All posts by h79snht.top

Dominic Calvert-Lewin may have scored against Arsenal, but he has criticised the part he played in Everton’s 3-2 loss at the Emirates in a post on Instagram.

The 22-year-old said “I hold my hands up” in regards to wasting chances, within the caption on his Instagram post following the game, in which he depicted the celebrations after the opener.

He did take that goal well, as he reacted quickly to David Luiz’s misjudged clearance, before producing an acrobatic finish that gave Bernd Leno no chance.

However, the frontman is correct in saying that he was guilty of wasting opportunities to score, as he had a total of five shots throughout the game, two of which went off target.

Watch Everton Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The biggest chance he couldn’t capitalise on came when the ball dropped at his feet inside the six-yard box, but he was unable to get it past Leno, who was rushing towards him.

It can be suggested that the 22-year-old deserves some leeway, considering he has an impressive tally of four goals and an assist from his last five games, but he will be disappointed that total isn’t even higher.

Calvert-Lewin’s original Instagram post can be seen below:

Meanwhile, a journalist has slammed one Everton man after their disastrous performance.

James Pearce joined Steve Hothersall on The Red Agenda podcast and discussed Naby Keita’s performance against West Ham and what it might mean for his immediate future.

Liverpool had another successful night at Anfield on Monday when they defeated West Ham 3-2 in a game that was much tighter than their league positions would suggest. Indeed, the Hammers equalised and then took the lead at Anfield, becoming the first team to score against them in the Premier League since Wolves in January.

Still, Pearce thought that Naby Keita didn’t really have the best of nights and, for that reason, he expects him to be benched against Watford. He said on The Red Agenda podcast (26/2/2020): “It still feels like he’s getting to grips with exactly what Klopp expects from him. And realistically you think he’s probably going to find himself back on the bench when Liverpool go to Watford at the weekend because yeah, it wasn’t a great night for him.”

Keita got a start against the Hammers but was taken off in the second half, leaving the pitch with no shots (per SofaScore), six balls lost and only one successful dribble under his belt. Still, he did tally two key passes and managed to win eight duels in total, making at least a small mark on the game, as well as making the joint-most tackles (4, per WhoScored) before making way for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

For Pearce, however, that didn’t seem like enough as he thinks Keita won’t start the upcoming clash against Watford due to his rather poor showing at Anfield.

Liverpool fans, what did you think of Keita’s display against West Ham? Were you equally unimpressed? Let us know in the comments down below!

Back in January, Kevin Thelwell, John Marshall and the rest of the Wolves recruitment team earmarked RB Salzburg forward Hwang Hee-chan and Dinamo Zagreb attacker Dani Olmo as attainable transfer targets.

“As recently as last month, when fans were baying for new signings, Thelwell, John Marshall and his recruitment team were believed to have put forward Hwang Hee-chan and Dani Olmo as viable transfer targets. Nuno, who has the final say, preferred to go in another direction and the two most high-profile additions of the window (Daniel Podence and Leonardo Campana) were both Mendes clients.”

The duo were attractive targets, having shone in the Champions League at times this season while also registering impressive goalscoring numbers throughout the campaign.

Hee-chan netted at Anfield after putting Virgil van Dijk on his backside, whereas Olmo scored against Manchester City – as things stand, the pair have 26 and 17 goal involvements respectively this term.

So, when Nuno Espirito Santo decided to take a different direction and target Daniel Podence and Leonardo Campana instead, eyebrows may well have been raised.

However, the form of Olmo so far has done little to suggest that Nuno was wrong.

The Spaniard eventually signed for RB Leipzig in a £17m deal, and has made three Bundesliga appearances under Julian Nagelsmann since putting pen to paper.

However, in those outings, he has just a single assist to show for his efforts, and hasn’t looked close to scoring.

In clashes with Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach, Olmo only registered one shot on target as RB Leipzig won once and drew on two occasions.

Additionally, he has made a total of two key passes, and hasn’t embarked on a single dribble.

Admittedly, he is still a young player at just 21 years of age, and is also adapting to a new country.

However, his lack of attacking involvements aside from goals and assists is alarming, and is serving to suggest that Nuno was right to look elsewhere, especially given the money involved – Gianluca Di Marzio revealed that Wolves offered a total package worth around €30m (£25.6m).

From non-League to the Premier League: Where did these top-flight stars begin their careers?

He may well become a success in Germany, but as of now, Nuno’s bold January call on Olmo has been vindicated.

In other news, here’s the XI that we think Nuno must deploy against Tottenham…

Leeds could have a very busy summer coming up, one in which they may be preparing for top-flight football for the first time in 16 years.

Victor Orta’s life will be a busy affair regardless of the outcome of this season, with loan players like Ben White and Jean-Kevin Augustin set to leave the club, while even Marcelo Bielsa’s contract is due to expire.

