All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

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Loads of Celtic fans have been chucking possible manager candidates around on social media, and Twitter seems to have landed firmly on Andre Villas-Boas.

Celtic brought back Neil Lennon to keep things ticking over when Brendan Rodgers left in February, and while “Lenny” will always be a fan favourite at Parkhead, his second stint in charge has been far from perfect.

Yes, the Bhoys are still on track for an eighth consecutive league title and a historic “treble treble”, but the performances have been mostly underwhelming, leading to two 0-0 draws within the last five games.

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

Most fans agree Lennon is the right man to steady the ship but not the one to take the club forward from next season, as they want someone younger and fresher with new ideas.

Andre Villas-Boas fits that mould perfectly, and the ex-Chelsea and Spurs boss is out of work at the moment.

He most recently took charge of Shanghai SIPG, and while there are no concrete links between him and the Hoops, SkyBet have slashed their odds on him becoming permanent boss to 16/1.

Time will tell whether that’s what has got fans signing his name on Twitter or if they know something we don’t, but either way you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

There comes a time where a rumour pops up that is so crazy and yet so brilliant you can’t help but think ‘this needs to happen’, and this week it’s Toby Alderweireld.

According to the Sun, the Tottenham defender is on Arsenal’s radar as the Belgian international heads into a summer transfer window where any team with cash to spend will be looking to activate his £25 million release clause, which is an absolute bargain for a man of his talents.

Manchester United have also been reportedly interested in the 30-year-old centre-back, and with Alderweireld being a Spurs player, it is highly unlikely the club will sell one of their best players to their biggest rivals.

We have already seen something like this happen in the past when Arsenal signed Spurs captain Sol Campbell on a free transfer in 2001 in one of the most surprising and shocking moves in the history of English football.

Alderweireld to Arsenal wouldn’t have the same impact as Campbell’s move did, but it would paint a larger picture to something that fans and the media don’t really want to admit, that the Gunners will always be the bigger team in north London.

It’s a big deal for a player to move between Spurs and Arsenal, so Unai Emery sealing a summer deal for Alderweireld would be sure to shock everyone. The fact that an international star could rock up at the Emirates is great, but then again, Shkodran Mustafi hasn’t exactly lived up to his name.

The Belgium international is arguably one of the best central defenders in the whole of world football and he can provide a wealth of Premier League and European experience. Arsenal’s defensive worries would soon disappear if the defender makes the move this summer, as he’s miles better than the current batch.

Although Spurs have been the better team in the past few seasons in terms of league finishes, there’s no question that Arsenal are still the bigger team in terms of reputation, finances and worldwide fandom, not to mention achieving actual success in the form of trophies in the past five years.

Spurs might have finished above Arsenal in the last two seasons with the outcome of this campaign yet to be decided, but to say Tottenham are the larger of the two teams now is to neglect decades worth of history and success, and if Alderweireld is to move to the Gunners, it will only add more credibility to the case for the red-side of North London.

Arsenal fans, would you take Alderweireld in the summer? Let us know!

Liverpool managed to move back to the top of the table yesterday thanks to goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner in what was a rather tight encounter. 

The Reds won’t accept anything less than the Premier League title this season having come on leaps and bounds under Jurgen Klopp, but they may not have a chance if Manchester City win all of their remaining games.

Although, it looks as if the Merseyside club are already looking at strengthening in the summer, as according to The Mirror, Liverpool are interested in Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech.

Interestingly, the Morocco star is available for just £25 million which represents an absolute bargain price when you consider just how special he’s been this season, producing 19 goals and 20 assists.

The crazy thing is that Ajax only signed the magician for £9.9 million back in 2016.

FSG have managed to secure a number of bargains over the years, including the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho, but Ziyech may just be the best of the bunch if they manage to sign him.

He really would be a masterstroke signing as he’s established himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in world football this season, having proved himself against some of the world’s best in the Champions League.

Liverpool are still yet to replace Coutinho and have lacked creativity in the final third at times this season, so bringing Ziyech to Anfield makes perfect sense. The Moroccan has all the ingredients to take the Reds’ attack to another level and his passing ability would work wonders with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane getting in behind.

