All posts by h716a5.icu

Marko Arnautovic is expected to stay at West Ham United after it was reported on Sunday that the interested clubs from the Chinese Super League failed to match his asking price for a move away from English football.

According to Sky Sports the striker will remain at the Hammers for time being unless Guangzhou Evergrande or Shanghai SIPG manage to meet the £50m fee for the 29-year-old.

The ‘return’ of Arnautovic to the West Ham starting lineup should, however, be a no brainer for manager Manuel Pellegrini and Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Bournemouth should emphasise the need to get him back into the team as soon as possible.

Although Arnautovic never actually left the East London club, he wasn’t named in the squad that travelled to the Vitality Stadium with the expectation of the manager that a deal to China would be agreed soon.

Now, the former Stoke City player could still be of high value for Pellegrini, at least for next two games.

With only ten days of the transfer window remaining, it does seem unlikely that Arnautovic would leave and this could be a massive boost for West Ham as they face AFC Wimbledon and Wolverhampton Wanderers before the end of the month.

The expected fear of fitting Arnautovic back into the team should only be a temporary issue as he is still a very big part of the team and the club’s best goal-scoring threat.

West Ham lacked direction up-front against the Cherries and never really looked threatening. They failed to apply real pressure on the defenders and with Andy Carroll up-front, Pellegrini didn’t have the ruthlessness of Arnautovic.

The encounter, however, did see the manager opt for a lone striker for the first time this season as he normally plays with two wide centre-forwards.

It is a tactic that has worked brilliantly in the matches before the Bournemouth trip, most notably the 1-0 win over Arsenal last weekend.

Pellegrini should therefore replace his trust and faith in Arnautovic, no matter what formation he uses, and let the striker lead the line of attack again. It is the best chance West Ham have of making a real push for the Europa League.

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Southampton are eyeing a move for Olympiacos right-back Omar Elabdellaoui, according to the Daily Mail.

Cedric Soares left the club to join Inter Milan on loan, per BBC, earlier this month and the Saints are now trying to recruit a replacement before the transfer deadline on Thursday.

On the chalkboard

The aforementioned Mail report claims that the Saints are ready to pay £6million to sign Elabdellaoui, who previously played for Hull City on loan in the second half of the 2016-17 season.

Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl is said to believe that the full international has more experience than current right-back Yan Valery, but it remains to be seen if the Norwegian will be able to dislodge the 19-year-old from his starting position.

Check out the video below to see how Brazil fans reacted to being asked how Cristiano Ronaldo would perform for them in a hilarious prank by Pl>ymaker FC…

The 27-year-old, who has won 34 caps for Norway, made just eight appearances in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt, and was on the winning side twice, in a shock win over Liverpool and a 2-1 victory over Swansea City.

Elabdellaoui also played 90 minutes on the final day of the season, as Hull lost 7-1 to Tottenham Hotspur.

Just for depth?

Previous showings do not bode well for Southampton, here.

His last performance in English football saw his side ship seven goals, and this may merely be a move for a back-up.

Elabdellaoui has been almost ever-present for Olympiacos this season, missing just one Turkish Super League game, but his history in English football is such that it is difficult to foresee him being thrown straight in by manager Hasenhuttl.

Valery has impressed when given the chance to play at St Mary’s and can only benefit from an extended run in the first-team, regardless of transfers.

Hasenhuttl would be wise to place his faith in the 19-year-old, and use Elabdellaoui as little more than cover.

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Chelsea take on reigning Premier League champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The hosts will be considered favourites heading into the clash, but the Blues did beat Pep Guardiola’s side when they met at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, so Chelsea will know that they have what it takes to triumph on Sunday.

However, in order to take all three points back to west London, Maurizio Sarri must get his tactical approach to this fixture spot on.

On the chalkboard

In the likes of Eden Hazard, Willian, and January arrival Gonzalo Higuain, Chelsea have attacking players with the capacity to hurt City. However, in Brazilian centre-back David Luiz they also have something of a secret weapon.

The indoor football skills in the video below have to be seen to be believed…

The defender’s long-range passing ability from deep is remarkable, and he has the vision to pick out the runs of his attackers with accurate lofted balls over the top of the opposition defence. Therefore, Chelsea’s forwards must invest their faith in Luiz’s ability and repeatedly make the kind of runs in behind that he can pick out.

