All posts by h79snht.top

This was supposed to be a season of opportunity for Tottenham, a genuine chance to push on and start challenging with the very best. But as is so often the case with Spurs we are frustratingly back to square one. This is a club that enjoys false dawns like no other, a rollercoaster ride between cynicism and belief that more often than not ends in disappointment.

Spurs’ Premier League top four challenge is in tatters. Whilst Spurs have crumbled under the pressures the sides around have shown the resilience required and it would now take something remarkable for the North Londoners to get back on track.

If the rumours are to believed Sherwood wont last out the summer at Spurs, with a number of names already being lined up as his replacement. Some are willing to write off these final few months and just start from fresh next season, but are they right?

Spurs may be in turmoil but they are also on the cusp of actually achieving something in the Europa League. A European tie against Benfica was the kind of thing to capture the imagination in years gone by for Spurs, but this season it seems to have approached with a degree of animosity. With the league as good as gone it is time for Spurs to shift their focus to Europe and start taking this competition seriously.

The obsession with 4th place has become harmful for Spurs, a club that is losing track of what it is all about and forgetting what made it great in the first place. European football is key to Spurs, and it is high time that fans echoed the words of the late great Bill Nicholson and cherished it once more:

“It’s magnificent to be in Europe, and this club – a club like Tottenham Hotspur – if we’re not in Europe…. we’re nothing. we’re nothing.”  

Maybe I’m being a little nostalgic here, a sentiment long lost perhaps. But this is definitely something that still resonates with Spurs fans on European nights and something that needs to be rekindled once again. Garry Mabbutt who played for the club the last time they lifted the UEFA Cup was quick to laugh off those that discredit the competition:

“People have spoken about the different value of competitions, it’s nonsense,” he said. 

“Footballers want to win every single competition they’re playing in, whether it’s the Capital One Cup or the Europa League. Look at the Man City team when they won the League Cup.

You look at Vincent Kompany when he lifted that trophy, the look on his face – was that the look of someone who thinks we shouldn’t really be here? No. They won the trophy; they outplayed other teams to win it. For them, the players and the supporters, it was a fantastic day.”

“For any Spurs fans if we could be in Turin at the Europa League final and see Michael Dawson lift that trophy at the end of the season that would be fantastic.”

The issue with the Europa League has always been its length; it is hard to generate excitement when the end goal seems so far away. But when it comes to the last 16 of the competition this should all change, especially when it is against one of the great European sides. Spurs will be looking for redemption for their controversial 1962 European cup defeat to Benfica, and the opportunity to prove themselves against one of the best on the continent once again.

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It isn’t all doom and gloom for Spurs. It may be time to forget about the Premier League, but in the Europa they genuinely have something to get excited about. Winning the competition would be the greatest achievement in the clubs recent history and would help Sherwood to prove his considerable list of doubters wrong.

A European night at the Lane will always be special; it is time for fans to realise this once more.

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Tottenham Hotspur are among a number of clubs interested in Lyon forward Willem Geubbels, according to Salzburger Nachrichten.

What’s the story?

The 16-year-old is believed to have attracted interest from big-name clubs across Europe for his performances on the pitch.

Geubbels broke into the first team at Lyon this season and has gone on to make four appearances.

The Frenchman also became the youngest player to feature in the Europa League.

According to  Salzburger Nachrichten, Tottenham are keeping a close eye on the teenager, while Chelsea and Liverpool also have an interest.

The report claims that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich have now entered the race, but it is bad news for Red Bull Salzburg, who have been rejected by the player’s agent due to the interest from Champions League clubs.

Do Spurs have a chance?

Given the calibre of clubs that are understood to be keen on signing Geubbels, Tottenham have a task on their hands trying to convince the youngster to pick them.

The likes of Bayern, Chelsea and Liverpool will be appealing to any player, but at Spurs they have a very promising academy.

The rise of Harry Kane is a testament to that, while Dele Alli’s surge since his arrival from MK Dons in 2015 has been remarkable.

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Manager Mauricio Pochettino has put a lot of faith in youth, so Geubbels can be encouraged by the fact that there is a pathway to the first team.

As reported by The Mirror, Liverpool are ready to make a move for Monaco midfielder Thomas Lemar this January.