Gaetano Berardi could also leave with the club yet to hold contract talks with the defender, and that may be why they have focused their attention on another centre-back – Oxford United’s Rob Dickie.

The 24-year-old is inexperienced in the top two divisions but has now played more than 30 League One games in the two previous seasons, while also helping Oxford progress to the League Cup quarter-finals earlier in the season.

Whether he’d be able to make the step up and deal with the pressure that comes with playing for the Whites remains to be seen, so our team of Football FanCast writers have had their say on the possible move.

Lewis Blain

“Leeds will be desperate to find themselves a player that can step up in Ben White’s shoes and that may prove to be the hardest task for Marcelo Bielsa this summer, irrespective of what division they will be competing in.

“One thing that wouldn’t be the Leeds way nor would it be wise, is plumping for a player in the lower echelons of English football. There’s no guarantee they can make the monumental jump up into the Championship, let alone the Premier League. 

“Rob Dickie comes under this bracket and he would probably be better off joining another team in the second-tier in order to prove his worth, only then should Victor Orta and co revisit any potential deal. His price may increase in that time, but at least then, they’ll know he’s able to meet the demands of an increase in quality.

“It would be unfair to put the pressure on the 24-year-old, who would have humongous boots to fill at Elland Road.”

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Billy Meyers

“Rob Dickie has been a very impressive performer for Oxford this season, so much so that even Premier League outfits Burnley and Southampton have been eyeing him up.

“He would represent a low-risk signing for Bielsa given the fact that he has under 18 months left on his contract, and will presumably come cheap given that piece of information as well as the level he is playing at.

“Dickie also has international pedigree having represented England at U19 level, and this could be a stroke of genius from the promotion chasers – he could be the Pontus Jansson replacement needed at Elland Road.”

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

James Beavis

“One thing The Daily Mail’s Secret Scout said about Rob Dickie last month suggests that he would be brilliant under Bielsa.

“It was noted that he is a player who is determined to pass the ball out from the back – whether it is through the middle or out wide – with precision rather than just hoisting it up the pitch to no-one in particular.

“That trait should mean that the 24-year-old fits in well at Elland Road if he signs, and be able to either effectively partner Ben White next season if the Yorkshire outfit manage to sign the Brighton man on a permanent basis following the conclusion of his loan deal, or as a potential replacement for the Seagulls man who has been so impressive at the heart of the backline of the Championship leaders.”

Kealan Hughes

“Leeds would be wise to wait and see which division they will be competing in before making any transfer plans, but if Bielsa and the team at Leeds see talent in Dickie then he is worth pursuing.

“It is always difficult to find out how lower league players will cope, that was the question hanging over Ben White, but with Bielsa’s trust and guidance he has proved to be one of Leeds’ best players this term.

“Dickie’s manager Karl Robinson has previously described the centre-back as a talent who has a lot of pace, and those attributes could make him perfectly suited to Leeds.”

Elsewhere, Phil Hay has provided an update which could be a big source of negativity for Leeds fans…

In what has been a turbulent season for both Spurs and football in general, the big potential talking point for Jose Mourinho’s side this summer is whether Harry Kane will still be at the club come the start of the following campaign.

The England international has found himself in the spotlight in respects to a potential move away from north London, and with him turning 27 later this year, is arguably hitting the prime years of his career. The big question is whether he feels he can achieve what he wants at Spurs, or whether a move away is necessary.

Naturally, the north London side have to already start planning for contingency plans, and for a life where Kane is no longer the star attraction. But according to Italian publication Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Juventus could very well offer Spurs a rather sound back-up plan.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

It’s claimed that the Bianconeri’s pursuit of Kane could see them use Paulo Dybala in a swap deal – the Argentine of course was linked with a switch to the Lilywhites last summer before a potential move fell through.

But if worst comes to worst, then getting Dybala in exchange for Kane would represent a masterstroke from Daniel Levy. Spurs would be getting one star for another, and whilst it would be a bitter blow to lose ‘one of their own’, the Juventus star’s performances this season indicate that he is hitting his stride once more.

As per Transfermarkt, the £81m-rated attacker has struck an impressive 13 times and provided a further 12 assists in 34 games across all competitions. His versatility has seen him play in a number of positions for Maurizio Sarri’s side, including: attacking midfield, left-wing, right-wing, second-striker and at centre-forward.

And it is in that last position where he has been the most prolific, and arguably the biggest appealing factor for Spurs. In 22 games through the middle, he has notched seven goals and set up a further eight more. Dybala would come with an international reputation and the kind of legitimacy that should act as a major influence for some of the north London side’s other transfer targets.

Players will see Dybala making the switch, and be confident that the club are heading in the right direction. It would be a statement that they have major pulling power, and is just another reason why he would more than soften the potential blow of losing Kane.

Meanwhile, Spurs must prioritise a new contract for this ace.