Working with Luiz

In order for Luiz to be at his most effective though, he must also be protected.

When Luiz is on the ball, City will press and pressurise him instantly. It is vital that the Chelsea man’s teammates are sharp in their own movements to ensure that the 31-year-old always has an option available to him.

What’s more, Sarri must also impress upon the 56-cap Brazil international the importance of not taking any unnecessary risks. Whilst Luiz has the capacity to unlock City, he is also capable of making poor errors. If he is to become central to Chelsea’s gameplan, then the Blues must be diligent in covering for Luiz when he strides forward to aid the attack.

Arsenal will be gutted with their recent result against BATE Borisov in the first leg of their Europa League round of 32 tie, as they failed to come away from Belarus with an away goal. 

The Gunners find themselves trailing in the race for a top four spot and their European hopes are in doubt after their midweek result, so things definitely need to improve immediately.

However, it looks as if the North London club already have their eye on a possible summer swoop, as according to Corriere dello Sport (via Metro), Arsenal have held talks to sign AC Milan’s Suso.

Interestingly, the Spaniard is said to have a €40 million (£35m/$45m) release clause in his deal at the San Siro.

Suso has come on leaps and bounds since moving to Italy as he continues to make a name for himself, with six goals and eight assists to his name at this moment in time. The attacker operated as more of a winger during his time at Liverpool but he’s been playing more centrally in recent times, which has certainly benefited him.

One player who the Gunners may be desperate to replace is Mesut Ozil as his future looks extremely uncertain as he continues to waste away behind the scenes at the Emirates.

The Gunners have reportedly identified Kai Havertz as the man they want to replace Mesut Ozil, according to Calciomercato (via The Sun). But, the youngster has very little experience and still has a lot of developing to do, so Arsenal would be better off moving for a ready-made replacement who could step right into the side and excel.

Indeed, Suso is a ready-made replacement for the German as he’s shown that he can provide an impressive amount of assists and he also has the ability to find the back of the net, which Ozil has struggled to do. And, he has experience from playing in Europe, which could come in handy in the future at the Emirates.

His skill, pace, dribbling and finishing ability makes him one of the most talented attackers in Italy, and he’d fit perfectly into the Gunners’ tiki-taka style with his passing and quickness taking Arsenal’s attack to another level.

Arsenal fans – thoughts?

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A 76th minute Wilfried Zaha goal was enough to earn Crystal Palace a point against West Ham United last time out. The Palace attacker’s strike also marked the 13th time the Hammers have conceded in the final 15 minutes of a Premier League match this season, as per Transfermarkt. Only Fulham and Burnley, with 15 and 14 respectively, have been breached in the final 15 minutes more often.

Irons boss Manuel Pellegrini must address this recurring issue before it costs his side any more points this season.

Identifying the problem

Before Pellegrini can fix this problem though, he must find its cause. 

West Ham’s problem is that, when they’re defending a lead, they allow themselves to be pushed too far back. By sitting so deep, the Hammers concede so much territory that they offer no threat on the counter-attack, and as such, the pressure on their own defence just builds and builds.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Eventually, this pressure takes its toll and the east London outfit’s defence lets something through. They must now break this habit, or it will continue to prove their undoing.

Finding the solution

In the final 15 minutes of games, especially when they’re already ahead, West Ham must maintain a measure of attacking intent. The defence cannot drop too deep, as they will invariably drag the midfield and attacking contingents backwards with them.

Instead, for these final exchanges, the Irons must become more aggressive. More intense pressing of the opposition for the final quarter of an hour should become part of Pellegrini’s game-plan.

What’s more, by being more assertive and on the front-foot in these closing moments, the Hammers stand a better chance of scoring themselves, thereby all but putting the result beyond doubt.

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In-form Southampton attacker Nathan Redmond has opened up to The Daily Echo on his one-to-one meeting with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl during the squad’s training camp in Tenerife earlier this month, saying that the Austrian told him to stop ‘standing still’.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 51-year-old boss had a discussion with and provided feedback on every player in the squad that was present for the trip to the Canary Island, which included Redmond.

