All posts by h716a5.icu

West Ham will once again be looking ahead to a busy summer as they look to build on a steady if not inconsistent season this year.

The Hammers have a squad which is more than capable of putting big wins on the board, but they do seem to lack certain qualities within their squad which prevents them from really challenging for the European spots in the Premier League.

With players likely to come into the club, there are also bound to be those who make their way out of the club and on to pastures new, and one man who looked to be heading that way is young midfielder, Reece Oxford.

The 20-year-old has been linked with making a permanent move to Augsburg after spending this campaign with the German club, and here in the Tavern, we think that a move away for Oxford is the right move for everyone involved .

Oxford was touted for huge things after making his debut for the Hammers as a 16-year-old, but things haven’t quite panned out as expected for the youngster ever since.

Despite being an obvious talent and one who is appreciated over in the Bundesliga, there seems to be something that just isn’t quite sitting right between Oxford and West Ham.

The Hammers will still get decent money for Oxford you would assume given his contract, while Augsburg will be getting a versatile young player who has every chance of kicking on and becoming a top talent in the game with the right sort of nurturing and coaching.

Oxford will point to the likes of Jadon Sancho as inspiration, and if he can do half as well as Sancho has so far in Dortmund, then his move to Germany will be more than justified in his own head.

[ad_pod ]

Having impressed during Leicester City’s defeat at Manchester City in the Premier League on Monday night, a number of Tottenham Hotspur fans have called on their club to move for James Maddison in this summer’s transfer window.

Maddison joined Leicester from Norwich City ahead of the 2018-19 campaign and has been in strong form this term – contributing seven goals and seven assists in the Premier League.

Leicester appear to be a team very much on the up once again, but it would be hard for Maddison to resist interest from Tottenham, if it indeed arrived this summer.

The 22-year-old has shown his class throughout the season and might well feel that he needs to leave the King Power Stadium to realise his England ambitions.

It would certainly be fair to say that the Spurs fans were impressed with what they saw from Maddison on Monday night.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

And a number have called for their club to sort out a summer deal:

Wednesday proved to be a horrendous day to be a Leeds United supporter, didn’t it?

After beating Derby County 1-0 in the first-leg of their play-off semi-final last Saturday, the Whites would have been supremely confident of prevailing in the return fixture at Elland Road.

Yet with expectations to deliver at an all-time high for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, they produced a disastrous defensive display which resulted in the Rams securing a 4-2 victory.

Whereas the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Stuart Dallas delivered impressive individual performances, the same cannot be said for Liam Cooper and Gaetano Berardi.

Tasked with trying to keep the likes of Jack Marriott, Mason Mount and Harry Wilson quiet, the central defenders were utterly dreadful throughout the clash.

With Cooper directly at fault for two of the goals and Berardi receiving a ridiculous red card in the second-half, Marcelo Bielsa must have been cursing the fact that Pontus Jansson wasn’t fit enough to start in the clash.

A regular for the Whites during the 2018/19 campaign, the £5.4m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt) had returned to training ahead of the second-leg yet he had to settle for a place on the substitute’s bench.

Given Jansson’s outstanding form this year, it could be argued that if Bielsa had taken the risk on Wednesday to play him, Leeds may very well have been preparing for a visit to Wembley Stadium in 10 days time as he would have been a considerable upgrade on Berardi.

Yet by taking the safe option, the Argentine ultimately created the foundations for disaster at Elland Road which has ultimately culminated in the Whites facing the prospect of yet another year in the Championship.

What do you think Leeds fans? How big of a miss was Jansson’s absence during mid-week? Would you have been able to defeat Derby if he was fit enough to start? Let us know below.

[ad_pod ]

Express & Star journalist Matt Wilson has had his say on the future of West Brom, issuing a huge concern after it was revealed per the same newspaper that Dwight Gayle wouldn’t be brought back to the club.

What’s the word?

With Gayle not returning due to financial reasons, Technical Director Luke Dowling faces a huge task on his hands this summer. Firstly he needs to get the appointment of a new manager right, and then he needs to get the recruitment spot on in terms of new playing staff too.

It was revealed this week in The Express & Star that the club could not afford to keep Gayle next season, such are the huge wages he’s on at Newcastle.

However, Wilson, who writes for the same publication, has issued massive concerns with where the club is heading under their current ownership, bemoaning the way Albion operate.

He wrote on The Express & Star website:

“Not signing him is symptomatic of an ownership model that appears to be gearing up for the first stage of a managed decline into mediocrity.

