All posts by h716a5.icu

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Crystal Palace kick off their 2019/20 Premier League season by welcoming Everton to Selhurst Park, on the back of an interesting transfer window.

Talisman Wilfried Zaha was once again heavily linked with a move away and even handed in a transfer request this week, but he ended up reluctantly remaining with the Eagles, according to The Sun.

Meanwhile, plenty of new faces arrived in the form of Stephen Henderson, the returning Jordan Ayew, Gary Cahill, James McCarthy and Victor Camarasa, although there were no additions for the right-back and centre-forward positions – much to the anger of Palace fans on Twitter.

So how will they line up against Marco Silva’s side? We take a look below.

Well, the south London outfit lined up in a 4-4-2 system in their final pre-season friendly against Hertha Berlin last weekend, and we expect Roy Hodgson to select the same formation for the visit of the Toffees.

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Victor Guaita will start between the sticks, with Patrick van Aanholt and Joel Ward in the full-back positions.

Hodgson used Scott Dann and Martin Kelly at the heart of the backline against Hertha, but we think he might bring leader and new boy Cahill straight into the XI in the absence of the injured Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins.

Ahead of them, Max Meyer has impressed on the left during pre-season and gets a start, with Andros Townsend on the opposite flank.

Hodgson has plenty of central midfield options to choose from in James McArthur, Luka Milivojevic, Cheikhou Kouyate, McCarthy and Camarasa, but we are tipping the former two to get the nod from the former England boss.

The 72-year-old then has a huge decision as to whether he plays Zaha after what has happened this week, or leaves him on the substitutes’ bench with Christian Benteke and Jordan Ayew up top.

We think Hodgson will roll the dice on the Ivorian given he is their talisman and such an important player – 10 goals and 10 assists in the Premier League last term is testament to that – and is available for selection as per the manager’s press conference on Friday.

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Tottenham welcome Newcastle to their new stadium for the first time this weekend, and there could be an absolute slaughter on the cards.

The Magpies conceded three at Carrow Road on Saturday, and they were lucky not to concede even more, allowing Norwich to take a whopping 15 shots, eight of which were on target.

Steve Bruce’s side travel to north London to face a Spurs team filled with confidence after their draw at the home of the champions, and it is surely the perfect time for Mauricio Pochettino to hand one of his summer signings a first start.

The back four will surely stay the same after being so resilient against Man City, while the midfield duo of Harry Winks and Tanguy Ndombele pretty much picks itself.

In attack is where things get interesting though, with plenty of options to choose from now that Son Heung-min is back from suspension.

We suspect the wing wizard to come straight back into the XI, while Erik Lamela simply must keep his place after he played a part in both goals at the Etihad.

The two offer excellent width, speed and work rate on the flanks, which should afford new signing Giovani Lo Celso plenty of space to work his magic behind Harry Kane.

The Argentine registered 16 goals and six assists in all competitions last season, and while Christian Eriksen may be the more obvious pick, the new man will never get an easier opportunity to open his Tottenham account than against a disorganised and fractured Newcastle side.

Oh, and Kane will start, but you probably didn’t need us to tell you that.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Following Aston Villa’s 6-1 drubbing of League Two outfit Crewe Alexandra in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday evening, their former striker Darren Bent has claimed that he is excited by Keinan Davis, but describes the situation surrounding him as tough.

What’s he said?

Davis was one of the five goalscorers that netted in the 6-1 win, but it was only his fourth goal in a Villa shirt in 44 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

The 21-year-old made his debut in an FA Cup defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in 2017 and only managed to play seven matches under current Villa boss Dean Smith last season.

Find out which Premier League stadium has been ranked the worst in the video below…

Wesley was signed by the club for a record £22m this summer, so game time may be a rarity this season, but Bent would like to see a lot more of him.

He told Football Insider:

“You’d hope so, you’d like to think so. It’s tough.

“I’m always wanting youngsters to play but it’s tough when a team’s just been promoted in the Premier League, it’s a fine line between staying up and developing young players.

“Hopefully we’ll see a lot a more of him and hopefully at some stage, he can force his way into the team and the squad every week.”

Valuable backup

Although it may remain unlikely for Davis to cement his name as Villa’s leading man this season, his role and place amongst the squad shouldn’t be underestimated.