The 24-year-old has been in scintillating form since Hasenhuttl was appointed as Mark Hughes’ successor back in December, scoring six goals and providing a further two assists in all competitions.

However, despite being arguably the south coast outfit’s best player in the last couple of months, the former Norwich City man revealed to The Daily Echo that he wasn’t exempt from having things to work on and improve.

Redmond said: “In terms of the negatives, he told me to not stand still as much. He noticed at the start when he first came in that I stood still and that I was waiting for things to happen.

“He said I was still standing still a little bit, but not as much as before.

“There are a lot of things like decision making and stuff, but at the end of the day if I want to keep developing and performing in this team, then I have to take it on board.”

Is Hasenhuttl right?

He probably is, yes.

While Redmond has clearly stepped it up in terms of being a big threat in the final third for Southampton in recent times, there are still obviously more ways in which he can affect matches for his side.

Hasenhuttl clearly wants the one-cap England international to be more aware and on his toes, providing that movement to help his teammates out when they are looking for forward passes.

It is the sort of contructive criticism that can make the 24-year-old an even better player than the one he is showing he is right now, and that can only benefit Saints in their battle against relegation.

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Paul Glatzel continues to knock on the door of the Liverpool first-team after a stunning display for the club’s Under-23s at the weekend.

The 18-year-old scored against Bournemouth in the Premier League Cup to continue his brilliant form for both the Under-23s and the Under-18s this season.

A confident striker, he has scored seven goals in the Premier League Cup alone this season, in just four games, spanning both age groups, including a hat-trick against Southampton in a 3-0 win.

That was his third treble of the season, after hitting two for the Under-18s, against Accrington Stanley in the FA Youth Cup and West Brom in the U18 Premier League.

In addition to his Premier League Cup exploits, Glatzel has notched up 16 goals in the U-18 Premier League, UEFA Youth League, FA Youth Cup and Premier League 2 this season.

Such is his precocious talent, Glatzel is currently captain of the U18 team and is making repeated forays into the upper age group.

Born in Liverpool, he holds dual heritage as his parents are German, and he has been capped at youth level by both England and Germany. He has won two caps for England’s Under-16 side, with his debut coming in 2016, but he was called up by Germany’s Under-18s in November of 2018 and played 45 minutes in a 1-0 win over Cyprus.

And his talents have not gone unnoticed on Merseyside, either. Just last week, Glatzel signed his first professional contract with the club and has already shown the resilience that will stand him in good stead in the first-team, having battled back from a broken leg sustained a couple of seasons ago.

Academy director Alex Inglethorpe has hailed his potential and believes that, if his development continues apace, he could one day have to decide between Germany and England’s senior team.

Quoted by the Liverpool Echo, he said: “Paul fell off the radar probably when he was about 14 or 15. It happens with some lads, you go through your growth spurt and he couldn’t have had any more bad luck really.

“It was one thing after another culminating in him breaking his leg. The support staff and the fitness coaches have been great in just monitoring his load a little bit throughout the year so he’s got stronger and stronger as we’ve gone on.

“He’s been on both England and Germany camps at youth level so if he’s lucky enough he’ll have a big choice to make at some point.”

A brilliant goal-getter, resilient, and clearly ready to make the step up, Glatzel could be the next Liverpool academy star to break into the first-team.

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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith’s worst fears have been confirmed after it was revealed via the club’s official website that key centre-back Tommy Elphick will be out for “four or five weeks” with a heel injury.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Midlands outfit don’t have a plethora of centre-back options anyway, and it didn’t look good when the 31-year-old was substituted off during the second half of the 4-0 win against Derby County at Villa Park on Saturday.

Now the former Bournemouth man will definitely miss the second city derby against Birmingham City at St Andrew’s on Sunday after suffering a small tear, and may not be back in action until mid-April if the prognosis is correct.

The fact that the experienced defender has gone from being out in the cold and being sent out on loan to Hull City to becoming a key first-team player tells you all you need to know about Villa’s situation at the back.

Who could fill in?

With James Chester still recovering from a knee injury, Smith has some big decisions to make before the clash against the Blues this weekend.