“It’s a damning indictment on the disparity between the Premier League and the Championship, but also a worrying forewarning of what’s to come under Guochuan Lai.”

West Brom must be worried

Wilson’s assessment of the situation is absolutely spot on; there should be huge worries for West Brom. The plan was never to stay in the division but they’re now left languishing in the Championship without the possibility of bringing back the player who could fire them to promotion.

Gayle’s 24 goals in Albion colours were massive in the club’s charge to the play-offs but without him there will be a real worry.

Besides the two strikers, there was a lack of quality in the squad. On paper, Aston Villa’s was far greater and that’s primarily down to the money their owners pumped into the club.

On the other hand, West Brom’s Guochuan Lai fails to provide much investment. The fact he doesn’t even attend games doesn’t help proceedings either.

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

If the Baggies aren’t careful then as Wilson says, they could be on a one-way train to mediocrity. Birmingham and Blackburn to name a few have had problems rebuilding after relegation and that will now be Albion’s worst fear.

They can’t afford to let that happen.

[ad_pod ]

Tensions are growing amongst Leeds fans on Twitter as they nervously await further news on Qatar Sports Investments’ interest in buying the club from Andrea Radrizzani.

Phil Hay recently gave the update that Radrizzani doesn’t want to sell up, but supporters are hoping that his stance will change.

Fans have watched the billionaire investment group pump money into PSG over the past decade or so, and now that they have shown an interest in their club they want them and the bottomless money pit they have to offer.

The Whites are headed into their 16th consecutive season outside of the top flight, and there is no doubt that a cash injection from new oil-rich owners would go a long way towards helping them get back into the Premier League.

The fanbase’s desperation to get back to the top tier is extremely evident on social media as many pleaded with the owner to sell the club after reports came out that he was unwilling to offload any more of his shares.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Liverpool fans have been discussing the form and future of Dejan Lovren, but should the Croatian be replaced this summer?

Neil Jones of GOAL.com has released a detailed report on the future of several Reds stars, and Lovren is one of those under the microscope.

The World Cup finalist has lost his place first to Joe Gomez and then Joel Matip this season, effectively making him the fourth choice centre back at Anfield.

According to Jones, Lovren is not up for sale necessarily, but could be sold and replaced if the right offers comes in.

We asked our writers at Football FanCast if the Reds should indeed look to upgrade on the 29 year-old, here’s what they said…

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Harry Elnaugh

“The self-proclaimed ‘best centre-back in the world’ is a more than capable back-up for Joel Matip, who has been excellent in 18/19, although perhaps finding a player whom Matip can be deputy to is more important. Liverpool would have the Prem’s best back four by far and away if they sign another top defender to partner Van Dijk.”

Harry Sherlock

“Lovren is okay. That’s about it. He seems to have a fair amount of ego, though, and there are certainly better out there. It really depends on how much the Reds want to spend; a move for the likes of Matthijs De Ligt or Kalidou Koulibaly would do wonders for their backline. But, if they’re intending to keep their wallet in their pocket, keeping Lovren around makes sense. They just need to hope that Virgil van Dijk doesn’t get injured!”

Billy Meyers

“Lovren’s woeful performance at the Etihad in January ultimately cost Liverpool the title, and it is these small margins at the highest level that will come back to bite you if you allow mediocrity to settle into your side. Whilst his stock is still fairly high, Liverpool should cash in as soon as possible on the Croatian; they can easily find someone else to do what he does.”

[ad_pod ]

Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to respond after a Manchester City fan made some quite ridiculous comments on the Champions League.

The supporter in question took to his keyboard to question the validity of Europe’s greatest club competition, implying that it was nothing more than a ‘consolation cup’ in a truly bizarre rant.

How did Mane score THAT goal against Bayern last week? Did he dazzle them with Firmino’s teeth? 442oons speculate in the video below…

Obviously, the competition that legends such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo obsess over isn’t a small matter – it is absolutely huge.

One could suggest that this fan in particular is still feeling quite bitter about the fact that his beloved Citizens were knocked out in the most heartbreaking of ways by Tottenham, thinking they’d progressed in the last second only to see the goal ruled out by VAR.

Given the fact that Liverpool have won the European Cup five times and hold the competition very close to their hearts, the Reds supporters on Twitter have immediately ridiculed the fan’s absurd comments…

[ad_pod ]

Per a report from The Sun, Aston Villa are tracking Blackburn’s attacking midfielder Bradley Dack.

What’s the word?

Dack was superb for Blackburn throughout the 2018/19 season, finding the back of the net on 15occasions in Championships matches.