As the only professional football club in a city with over 800,000 people living in it, you can understand why Leeds have been so prolific in producing homegrown talent over the years.

The likes of Lewis Cook, Charlie Taylor and Sam Byram have all gone on to play Premier League football after coming through at Elland Road in recent years, but none of those are in the conversation for United’s best academy graduate since the turn of the millennium.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Leeds discussion going on in the Vital Leeds Forum! Click here to get involved!

Indeed, back when Leeds were a Premier League outfit they seemed to have a new talented young star coming through every other week – be it Alan Smith or Paul Robinson, United had something special brewing.

However, the aforementioned players aren’t the stars we’re going to be looking at today as there are three other talents who have come through the ranks at Elland Road and gone on to do great things.

James Miner and Fabian Delph quickly come to mind when you think of Leeds academy graduates, but let’s not forget what a stellar career Aaron Lennon has had since leaving Yorkshire.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Strangely, Milner and Delph’s career’s mirror one another, starting at Leeds before eventually ending up at Aston Villa, then making a switch to Man City, being shifted to left-back when a spot wasn’t readily available for them and ending up at a Merseyside club.

As you could imagine, a stint with City in the 2010s would be fruitful for any player, and these two both have a pair Premier League medals each to show for their time at the Etihad.

Lennon went another way as he joined Tottenham, and while a spell at the London club didn’t bring about any trophies, he was still an excellent player individually, garnering £20m interest from Real Madrid back in 2008.

All three men were capped by England with Milner playing the most, turning out 61 times for the Three Lions.

Delph was a handy utility man for England for a number of years, while Lennon was one of many fast, tricky wingers of the time trying to make an impression down the right alongside the likes of Theo Walcott and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Despite the trio being fantastic assets to their respective clubs, Milner is the only one to have received any individual accolades from the PFA, making his way into their Team of the Year once while also winning a Young Player of the Year award.

So, who was the best? All three are of course, supremely talented players, turning out for some of the biggest clubs in the country, but when you take into account individual accolades, trophy haul and overall impact you have to say that Milner just about edges it.

The midfielder has not only won a Champions League, but he’s shone on the biggest stage, breaking the record for most assists in a single campaign in that competition, and it’s a true testament to his quality that he earned 61 caps during a time England were spoilt for choice in midfield.

Milner has to be considered Leeds’ best academy product of the past 20 years.

In other news, one man looks ready to be Leeds’ unsung hero in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur’s season is currently on hold, but it might as well be declared over as the club are staring down the barrel of one of their worst attempts in years.

Just nine months on from finishing as Champions League runners-up, Spurs find themselves out of all cup competitions and some seven points outside the top four in the Premier League.

They surely won’t be back on Europe’s elite stage next term.

Therefore, Daniel Levy may need to dip into his pockets for once if Jose Mourinho is to be given the best opportunity at turning things around, and the club have been linked with plenty of potential targets since the turn of the January transfer window.

So here’s what Spurs may look like come the start of next season – whenever that may be.

We’ll begin with the arrivals, there could be no fewer than four new signings, all of which of a defensive nature – the north Londoners have indeed conceded the most goals of any top ten side.

Hugo Lloris is replaced by Ajax shot-stopper Andre Onana, who according to the Daily Mail could be available for between £40m and £50m, and is even keen on a switch to the English capital.

Only two of Mourinho’s current backline make it into next term, Toby Alderweireld for his experience and Serge Aurier by way of finances – it’s unlikely that Spurs have an entirely new defence after all.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Spurs discussion going on in the Vital Tottenham Forum! Click here to get involved!

Ruben Dias is reportedly on the Portuguese’s shortlist, he has a release clause of €100m (£90m) at Benfica but could be worth every bit of that as he’s started to prove his credentials despite only being 22.

The centre-back averages a massive 64.1 passes a game in Liga NOS at an accuracy rate of 88.8% via WhoScored, so he could well fit Spurs’ system to a tee, and the Belgian stalwart next to him provides the perfect foil to help transition him in.

Danny Rose’s likely exit means Ben Davies and Ryan Sessegnon are the only options at left-back, the latter isn’t ready according to the boss himself and the Welshman has his doubts, so a move for Alex Grimaldo could make the most sense.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Leicester’s Ben Chilwell has been mooted by the Express, but as a young England international, he will prove way too expensive while Spaniard, who also plays for Benfica, has a release clause of €60m (£54.5m) and Spurs are keen on him according to A Bola, via TEAMtalk.

The final new addition is that defensive midfielder Mourinho is craving – or as he calls it, the ‘positional’ midfielder – and given the splashes on the above trio, a move for Geoffrey Kondogbia could make sense with him valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt.

As per SkySports, chief scout Steve Hitchen is a huge admirer of the Frenchman and he would certainly be an option to fulfil the above role.

