All posts by h716a5.icu

Sean Dyche could be set to add another attacker to his ranks on deadline day with Sam Vokes interesting Stoke.

The Potters have registered (as per John Percy of the Telegraph) an interest in Vokes who has made the majority of his appearances from the substitute’s bench so far this season. Stoke want to bring the Welshman to the Championship and will offer Peter Crouch as part of the deal.

With Burnley still at the wrong end of the table, Crouch would be an awful addition to the squad and Dyche should set his sights much higher. The deadline is fast approaching and not many quality options are available. However, the Burnley boss could find success by scouring the European market.

One man who would be a great signing is Genk forward – Mbwana Samatta. Valued at £5.85m by Transfermarkt, the 26-year-old has been scoring for fun in the Belgium Pro League since joining his current employers in 2016. The Tanzania international has earned a reputation as one of the finest finishers in the division and deserves the chance to display his talents at a better level.

Samatta has netted 25 goals in 33 appearances so far this season and would add a quality option to the Burnley forward line. With frightening pace and terrific dribbling skills, his arrival would give Dyche a completely different dynamic in the final third. Samatta is versatile and could easily be moulded into a winger to accommodate the likes of Chris Wood.

Potentially available at a great price, this is a move that the Clarets should seriously be considered.

Burnley fans, thoughts?

Tottenham Hotspur have drawn a blank once again in the transfer window, but some supporters are slowly beginning to turn on Mauricio Pochettino rather than Daniel Levy over their lack of transfer activity.

Levy has often been depicted as a tight-fisted dictator, who negotiates with an stern-eyed glare which compels those joining him on the negotiating table to succumb to his demands, regardless of how unfathomable they may seem to the average chairman.

The persona which he has been created – or has been created for him by the media – has earned him gushing praise down the years, but that has not earned him exemption from criticism.

Frustrations of bewildered onlookers have culminated in the past twelve months after three transfer windows brought about the arrival of a single player, Lucas Moura.

But, while Levy has often been the whipping boy amongst the supporters, murmurs from the media regarding Pochettino’s Oxbridge-style transfer selection process have turned the tide in his direction.

Last January, Pochettino reportedly snubbed Ross Barkley despite Levy’s willingness to sanction a £15 million deal, and twelve months later a report from Het Belang van Limburg (via Sports Witness) has claimed that his pickiness deprived Spurs of rivalling Leicester City for the signature of Youri Tielemans – a creative midfielder widely regarded as one of the most promising on the continent.

Those who have seen Tielemans in action would naturally be drawn to regard him as a natural Dembele successor. The fact he was available to complete a January loan and, pertinently, one which did not include an obligation to buy clause, has left supporters feeling deflated.

Surely, surely, Pochettino knows something which both the football media and the supporters do not? There is nothing to suggest that Tielemans is the type of character to disrupt a dressing room and, in the absence of inside information, you’d have to assume Pochettino simply doesn’t think he’s good enough for the club.

But, with the opportunity to showcase his quality in the Premier League during the final 14 fixtures of the season, Tielemans could effectively be undertaking an audition to force the Argentine into a transfer u-turn; Spurs will undoubtedly need to bolster their options in central midfield when the summer window arrives and a series of fine performances at Leicester could convince Pochettino to change his tune.

14 fixtures represents a transient period of time for any budding prodigy to make the transition to Premier League football and impress a manager in Pochettino who is slowly becoming one of the most difficult men to please in the business, but with quality players around him at Leicester he is well-placed to leave Spurs pondering what might have been.

If the Belgium international does indeed manage to showcase the true extent of his potential from now until May, there is no question he could re-emerge as a target for Pochettino in the summer window.

Tottenham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Loads of Newcastle fans have been reacting to a report on the future of Salomon Rondon, which claims the Magpies want to extend his loan deal for another year.

According to The Chronicle, Rondon’s future at Newcastle may play a “pivotal role” in the club’s negotiations with Rafael Benitez over a long-term deal.

The powerful Venezuelan joined the club last summer on a season-long loan, a move which saw Dwight Gayle loaned to West Brom in return.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Now, per the aforementioned report, the Tyneside outfit want to extend that loan deal for another year.

