All posts by h79snht.top

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Tottenham fans have been eyeing potential transfer targets as injuries spread through the squad, and over two thirds of those who voted in our poll want to sign Hoffenheim midfielder Florian Grillitsch.

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham have sent scouts to watch Grillitsch on multiple occasions, and are willing to meet his release clause.

According to the report, the Austrian international has a buyout clause of just £18m, and the Lilywhites are keen to snap him up in the wake of Mousa Dembele’s departure.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas which Arsenal players would get into the Tottenham team ahead of the North London Derby – Check out the video below…

Dembele is expected to complete his move to China this week, and with Moussa Sissoko and Victor Wanyama both injured Mauricio Pochettino is crying out for some more options in midfield.

Grillitsch is a defensive midfielder by trade, able to read the game and intercept attacks before they even begin, but he is also a superb passer of the ball, something Dembele perhaps lacked.

69 per cent of fans want to sign the 10-cap 23 year-old, and you can view the full poll results down below…

[ad_pod ]

Despite Thursday night’s penalty shootout loss to Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final, as per the BBC, one positive came out of the game for Tottenham and for Mauricio Pochettino – Danny Rose is looking back to his best, and needs to be considered as the first-choice option ahead of Ben Davies.

What’s the word, then?

Spurs boss Pochettino has given both Rose and Davies almost an even split of Premier League starts this season, with the England international making 10 whilst the Welsh international Davies has made a few more with 14, as per Whoscored.

The former Southampton manager seems to trust Davies in the bigger games, starting him in the north London derby to cite an example, although the former Swansea defender offers very little going forward in comparison to his teammate.

Which Man Utd star got fed by Salt Bae this week? Check out the video below to find out…

As seen on Rose’s Whoscored page, the former Leeds man embarks on 1.3 dribbles per game in the Premier League, whereas, in stark contrast, Davies records just 0.1 dribbles per game.

He may have one more assist than Rose, but Spurs are noticeably less attack-minded down that left flank when the England international is out of the team.

You also have to bear in mind that the north London-based side prefer to play with a midfield diamond in a 4-1-2-1-2 system, which contains no natural wingers, but rather a defensive midfielder, two central midfielders and an attacking midfield in a narrow shape – as a result, it is pivotal for the full-backs to provide the width.

Why has Rose been out of favour?

In fairness to Pochettino, Rose did struggle with injuries last season and made just nine league starts, as per Whoscored, so his preference to play Davies was originally enforced and has just ended up being the order of the day at Spurs.

Now, however, the 28-year-old looks back to the player he was before his injury problems, recording an excellent assist for Fernando Llorente’s goal against the Blues in the aforementioned semi-final with a cross of real quality.

For Tottenham to take the game to their opponents and make the narrow system work to its full potential, Rose must be considered as first choice ahead of Davies immediately.

[ad_pod ]

With just hours remaining of the January transfer window, Crystal Palace made arguably the signing of the day as they swooped to sign Michy Batshuayi from Chelsea, on a loan deal that will run until the end of the season as reported on the Eagles’ official site.

With the 25-year-old’s arrival, Palace now have two Belgian international strikers in their ranks including Christian Benteke, and if the pair are deployed in attack together, they could cause absolute chaos.

What can Batshuayi bring to Palace?

The former Standard Liege striker is a player that the south Londoners have had in their sights for a while, having had a bid accepted for the forward whilst he was at Marseille, before being gazumped by Chelsea for his signature.

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…

Batshuayi has a low centre of gravity that enables him to be an effective dribbler, whilst he is an extremely alert poacher in and around the box. He has scored goals everywhere he has been throughout his career, with 44 goals for Standard Liege, 33 for Marseille, 19 for Chelsea, nine in 14 games for Borussia Dortmund and three for Valencia this season, per Transfermarkt.

However, he isn’t the most physical striker, nor the most aerially dominant, so he should be deployed alongside another frontman in a 4-4-2 system, with Benteke the best suited to play alongside his international colleague.

How the pair can hit it off

One thing Palace and Roy Hodgson, in particular, are guilty of this season is isolating the man up top, whether it’s Jordan Ayew, or Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha as makeshift strikers, they have been starved of service.

It has often been a case of hoisting the ball long to the striker, with no wingers or midfielders within radius of him to gather up any knockdowns or loose balls, which is understandable when the aforementioned trio possess no real aerial prowess.

