All posts by z3u9t.icu

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Arsenal fans have taken to Twitter to criticise Granit Xhaka after the 1-1 draw against Brighton.

The score-draw practically ends Arsenal’s hopes of finishing in the top four, as they will need to win their last fixture and hope Tottenham lose, whilst there will also need to be an eight-goal swing in terms of goal difference.

One fan is happy (but very confused) after Wolves beat Arsenal in the video below…

Almost all of the Arsenal team were well below par, but the 6 foot midfielder, who gave away the penalty for Glenn Murray’s equaliser, was especially poor and received the bulk of the supporters’ anger after full-time.

It has been a seismic collapse from Unai Emery’s men at this late stage of the season. The Gunners faced four fixtures against Crystal Palace, Wolves, Leicester and Brighton, and only managed to pick up a single point – given how their top-four rivals have also performed, even just a few wins would’ve put them in a commanding position.

Despite the entire teams struggling on the day, let’s see what the Arsenal supporters have been saying about the Swiss international Xhaka…

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Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool could be in for a fiery Champions League final after Damir Skomina was appointed referee for the encounter in Madrid on June 1st.

The name may not be too familiar for either team but Skomina has history in this season’s competition.

Indeed, Manchester United fans owe the Slovenian ref a debt of gratitude, as he was the man in the middle during the Red Devils’ victory over PSG in France.

United lost 2-0 at Old Trafford but won 3-1 in Paris to progress to the quarter-finals, with their third goal coming from the penalty spot in injury time. Indeed, Skomina awarded the spot-kick following a VAR review, judging that Presnel Kimpembe had handled Diogo Dalot’s long-range shot.

He is a card-happy official, too, with WhoScored noting that, in four Champions League appearances this season, he has shown an average of 4.5 yellow cards per game but he is yet to send a player off.

He has also awarded an average of 23.75 fouls per game, while the home team has won just once when he has been in charge; he has not overseen a draw this term.

There should be a winner in 90 minutes, then, when both Spurs and Liverpool lock horns for the right to be called champions of Europe.

Skomina was in charge as Liverpool beat Napoli 1-0 in the group stages, with Mohamed Salah scoring the winner to secure the Reds’ place in the knockout stages.

He refereed the 2017 Europa League final between United and Ajax and was also the fourth official for the 2013 Champions League final, when Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund.

Skomina has yet to referee Spurs this term.

If you were to ask an Arsenal fan what area of the pitch they believe needs the most work, the most common answer would be the defence.

The Gunners have at times been laughable this season due to some of the horrific defensive errors and lack of organisation that saw Unai Emery’s side finish outside the top-four for a third consecutive year, and work is expected to be done this summer.

Charlie Nicholas (via the Metro) believes Shkodran Mustafi should leave this transfer window with the German centre-back the main culprit for Arsenal’s shoddy defending and the north London side are highly expected to bring in one or two more defenders to improve the quality of what Emery has at his disposal, and a big name has been rumoured.

According to Il Messaggero, Arsenal are ready to activate Kostas Manolas’ £31 million release clause this summer as the Greek defender looks to move on from AS Roma after five years in the Italian capital if they don’t finish in a Champions League spot come the end of the Serie A season.

Manolas, who is valued on Transfermakrt at £40.5 million, has been rumoured with a move to Arsenal ever since his days at Olympiakos, and now the Gunners have the golden opportunity to finally secure the signature of the 27-year-old defender, who will be a game-changing signing for Emery.

It’s been a long time since Arsenal had a solid duo in the heart of the defence, but with Manolas, that will become a problem of the past with Sokratis and Rob Holding already at the club and both more than capable of complimenting the Greek in the starting XI.

Arsenal have long sought to sign Manolas, and this summer will be the perfect chance to bring in the man who will transform the club’s defence, and take them one big step forward into becoming an elite team again.

Arsenal fans, would Manolas change the team for the better? Let us know!

After the transfer saga that took over West Ham last January revolving around Marko Arnautovic, not many would have expected the striker to be part of the squad for next season.

The Austrian forward was at the centre of a bid from a Chinese Super League side in the winter transfer window that led many to believe that the former Stoke City man was the latest big-name player to make the move to the far east for big money, but a mess of a saga that saw conflicting reports of the bid being accepted or rejected eventually saw Arnautovic remain at in east London and sign a new deal.

It was an infuriating process for Hammers fans, and now according to the Daily Mail, Arnautovic is expected to stay in the Premier League this summer despite speculation the 30-year-old was to depart the English capital.