To add to that, the attacking midfielder also claimed seven assists.

The 25-year-old has quickly become one of the most dangerous players in the Championship from a central area but he could now be on the verge of making a move to the Premier League.

Newspaper The Sun claim that both Villa and Brighton are interested in his services with Dean Smith a big fan of the player according to the report.

The Villans are estimated to be in the market for as many as ten new players after releasing eight of their playing staff all in one go.

Is he needed?

It’s clear Villa will need more depth ahead of a return to the Premier League, but given their already settled central area it would be a questionable signing.

If there’s one aspect of Smith’s side that doesn’t need improving it’s in that part of the pitch. Last season, both John McGinn and Jack Grealish were exceptional.

McGinn played deeper in the middle of the park but Grealish was hugely influential going forward, effectively playing as a number ten, where Dack is at his best.

If Dack were to arrive, Villa would be in danger of potentially upsetting the rhythm of their star player.

Grealish used to play out on the left flank when he was coming through the ranks, so if the Blackburn man took the number ten role, there’s the possibility he could be forced out of a position he’s now found himself more comfortable in.

It’s clear that Dack is a larger goal threat but bringing in a player who plays an almost identical role to your star man would be a mistake.

Over the course of the summer Villa will need to be careful in terms of their recruitment. Although players like this would add greater depth, bringing in too many bodies like Fulham did last summer can prove detrimental.

Dack has the ability to also play on the flanks but it’s a position he rarely played in throughout the last campaign.

For a Championship side he’d be a good signing, but for a team now in the Premier League it’s a gamble, especially if it has the potential to upset Grealish too.

[ad_pod ]

Arsenal will have the chance to land Ivan Perisic this summer, who they have chased previously, according to reports.

What’s the story?

According to FC Inter News, a very reliable source for all things connected with the San Siro club, Perisic will be allowed to leave this summer.

The report claims the Croatian international’s future is “in the balance” as Antonio Conte looks to re-shape his squad.

Arsenal and Tottenham, the report continues, have both pursued the winger “persistently and forcefully” and are expected to do so again now that he is available.

He will likely cost between €30m and €35m (£26.76m and £31.22m).

From 6-0 FA Cup final maulings to Mkhitaryan missing the the Europa League final, is football broken? Fans discuss in the video below…

Just the way Emery likes ’em

Perisic is the perfect player for Unai Emery, and at a fee of around £30m the Gunners would be foolish not to pull the trigger if he is available.

When his Sevilla teams were at their best, Emery had the likes of Coke and Vitolo on the wings in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Providing he wants Alexandre Lacazette, a natural centre forward, to play as a number ten behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in that same system in north London, he needs hard-working wingers with the engine to provide both a goal threat and defensive help.

Perisic can provide exactly that, and the stats prove it. In Emery’s third of three Europa League triumphs in Seville (2015-16), Coke and Vitolo averaged 1.3 and 1.6 tackles per game respectively in Europa League action that season.

This year, the Croatian boasted 1.7 tackles per game in the Champions League and topped it with 1.8 per Europa League game after Inter finished third in their group.

His work rate and engine, combined with the fact that he has scored double-digit league goals in two out of the last three seasons and fell just short this campaign with eight, make him the perfect man to bomb up and down the left flank at the Emirates.

It was predicted to be a busy summer for Rangers this year, and it could be about to get a lot more hectic with the news that another new name could be about to turn up at the Ibrox.

Joe Aribo is a player that has been rumoured with a move to Rangers for a while now despite the Charlton star attracting interest from Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester City according to the Sun, but now it appears Steven Gerrard’s side will be the ones snapping up the 23-year-old’s signature with the Daily Record reporting that the Glaswegian side are willing to pay the midfielder’s £20,000-a-week wage demands.

Indeed, it is a pricey pay package to be offering a player who has never played higher than League One in England, but after the season Aribo had, it is understandable why Rangers are keen to offer the midfielder what he wants.

At nine goals and three assists, Aribo was the joint-highest goalscorer for a central midfielder in League One last campaign, and although the 23-year-old was able to guide Charlton to promotion via the play-offs, a move to Rangers is a smart move for the Camberwell-born player.

At Rangers, Aribo will be playing at a level that will test him given the improved quality of the Scottish Premiership compared to League One, and with Gerrard’s side in next season’s Europa League, the midfielder will be able to contest his skills on the continental stage.

A move to Scotland, for many, is not often seen as a progressive move after such an impressive season in England, but for Aribo, it is a move that will more than benefit the youngster.

Rangers fans, will Aribo be a success next season?