All posts by z3u9t.icu

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…

Former Charlton manager Chris Powell has become the latest person to raise doubts over Joe Aribo’s move to Rangers.

What’s the word?

Aribo’s position as a free agent this summer meant he was always going to have plenty of clubs clamouring for his services.

A young midfielder with great feet and 15 goal involvements in his final season for the Addicks, all available on a free signing, Rangers beat out competition from the Championship to land the 23 year-old.

Powell though, believes Aribo should have joined Brentford, as he told The Daily Star: “I’m led to believe Brentford were quite keen and you look at their set-up, how they develop players and move them on. I’m quite surprised he’s gone to Scotland.”

While he did say he could see the reasons for moving to Ibrox, namely playing under Steven Gerrard and competing in Europe, he continued: “I’m surprised he’s done it and I wanted him to stay at Charlton if I’m honest.”

Enough is enough

Powell joins Charlton boss Lee Bowyer in being surprised by the move, as Aribo’s former mentor said Ibrox is “not the right place” for him to further his career.

Powell himself has also commented on the move previously, saying back in July that a move to Rangers is the “wrong option”.

This begs the question, just how good is Aribo?

To have two of his former club’s managers basically complaining that he didn’t stay in England, they must truly believe he is something special.

That said, the likes of potential Ballon D’Or contender Virgil van Dijk, legendary England international Paul Gascoigne and Euro 1992 champion Brian Laudrup have all plied their trade in Scotland over the years, as well as countless others, so to act like Aribo is suddenly going to amount to nothing because he’s moved north of the border is beyond ridiculous.

Aribo has quick feet and a good mind for the game, and under the legendary Gerrard he will only get better, so what exactly is the problem?

At 23 he has loads of time to develop and perhaps even return to what they clearly deem to be a superior league, but the constant digs and questions from those associated with his former club are becoming slightly bizarre, and hopefully the young man can do all his talking on the pitch.

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The opening game didn’t really go as planned for Barcelona as the Catalans lost their La Liga curtain-raiser for the first time in a decade. Of course, San Mames is hardly an easy ground to visit but it was difficult to escape the feeling that Ernesto Valverde’s troops looked sloppy and disjointed.

A big part of his problem was, of course, the absence of Lionel Messi, who sustained an injury just after returning back from his holiday over the summer. The Argentine, however, should be given the green light from the medical staff come Barcelona’s weekend clash against Real Betis at the Camp Nou.

But taking all of that into consideration, Ernesto Valverde still has a huge question mark above his head coming into the game on Sunday: what lineup to choose?

And this might sound like a really generic issue every manager faces before any given game but Valverde is in a particularly interesting and rather complex situation that many will be eager to see him do his best to resolve.

The game against Athletic Bilbao last week was special as well because the coach decided to field a rather fresh, and in so many ways experimental, lineup. He benched both Sergio Busquets and Ivan Rakitić and pushed Sergi Roberto into midfield, leaving Nelson Semedo at right-back.

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In so many ways, this was revolutionary – but it also backfired. Whether it was solely because the players are still getting used to each other, which is also a possibility given that there were two debutants in that lineup, or simply a matter of poor choice by the manager, is impossible to say for sure.

Either way, the game against Real Betis might prove to be an even bigger challenge since it will be the one he’ll have to face not only without Messi, presuming Valverde won’t risk him from the get-go even if he does get his medical clearance, but also without Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele, both of whom are now out injured as well.

Valverde took a gamble in the opening game, one that ended up coming back to bite him and now, as it currently stands, he won’t have much of a choice but to gamble once again.

Due to the aforementioned injuries, the forward line is bound to be an experimental one, to say the least. With Philippe Coutinho and Malcom having both left the club now, the only available options are the youngsters or the slightly out of favour Rafinha, who’s been reduced to only occasional appearances in recent times.

It’s either that or shifting the whole system, changing up the formation and coming up with something else on the spot. And that’s before delving into the middle of the pitch, which is historically the core of every Barcelona team.

Everything starts and finishes in the midfield and the Catalans have been known for their exceptional quality in that specific area, with the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets leading the line.

But it seems that by benching both Busquets and Rakitić, moving Roberto away from defence and throwing the newcomer Frenkie de Jong into the fire immediately, Valverde was adamant in his stance that a change was needed. But is he going to stand by his decision now that it didn’t work out the first time around?

Getting the lineup right and choosing his personnel correctly will definitely shape the whole game on Sunday. And it’s a pretty big one, too. Camp Nou’s maiden game in the 2019/20 La Liga season is something the fans are certainly looking forward to.

Messi or no Messi, Valverde will have to make it work somehow and with so many core players missing from the squad, it might prove a tall order.

Is he going to thrive or buckle up under pressure? The tension is very much growing in Catalonia, and for Valverde, every game feels like a final.

Tick-tock, the clock is ticking and the ball is in Barcelona’s court. Where will they kick it?

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Some Everton fans have taken to Twitter with one thought on their minds after watching Kurt Zouma score an own goal for Chelsea on Saturday.