With West Ham set for a massive summer, it is surprising to see that Arnautovic could be one of the players that could survive the summer exodus despite the previous episode in the winter, and Manuel Pellegrini could be making a mistake in keeping the Austrian at the club.

There is no doubt that Arnautovic is a talented player and has improved greatly since the move from the Potters and the transition into the striker position, but after the drama in January as well as the club being linked with some high-profile strikers, the Austrian, who is valued at £31.5 million on Transfermarkt, could be better off leaving West Ham in order to make room in the squad as well as add funds to the transfer budget.

Arnautovic has not done any favours to win back fans since the transfer fiasco in January, and keeping a figure like that at the club when new players are needed could be a decision that comes back to haunt Pellegrini next season.

West Ham fans, is Pellegrini right to keep hold of Arnoutivic this summer? Let us know!

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Charlton face Sunderland this weekend in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium, where they will wrap up what has been a hugely successful campaign, particularly amid ongoing struggles away from the pitch.

Promotion seemed so unlikely when the season began but is now just one game away for the Addicks – their achievements have been surprising to say the least but the fact that Lee Bowyer will be scratching his head as to who should start on Sunday shows just how far the SE7 outfit have come in the past eight months or so.

Charlton Live podcast were keen to discuss the big selection headache facing the former midfielder in Thursday night’s match preview and they’re predicting one harsh decision.

What did they say?

Well, speaking on the final pre-match podcast of the term, host Louis Mendez said (00:16:08):

“There’s a question at the back as well, and he has had a very good second half of the season, and he wasn’t the only one really so he might feel unfairly picked out here but (Naby) Sarr looked a little bit nervous [against Doncaster], maybe I’m reading too much into that but we know we’ve got an able deputy in (Jason) Pearcey. Bowyer will have a few decisions to make.”

Tom Wallin then added (00:16:41):

“For me, that one at the back, I think, as we’ve said several times it’s going to be gutting for whichever of those two misses out but, for me, I think I said it on Sunday’s show as well or whenever we did a show last, it’s got to be Pearcey (who starts), just for that experience.”

Harsh on Sarr

The big Frenchman has exceeded all expectations this season having endured a rocky few years since signing from Sporting Lisbon in 2015 and has largely kept the aforementioned Pearce out of the starting XI – not an easy feat.

Lionel Messis have been spotted at The Valley, Boundary Park and even in Wales in the video below…

The last thing that Charlton need, though, on this match of all matches, is players who might not be up to the occasion and Sarr’s ‘nervous’ performance against Donny should be a warning sign for Bowyer. It’s harsh to leave the 25-year-old out based on a singular uncertain game amongst however many great ones but 31-year-old Pearce’s experience will be priceless on Sunday.

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Tottenham Hotspur have been urged to leave Harry Kane on the bench in the Champions League final by BT Sports pundit Chris Sutton, per the Daily Mail.

What’s he said?

Kane, per The Guardian, has declared himself fit for this weekend’s clash between Spurs and Liverpool in Madrid.

He injured his ankle ligaments in the club’s quarter-final first leg win over Manchester City and has been absent since, missing nearly two months of football.

In his absence, Spurs beat City on away goals at the Etihad Stadium and also produced a miraculous comeback in the Netherlands to beat Ajax and reach the final; Lucas Moura scored a hat-trick in Amsterdam.

Sutton, thus, believes that the England captain should be left on the bench for this weekend’s game and maintains that the decision is simply “common sense”.

Writing in the Mail, he said: “Harry Kane should not start the Champions League final. It is simply too much of a risk for Tottenham in such a monumental match and manager Mauricio Pochettino must make a sensible decision rather than a sentimental one.

“Common sense must prevail. No matter what Kane says, there have to be doubts over his fitness.

“The striker’s last appearance for Spurs was against Manchester City on April 9 and on Monday he revealed he returned to first-team training at the end of last week.”

He added: “I can understand why Kane is putting himself forward and telling his manager he wants to play. What club captain wouldn’t?

“But Pochettino has to ask himself: would Kane’s inclusion in the starting line-up be in the best interest of the team?

“I don’t think it would. Who would Pochettino drop to make room for Kane too? Lucas Moura, whose hat-trick against Ajax in the semi-final second leg got them to this showdown with Liverpool?

“Son Heung-min, the versatile forward who has arguably been Spurs’ best player this season?

“Neither of those should be making way.”

Overthinking it

Kane is one of the best strikers in the world, if not the best. Tottenham can’t afford to overthink his selection.