Rondon has scored six Premier League goals this season and also added three assists, and his tireless work as a focal point for the team while also having the ability to make a genuine difference in the final third makes him the perfect Benitez striker.

The gaffer is clearly a big fan of the 29 year-old, and the extension of his loan deal could indicate a longer stay for Benitez as well.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Leeds United currently find themselves sitting at the top of the Championship table after securing all three points against Swansea City last time out.

The Whites will need to ensure consistency from here on in if they are to stand any chance of meeting their aims, with a number of teams all fighting for a limited amount of places.

However, one thing that has been worrying supporters in recent times is the fact that Kemar Roofe has dropped off the pace massively, with no goals to his name in his last five Championship appearances.

Indeed, the Englishman established himself as one of the standout performers for the Whites during the first half of the season as he grabbed an impressive amount of goals, with his tally currently standing at 14. But, things have gone awfully quiet in recent times, which has had a negative affect on some of Leeds’ results as he just hasn’t been able to find the finishing touch that brought him so much success earlier on in the current campaign.

It’s safe to say that Leeds should have cashed in on him last month, despite him playing a big part this season, as his performances since January have been less than impressive. The Whites would have had time to bring in a proven replacement for Roofe and he would have more than likely attracted a big fee.

So, with Leeds now having to deal with his inconsistencies in front of goal, it now looks as if they should have made the brave decision to move him on while they could.

Leeds United fans – thoughts on whether you should have cashed in on Roofe?

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BBC Football pundit Mark Lawrenson has been giving his thoughts ahead of Manchester United hosting Premier League title hopefuls Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, saying players keeping their discipline will be key, and Naby Keita should take note.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Reds legend was delivering his weekly predictions – 1-1 in this case – for the upcoming matches in the English top flight, and he unsurprisingly had plenty to say about the clash at ‘The Theatre of Dreams’.

The visitors are looking for a positive result in their battle with Manchester City to win their first-ever Premier League trophy, while the Red Devils are a side reborn under the leadership of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in recent months.

With a big rivalry between the two, Lawrenson issued a warning via the BBC: “They have to deal with the history of the whole Manchester United-Liverpool rivalry, and everything that goes with it, as well as United’s recent revival. The atmosphere at Old Trafford will be white-hot.

“To come away with anything, the Reds will have to keep their heads.

“I know from playing in this fixture myself that the tackles will be flying in, so discipline is vital. No-one can afford to make a stupid lunge at someone early on because they will get sent off for it.”

Who needs to take note?

In one word, Keita.

While teammates Jordan Henderson and James Milner are guilty of losing their heads at times – see their dismissals this season – they both have the experience of playing at Old Trafford and know what they need to do to stay on the pitch.

It isn’t the same with the Guinea international, who will be making first appearance away against United and is still in a transitional period where he is looking to prove that he should be a regular starter in the Liverpool midfield.

He hasn’t picked up a single booking in 19 Premier League outings this season, but he has committed 21 fouls and was also sent off on three occasions for Red Bull Leipzig last term.

When you are a player looking to make an impact on the biggest stage, he could be in danger on Sunday of letting his enthusiasm get the better of him.

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Neil Lennon’s second stint as Celtic manager got off to a good start as his side emerged 2-1 victors over 10-man Hearts, although in no small part thanks to Odsonne Edouard, who scored the winner in the dying minutes after coming off the bench.

James Forrest gave the visitors the lead just after the half-hour mark before Hearts’ Jamie Brandon was sent for an early shower after flailing an arm in the face of Hoops right-back Jeremy Toljan.

The German, though, surely cannot blame the incident for the performance he produced thereafter. The defender, on loan from Borussia Dortmund, struggled to cause the Hearts defence any problems down the right and, on several occasions, his cross didn’t get past the first man.

Check out a Celtic fan’s viewpoint on last night’s last-gasp win over Hearts in the video below…

Fortunately for the speedster, Scott Brown was on hand to deliver late on – the Scotsman teed up Edouard for the decisive goal on his return to the starting XI.

Here’s how the Bhoys and Ghirls reacted to Toljan’s performance, and they didn’t hold back…

Sunderland’s season has continued in strong fashion as they remain confident of fighting for a place in the Championship next season. 