The France international spent the entirety of the 2018/19 campaign on loan with the Toffees, impressing enough to make the supporters on Twitter call for his arrival on a permanent basis.

The Merseysiders tried to do just that, but Blues boss Frank Lampard was insistent on keeping the 24-year-old at Stamford Bridge, although it hasn’t all been plain sailing for Zouma so far.

His latest outing against Sheffield United saw him score an own goal in the 89th-minute, which allowed the Blades to grab an equaliser, and prompted a number of Everton fans on Twitter to declare that his heart is still on Merseyside.

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

Let’s take a look at what the Toffees fans on Twitter have been saying about Zouma following his costly mistake…

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

Even though they made a big signing in Eden Hazard this summer, Real Madrid’s transfer window has once again left them with a lot to desire.

But all of that could change with a potential blockbuster deal that just might be on the horizon. The Italian journalist, Nicolo Schira, claims that Los Blancos are interested in Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.

And that would definitely be a game-changing signing.

What’s the word, then?

Van Dijk is a name that quickly soared to the top. When he signed for Liverpool back in January 2018 for a then world-record sum of €75m (£67m) he was already quite a big catch but now, he might very well be the best defender on the planet.

Collective and individual accolades he has scooped in recent times will attest to that and, for that reason, Real’s reported interest is far from surprising.

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But at the same time, Schira also reports that Liverpool are preparing a new contract for their 28-year-old Dutch defender so Zinedine Zidane could be facing an uphill battle in his pursuit.

On the face of it, however, it does look like a transfer that would solve two of the club’s main worries.

Two birds, one stone

The main story of Real Madrid’s summer, at least in the Madrid media, was the revolution that needed to happen in the Spanish capital. Marca spoke extensively about how Los Bancos have spent huge amounts of money but they still, somehow, managed to fall short in carrying out this reported revamp.

The lack of Galactico names is the thing that somehow hurts the most as Hazard is pretty much the only one who fits that profile. But adding someone of van Dijk’s pedigree and reputation would no doubt both please the fans and the media surrounding the club.

More importantly, however, the Dutchman would potentially solve Real Madrid’s defensive fragility and help them get back to the top once again. Van Dijk was recently named UEFA’s Best player and also won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award for his stoic performances last season.

A defender of his stature would be a most welcomed addition to any team, and especially in one with defensive woes as big as Real Madrid’s.

Convincing the player to join might be difficult given Real’s poor end to 2018/19 and Liverpool’s successful one. Indeed, the Reds just might seem like the more appealing team of the two.

But one should never underestimate the Galacticos’ pulling power.

We’ll just have to wait and see what happens with this one.

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Despite signing for Celtic in September 2015 on a four-year deal, Ryan Christie really made his mark on Scottish football with his performances on loan at Aberdeen.

The 24-year-old spent the best part of two campaigns at the club, and notched up an impressive 15 goals and 18 assists in 57 appearances.

After returning to Celtic Park at the start of last season, the versatile midfielder hit the ground running, scoring 11 goals and producing nine assists for Neil Lennon’s side.

Despite his impressive form, Christie has just six international caps to his name, but in a fine cameo performance against Russia on Friday night, he really laid down a marker for featuring more for Scotland.

The 24-year-old came on for the final 28 minutes of the clash, and had one shot on target, one successful dribble and 23 touches of the ball. They may not seem like big numbers, but put into context, his Celtic teammate James Forrest managed no shots or dribbles, and had the same amount of touches – in 62 minutes of football.

After seeing Christie’s impact off the bench, Scotland fans took to Twitter to urge Steve Clarke to use him more in future games.

They hailed his ability to make a difference and insisted he should be handed a start against Belgium.

Check out some of the reaction of Celtic fans below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

West Brom are enjoying life under Slaven Bilic this season as they sit fourth in the Championship table, having not lost any of their opening six matches.

This weekend they head to Craven Cottage to face Fulham, who too are in the promotion hunt following relegation from the Premier League last season.

Saturday’s early kickoff is the first for both teams after September’s international break played havoc to the schedule in the last ten days or so.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It’ll be a tough test against the Cottagers considering they are just two points behind the Baggies and average the highest number of possession of any side in the league at an average of 63.8%, per WhoScored.

The biggest concern is the fact that West Brom have not yet kept a clean sheet.

On the Chalkboard

The Croatian’s comments this week could be a hint towards where it has gone wrong defensively this season, telling Express & Star: “Zonal gives you a little bit of extra security. You are covered, everyone has got their own areas. But what we are trying to do is mix it up.”

Bilic seems to favour a system which utilises zonal marking, but if the side had actually kept out a goal once in a while, there wouldn’t be any eyebrows raised over it.

The Baggies have let in seven goals so far this campaign, which compared to the rest of the league isn’t a lot, but it is still an issue, particularly for a team chasing promotion.

Four of those have come from set-pieces – that’s over 50%.

West Brom fans will want to cover their ears for the video below…

It is something that needs improving, otherwise, it may put their quest for Premier League football at risk.

Sheffield United went up last year recording 21 clean sheets in 46 matches while West Brom faltered in the playoffs, having kept just nine of them.