At a base level, one can understand where Sutton is coming from; Kane is not necessarily match-fit and one has to doubt that he is completely sharp.

But you play your best players in the biggest games, regardless of whether or not Lucas scored a hat-trick against Ajax.

Kane has an otherworldly scoring record – he has netted a total of 164 goals in 252 games for the club.

If Mauricio Pochettino leaves him on the bench, he will be benching perhaps the finest striker Spurs have ever had.

It’s the Champions League final; if Kane is anything close to fit, he has to play.

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In an interview with French website Festival Foot Espoirs, Aston Villa recruiter Olivier Monterrubio has laid down hints over where the club may find another player with Tammy Abraham’s qualities this summer.

What’s the word?

Abraham was sensational for the Villans in 2018/19, scoring 26 goals as he helped his loan side back to the Premier League.

The Chelsea man had struggled in the top-flight with Swansea but after returning to the Championship, he found the back of the net on a regular basis.

He was crucial to their promotion charge but it remains to be seen whether he’ll return to the club. Considering Chelsea are under a transfer embargo it could be hard to prise him away on a permanent basis.

Villa scout Monterubbio, who was employed by the club last season, has been keeping a close eye on players in France and was important in bringing Frederic Guilbert to the Midlands.

When questioned about whether he’s trying to find someone like Abraham at the prestigious Toulon tournament, a competition he’s now scouting, he told Festival Foot Espoirs:

“Yes. There are also several other posts to find. For the moment, I’m looking at all the numbers and then I’ll sort on the second and third day.”

Between the lines

It’s been difficult to work out Dean Smith’s transfer policy since achieving promotion given the sheer volume of players that seem to have been targeted.

Outfield players Joe Lolley, Neal Maupay and Gary Cahill could all join, whilst Neil Etheridge has also been the subject of interest.

However, reading between the lines of what Monterubbio has said, it’s clear that Villa are still after players they can develop following comments made by the manager in January.

The Toulon tournament has been highly regarded for a while now and is used as a platform for some of the best young players around to display their talents.

It’s intriguing to note that the Frenchman could be trying to find a player in the mould of Villa’s star striker from last term, but being able to actually discover someone as talented as that could be a challenge.

Monterubbio looks as though he’s already done some encouraging work in France but if he can find someone to match Abraham or mimic his profile in terms of ability and further potential, it would surely represent his finest discovery to date.

Against all the expectations and the wishes of the fans, Ernesto Valverde has remained the head coach of Barcelona and will be there come next season. But as much as his work and achievements, especially in domestic competitions, should not be disregarded, there’s a universal feeling that he is just no longer the right manager for the Catalans, whether they want to admit it or not.

The board seem to be trusting Valverde, or rather, the president is despite numerous board members not sharing that view. Still, by the words of the man himself, famously spoken after the Anfield debacle, “it is what it is”, and we have to move on with that in mind.

But regardless of the Blaugrana board not wanting change, we’re nonetheless going to indulge the urge and see who might be a good choice for a Barcelona coach.

So, without further ado, here are 15 managers whocouldrestore Barcelona to greatness…

Thomas Tuchel

Even though his current campaign with PSG would not really attest to that, Thomas Tuchel is one of the best modern day coaches around.

His tactics, although sometimes perceived as too methodical, are quite exciting and proactive, which is the complete opposite of what Valverde has in mind and thus, exactly what the fans would like to see at the Camp Nou.

Marcelo Bielsa

Imagine this: it’s a beautiful, sunny day in Catalunya; people are drinking coffee outside, children are playing and birds chirping… But suddenly, you hear noise coming from the Camp Nou.

It’s Marcelo Bielsa screaming at his players to start running and stop sulking. Even Messi is doing sprints up and down the pitch. Absolute madness… Can you imagine it? Neither can we but it would be absolutely hilarious. And effective.

Xavi Hernandez

Ah, the prodigal son. From Johan Cruyff to Joseph Guardiola and to Xavi Hernandez – that’s the natural order of things and it will undoubtedly come true one day. This coveted midfielder, best of his generation (and all time?), has a brilliant mind and high footballing IQ.

But is he ready to step up? Well, if it were up to him then no, as he has stated before. But there’s no doubt Cules would welcome him with open arms.

Maurizio Sarri

Sarriball is… Weird. Sometimes it works like a charm and then the Blues somehow shoot themselves in the foot. But as peculiar as it may sound, Sarriball is the Italian tiki-taka and Barcelona are all about that. Sarri had trouble implementing his vision in England but still managed to get the Europa League crown.