What’s the story?

After classy Brazilian Philippe Coutinho finally made his move to Barcelona this weekend, Liverpool need to ensure they invest the cash received for the player wisely either this month or in the summer.

With important ambitions in the second half of the season, supporters would love to see a replacement for Coutinho arrive in January and it appears the club are thinking along the same lines.

The Mirror report that the Reds are set to test Monaco with a January bid for midfielder Thomas Lemar.

The French international, who The Mirror report almost moved to Arsenal for £90m in the summer, is said to be Jurgen Klopp’s number one target to replace Coutinho, even if the Ligue 1 outfit aren’t keen on selling him this month.

Big boots to fill

The loss of Philippe Coutinho is a bitter blow to Liverpool’s ambitions this season given the form he has shown over the last couple of months.

The Brazilian scored 12 and assisted nine more in just 21 appearances for the Reds before making the switch to La Liga, leaving any prospective replacement with big boots to fill.

Thomas Lemar is certainly a contender to do that, despite not hitting the heights of last season in 2017/18. So far this term he’s scored twice and assisted four more in in 18 appearances, well below his contributions of last term.

However, he was part of a golden generation of Monaco players in 2016/17 and surrounded by elite players again at Liverpool could produce the kind of form that helped Monaco to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

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His 14 goals and 16 assists in all competitions last season demonstrate a player that can find the consistency required to be a hit at Anfield and help supporters forget all about Coutinho.

The concept of the ‘European hangover’ is a modern phenomenon that seems to decorate tabloid newspapers every other week. It’s the default expression used to justify why the domestic performance of a top six club has suffered after a recent gruelling night across the continent. However, despite establishing itself as a contemporary cliché, is there any evidence for its existence this season?

On last weekend’s edition of Sunday Supplement, Henry Winter made an interesting remark about the unique mentality needed to succeed in Europe. Managers can rarely enforce the same tactics employed in the Premier League, especially when up against the technically superior European powerhouses. Therefore, they must resort to a physically more demanding pressing strategy, in the hope of hitting teams on the counter attack.

The unfamiliar playing style, coupled with the intimidating environments and the increased pressure – especially in the Champions League – mean matches in Europe push physical and mental demands to an unprecedented level. It’s very easy to criticise players for not being ‘capable of playing two games in a week’, but in reality these European excursions are as taxing as they are rewarding.

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Winter proceeded to explain that it takes a number of years to develop such an intrinsic mindset, which is perhaps why Manchester United, as the countries most experienced and successful side in Europe in recent years, are the only team to have won every league game after a midweek fixture in the Champions League this season.

Neither Arsenal or Manchester City have gone on to lose after a night out in Europe, with Chelsea’s only defeat coming at the hands of United. However, there are signs that clubs are beginning to suffer as we enter the notoriously difficult winter period.

In the latest batch of Champions League fixtures Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea all endured surprising defeats and while the Blues were controversially beaten by United on Sunday, both Arsenal and City struggled to secure 1-0 wins over QPR and Swansea respectively. A sign then that the Champions League campaign is beginning to make the typically ‘routine’ victories much more difficult.

It’s slightly harder to judge the effects of the Europa League on English clubs; especially considering the supposedly inferior level of competition and the fact managers will often rest their first-team regulars. However, the Thursday-Sunday schedule is hardly ideal and serves only to throw teams out of their natural sync.

Tottenham Hotspur may have won every single post Europa League fixture but their level of commitment in the tournament has to be questioned, bearing in mind their failure to pick up a victory so far. Newcastle, a team expected to struggle thanks to their inclusion this year, have won two of three resulting games, with their only defeat coming against – you guessed it – Manchester United. Liverpool on the hand have failed to pick up a single victory after a Thursday night fixture but this is perhaps down to the fact they’ve played the formidable trio of Stoke, Manchester United and Everton.

With the next set of European fixtures on the horizon we could well see the ‘European hangover’ tag claim a few more victims. In usual circumstances you would expect Arsenal and Manchester United to secure all three points against Fulham and Aston Villa, but both sides will go into their respective games after tough away trips to Germany and Portugal.

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Chelsea and Manchester City on the other hand both find themselves on home soil in Europe but face distinctly more challenging opponents the following Sunday in the form of Tottenham and Liverpool. The pressure will be on for these clubs to maintain their impressive domestic form, but as both Manchester clubs proved last season, crashing out of Europe could be the perfect catalyst for a title-winning charge.

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Manchester United are the latest club to have been linked with a move for young Crystal Palace starlet Wilfried Zaha recently, but given the team’s obvious deficiencies elsewhere, would Sir Alex Ferguson be best served prioritising where he spends his money, if the club does any business at all in January?

The 3-2 win in the Manchester derby away at the Etihad Stadium was just about the deserved result for United at the weekend, having made all of the running in the first half before being pegged back in the second. Nevertheless, it just served to highlight the lack of control that the team has in the middle of the park, especially when put under pressure by top class opposition, and their team average of 88% pass accuracy which has seen them achieve 55% possession from their 16 matches so far dropped noticeably to an extremely poor 73% accuracy and just 47% of possession against their local rivals. It’s clear that the battle for progress is not being lost out wide.

Ferguson lined up his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Wayne Rooney supporting Robin van Persie through the middle along with Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young on the left and right, leaving Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick in midfield, where they were routinely outnumbered and played around. Carrick, like his team’s average, made just 73% of his 60 attempted passes during the match and it’s clear that they’ve forsaken any form of a possession-based game over the past year or so in favour of strengthening where the team does do well already; on the wings and up front.

The 20-year-old Crystal Palace winger has been in exceptional form for high-flying Palace this season, having made his full England debut last month and his direct approach, pace and versatility would seem to make him tailor-made for Old Trafford, but in every other sense, the move doesn’t quite add up.

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It seems that the only reason that United have been linked with a move for Zaha is because Arsenal have in the past and Wenger refused to rule out a move for him in January (also refusing to rule him in, it’s worth noting), and this all fits in rather neatly with the newspaper narrative of a ‘bidding war’, something which seems to have been completely fabricated. Chelsea will be the next club to be ‘chasing his signature’, then Liverpool will get another go, then possibly Tottenham. That’s just how it works, particularly with young English players who ply their trade in the Championship and play in a forward position.

It’s hardly as if Ferguson isn’t blessed with options up top and out wide as it is and he’s struggling to find a system which allows him to balance out his top-heavy squad. Nani has been linked with the exit door recently, with the somewhat laughable explanation behind this being that he was left off the club’s official calendar for next year, the same as Anderson, Darren Fletcher and Rio Ferdinand, but nobody is talking about them moving because of it and the club rarely lets players leave in January, especially one so useful.

That’s not to mention first-choice winger Valencia, who was rushed back from injury for the derby game and England international Young, who while a divisive figure amongst the club’s fans, is capable of playing in a number of roles and appears to be a firm Ferguson favourite just as he hits a rich vein of form. Whenever Kagawa returns from his spell on the sidelines too, he’ll most certainly be made room for, whether that means pushing him or Rooney out wide as a result remains unclear, but that’s one less space for a winger yet again, with van Persie tantamount to undroppable now.

The idea behind the move is that the two clubs apparently ‘enjoy good relations’ simply because United were interested in former Palace product and now Southampton right-back Nathaniel Clyne for a bit last season. There’s no real substance to the move at all, even by flimsy rumour mill standards.

The story has concocted this unlikely scenario whereby United will purchase Zaha for roughly £15m then immediately loan him back to Palace to aid their promotion push. Aside from deals like this rarely ever being struck, much like the famed ‘swap deals’ that practically never happen but are a weekly occurrence according to the press, just why would Palace agree to such a raw deal in the first place? They have no real pressing need to sell and they could fetch a higher price should they go up in the summer, if they want to sell at all in the summer.

No, it’s at centre-midfield and perhaps even at centre-back where Ferguson could do with a bit of tweaking and for all intents and purposes, a team that has scored 40 goals in 16 league games this season does not need yet another attacker to try and integrate.

Any central midfielder that has enjoyed a spell of good form across Europe in the past three or four years has been hailed as ‘the solution to the team’s problems’, like the proverbial missing link, which just goes to show you how clear the weakness in the side is and how continually baffled everyone else is that Ferguson hasn’t bothered to try and patch it up. This partly explains the shifting of emphasis on to a new figure every other month, with PSV’s Kevin Strootman the latest answer to an ever-evolving question.

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Shipping 23 goals in those same 16 league games and going behind in 14 fixtures this term across all competitions points to three things – a soft underbelly, a porous defence and a fantastic forward line that’s covered up the main issue plenty of times.

The weaknesses of this United side are clear, and they remain a deeply flawed side, however, given the relative lack of depth and talent in terms of the competitiveness of the league this term, that might just be enough to see them over the line.

The club haven’t been afraid to dip into the transfer market in January to good effect in the past with both Evra and Vidic shining examples that you can do smart, sensible, long-term business during the window, but with concerns to Zaha, while in some ways he looks a good fit for their style of play, the club simply has far more pressing issues to address elsewhere first.

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Dave Whelan plans to speak to Roberto Martinez this week about his future, as the Spaniard appears the front-runner for the Everton job

Wigan’s eight-year stay in the Premier League ended on Tuesday, when their drop down to the Championship was confirmed with defeat at Arsenal.

Speculation is now rife that boss Martinez will move on and he remains the favourite to take over at Everton, who need a replacement for the Manchester United-bound David Moyes.

However, Whelan is hopeful that the Spanish coach will still stay on at the DW Stadium and is expecting an honest conversation with him about his future soon.

“At the end of the season what we always do is get together and have a talk,” Whelan told BBC Radio 5 live. “Roberto is so honest and I’m honest with him. We put our cards on the table and whatever Roberto says we will accept and we will honour.

“We’d all love him to stay.”

Whelan acknowledges there are some “big and wealthy” English clubs interested in his manager, with Everton said to be among them.

“He’s being chased regularly by some very, very big and wealthy clubs around England,” he added. “We’ll have talks to persuade him; if we need to persuade him because he is a dedicated man.

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“He goes by his word. He’s so honest and we respect him enormously. Everybody in Wigan hopes that Roberto stays with us.”

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Yesterday’s Bank Holiday Premier League action saw Arsenal take on Hull City at the KC Stadium. It was an enthralling watch from start to finish – unless you’re a Hull City fan, in which case, you’re probably a bit hung over this morning after drowning some relegation-fearing sorrows.

Although the Tigers gave a good account of themselves, the Gunners were absolutely relentless going forward, bagging three goals before half time and sustaining the pressure in the second half. Hull found some solace in a Stephen Quinn header just after the interval, but the damage was already done in what was undoubtedly one of the best Arsenal displays of the season.

If you were unfortunate enough to miss the attacking masterclass, then have no fear. Football Fancast have outlined the three biggest talking points from the 3-1 affair, so your mates don’t have to find out you were curled up in bed with the missus, watching re-runs of Downton Abbey on ITV4.

STEVE BRUCE NEEDS TO STOCK UP ON RABBITS’ FEET AND FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS

When you’re down on your luck in the Premier League, everything seems to conspire against you.

That’s certainly how Steve Bruce will be feeling this evening; although Arsenal produced an attacking display of the highest order and their winning margin felt somewhat inevitable, two goals of great fortune gave the Gunners an unassailable foothold in the match.

The first was an Alexis Sanchez free kick, which took a telling knick off Hull City’s wall to loop past a helpless Steve Harper.

The second was an Aaron Ramsey strike, after latching onto an incredible, pin-point driven Santi Cazorla pass from Arsenal’s own half, that cannoned into the feet of a blocking James Chester to arrow into the top corner of the net.

So ahead of a vital relegation decider against Burnley next weekend, Brucey might want to stock up on his lucky charms. The Tigers do have four Irishmen in their squad already – so that’s at least a decent start.

MESUT OZIL IS FINALLY LOOKING LIKE A £42.2million PLAYER

Mesut Ozil is yet to live up to his £42.2million price-tag in the Premier League, largely due to the fact he’s spent much of his Arsenal career floundering aimlessly on the wing.

But he took up the No.10 role tonight against Hull City and as if by magic, he put in a performance worthy of such a monolithic transfer fee.

That may seem rather unchallenging against a down-and-out Hull City side and the German World Cup winner didn’t finish the match with a goal or an assist. But he was classy throughout and made a telling contribution to the Gunners’ third goal, with a swerving pass to eventual assister Aaron Ramsey.

That was soon followed by a flick-on the phrase ‘tekkers’ was created for. Taking just a half-glance at the lofted pass towards him, the 26 year-old spun to backheel the ball on the volley perfectly into the path of Alexis Sanchez. Arsenal fans on Twitter were very impressed:

Boring, Boring Chelsea

Many have leapt to the defence of Premier League title winners Chelsea, including us at Football Fancast, following accusations that they’ve claimed the English crown with a negative and attritional style of football.

Winning is winning, as would argue Jose Mourinho, whilst sipping a glass of celebratory champagne.

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But after watching Arsenal yesterday evening, the recent criticisms become somewhat more understandable. In complete contrast to a 1-0 win, through a penalty rebound, that saw the Blues claim the title against Crystal Palace on Sunday, the runner-up hopeful Gunners produced nothing short of an attacking masterclass at the KC Stadium.

It was enthralling to watch from start to finish and some of the stats are rather phenomenal; including 19 attempts at goal, nine on target, 62.8% possession, 589 accurate passes, and 16 successful dribbles.

Needless to say, Arsenal fans were pretty chuffed on Twitter:

After two consecutive defeats against top four rivals, Liverpool look set to miss out on Champions League qualification for next season and will need to regroup in the summer.

The Reds’ slow start to the campaign has played a significant role in the team falling behind in the race for the top four, with it fair to say that the Merseysiders were in a state of transition following the departure of Luis Suarez to Barcelona and a host of new signings.

With Steven Gerrard leaving Anfield this summer and new faces expected to join the contingent, Brendan Rodgers will hope for a more positive start in 2015-16.

Although the Northern Irish manager will have a number of positions that he will want reinforcements in, one stands out above the rest.

Liverpool have been in great form since switching to Rodgers’ bespoke 3-4-3 formation, but right wing-back has been an area of concern and constant questions.

A lot of different players have filled the position, with no consensus on just who should be the first choice.

The role seems idea for attacking full-back Glen Johnson, but the veteran has seemingly fallen out of favour and will leave Merseyside this summer after his contract expires.

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Jordon Ibe was recalled from a loan stint at Derby mid-way through the campaign and operated with aplomb in the fairly new surrounds of right wing-back.

Injuries have robbed the Reds of their young star in recent weeks but there is every chance that the teenager will be first choice upon his return.

However, in the long-term it remains to be seen just where the best position for Ibe to play is, with an argument that he could follow in the footsteps of Raheem Sterling and operate in a more attacking, central role.

Sterling started the defeat to Manchester United at right wing-back but was largely ineffective and uninterested. Any chance the Anfield side have of convincing the 20-year-old that his future is at Liverpool surely depends on playing him in his preferable position.

Jordan Henderson, always willing to fill in where needed, started the game against Arsenal in the problem position but this again robbed the Reds of their best central midfielder in the core of the team.

As a result the Gunners won the midfield battle, with the game over as a contest by the time Rodgers could switch his tactics to remedy the issue at half-time.

Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic have also fit in at right wing-back, but their natural instincts to create and get involved in the final third are inhibited as a result.

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Ibe seems like the closest fit to a consistent option at right wing-back, but whether Rodgers envisages the youngster’s future in this position or not, Liverpool need an extra option in the role ahead of next term.

Alberto Moreno has had an inconsistent campaign on the other flank but will improve as he acclimatises further to English football.

In the meantime the Reds need another comprehensive option on the right-hand side if Rodgers’ preferred formation is to lead the club back amongst European football’s elite.

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Everton have not been at their last season’s best as of yet, but we got a glimpse of this as the Toffees’ comfortably pushed aside Aston Villa on Saturday.

It was a very good team performance from Everton but the stand-out players were again their full-back duo of Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman. They may sound like a beginning of a terrible joke but the Englishman and the Irishman give the Toffees’ an extra dimension when they both play. Coleman returned from injury against Aston Villa and he was as sharp and as influential as ever.

Not many sides would rate their defenders ahead of their midfielders when it comes to the influence they hold over the team’s attacking prowess, however the way Everton use them makes them far more effective. We all know how influential Leighton Baines is to Everton, not least for his set-pieces, and the England international is certainly a key player for the Toffees.

However, it’s now gotten to the stage where Seamus Coleman in particular is so incredibly influential from the right-back position that it’s hard to imagine Everton cannot handle life without him.

In their last 10 matches in all competitions, Coleman has made an appearance in five. In the five without the Ireland international they have failed to win a single one, while the Toffees have won three out of five with the right-back in the team. When Coleman has played, Everton have scored 14 goals, a ratio of just under three goals a game. However, this number falls to five in the games the Irishman has missed, an average of just one goal per game on average. In particular, Coleman adds an attacking edge and when combined with Leighton Baines’ ability when going forward, the two make Everton far more prolific. It’s quite astonishing the difference full-backs can make to a team’s offence.

Everton have seemingly made the full-back position an art form with Baines and Coleman. Leighton has a total of five assists so far for Everton in the league this season and although this is expected when he takes the majority of their set-pieces, four of them have come from crosses during open play – that is when he is most dangerous. This is particularly impressive when you consider that the rest of the squad combined have just seven (including 1 from Coleman despite playing considerably less than most, because of his injury).

With the two full-backs contributing so successfully to their attack, how does that effect their defensive responsibilities? Well, when the two full-backs have both started the match this league season (which has happened on four occasions) they have conceded an average of two goals per game including two clean sheets and the 6-3 defeat against Chelsea. The statistics suggest that there is little difference between Everton’s defensive capabilities when the full-back partnership is broken up, as in the four occasions in which Coleman was missing from the line-up, Everton have again conceded an average of 2 goals per game.

So perhaps Everton are not the best defensively regardless of whether their full-backs take on a more offensive responsibility or not. However, offensively Baines and Coleman are absolutely crucial to Everton and they are the best clubs at utilising their full-backs in the Premier League.

Keep doing what you’re doing chaps – it’s wonderfully entertaining if nothing else.

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Peter Schmeichel says David Moyes is being let down by his players, an idea which is the consensus of the Manchester United manager’s sympathisers.

The pressure on the players has been lessened following the retirement of Alex Ferguson. Under the former United boss, players would work tirelessly one way or another to avoid the dreaded hairdryer treatment. The respect Ferguson’s players had for him was such that he needed to do very little to get positive and consistent performances on the pitch.

Moyes simply doesn’t have that authority yet, though that shouldn’t be an excuse for the players. It was always going to be a difficult initial period for any manager succeeding Ferguson, but the problems at United are being left out in the open due to the lack of effort from certain sections of the dressing room.

At the start of the season, it was ironically Wayne Rooney who looked the liveliest and most likely to get United the points they needed. The forward was involved in a summer-long transfer saga but was eventually convinced to stay. So far, he’s been one of the few who have done well this season.

But it’s in the important engine room of the United team where very little is being generated. Tom Cleverley has either regressed or simply failed to progress this season. It’s difficult to label the midfielder as either a creative influence or a defensive-minded player, such is his feeble effort to do either to a high enough standard; Marouane Fellaini, like Moyes, is experiencing a difficult period of adaption to a new team, but he may eventually come good; and the less said about Anderson the better.

These, combined with the wide players, are not bad performers. Ferguson’s influence had them emerge as the most consistent in the Premier League last season as they won the title. This season, however, there seems to be a notable lack of care for their position at the club, as if they have little belief in the new manager and little worry for the repercussions.

This January, Moyes will have a chance to add to his squad, helping at least to paper over some sizable cracks until the summer. But this will also be an opportunity to cut loose those who have no place at the club for one reason or another. There is a big squad at United and perhaps little harm will be done in the short term to simply get rid of those who are underperforming. That way Moyes will at least have a better grasp of his best XI and those who he can place faith in.

The departure of Ferguson has revealed the worrying number of passengers in this United team. Some may not be good enough, as was the case under Ferguson, but they nevertheless continued to work and help towards getting maximum points from each game.

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Moyes knows what he needs to do. This team is in need of a drastic overhaul.