In Benteke, however, Palace have a striker who is one of the best in the Premier League aerially, and now have a player who is always on his toes and on the move in Batshuayi. The pair should be able to hit it off straight away in terms of being on the same wavelength, as they have worked together for years at international level and know what each other are capable of.

Hodgson has stuck with one up front for a long time now, but with those two in attack and Zaha and Townsend back on the wings, Palace could have an inspired second half of the season, so the Eagles should definitely switch things up.

Celtic would have known at the beginning of January that the Scottish Premiership was not going to be a formality this season, as bitter rivals Rangers will push them all the way.

Therefore, manager Brendan Rodgers would have sought to seriously strengthen his squad last month, to give Celtic the chance of securing their third domestic treble in a row, their tenth Scottish Premiership in a row, and even for success in Europe.

Celtic were very busy this January, with a number of incoming and outgoing players. With that in mind, these were the biggest mistakes Celtic made this January:

Squad balance

The Bhoys brought in a number of players in last month, including some very high-profile loan signings. PSG’s promising striker Timothy Weah arrived at Parkhead, as well as 21-year-old Scotland international Oliver Burke amongst others.

Rodgers now has a job on his hands of balancing his squad. Given the success that Celtic have already had so far this season, the manager will not want to make wholesale changes, as this could not only affect the performance of the team but can make some players very unsettled.

In what could be a historic season, the Northern Irishman will need squad cohesion more than anything. Luckily, Celtic are still competing in a number of competitions and will therefore need squad rotation, meaning Rodgers will probably be able to pull this off.

Departing players

Amongst the number of arrivals at Paradise last month, there were also a number which departed on loan.

One notable departure was Lewis Morgan to EFL League One outfit Sunderland. The move saw the winger reunited with manager Jack Ross, with whom he played under at St Mirren last season. Ross was able to get the best out of Morgan last term, something that Rodgers has struggled to do this season.

If Morgan and Ross can earn promotion with The Black Cats, there is a good chance that the player may opt to stay with his former manager, meaning Celtic could have lost out on a very promising talent.

Of course, this is a move to help the player’s development, but it could backfire.

[ad_pod ]

According to The Express, Manchester United are prepared to pay £50 million for Fulham wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon in the upcoming summer transfer window. 

What’s the story?

Sessegnon was sensational for the Cottagers in the Championship last season, and played a key role in the London club’s promotion to the Premier League.

However, in the top flight this time around, the 18-year-old has been in and out of the team and has struggled to produce his best form on a consistent basis. It should be noted, though, that his own potential success has likely been limited by the lack of cohesion and poor results that Fulham have been suffering from all season as a club.

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

The Red Devils’ reported interest in the versatile wide man is certainly justified, as Sessegnon has the potential to be a star of the future.

Contract uncertainty opens door

The aforementioned report states that Sessegnon is currently stalling on signing a new contract at Craven Cottage, with only 18 months left on his current deal. Certainly, if Claudio Ranieri’s side are relegated this season, then the England under-21 international is unlikely to want to stay with the Cottagers.

This situation should make it easier to tempt the teenager to Old Trafford and could also weaken Fulham’s resistance to their advances. 

However, making an immediate impact for United could be tricky for Sessegnon, especially with the likes of Anthony Martial and Alexis Sanchez almost certain to be ahead of him in the pecking order if he is purchased to play ahead of Luke Shaw. An initial loan move then, to another top flight side, would be the best way for United to ensure they get a long-term return upon their investment in the teenager.

Leeds journalist Adam Pope has provided an update on the future of Ben White, suggesting there is a bigger worry for the club than the defender being recalled.

What’s he said?

White has been earning rave reviews this season, being labelled as the club’s player of the season while also being given huge praise by Noel Whelan who claimed he was already better than John Stones.

A number of sides in the Premier League are reportedly in the race for his signature with Liverpool one of the main contenders. However, Chelsea are also in the running with a £25m fee being touted for his services.

Graham Potter suggested last week that he is likely to see out his loan spell at Elland Road. However, the chance of securing a hefty price in January could change their minds.

Offering his thoughts on Twitter, Pope claimed the following:

Good and bad news

Although there is a real worry in terms of Brighton’s stance on potentially selling the player, something that will be entirely out of Leeds’ hands, the fact it’s likely he’ll stay for the remainder of the season is a huge positive.

There would be real concerns if White departed in a matter of weeks, not just because of his supreme performances, but also because it would be difficult to replace him.

