Premier League title debate, whilst their Champions League aspirations are also very much alive and kicking.

Yet, whatever success they may or may not enjoy this season, Spurs cannot stand still in the transfer market again and must look to replenish their squad.

Whether he would want to play second-fiddle or Tottenham somehow integrated him within the starting line-up, Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic could be a brilliant summer coup.

Mitrovic, (who is valued at £22.5 million on Transfermarkt) is far greater than the Championship striker he could become if Fulham are to be relegated and would arguably good enough for Tottenham’s squad.

With the chance to play with a much greater surrounding of quality, Mitrovic could be looking at bettering the ten goals he has scored this season so far.

The Serbian international is still only 24-years-old as well, meaning that his career with Tottenham could be very long lasting and full of success eventually.

Tottenham have a squad full of young and exciting players, which Aleksandar Mitrovic would also fit the criteria of being too.

He is a bullish striker that is superb in the air and on the ground knocking the ball around. He would be far better than Fernando Llorente and would ultimately improve Tottenham’s choices massively.

Do you agree… Let us know!

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Liverpool and Manchester United played out a dour 0-0 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The game was marked by a number of injury issues – United were forced into three substitutions in the first half, while Liverpool saw Roberto Firmino seemingly twist his ankle before the interval.

Throughout the game, Liverpool failed to truly test David De Gea in the Old Trafford goal, with Mohamed Salah in particularly poor form.

As the Reds chased the game, the Egypt international, who has scored 20 goals in all competitions thus far this season, was substituted by Jurgen Klopp.

Divock Origi was introduced as his replacement but had no better luck than Salah on the right flank.

And, with the club now only a point clear of Manchester City at the top of the league, Liverpool fans were in no mood to cut Salah any slack. Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Xherdan Shaqiri’s spell out of the starting eleven.

The Switzerland international hasn’t been given a start by Jurgen Klopp since the end of January, when he was trusted from the first whistle in the 1-1 draw to Leicester.

Would you rather your club won the Premier League or Champions League? In the video below, Pl>ymaker FC’s Matty believes English clubs have already decided…

Since then, the former Bayern Munich and Inter attacker has been restricted to appearances from the bench, in a time where the Reds’ midfield has looked starved of creativity and craft – Klopp’s midfield options have scored just six goals between them this season.

The likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum and James Milner are all more workmanlike, pragmatic midfielders rather than creative players, something that has been a key factor in Liverpool dropping 11 points out of a possible 27 in their last nine league games.

Some fans feel that Shaqiri’s involvement will see the team return to their swashbuckling ways in front of goal, whereas others feel the opposite judging by their reactions on Twitter…

In the first half of this Premier League season, Chelsea were pretty solid under Maurizio Sarri.

For most of it, only Liverpool had a better defensive record, putting into perspective how well things were going for the Blues at the back.

Rather, it was the team’s attack that was costing the west London club with Alvaro Morata epitomising how poor it had been.

However, after thrashings to Bournemouth and Manchester City among other terrible displays, it is clear defence is now the big problem area at Chelsea.

And while Sarri will be quick to point out that defending starts from the front and is done collectively, it is hard to look past David Luiz’s awful contribution in this mess.

Yet the 31-year-old is set to be handed a new contract (Evening Standard) in a development that could now have consequences for Andreas Christensen.

Christensen has barely featured in this Premier League campaign even with Luiz struggling for form, and that does not look like it is about to change now or in the near future following the news about his Brazilian team-mate.

Transfer ban or no transfer ban, Sarri seems set on having Luiz at the heart of his defence indefinitely, leaving Christensen in a difficult predicament.

Chelsea fans, does Luiz deserve his spot in the starting XI ahead of Christensen? Join the discussion by commenting below.

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Liverpool fans on Twitter have been discussing a move for Leicester star James Maddison, debating whether or not the Englishman would be a good fit for the club after impressing so far this season.

The 22-year-old signed for the Foxes from Norwich for a fee of around £20m back in the summer, having impressed for the Canaries in the previous campaign with 14 goals and eight assists in 44 Championship appearances.

How did Mane score THAT goal against Bayern last week? Did he dazzle them with Firmino’s teeth? 442oons speculate in the video below…

Maddison has carried that form into the Premier League with six goals and six assists so far, his latest effort catching the eye of spectators due to the pure technique on show – a wonderful, curled free-kick into the top left corner against Burnley.

The Reds have lacked a potent No.10 in midfield since the departure of Philippe Coutinho, and much has been made of the current midfield’s lack of creativity.

Naturally, as Jurgen Klopp’s midfield carries more pragmatic types such as James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, fans are keen to see a more forward-thinking option, hence the debate over a potential move for Maddison.

Let’s see what the Liverpool supporters are saying about the Foxes’ No.10 on Twitter…