Smith only has two senior strikers at his disposal, one a summer arrival and the other a player that has injury doubts hanging over his head as Jonathan Kodjia hasn’t been seen recently due to an ankle problem.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Villa boss also wanted to keep hold of Davis for this coming campaign instead of letting him develop elsewhere, so surely he has plans for the young 6 foot 3 forward.

He’s still only 21 despite being around the first-team setup for around three seasons now, so it’s not as if he would be completely out of his depth.

After all, a goal against Crewe should certainly help his cause in the coming weeks.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Celtic made 11 new signings this summer, per Transfermarkt, but their greatest success in the market may just be the man they kept despite apparently wanting to leave.

What’s the word?

When Olivier Ntcham shockingly came out and said Scottish football was beneath him and that he wanted a move away, it seemed like only a matter of time before he sealed an exit.

He had managed just six goals and one assist last season, and it hardly seemed worthwhile keeping him around if he didn’t want to be at the club.

Neil Lennon brought him around though, and it may just be the smartest thing the gaffer did all summer.

Support for the skipper

Whether it’s being annoyed by the loudness of the teenagers you see on the street, finding music too loud, pulling your hamstring in a Sunday league match or falling asleep during movies, we all show signs of ageing eventually.

For Scott Brown, that sign seems to be giving away daft penalties, something he has done twice already this season, much to the annoyance of the Parkhead faithful.

The skipper is declining and needs to be rotated, and thus Lennon’s decision to keep Ntcham looks to be an absolute master-stroke.

The 23 year-old grabbed an impressive nine goals from midfield two seasons ago, and showed glimpses of his old self in Sunday’s Old Firm.

His clever one-two and driving run forward to set up Jonny Hayes sealed the match for the Hoops, and this isn’t the first time he has impressed fans this campaign.

It’s always sad when an iconic player starts to struggle, but keeping Ntcham, providing he continues to perform at this level, means the side will not suffer much from Brown’s inevitable decline.

Lennon has taken some stick from fans for his judgement this season, but standing firm against Ntcham’s desire to leave was absolutely genius, and could well prove crucial to the club’s objectives this term.

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Loads of Sunderland fans have been revelling in a spat between two of their former rivals – Alan Shearer and Michael Owen.

There’s not too much to celebrate for football fans in the Northeast at the moment.

Newcastle fans are desperate to get rid of owner Mike Ashley, while the Black Cats are not exactly setting League One alight in their second crack at the third-tier under Jack Ross, losing 3-0 at Peterborough this past weekend.

The men from Wearside did have something to enjoy on Tuesday though, as Shearer and Owen went at each other’s throats on Twitter.

Owen’s new book reveals how he felt about his time on Tyneside, as he lambasted the Newcastle fans, saying he regrets joining the Magpies and that the Toon Army believe they are a bigger club than they actually are.

Shearer hit back on Twitter, to which Owen responded with a jab of his own, and the end result is Sunderland fans practically laughing themselves into a coma.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where one even said the argument had made his day…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

In a conversation with Off the Ball, Gary Neville has thrown down the gauntlet to Paul Pogba on what he needs to do to become a success at Manchester United.

What did he say?

The France World Cup winner has come under heavy criticism in recent weeks and months amidst speculation linking him with a move away from Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old publicly admitted he would embrace a “new challenge” before sparking major controversy with his role in the penalty fiasco at Wolves this season.

Neville, who criticised Pogba in the aftermath of that clash at Molineux, has now revealed the Frenchman has to carry United on his shoulders as the side’s best player.

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He said (as quoted by The Manchester Evening News): “When I criticised Paul Pogba after the penalty incident at Wolves, I don’t see it as being any different than the criticism of Roy Keane or David Beckham or Wayne Rooney. The best player, the leader, the captain in the team, will stand up and he will take the brunt of the criticism. Just as the manager will and the coach will.

“He’s the Bryan Robson of the 80’s now. United were in trouble, people hung everything on Bryan Robson, everybody now hangs a lot on Paul Pogba. But that’s the pressure that he wants, he wants to be the best player in the world. So now go and show us you’re the best player in the world.

“What does he need to do that? Carry Manchester United into the Champions League, win the Europa League, drive them forward. That’s what I want from Paul Pogba, that’s what I want from him because I believe he’s capable of doing it. I have faith in him to do it.”