Can you get full marks on the Ultimate Leeds Quiz? Test your knowledge below…

Gaetano Berardi has blown hot and cold with his performances at Leeds, earning seven red cards throughout his time in west Yorkshire. However, fans have been more pleased with his recent displays.

That being said, he simply isn’t as good as White who has established a mean partnership alongside captain Liam Cooper.

Before Marcelo Bielsa’s men drew 3-3 with Cardiff, they had a defensive record that bettered every club in Europe’s top five leagues.

The Seagulls loanee has been imperious at the back, registering 1.8 tackles and 2.5 interceptions per game. White is also particularly assured in his passing, achieving a success rate of 84.9% this term. Finding someone who could replace that in equal measure would be a colossal task.

There is clearly an agreement in place with Brighton but if a £25m bid did come in, it would be interesting to see whether they budged. For Leeds, it would be incredibly detrimental if they did.

In other news,Âone Leeds man has recently shown why promotion is anything but assured…

Liverpool’s interest in Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho has cooled slightly after the German outfit slapped a £127 million asking price on the winger, that is according to Jan Aage Fjortoft.

He also suggests that under no circumstances will the England international be allowed to leave in the January transfer window, with the summer the earliest that a move will become possible.

Sancho has been linked with Liverpool for a few weeks now, since Fjortoft claimed that sources in Germany had told him that the Reds were favourites to sign the 19-year-old.

The former Manchester City man has been on fire recently, netting six goals and providing four assists in his last five Bundesliga appearances (Transfermarkt).

However despite that excellent form, many Liverpool fans feel that his alleged £127 million price tag is far too high and therefore don’t believe that they will be signing him any time soon.

Here is what some have been saying about it on Twitter…

Liverpool fans, would you pay such a big fee for Jadon Sancho? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Just as Sheffield Wednesday looked to be building momentum, they’ve come crashing back down to earth with two disappointing defeats in a row.

However, they’ve received positive news that Massimo Luongo is back in contention for their first outing of 2020.

What’s been said?

The Owls head into the New Year full of uncertainty. What happens to the club after the controversy surrounding owner Dejphon Chansiri remains to be seen but they could well face a points deduction in the near future.

If that happens, Wednesday’s fate will be out of their hands. It’s likely they’ll be taken out of the race for promotion but if they’re not careful, their own performances might just do that as well.

After going six games unbeaten, they’ve lost successive fixtures against Stoke and Cardiff. If you had a look at the league table, they were both matches you’d expect Garry Monk’s men to win.

However, they shipped five goals in the process as their defence took a turn for the worst.

Missing 12-goal Steven Fletcher, they’ve also lacked a goal presence. What didn’t help, therefore, was being without Luongo against Cardiff as well.

Monk has since provided a positive update on his fitness, as reported by The Star:

“He felt a bit groggy within himself after the (Stoke) game but he is back out on the training pitch so hopefully he will be back in contention for the Hull game.”

Big boost

The Australian’s absence on Sunday afternoon saw Monk switch formations, deciding to play one up front with Adam Reach in behind.

However, Reach’s capabilities in the middle of the park simply weren’t good enough. Via WhoScored, He registered three unsuccessful touches while committing a solitary foul and also being dribbled past on one occasion.

That showed an ability to press the defence in what was a distinctly average performance.

Can you score at least 80% on this Ultimate Premier League Quiz? Test your knowledge now…

Luongo hasn’t been sensational this term but he’s certainly performed at a higher level than Reach. Scoring two goals this season, he’s been better in front of goal while he also offers greater care in possession.

So far in 2019/20, the former Ballon d’Or nominee has been unsuccessful with just 0.8 of his touches per game. Reach in comparison, manages 1.7 per game and has scored just once.

He has the ability to play in a variety of different positions but having Luongo back to play in central midfield will be a big boost against Hull. It’s clear they missed a calming influence such as his last Sunday.

Meanwhile, one Wednesday star was ridiculed after the defeat against Cardiff, being described as their worst signing of the Chansiri era…

Chelsea are poised to make a £40m bid for West Ham United centre-back Issa Diop, as reported by The Express.

It is suggested that the Frenchman is Frank Lampard’s main defensive target, as he looks to strengthen his squad after Chelsea’s ban was lifted.

David Moyes is said to be reluctant to let the 23-year-old leave so soon into his second tenure at London Stadium.

With that in mind, FFC writers have given their verdict on whether or not West Ham should cash in on the defender.