Spain would definitely be a better fit and among those teams, Barca are the best match. One Campari and tiki-taka, to go, please!

Erik tan Hag

The current Ajax manager is a pretty tempting choice for Barcelona and for obvious reasons, too. His style of play, mentality and philosophy coincide with those of the Catalan giants: Possession based football with a brave attacking mindset.

In many ways, ten Hag is everything that Valverde isn’t, and if you ask Cules, that’s a great quality to have. Who knows, maybe in a couple of years.

Oscar Garcia

Well now we’re just pushing our luck, we know.

Yes, Garcia is not your usual high-profile, perfect for big teams kind of guy but he does possess certain qualities that make him somewhat attractive for Barcelona: he spent 15 years at the club (and La Masia), knows their core values and has coached their youth outfits while Pep was managing the senior team.

Something must have stuck with him after all those years. Worth a shot.

Lionel Messi

Now here’s a cracker – Lionel Messi has already discarded the possibility of ever becoming a coach in the future but seeing how he already more or less manages the Argentina team and reportedly has a huge say in Barcelona’s business, seeing him as a player/ manager would be quite something.

Not that this option is on the cards but the fans do want a radical change. It does not get much more radical than this.

Julen Lopetegui

What? An ex-Madrid coach at the helm of Barcelona? Blasphemy! Well, yes, true, but he does fit the system more than he did at Real, which was evident in his short and rather disastrous spell in the capital.

But his possession-based attacking football would be a much better fit for the Catalan outfit and would no doubt have more success there. Will it ever happen? Wouldn’t really bet on it, no.

Mauricio Pochettino

“I’d rather work on a farm than coach Barcelona”, were the words of Mauricio Pochettino when he was asked about this gig. It doesn’t surprise us coming from an ex-Espanyol man but in addition to feeling a general hatred towards Barca, Poch also has a brilliant mind.

There’s no denying he would do great things at the Camp Nou. Too bad it will never happen.

Pep Guardiola

Yeah, yeah, we know – Pep Guardiola, can you be more cliché than that? Granted, this is cheesy and predictable but good ol’ Pep is still the perfect fit for Barcelona.

Sure, he reached his peak in his short but extremely successful spell in Catalunya back in the day but his principles have not changed and Barcelona are in dire need of his blueprint. Would he propel them to instant success? Who knows, but saying that he wouldn’t improve them would be ignorant.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have urged chairman Daniel Levy to stick his hand in his pocket after the Daily Mirror reported that the club are willing to splash the cash on Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele and Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso.

Both players would cost well in excess of the £42m record signing of Davinson Sanchez from Ajax.

Levy is reported to have given Mauricio Pochettino funds to spend this summer but, nevertheless, the report claims that he is “determined to drive a hard bargain”.

Indeed, the report also claims that the club have already seen a £53m bid for Lo Celso rejected – he has an £88.9m release clause – while Levy is also unwilling to pay full price for Ndombele, who is valued at £71m.

Spurs, of course, have not spent a penny in the transfer window since buying Lucas Moura from PSG in January 2018.

It certainly appears that they will have to dig deep to secure two of their top targets this summer and fans have urged Levy to stop dragging it out and merely start investing in the squad.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has turned down a move away from the club after Manchester United and Chelsea registered their interest in securing his signature, per Football Insider.

What’s the word?

Rice signed a new contract in December but has still been the subject of enquiries this summer.

The aforementioned report claims that United and the Blues both told the Hammers that they would be interested in securing his signature.

It remains to be seen if Chelsea would have even been able to make a bid in this window, given their transfer ban, but it bears pointing out that Rice actually came through their academy before his move to the Hammers.

United, of course, are looking to reshape their squad under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and have already signed Daniel James from Swansea City.

However, the report claims that Rice wants to remain in east London after a season in which he made his England debut and emerged as a star for the Irons.

A weight off the shoulders

West Ham will be delighted with this news.

Football FanCast understands that the club were anxious about the possibility of receiving bids for the midfielder in this transfer window.

As a result, they placed a £70m asking price on the 20-year-old’s head before the summer window.

But now it has emerged that Rice wants to stay at the London Stadium anyway.

And with the Irons making serious moves in this transfer window – they have already secured Pablo Fornals from Villarreal for a £24m fee – the last thing they would have needed is a saga over Rice’s future.

That can maybe wait; if he repeats his heroics from this season, where he emerged as England’s first-choice defensive midfielder, perhaps clubs will step up to the plate again next summer.

But Rice’s willingness to stay in east London bodes well for the Irons’ chances of keeping him long-term.