Responsibility

Whilst Neville has previously criticised Pogba, his latest comments on the Frenchman certainly do have a lot of weight to them. The 26-year-old is seen as the main man at United, and as such will take the bulk of the flak when things don’t go the right way.

The pressure of being the Red Devils’ star player inevitably brings about increased attention. Mistakes are heavily scrutinised whilst below-par performances are simply not accepted. The Manchester side are in a period of transition at the moment and so things are understandably a little more tense. But if Pogba can embrace the responsibility and thrive in it, he could yet turn his United career around and cement a far more positive legacy.

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It’s fair to say that it hasn’t been the best of starts to former West Ham United target Maxi Gomez’s Valencia career, and Irons fans are split on whether their club should attempt to sign him again should he become available.

The east London outfit were desperate to land the Uruguay international during the summer transfer window, but he ended up staying in La Liga when Marcelino brought him to the Mestalla.

However, the club who lie 10th in the Spanish top flight standings have sacked the 54-year-old ahead of a league game against Barcelona at the weekend, and their opening Champions League group clash against Chelsea next week.

Meanwhile, Gomez was an unused substitute for the opening-day clash against Real Sociedad, before starting in the defeat against former employers Celta Vigo, as per Transfermarkt.

He then found himself back on the substitutes’ bench against Mallorca prior to the international break.

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Marcelino’s departure could prove to be a positive in that sense, but the departure of the man who wanted him and signed him could also work against the 23-year-old.

Of course, West Ham brought in Sebastien Haller for a club-record fee and he has hit the ground running with three goals in three Premier League appearances, and while some of the fans below believe Gomez could be an able back-up to him, others clearly wouldn’t want the South American.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Having made a public promise to give youngsters a chance in the first-team, it seems Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keeping his word.

The Norwegian saw the fruits of such an approach during the club’s pre-season tour in the summer, where the likes of Mason Greenwood, Tahith Chong and Axel Tuanzebe all shined at various points.

And having resisted the temptation to throw them into the deep end in the Premier League, Solskjaer has changed tack for the side’s opening game of the Europa League against Astana.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the United boss confirmed the likes of Greenwood, Tuanzebe and Sergio Romero would all be starting.

Now, ahead of the evening kick-off, the club’s official Twitter account has revealed that 19-year-old midfielder Angel Gomes has also been given a rare opportunity to start.

After hearing about the team selection, United fans flooded to Twitter to share their thoughts on the situation.

Many supporters of the Manchester side appear to be in dreamland with the news, with one fan in particular saying it is the best moment of his life – bit far perhaps.

Some fans hailed Solskjaer’s decision to hand the youngsters a chance, with many revelling in how exciting the team is.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

In today’s West Ham United roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Hammers. Manuel Pellegrini has taken some of the responsibility for the embarrassing defeat to Oxford United, Danny Mills speaks highly of Andriy Yarmolenko, and Pablo Zabaleta has apologised for the ‘poor performance’ in midweek.

‘The responsibility is first on me’, says Pellegrini

Report: As told by BBC Sport, Pellegrini believes he is partly responsible for the defeat in the Carabao Cup to Oxford. The Chilean said: “The whole team didn’t play well. Not only did we concede four goals, but we didn’t create too many chances.

“We missed too many passes from the beginning and the responsibility is first on me because I picked the players, and second on the team that didn’t compete.

“It’s easy to say that we played very badly, but Oxford did everything they needed to win this game. They played with a lot of motivation, with desire and we didn’t play well.”

Verdict: It is very easy to point the fingers at the man in charge when a side loses 4-0, but in truth, the likes of Jack Wilshere, Pablo Zabaleta, Pablo Fornals, Robert Snodgrass and the many other experienced players should be breezing past a team that are mid-table in League One. Players of such great experience – including some who have won major trophies –  should not need a manager to manufacture a win against a team placed 75 positions lower than them, and as a result, the players have to take a large chunk of the blame.

It really is hard to blame Pellegrini for this one, as the Hammers had 63% of the ball but registered just nine shots as opposed to Oxford’s 17. In reality, it was just a dreadful performance from the travelling side, and the players should be the ones who have a long and hard look at themselves, not the manager.

Mills in awe of ‘outstanding’ Yarmolenko

Report: Speaking to Football Insider, former England international Danny Mills has heaped the praise of star man Yarmolenko after another superb display last week against Manchester United. Mills insists West Ham must get the Ukrainian on the ball as much as possible, and said: “He’s a very good player. Maybe lacks the pace of some but we’ve seen him in Europe for many, many years. Outstanding left foot, great quality on the ball.