Liverpool fans, surely signing Ziyech would be absolutely massive this summer? Join the discussion by commenting down below!

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It has been reported by The Independent that Manchester United are considering making a move for Paris Saint-Germain right-back Thomas Meunier.

What’s the word, then?

The 27-year-old, who is a supporter of the Red Devils, is an option for United in the summer transfer window to solve a problem position on the right side of defence.

In the longer term, they would like Aaron Wan-Bissaka or Kieran Trippier, but Meunier would be more affordable for now and easier to prise away from his current club, per the original report.

The Belgium international joined PSG from Club Brugge in 2016 and has since made 99 appearances in all competitions in the French capital but is finding playing time harder and harder to come by at the Parc des Princes.

Meunier is the ideal gift for the talented Diogo Dalot

Signing Meunier would be a smart move by Ed Woodward as he would be the ideal gift for talented 20-year-old right-back Diogo Dalot.

The Portuguese starlet has impressed in his first season at Old Trafford, however, he’s crying out for some proper competition to motivate him along his journey to becoming the first-choice option.

Currently only Matteo Darmian, who is firmly on the fringes, injury-hit veteran Antonio Valencia, and another old-timer, Ashley Young are providing competition for a starting berth.

Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…

As a player of high quality and relative youth, Meunier would both give Dalot some worthy competition and also a figure to look up to, someone who’s won league titles playing for one of the biggest sides in Europe.

In time, this would improve the former Porto man and aid hugely with his development as they both possess very similar playing styles, you only need to look at the Belgian’s three goals and four assists in Ligue 1 in 2018/2019 to discover that.

The arrival of Meunier would also allow the Man United hierarchy to get rid of some of the deadwood such as the right-back trio mentioned earlier.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work out that this deal is a must-secure for the 20-time top-flight champions.

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Ayoze Perez has, per the Daily Mirror, been linked with a move away from Newcastle United.

The Spanish striker, who scored a hat-trick as the Magpies beat Southampton 3-1 on Saturday, has reportedly attracted interest from his homeland.

And he spoke after his hat-trick of the possibility of a departure when the transfer window reopens.

He said: “In the summer, there are going to be options.

“That means I have done ­something well. I’ll be up for hearing what is coming, but it doesn’t mean I am going to leave 100 per cent at the end of the season.

“It is going to be a difficult decision and depends on a lot of things.”

Football FanCast takes a look at the potential consequences of a Perez exit from St James’ Park…

A Benitez demand

If Perez leaves, Newcastle have to replace him.

Rafael Benitez may not be backed to the hilt – he rarely is by owner Mike Ashley – but replacing the Spaniard will have to be a priority.

He has scored 11 goals in all competitions this season and is the club’s top scorer, with one more than Salomon Rondon.

Seeing the club’s most prolific marksman walk away from the club without a replacement being lined up would likely set Benitez’s blood boiling.

Ashley must ensure that does not happen.

A promotion

Elias Sorensen is surely ready for the Newcastle first-team.

A Denmark Under-21 international, Sorensen has scored 15 goals in 33 outings for the Under-18 side at St James’ Park, along with 16 in 22 for the Under-23s.

A loan spell at Blackpool didn’t work out because he didn’t play – he made just one appearance – but his goalscoring record speaks for itself at youth level.

He has yet to make his first-team debut for the club but that could come about next season, particularly if Perez is gone.

More weight given to bargains

Newcastle signed Perez for £1.5million over four years ago, when Alan Pardew was manager.

He will likely earn Newcastle more than twenty times that should he leave this summer, particularly in today’s inflated market.

And that could spell bad news for Benitez.

Ashley has always looked to drive a hard bargain. After all, the signing of Miguel Almiron in January was the first transfer ever to cost the club over £20m.

The sale of Perez and the profit turned would surely lend some weight to Ashley’s recruitment strategy, with bargains again sought.

It remains to be seen if Benitez will stick around to see who comes through the doors, however.