Who do you want to see promoted this year? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have picked their 3 favoured teams in the video below…

Tyrone Mings looks to be a guaranteed starter following some impressive displays in recent weeks, but he could be partnered by any of Kortney Hause, Mile Jedinak or even Neil Taylor, who should be back after illness.

Six points adrift of the play-offs and two behind Birmingham this is a crucial period for the Villans, but they will have to get through the majority of it without a leader in Elphick.

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According to Portuguese media outlet Correio de Manha, Leicester City have joined Premier League rivals West Ham United in being keen on FC Porto striker Moussa Marega, who is finally the player capable of displacing Jamie Vardy on a consistent basis.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Correio de Manha report that the Foxes scouted the 27-year-old during his side’s Champions League clash with AS Roma last week, where he scored one and assisted one to help the Portuguese outfit reach the quarter-finals of the prestigious competition.

The Mali international has 17 goals and a further 10 assists in 34 appearances in all competitions in total thus far this term, as he continues to make a huge impression for Porto.

Correio de Manha say that the African centre-forward has a release clause of €40m (£34m) in his contract, which is due to expire in 2021.

Would he be a good signing?

He certainly would be, and is the striker they have been searching for over the last couple of years.

Big-money moves for Islam Slimani, Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho have failed to work out as the east Midlands outfit have searched for Vardy partners and successors with the England international getting no younger, but it is the 32-year-old who largely continues to be the first-choice option at the King Power Stadium.

The addition of Marega would change that though, with the Malian attacker having the strength, pace and power to lead the line for Brendan Rodgers’ men, as well as having the clinical finishing ability in his locker Leicester are so often crying out for.

Things may not have worked out for Slimani following his move to England from Sporting Lisbon previously, but his fellow African has the quality to make a name for himself in the Premier League.

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Leeds United produced an emphatic display to overcome struggling Reading by a 3-0 scoreline at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday night and return to the top of the Championship table.

All three goals came in the first half, as midfielder Mateusz Klich opened the scoring before veteran Spaniard Pablo Hernandez notched a well-taken brace. After the break, the Whites were comfortable and managed the game with ease, whilst No. 9 Patrick Bamford missed a handful of chances to add some gloss to the scoreline.

It was an accomplished performance from the Elland Road outfit, and with the run in fast approaching, and the race for automatic promotion so tight, fans can take heart from such a calm and composed display. 

The win certainly gave an insight into what kind of shape Bielsa’s side are in as the finish line for the campaign begins to come into sight. Here’s three things we learned…

Bielsa was right to retain faith in Ayling

Right-back Luke Ayling’s performances in recent weeks have left plenty to be desired. However, Bielsa stuck with the 27-year-old in his starting XI throughout this time and was rewarded with a fine performance on Tuesday.

The full-back was devastating in the final third and notched two assists for his creative efforts. He also was generally very solid defensively and distributed the ball well. However, despite the many upsides to his display, the Arsenal academy product was perhaps fortunate to avoid a red card following one particularly poor challenge.

All in all though, it was certainly a step in the right direction for Ayling.

Hitting form at the right time

Ayling is not alone in having improved recently. Leeds themselves have won four games on the bounce, scoring ten and conceding only twice in that run. Prior to this winning streak the Yorkshire club had won only two of their last six league matches. 

Bielsa’s side now look to have emerged from this sticky patch, with their title ambitions still very much intact, and are now hitting form and gathering momentum at the perfect time. 

The Whites face fellow promotion hopefuls Sheffield United at Elland Road on Saturday in what could potentially be a season-defining encounter for both sides. Leeds will be going into it full of confidence and belief, fuelled by their recent dominance. 

Still lacking efficiency 

Despite the club’s results having improved dramatically, a certain flaw remains. The Whites are still not clinical enough in front of goal. They’re certainly far too reliant upon moments of sheer brilliance from Hernandez to make up for the number of easy chances they miss.

Bamford demonstrated against Reading that he’s still missing a ruthless edge. They were able to get away with this because they could produce such a high volume of chances against the relegation-battlers.

This will not be the case against the Blades though. Chris Wilder’s side are a formidably solid defensive unit, so Leeds must be efficient and capitalise upon any chances they get.