Whilst they’re currently in 3rd place, the automatic places are potentially just one point away, if they manage to win their game in hand.

With that in mind plus the fact there are 14 games still to play, Sunderland have the right group of players to sustain a promotion push.

Jack Ross has already made a huge difference around the club but some may feel that promotion must be gained this season, if not, their better players will leave and it will be a case of starting all over again.

Whatever division they play their football in next season, Southampton’s Sam Gallagher is a striker equipped to play in either and would pose as another great forward option for the Black Cats.

Gallagher, (who is valued at £2.7 million on Transfermarkt) will be feeling very disappointed as to how few opportunities he has had to impress this season.

Even with Southampton sat in the relegation zone, the 23-year-old’s services have been called upon for just seven minutes in the Premier League, as his exit from St Marys’ seems destined to happen sooner rather than later.

Having not moved in January, Sam Gallagher was a missed opportunity for a number of sides. He scored seven goals in total for Championship side Birmingham, meaning if Sunderland got promoted or not, he would be a good option in either league.

The Black Cats do currently have a number of capable strikers but it doesn’t hurt to add more firepower to their squad, something Sam Gallagher would undoubtedly give them.

Do you agree… Let us know!

Everton needed a special performance from their defenders to keep out the attacking storm of Liverpool.

They needed someone like Michael Keane to step up and deliver the goods, which he dutifully obliged by standing up to the Reds’ intimidating attack. After being signed from Burnley last season, the derby performance probably ranks among his best for the Toffees.

Despite not having to deal with Roberto Firmino’s threat from the get-go, the English defender still had the unpredictable Divock Origi to keep an eye out, as well as dealing with both Mo Salah and Sadio Mane’s threat. He put in a commendable performance, asserting his composure by not allowing the pressure to catch up to him.

The 26-year-old defender marshalled his troops really well while linking superbly with Kurt Zouma at the heart of Everton’s defence. He ended up making seven clearances in the game to avert danger, along with two successful tackles and six interceptions to win possession for his side.

Keane was also a rock-solid pillar aerially, winning four aerial duels (stats via Fotmob) and was always at the right place at the right time to avert danger. The defender’s fantastic recovery challenge to deny Mohamed Salah in the second half displayed a man high on confidence.

After attaining back-to-back clean-sheets with Everton, Keane’s blooming at the right moment, with national camp just around the corner.

If his assertive performance against Liverpool proved anything, he can comfortably drift into the heart of England’s defence for their upcoming  UEFA Euro qualifiers.

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Players who thrive in teams outside of the top-six seldom escape the rumour mill which spins mechanically to print a host of stories linking them with more coveted clubs. One of the outstanding midfield anchors in the Premier League this season, Idrissa Gueye, was heavily linked with a move to Paris Saint Germain in January and Manchester City and Arsenal were also reported to be interested.

A move failed to materialise, but the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Luke Shaw, Ross Barkley and Moussa Sissoko have all taken the logical step up in pursuit of silverware, prestige, Champions League football and, naturally, a salary increase.

In footballing terms this is the circle of life. By that logic, a summer transfer to one of Europe’s top clubs is surely beckoning for Raul Jimenez, who has scored more goals than any other player outside of the top-six barring Gylfi Sigurdsson.

His return of 11 goals and six assists in the league represents the highest number of goal contributions by any player outside of the top-six in the division, and that total remains one higher than Son Heung-min’s tally prior to this weekend, a player who has been mentioned as a player of the year candidate.

Statistical returns of this nature do not go unnoticed and top clubs will be analysing Jimenez’s progress from afar with eagle-eyed intrigue. But the case for Jimenez to take what has been established as the logical step forward in his career is not as compelling as one might assume.

The Mexico international has tried his hand at one of Europe’s top clubs before, landing in Madrid for his first spell in Europe with Atletico, a club with centre-forward predecessors Diego Costa, Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero remaining firmly embedded into the consciousness of expectant supporters.

Jimenez buckled under the weight of the task, scoring just one goal in 28 appearances before being sold to Benfica a year later. Portugal provided a more forgiving environment for the powerful forward to operate in and, while his return of 18 goals from 80 Liga Nos appearances points towards another disappointing spell, it’s particularly pertinent to note that just 20 of those appearances were starts.