When Lucas Torreira signed for Arsenal last summer, many thought this would be the time Mesut Ozil would finally shine for the Gunners.

The German superstar had long been criticised during his time in north London for not doing enough on the pitch and for his lazy work-rate, the addition of Torreira, though was seen by fans and pundits as a way lessening Ozil’s defence impact in the team and allowing him to focus more on doing what he does best, create chances.

Although the Uruguayan midfielder has been an overwhelming success for Arsenal as the season winds to a close, Ozil has continued to struggle, unable to put in consistent performances and being placed on the bench or not in the squad entirely for failing to impress Unai Emery in training.

It’s easy to say that Ozil simply doesn’t suit the Premier League, but if Arsenal brought in the right players to facilitate the German, the Gunners’ number 10 could become a danger-man for the club, and one signing could do just that.

According to AS via Sport Witness, Arsenal are interested in Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, and with a reported buyout clause of £42.9 million, the Ghanaian international would be an expensive transfer for the Gunners, but he could be an important one.

Similar to Torreira but with a bigger emphasis on winning the ball and sitting back, Partey could be the player that finally unleashes Ozil’s full potential at Arsenal as well as partner the former Sampdoria man in the midfield.

The midfielder’s ability to regain possession and unleash attackers on the counter has made him one of Atletico’s most important players this season, and this could be the missing key to Ozil finally becoming the player every Arsenal fan knows the German can become.

Torreira might not have become the player to unlock Ozil’s true ability at Arsenal, but Partey certainly could be the man to do so.

Arsenal fans, would Partey be the player to make Ozil great again? Let us know!

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Tottenham Hotspur have again been linked with a move for old flame Gareth Bale, per Marca via Sport Witness.

Spurs, of course, sold the Wales international to Real Madrid in 2013, receiving a then-world record fee of £85million in exchange.

He has not truly adapted to life in Spain, however, and there is a claim that the La Liga giants could look to move the 29-year-old when the transfer window reopens.

Should Spurs be eyeing such a move, though, having instituted a strict wage policy under chairman Daniel Levy?

Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below!

Billy Meyers

“Absolutely not. If Tottenham had any sense about them, they would put sentiment aside and steer well clear of this inevitable failure. Gareth Bale is still a world-class talent, but an umimpressive tally of goals and assists this season, for a player of his calibre, plus a whole barrage of fitness problems, suggest that he is a player in decline who is approaching his 30th birthday. Mauricio Pochettino has been starved of support from Daniel Levy in the market, and he wouldn’t help himself if he made this huge transfer gaffe.”

Matt Dawson

“Signing Gareth Bale this summer would be a remarkable statement of intent from Spurs. I feel that the club are still lacking that ‘star’ in their squad that a number of the top teams have, and although Harry Kane is there to provide the goals, Bale is someone who’d be able to change things in an instant. If Tottenham have serious ambition both domestically and in Europe then they should do absolutely everything in their power to bring him back to north London.”

James Beavis

“In my opinion, Tottenham should avoid Bale at all costs. Yes, he was a hero for the north London outfit previously, but for the price tag and likely wages he would command, he would be a bad investment. His injury issues are hugely concerning, and Spurs could buy 2 or 3 quality players for the same money. In short, they don’t need a ‘Galactico’ in their squad.”

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Whether or not Jimmy Shan gets the permanent reins at the Hawthorns next season, there is no denying the tremendous job he’s done at West Brom.

Thrusted into a situation where the adored Darren Moore was sacked, he helped stabilise the club and nearly oversaw their instant promotion back to the Premier League.

Shan is guaranteed a role at the club next season and rightly so. His commitment and dedication to Albion cannot be questioned.

Given the players at his disposal and the red cards the Baggies received in the last couple of games, he didn’t have much to work with. However, one of the key parts of his philosophy backfired massively last Tuesday evening.

On the chalkboard

West Brom’s caretaker boss spent four years as the club’s U23 manager between 2014 and 2018, a role which enabled Albion to produce some fine youth players.