Watch West Ham United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Lewis Blain

“West Ham selling Issa Diop would be Moyes’ first mistake since being appointed for a second time. The temptation of £40m may be all too much to handle, but they should show their mettle and think of the future. The French centre-back is only 23 years old and can be forgiven for a rough patch in English football having only joined in the summer of 2018.

“Angelo Ogbonna isn’t getting any younger and it’s clear they can no longer rely on the services of the injury-prone Reid. Diop was called a ‘monster’ by Jose Mourinho last season and it’s this sort of praise that has seen him linked to many a club since. The Hammers need to think of their future, and selling the young colossus would be a stupid decision.”

Matt Dawson “This would be a masterstroke from Gold & Sullivan. If West Ham can ship on a player who hasn’t achieved much game time recently for £40m, it would be nothing short of outstanding transfer business.Call yourself a West Ham expert? How much did each of these January signings cost?“Issa Diop was pivotal last term, making 2.1 tackles per game and also producing 1.9 interceptions each outing. However, both of those figures have dropped off considerably this season as the Frenchman has struggled.“Since November, Diop has played just 92 minutes in the league, failing to appear in five matches. If that is indicative of a £40m player then West Ham must do everything they can to ship him on.“With Angelo Ogbonna and Fabian Balbuena in their ranks against Bournemouth in the 4-0 win, they looked a team with greater solidity. The duo made a combined five tackles, via WhoScored. On that evidence, they don’t need Diop and should cash in.”Billy Meyers“Moyes would be mad to let Diop leave. Admittedly, the former Toulouse man hasn’t had the best of times recently as he endures a spell out of the starting XI. Although there was a reason why Manchester United tried to sign him back in the summer and also a reason why Jose Mourinho spoke so highly of him, after the Hammers beat the Red Devils in the 2018/19 campaign.“Diop is arguably one of Moyes’ best long-term assets as things stand at the age of just 23, and it would be a case of severe short-termism to let the Frenchman leave London Stadium – he must be kept at all costs.”Danny Lewis“It will likely be tempting for Moyes to take the £40m as he looks to put his own imprint on his new squad, but West Ham should be looking to keep the Frenchman.“Admittedly, it was against Gillingham, but Diop looked solid in a back-three, indicating that the former Toulouse man offers Moyes tactical flexibility, allowing the Scotsman to switch between a back four and three.“Outside of that, Moyes is new to the job, having only managed two West Ham games in his second spell to date, meaning he may not have discovered his best lineup – it would be foolish to dismiss someone who could be such a large asset after a short period of time.“One more point to consider is that many West Ham fans were already frustrated to see Moyes come in, if he was to sell one of their more valuable players to another club from London, it wouldn’t exactly help portray ambition to them.”Meanwhile, West Ham have reignited their interest in a summer target who could help fill priority position.

Roy Hodgson has given an update on Crystal Palace’s pursuit of Kyle Walker-Peters.The Eagles were reportedly ‘close’ to securing loan deals for Cenk Tosun and the Tottenham right-back on January 8th – according to The Athletic’s transfer tracker – and the Turkey striker has since been confirmed on a contract until the end of the season.However, there has been no such concrete development on the deal to sign Walker-Peters, until Hodgson shared some information on the transfer ahead of Palace’s game against Arsenal.

What did he say?

According to The Athletic’s Dominic Fifield, Hodgson said: “I know that the discussions are taking place, and Dougie Freedman is working very hard on that aspect. I’m optimistic and hopeful that we can get Kyle here. First hand, it was being discussed as a loan.”

Would be a much-needed additionÂ

As things stand at Selhurst Park, the former England manager has just one natural right-back at his disposal in Joel Ward after Aaron Wan-Bissaka was not replaced following his summer move to Manchester United.

The former Portsmouth man has been out injured since the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool towards the end of November, and Martin Kelly – who seems far more comfortable at centre-back – has had to step up and fill in for him ever since.

While the former Liverpool man has done an okay job and also enabled Palace to maintain a decent run of results that currently has them sat ninth on 28 points, it is clearly a position that requires more depth – Kelly’s presence at right-back has forced midfield man Cheikhou Kouyate into centre-back at times amid the recent injury crisis.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

It remains to be seen what happens with the Walker-Peters deal, although Hodgson’s update does sound encouraging given that he says Dougie Freedman “is working hard” amid discussions between the two London clubs – the 72-year-old also says that he’s optimistic.

One thing is for certain though – Ward needs some natural competition in the right-back role.

In other news, take a look at the one reason why Pini Zahavi should wait until the summer before moving Wilfried Zaha on…