Giovani Lo Celso gets a spot while a full pre-season under Mourinho should see Tanguy Ndombele come to the fold while a front three of Heung-min Son, Harry Kane and Steven Bergwijn appears to be lethal – all three are currently out injured.

Who on earth is that?!?! Can you name all of these obscure January signings?

It means there are no places for Davinson Sanchez, Eric Dier, Dele Alli or Harry Winks, but those are certainly quite lucrative options to have off the bench.

If Spurs are to support Mourinho’s revolution in north London, then it could cost Levy over £200m, but sales from players such as Juan Foyth and Rose, as well as further investment, should make this a viable possibility.

AND in other news, Charlie Eccleshare believes rarely-seen FLOP should start for Spurs…

Sheffield Wednesday have never been a club to spend big.

Perhaps that’s a symptom of such a long spell away from English football’s top table, but the point still stands that the Owls have been hesitant to splash the cash over the years.

With transfer fees becoming more and more ridiculous year on year, and eight-figure transfer expenditures have become commonplace in the Championship, but Sheffield Wednesday have only broke that barrier once in their history.

Unfortunately, their biggest financial outlay of all time massively backfired.

Jordan Rhodes was the man the Owls felt was worthy of spending such a huge amount on, and you can understand why.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Scot garnered something of a reputation for being one of the Championship’s most prolific marksmen after netting more than 20 goals on two separate occasions for Blackburn Rovers.

The Owls initially loaned Rhodes from Middlesbrough, and he didn’t get off to the best of starts, netting just three goals in 18 appearances.

Unfortunately, the terms of the loan meant the Steel City outfit were obliged to pay £10m for his services on a permanent basis at the end of the season, and unfortunately, that didn’t see an upturn in form.

He’s scored just eight league goals since Carlos Carvalhal parted with £10m for him, working out at £1.25m per goal.

He was loaned out to Norwich last term, and the Canaries weren’t willing to make a suitable offer to keep him on due to another lacklustre campaign.

For now, he’s back at Hillsborough, but he’s nowhere near the top of the striking pecking order, playing just 499 minutes this season.

It’s sad to say it, but the Owls’ club-record signing has to be considered one of their biggest flops of all time, and despite the fact he’s still at the club, it’s hard to see him ever justifying his transfer fee.

In other news, selling this man was one of Wednesday’s biggest blunders.

Liverpool fans can only be cursing their bad luck that a worldwide pandemic would come when their first league title in 30 years was all but inevitable.

The Reds are currently top of the Premier League table by a huge 25 points – the biggest such margin in the division’s history. That means they are just six points and two wins away from confirming their status as champions – yet the current situation has thrown that into doubt.

There may be some good news for match-going fans, at least. On Monday, the Anfield outfit announced that season ticket renewals have been suspended, and that the price for tickets next season will be frozen. They have also said that if the games need to be played behind closed doors, all tickets will be refunded.

It seems the supporters are very happy with this update. They have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think in the comments?

Joe Hart wants to join Leeds United on a free transfer and is willing to take a pay cut if the Whites are promoted, according to an exclusive from Football Insider.

The former England goalkeeper is prepared to reduce his salary demands in order to stay in the Premier League and is keen to switch to a brand new club with big ambitions.

Hart’s career has spiralled into a decline after being deemed surplus to requirements by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, as he has found himself below Nick Pope in the pecking order at Turf Moor this season.

After arriving at the Etihad Stadium from Shrewsbury Town for £810k, the Englishman went on to make 348 appearances for City, lifting the Premier League trophy twice, as well as picking up the FA Cup and two League Cups during his time in Manchester. Hart has featured in 340 games in the English first division, keeping 127 clean sheets, taking 391 high claims, and completing 180 sweeper clearances (via the official Premier League website).

However, he hasn’t played a single game in the top flight for Sean Dyche’s Burnley this campaign, and his two-year contract reportedly worth £70k-a-week is set to expire at the end of June.

A source told the outlet that the 33-year-old veteran wants to hold talks with Leeds United officials to discuss a potential move to Elland Road in the summer.

While there is no doubt Marcelo Bielsa is in the market for a new keeper, as Kiko Casilla’s future remains uncertain, the Peacocks may be better off looking elsewhere.

It is fair to say Hart is well past his prime, as, given his age, he is surely entering the twilight of his career. Indeed, he has made just three appearances for the Clarets in all competitions this term, yet still conceded 7 goals in total.

Instead, the board should be hunting for a younger shot-stopper, who can forge a relationship with Bielsa and learn from his tactics in the long run. That man could even be current loanee Illan Meslier, who reportedly could join permanently for £6m at the end of the season (Daily Mirror, via Express).

All things considered, this is a move Andrea Radrizzani should avoid at all costs.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Leeds discussion going on in the Vital Leeds Forum! Click here to get involved!