As Sir Alex Ferguson once famously said, “Attack wins you games, defence wins you titles,” and that’s something that needs to be abided by in the Championship for West Brom.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness

Marco Silva has confirmed that Andre Gomes will miss Everton’s clash with Sheffield United.

What’s the latest?

The midfielder was ruled out through a rib injury last week, meaning he missed the trip to Bournemouth last Sunday, and as of yet there is no date on a possible return.

His manager has stated that they are taking things “day-by-day” but with the player not taking part in full training he could be absent for a few more weeks.

It is a blow for the Toffees as they are suddenly a bit short in the middle of the pitch, with summer signing Jean-Philippe Gbamin also sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Morgan Schneiderlin stepped up against the Cherries and did reasonably well with 59 completed passes, but youngster Tom Davies may also feel that this could present an opportunity for him to shine.

Influential figure

Losing Gomes is the last thing Silva needs right now after winning only two games out of his opening five, and his absence could affect the team in the long-term.

He has kept the midfield ticking over this season with an average of 52 passes per game and due to other injuries in the squad, Everton have now started with a different midfield partnership on four occasions, which is bad for team cohesion.

With the 28-year-old missing, it prevents him from being able to build a partnership with new signing Fabian Delph, who has started every match since he returned from injury, and therefore it could be some time before Everton have a consistent midfield.

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Added to that, Delph himself can be unreliable on the injury front, and if he was to become unavailable then there would be considerable pressure on Schneiderlin and Davies to perform.

The first test for one of those players will come tomorrow, and Sheffield United’s middle three won’t make life easy for them, particularly Luke Freeman who will attempt to hassle them effectively throughout, as his return of two interceptions per game suggests.

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Everton lost their second successive Premier League game on Saturday afternoon as Sheffield United recorded a shock 2-0 victory at Goodison Park.

The Toffees entered the match with Sheffield United off the back of a 3-1 defeat at Bournemouth in the league on September 15.

The fans would have been looking for a response from their side, but an own goal from Yerry Mina and late Lys Mousset goal secured all three points for the Blades.

Next up for the Merseyside giants is an EFL Cup clash against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night, before the small matter of a home Premier League fixture against the champions Manchester City, who put eight past Watford on Saturday.

And a number of the club’s supporters have taken to social media to call for their club to sack head coach Marco Silva before more damage is done.

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The Portuguese has been in charge of the Toffees since May 2018, but it remains to be seen whether he stays for much longer.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Watford have a dismal defensive record this season and it has been a major factor in their poor start to the season.

From seven Premier League games they are without a win and have conceded 20 goals in the process, leading some fans to consider whether Ben Foster should be dropped.

Opinion is split on the 36-year-old, with some laying the blame on the rest of the defence, which has got worse in terms of its goals conceded ratio despite the recruitment of Craig Dawson in the summer.

However, Foster has the lowest save percentage of any Premier League goalkeeper with more than ten saves this season, which doesn’t reflect well on him, and he may need to improve as Quique Sanchez Flores could be considering a change.

The former England international featured in every league game last season but only kept seven clean sheets, letting in 57 goals in that time, which indicates it has been a recurring issue since he returned to the club.

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Here is some of the discussion that has taken place between Watford fans in regard to the question of whether their number one should be dropped.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

There can’t be many Leeds players that divide opinion as much as striker Patrick Bamford does.

After failing to score against Barnsley, Leeds fans backed him and hailed his work rate. Yet, after drawing with Derby, comments made about the 26-year-old weren’t in his favour.

In fact, they were incredibly damning in light of a drawn game that Leeds should have won.

They had 13 chances to Derby’s five, had over 60% of the possession and also missed a penalty, via WhoScored.

But it was the performance in front of goal from Bamford that also had a large say in how the game went.

On the chalkboard

There has been rife debate surrounding Eddie Nketiah this season. Leeds fans want him to start and Marcelo Bielsa has teased the possibility of him playing alongside Bamford in attack.

The Arsenal loanee has started life in west Yorkshire in superb fashion. He’s scored as many goals as Bamford, despite only starting two times in the Carabao Cup.

He is yet to play from the off in the Championship but has thrived when being brought on from the bench, scoring two late goals against Brentford and Barnsley.

The 20-year-old has more than hit the ground running but given Bamford’s latest performances, he must be walking an extremely thin tight rope right now.

The latter worked hard to fashion chances for himself last weekend but he could have won the game for Leeds on Saturday.

There were a host of moments that proved telling, not least Mateusz Klich’s missed penalty, but Bamford hit the post and spurned four further opportunities.

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It’s something that tells the story of the 26-year-old’s campaign. He has scored four times but is now goalless in his last three matches.

Based on his abject display against the Rams, he must now be looking over his shoulder more than ever.

The 6 foot 1 striker has had four shots per game in 2019/20, the highest number of anyone in the Championship. Based on that, you’d expect him to have scored more goals but he’s missed the target entirely 17 times – also a league-high.

If Leeds are going to get promoted they’ll have to start taking their chances on a more regular basis. That begins with their number nine who is beginning to struggle quite significantly.

Perhaps it’s finally time to start Nketiah.