“If Pellegrini’s going to play to strengths, give him the ball, get him on the ball as much as possible. You have to buy players to fit the way you want to play and it looks like that is what Pellegrini has done.”

Verdict: The former Borussia Dortmund man may not be the quickest out of the blocks but at 6ft 3, Yarmolenko will give almost any defender something to think about with his physicality and special left foot.

As he did before his awful injury last year, the 29-year-old has bagged twice in the early stages of the Premier League, smashing home against Norwich City and then giving his side the lead over United last time out.

This season, West Ham have certainly placed themselves in an early fight for the top six, although they may need a bit of fortune along the way. However, if they can keep Yarmolenko fit, they may find themselves breaking down the barrier of the big clubs.

Zabaleta ‘sorry’ after shock defeat

Report: As reported by the Evening Standard, experienced right-back Zabaleta has apologised for the team’s horrendous display against Oxford in the League Cup. The Argentine said: “If you look at the performance tonight, it was not anywhere near our standard and also in the way we lost was not good.

“I thought it was a poor performance from everyone. We are not the first Premier League team to be knocked out of the Carabao Cup. We saw Spurs and other Premier League teams struggling to win games like that.

“We still need to learn how to play those games, especially when you come from a big win like it was against Manchester United last Sunday. This was a completely different game against a League One team who play a different kind of football where the intensity is higher. That is why you have to perform well enough to win those games.”

Verdict: Quite remarkably, it is now the third year on the bounce that West Ham have crashed out of a cup competition at the hands of a club from the third tier. Last year saw Wimbledon beat the Hammers 4-2 in the FA Cup and the year prior saw notorious giant-killers Wigan Athletic overcome David Moyes’ men 2-0 in the same competition.

Now, after the defeat to Oxford, West Ham have made a bad habit of crashing out early in a competition that they should be prioritising.

The club have not won a major trophy for almost 40 years when they won the FA Cup in 1980, and the Carabao Cup may have been their best shot at ending that dreadful drought.

Of course, Pellegrini did make nine changes. But that is not an excuse for a team battling in the top end of the Premier League, regardless of who comes in and who misses out. Knowing the passion and honour which Zabaleta stands for, he will mean this apology – it’s now dependant on whether or not he and his team can turn things around.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

After giving the green light to letting both Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez leave this summer, you just knew the footballing gods would smite Manchester United with an injury crisis in the position they absolutely did not want.

The Red Devils have seen all three of their remaining forward options struck down with some form of injury over the past few weeks and months, and head into the Premier League clash against rivals Arsenal on Monday with some major doubts.

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Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed both Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford may struggle to play against the Gunners, while the Norwegian also revealed he is wary of throwing Mason Greenwood into the “deep end”. And with injuries in other positions piling up too, United’s potential line-up against Unai Emery’s men makes for worrying reading.

Thankfully for Solskjaer and United, the Red Devils should be able to start four out of their first-choice back-five on Monday. Luke Shaw however remains a doubt with an injury sustained earlier in the campaign, and that will likely see Ashley Young continue with left-back duties.

In midfield, Scott McTominay has been an ever-present for United, starting every single Premier League game this season. Alongside him, Paul Pogba may have hoped to feature, but his return from injury against Rochdale did not go as planned. Solskjaer confirmed in his pre-match press conference on Friday that the Frenchman has some swelling in his ankle, and that should mean another chance for Nemanja Matic in the holding midfield role.

Further forward is where United’s current decline really makes for worrying reading. As the only real silver lining in the squad, Daniel James should continue on the left-hand side of attack, but options elsewhere are incredibly limited. Jesse Lingard ended his months-long hoodoo with an assist against Rochdale, but Juan Mata will likely keep his place after playing against West Ham last weekend.

The central trio of Matic, McTominay and Mata is so lacking in any sort of pace or dynamism it is mortifying to even look at.

And with doubts over both Rashford and Martial, Mason Greenwood could be handed his first Premier League start of the campaign. The Red Devils are having to rely on an unproven 17-year-old to potentially lead the line against one of their top-four rivals. And what’s perhaps most damning, is that it’s a mess of their own making. Monday night promises to be a very intriguing game indeed.