It’s fair to assume that, given his rich history at two prestigious European clubs who both expect to qualify for the Champions League, his move to Molineux at the beginning of the season was designed with a regular starting berth at the forefront of his decision. Quotes from Wolves’ top goalscorer prior to the World Cup also substantiate that assumption, per ESPN.

For the first time since moving to Europe Jimenez has established himself as a first-team regular, if not an indispensable starter. However, there is, as Wolves fans are acutely aware, an elephant in the room: their star-striker is only contracted to a season-long loan.

According to Express and Star, Wolves can exercise a £30million option-to-buy clause in the summer to make his move permanent, but there is nothing to stop a rival bidder from bettering that figure and offering more lucrative terms to the 27-year-old. A few years ago, we saw a similar situation with Toby Alderweireld – Atletico essentially reneged on their agreement with Southampton before selling him to Tottenham.

What’s your club’s best chant? Check out the video below for a Wolves epic that surely has to be one of the best in English football…

But Jimenez will know better than anyone that sometimes strikers are better off playing a starring role in a low-budget film rather than a supporting role in a blockbuster Oscar-contender. The thing is, though, Wolves are approaching a cinematic golden era in their recent history and Jimenez could yet command the spotlight in a Leicester City-esque story of underdog achievement.

Wolves are in the midst of a watershed moment in their history which has provided unprecedented levels of enthusiasm and expectation amongst the supporters, and any player who sits at the forefront of the revolution, such as Jimenez, will have a special place in the hearts of the fan base when they look back on this period with fond memories in five years’ time.

The foundations are in place for one of the surprise packages of the season to play his way into Wolves folklore and challenge for legendary status.

When the Champions League draw for the Round of 16 was made in mid-December, not many would have expected what was about to unfold.

Current holders Real Madrid were embarrassed by an Ajax side that showed shades of the same club that won three consecutive Champions League trophies in the 70s, Manchester United became the first side in the history of the competition to overcome a 2-0 home defeat as Ole’s men won 3-1 against PSG, and most impressive of all, Spurs didn’t ‘Spurs’ it up against Borussia Dortmund in a 4-0 aggregate win.

For the first time since 2008, there will be four English teams in the Champions League quarter-finals, and for the first time since 2011 will, one of those teams be Tottenham.

The north London side have been one of the surprise teams in Europe this season, snatching a second-place spot in their group from Inter Milan when it looked like Mauricio Pochettino’s side were destined for a Europa League placing, and then putting Dortmund to the sword in the RO16 rounded off a stunning change in fortunes for Spurs.

And with Premier League title hopes crushed way before anything really started and no domestic cups to worry about due to the lack of not being in any, why aren’t Tottenham making the Champions League a priority?

With half the remaining teams in the competition being English and a further two being Ajax and Porto, two sides that are being viewed as the teams the other six want to be drawn against, it’s not crazy to suggest that Tottenham have a genuine shot at winning the Champions League.

Of course, this is Tottenham we’re talking about. We have seen this club stumble and fall at many obstacles that on the surface looked easy enough to overcome, with last weekend being a prime example of this.

Any sign of pressure and Pochettino’s side seem to crumble into obscurity, but with some luck of the draw, Spurs might just pull it off.

Most competitions these days are won on the basis of not how you play, but who you play. This is how England made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup last summer and you could even argue this is how Liverpool made the Champions League final last season.

The luck of the draw now plays a bigger part in football than ever, and this luck might just be what Spurs could need to claim the most surprising Champions League win since Chelsea in 2012.

As well as luck, Spurs need to actually turn up against these teams, and this season we have Poch’s side do some genuine damage to some of the biggest teams on the continent.

We all saw what happened in the first leg against Dortmund. A Dortmund side that at the time were top of the Bundesliga and playing some of the best football in all of Europe and a Dortmund side that finished top of a Champions League group with the likes of Atletico Madrid and AS Monaco.

If Tottenham can emulate the determination and quality the displayed against Dortmund, Spurs will be a deadly team to come up against in the Champions League and easily the dark horse for the competition.

Spurs fans, do you think Tottenham have what it takes to win the Champions League?