Their academy has been heralded for a while now, even if a number of their stars continue to depart. Shan’s strength therefore clearly lies with younger players and his philosophy of bringing through talented individuals is something the Baggies need to carry on implementing in the years to come.

However, it was this policy that came back to bite Shan and the team in their semi-final play-off defeat to Aston Villa.

The 40-year-old hasn’t got his team selections wrong on too many occasions but on Tuesday provided evidence that he can get things wrong.

The young players he chose to field in his squad simply didn’t cut it and when West Brom needed commitment and dedication late on, the likes of Jonathan Leko and Rekeem Harper didn’t provide that.

West Brom’s manager is often a brilliant decision maker when it comes to young players but on this occasion that was far from the case.

Harper’s attitude has been questionable for a while now as the 19-year-old is still yet to sign a new deal and this was all the evidence needed that he shouldn’t actually be given new terms.

Was Darren Moore’s sacking unfair? The Pl>ymaker FC squad name which Championship bosses should have gone instead in the video below…

Rather than opting for Harper and Leko, Sam Field and Kyle Edwards would have been far better bets. Field has shown evidence of fight this season whilst the latter has been impressive during the rare first-team opportunities he’s been afforded.

On this occasion, Shan got it wrong. But if one consolation can be taken from the defeat, it’s that they now know they can afford to get rid of Harper.

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Sometimes I wonder if being a part of a smaller club with modest history is actually a far simpler, and ultimately better variant of the two possible ones. And I bet this thought comes to most clubs, managers and even players who long for those past, overly romanticised times when you had to invest less and stood to gain tenfold.

But then they probably remember they’re making far too much money to care and they’ve developed far too big of an ego to dial it all down a bit now. No, not in the days of modern football when we know where our priorities lie despite knowing where they should be. And that is the problem Manchester United are facing right now – denial.

Denial is the first of the five stages of grief according to the Kübler-Ross model and as long as Manchester United are unwilling to accept that they are indeed grieving over past accolades, trophies, managers and overall better times, they will be unable to move forward.

No one can deny that they are a club with one of the richest histories in the world of football and living in the past is not faulting solely them, but that is undoubtedly at the very roots of all of their problems.

Manchester United were a huge club and the emphasis is on the past tense here; they should stop acting like they are still on top of the food chain. Of course they are failing to meet their expectations because those expectations are so high that even the titans of modern football would be struggling to meet them.

The first step in getting out of this slump is to stop trying to punch above their weight. Stop dreaming of all those star players joining every summer, stop praying for Champions League football until you are indeed ready to contest that trophy and stop acting like the world is at your feet when clearly you are the ones on your knees.

One point separated City and Liverpool but twenty-five separated them from the rest! Fans discuss who could reduce the deficit next season in the video below?

This might all sound extremely harsh but just like every civilisation has a start, peak and eventual end before rebuilding from scratch, the same goes for football clubs. Don’t believe me? Just ask Milan, Aston Villa, Leeds or some other fallen titans. The list just goes on and on, really.

The road is long and painful as Manchester United have only just entered the denial stage and are yet to experience anger, bargaining, depression and then finally acceptance on their way to resurrection. No one said it would be easy but the sooner they accept their own limits and start moving forward, the better.

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Celtic rounded off their 2018-19 Scottish Premiership campaign with a 2-1 home win over Hearts on Sunday afternoon.

And it was a special match for 19-year-old Ewan Henderson, who was handed a starting position by interim boss Neil Lennon.

Henderson actually set up Mikey Johnson for the first of his two goals.

Meanwhile, the teenager impressed with his composure in the final third of the field.

As expected, Lennon used the opportunity to hand a number of the club’s younger players some valuable first-team action.

It was not the first time that Henderson had been exposed to the senior side, but being handed a starting role would have given the Scot a lot of confidence.

On Monday, Celtic’s official Twitter account paid tribute to the attacker’s performance.

And that led to a number of the Scottish club’s fans lavishing praise on Henderson, who will be hoping to kick on further during the 2019-2020 campaign.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: