All posts by n8rngtd.top

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Everton fans have taken to Twitter to share their views on Andre Gomes’ performance in the 2-0 win over West Ham, with many left utterly impressed by the midfielder’s showing.

Gomes, currently on a season-long loan from Barcelona, completed 87.3% of his passes, made four tackles and one interception as he and Idrissa Gueye bossed the middle of the park at the London Stadium.

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Barcelona reportedly want a sum in the region of £40m for the former Valencia man, and based on his composed, assured performance against the Hammers, it would be money well spent for the 25-year-old’s services.

Gomes played so well that even West Ham fans were left drooling over his display, and the Toffees will be praying they they can land the Portuguese international on a permanent deal in the summer.

Let’s see what the Everton fanbase have been saying about the on-loan sensation after yet another classy display in midfield…

It’s no secret that West Ham are in need of a new striker.

The Hammers have been unlucky when it comes to strikers leading the line in Manuel Pellegrini’s side, with Javier Hernandez, Marko Arnautovic and Lucas Perez all not being quite what the club wants.

However, recent rumours have linked the Hammers with a striker so ideal for them that it is surprising that it has taken this long for the club to be rumoured with them, and that man is Bournemouth striker Callum Wilson.

The Cherries frontman has enjoyed a great season with Eddie Howe, scoring 11 goals and assisting another seven in 24 Premier League games, and according to the Sun, the English international is being monitored by West Ham, along with Leicester City, Everton and Chelsea.

With interest from rival clubs, West Ham face a battle for the Bournemouth star, but acquiring his services could be the best signing the club make this summer,

At 27, Wilson is entering his prime years and may be thinking about making the next step in his career, and a move to the Hammers might be a sensible next step for the striker.

West Ham are a team with the quality to potentially become a top-six side, and with Wilson amongst their ranks, that goal will become a lot more achievable. The former Coventry City striker has all the attributes to succeed with the Hammers. Pace, strength, good finishing and a physical presence in the air make him an ideal forward for the style of football Pellegrini plays.

Wilson would also be affordable should David Gold and David Sullivan decide to offload Hernandez, Carroll and Arnautovic this summer, leaving the club with more than enough to pay Bournemouth the reported £40 million they value the striker at.

West Ham have had a striker problem for some time, but in Wilson, they have the perfect candidate to fill out this void in the team that has plagued the club for years.

West Ham fans, what striker should the club bring in this summer?

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Middlesbrough fans have refused to buy season tickets for next year, as they continue their disastrous campaign under Tony Pulis.

The team from Teeside have slipped out of the playoffs after a run of six defeats in a row, in which they have scored three goals and conceded 12.

This is in stark contrast to the beginning of the season when Boro found themselves fourth in the league with the best defensive record in the country. Their form however, has fallen off a cliff since January and this has led to calls for Pulis to leave the club from a significant section of Boro’s fan base.

Season ticket sales are expected to be low whilst the Welshman remains in charge and Boro’s season seems to be fizzling out. The chairman Steve Gibson may be forced into a change, but will it be before the season ends or in the summer?

Middlesbrough fans clearly want him sacked now and judging by Twitter, a number of Boro fans believe Pulis’ departure will see an upturn in sales…

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Ruben Neves was sublime in Wolves’ Championship-winning campaign. His signing was a huge coup for a club of that level, moving from an established Champions League side where he was captain, to joining a team whose quality didn’t even come close to those he was leaving behind.

However, his move has been warranted, helping to lead the club into the top half of the Premier League and to an FA Cup semi-final.

But, with Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker arguably outperforming the Portuguese sensation in recent months, is Nuno Santo getting the best out of him?

Neves has still had an impressive season but his numbers in 2018/19 would suggest he and the club could benefit from a slight change of position.

Ruben Neves (Wolves 2018/19 – Premier League)

3 goals

2.2 tackles PG*

2.2 shots PG

0.8 key passes PG

80.6% pass success

(Stats courtesy of WhoScored. *= Per game)

Given Neves came to the club as a more defensive midfielder, he’s been outshone in that capacity by both Dendoncker and Moutinho this season. Although his reading of the game is superb, the amount of tackles he makes per game is less than both of his midfield partners.

Surprisingly, his pass success percentage is also lower than Dendoncker’s. Considering how accomplished he is with the ball at his feet it may be a slight concern that he’s continuing to be outperformed in that area too.

Wolves can solve that issue by moving him further forward. The 22-year-old has a keen eye for goal and this is something Nuno should look to exploit more in the future.

The Midlands club tried operating with him as a number ten against Watford but their compact midfield were able to mark him out of the game.

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However, the fact he boasts the second-most shots-per-game out of anyone at the club demonstrates the impact he can have in the final third, and shows why Wolves could find themselves scoring a lot more if they were to move him closer to Raul Jimenez and Diogo Jota in attack.

Wolves don’t have too much left to play for this season so it’s definitely worth seeing what he can do in an advanced role.

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It is going to be very, very interesting to see what happens with Toby Alderweireld in this summer’s transfer window.

The centre-back’s deal with Tottenham Hotspur runs until June 2020, but he will be available for £25m this summer due to a clause in his contract.

Manchester United have been linked with a move, whilst Arsenal are also believed to be considering a surprise swoop.

That said, The Sun have also claimed that Tottenham are considering re-opening contract talks with the Belgium international.

Whether that is just to eliminate the release clause or plan for a long-term future with the 30-year-old remains to be seen, but the Tottenham fans have been on social media commenting on the situation.

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And a large number are desperate for their club to give the 6 ft 2 ace whatever he wants to sign a new deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Newcastle vs Southampton is BT Sport’s televised clash today, with the two bottom half clubs meeting at St James Park as they aim to climb the table. The two clubs have some very impressive players kicking about, and here we’ll be comparing two English midfielders in Sean Longstaff and James Ward-Prowse as they both have huge futures.

Before we get into it, Sean Longstaff is injured and has been for the last few weeks. He will miss this clash and the rest of the season, but should he make it back to fitness for next season and get back to form it will be a matter of time before he’s giving Gareth Southgate selection headaches. One of the players he’ll be battling against for an England spot will be Saints’ James Ward-Prowse, though, who will certainly feature later today.

SEAN LONGSTAFF

Sean Longstaff has shown everyone what he can do in his very short time as a Newcastle United senior player. Before he suffered his injury, there were fans calling for him to be an England player, and who can blame them? The 21-year-old former Blackpool loanee is an incredible youngster with plenty of fight, passion and energy in the middle of the park, with some stellar displays to go with his potential.

If you want to see the best of the young Geordie, just look back to Newcastle’s home clash with Manchester City. Between them, Isaac Hayden and Longstaff shone as they outclassed a Pep Guardiola midfield of David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho. That says all you need to know, and all the Newcastle fans want is to see Longstaff return as soon as possible and get back to form next season as he continues to convince England fans he deserves to be in Southgate’s squad.

TT GRADE: A

JAMES WARD-PROWSE

At the age of 24-years-old, James Ward-Prowse is one of the oldest players to still be considered as a young prospect, and he has been considered so for a long time. However, the Southampton man has got bags of talent that he’s started to utilise under the tutelage of Ralph Hasenhuttl and if he keeps going the way he is then maybe a big money move and a chance with the Three Lions could present itself.

This season has seen the midfield man score six Premier League goals for the Saints, his highest tally since becoming a regular starter back in the 2013/14 season. The only problem is that the midfielder hasn’t got an assist this season and his creative output can be questioned. That could be a key point in whether or not Ward-Prowse gets an international nod, and it will be something that Hasenhuttl will be working on with the impressive midfield maestro.

TT GRADE: C

TT VERDICT

Whilst it could be the case that with so many impressive midfielders coming through with England that neither Ward-Prowse or Longstaff get a look in for the national side, you’d back at least one of them to do so.

Gareth Southgate will have his eye on both, but with age on his side and some bright performances under his belt already, when Longstaff gets back to fitness he will surely be the more likely of the two.

Newcastle and Southampton, who do you think wins this battle? Comment below.

[ad_pod ]Ryan Mason has had his say on the controversy at Elland Road on Sunday after the altercation between Leeds and Aston Villa players, as per talkSPORT.

The former Spurs defender believes that Bielsa ordered his team to concede a goal purposefully to save face, but that view is a tough one to agree with.

What’s been said then?

The former England international attributes the showing of sportsmanship from the Leeds boss on Sunday down to Spygate.

Bielsa was a targeted figure in the British press in lieu of the scandal and Mason believes that he allowed Villa to score on Sunday in order to restore his good reputation.

The former Hull man said: “Leeds telling their players to give Villa a goal, I don’t agree with it one bit.

“Bielsa’s done it because of Spygate, to say that Leeds are a good club.â€

Not that simple

Mason’s view on the incident is far too simplistic, and he may be linking two things together that are irrelevant.

Despite Bielsa taking part in Spygate earlier this year, he does seem like a man of principle. The sporting thing to do would be to allow Villa an equaliser.

The Argentine is also a student of the game so he would be well aware of the possible repercussions of being unsporting.

Leeds were fined £200,000 after Spygate and would likely want to avoid any further sanctions.

A similar situation arose in a Champions League game back in 2012 where Luiz Adriano scored a goal in similar circumstances to Mateusz Klich, and then attempted to tackle the opposition when his teammates allowed him to run through on goal.

Adriano was banned for one game and with Bielsa’s advanced knowledge of football, he would likely be aware of the sanctions that were imposed for a similar situation seven years ago.

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Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter in fury, after ESPN’s Andy Mitten revealed on the FourFourTwo podcast that the belief inside the club was that Mauricio Pochettino was going to join in the summer, before they appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer instead.

When the Red Devils sacked Jose Mourinho, the two names being thrown around were Zinedine Zidane and Pochettino, with nobody expecting Solskjaer to stay beyond his interim spell.

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However, a run of just one loss in 17 games led to the former Cardiff boss being handed the job on a permanent basis, although that decision appears to have been a rushed one based on their form since making that decision.

Solskjaer has overseen just two wins from his last 10 games in the Old Trafford dugout, leading many to feel that his appointment was a hasty one, whereas Pochettino looks to have guided Spurs into the top four and has them in the semi-finals of the Champions League without making a signing.

Let’s see how the understandably annoyed United fans on Twitter have reacted to the frustrating news…

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With a defence most teams outside the top-six would die for, a penalty master and a winger who has got the big clubs swooning, Palace have plenty of assets in their side that make them one of the most exciting sides to watch in the Premier League, but they are not without their weaknesses.

Until his standout performance versus Arsenal last month, Christian Benteke’s career at Selhurst Park had been lurching from disaster to disaster, while Jordan Ayew, Alexander Sorloth and Connor Wickham don’t cut the mustard and Michy Batshuayi has been distinctly average since signing in January. It’s clear that the Eagles must invest heavily in a striker this summer or at least be shrewd with who they bring in to lead the line next term.

Fortunately, and permitting that they hold onto the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, this is the only glaring issue facing Roy Hodgson and co ahead of their seventh consecutive season in the top flight. The longstanding problem that was Wayne Hennessey between the sticks is a distant memory now, with Vicente Guaita proving a very, very astute signing.

The Spaniard has won plaudits galore with some impressive reflex stops, of which his jaw-dropping save from Cenk Tosun at Selhurst Park two weeks ago is the latest, and has arguably been crucial to his side’s sustained success despite the absence of central-defensive pairing James Tomkins and Mamadou Sakho through injury.

While the aforementioned duo work their way back to fitness, Scott Dann and Martin Kelly have filled in and, aside from the latter’s blunder at Cardiff last time out, they have deputised brilliantly. Both deserve credit for the job they’ve done in recent weeks but the confidence inspired by having Guaita’s calm, assured presence behind them cannot be understated.

Sure, the Spaniard has made the rare mistake since ousting Hennessey from the starting lineup on a permanent basis, but it’s undeniable that he’s a huge upgrade on the towering Welshman – and Palace got him for free.

The SE25 outfit have taken some notable steps in the transfer market to maximise the success that this prolonged spell in the top flight can yield, including the big money additions of the aforementioned Sakho and Benteke, although Guaita might just be their best bit of business in terms of value since they re-signed Zaha in 2015.

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Captain Luka Milivojevic is a close second but the fact that Palace have been able to solve a problem that has plagued them since they achieved promotion to the top flight in 2013 without spending a penny is phenomenal.

At 32-years-old, Guaita has time left at the top of his game and, in terms of the impact he’s made to the team and the efforts he’s gone to since crossing the channel, there is no better value for money Palace addition in the past few years.

Everton need a midfield general who can turn defence into counter attack like lightening. With that in mind, they should look no further than Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso this summer.

The 23-year-old has impressed in La Liga this season, despite Betis being placed in 13th spot. He’s played 30 times and has shown experience beyond his years in the heart of their midfield. He’s well-drilled defensively but can burst forward and create an attack too.

The Toffees want to play fast-paced football and they can’t do that without a midfielder capable of spraying the ball wide quickly. Lo Celso has this in his locker and he can make the difference between inconsistency and top six.

Andre Gomes has had an impressive season on loan from Barcelona and he’s attracting attention ahead of a possible move in summer. Well, Lo Celso is outclassing him though considering his all-round play.

Frankly, Gomes lacks that forward-thinking talent.

The Sun have claimed Everton are in the battle to sign the Argentinian international who’s been dubbed the ‘next Di Maria’. He’s got four seasons left on his contract and is valued at £36m on Transfermarkt, so he won’t be cheap at all.

Everton want to reach the next level though, so their targets shouldn’t be cheap. They need to sign the best in Europe to have any chance of competing with the top six, so Marcel Brands should dig deep to find the cash for this young talent.

He’s scored 16 and assisted five in all competitions this season, so he really is an all-rounder. Indeed, he could alter the fortunes at Goodison Park and help return them to where their fans believe they belong, fighting with the top teams in the country.

Everton fans, who do you think your team should sign for the midfield this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.