All posts by h716a5.icu

Chelsea had a relatively quiet transfer deadline day, with the Blues not looking to bring in any major names as the window came to a close. However, that doesn’t mean that the club were inactive. In fact, to the contrary, as the Blues did confirm a couple of deals.

Lucas Piazon moved to Italy, whilst Michy Batshuayi’s loan at Valencia was cut short and he was sent across London to Crystal Palace. Of course, Batshuayi has had a tough season so far over in Spain, and it’s fair to say that a bit of a career restart was needed.

Palace should offer him a good chance at developing further. They’re in need of further depth going forward, and his knack for scoring important goals will be a huge help for the Eagles as they look to improve in the English top flight. He proved his goalscoring acumen last season at Borussia Dortmund, and if he can get even close to that form, Palace will have bagged quite the coup.

However, this deal could benefit Chelsea beyond just allowing their player to develop. It could also help them more directly – at least if you consider Crystal Palace’s upcoming fixtures. Palace have some huge games coming up, many of which are against some of Chelsea’s rivals. They face Man Utd later this month, whilst ties against Tottenham, Man City and Arsenal are also forthcoming.

For most players, this likely wouldn’t be a huge consideration, but Batshuayi is a game-changing goalscorer, and he knows how to score against big teams. Perhaps, then, Chelsea may have thought about this tactically – why send him abroad when he can have an impact in the Premier League for a team that won’t be amongst the top-four this season?

In truth, it’s a bit of genius from Chelsea, and a few goals from the Belgian in the aforementioned games could have a huge impact on the Blues’ season.

Thoughts?

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The mood may well be lifted at Goodison Park following Everton’s 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town last time out, but Marco Silva’s side still have a long way to go to get back to their best.

If they’re to force their way into the mix for Europa League qualification contention this season then the Toffees’ form must improve drastically, and they must be smarter in their tactical approach to certain opponents, starting with Saturday’s clash with newly-promoted Wolves.

On the chalkboard

Wolves have been excellent since their promotion to the Premier League, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side picking up plenty of points whilst also playing some expansive and scintillating football along the way.

Everton will have to be at their best to take all three points against Wolves, and Silva must recognise the need to set his side up in such a way that counters their strengths.

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…

A more reserved approach 

Wolves are very strong in the wide areas. The likes of Diogo Jota, Jonny Castro, Helder Costa and Adama Traore represent a real threat from the flanks. What’s more, Wolves’ central midfielders, including Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves, have the ability and vision to pick out their side’s marauding wingers with consistent accuracy.

Therefore, Silva must curb his own side’s attacking instincts on the wings to an extent and instruct them to play a more reserved game out wide. The likes Ademola Lookman and Dominic Calvert-Lewin can be trusted to track back and help their full-backs, so they ought to be in the starting XI.

If Silva opts to ignore this threat, and focus on his own attack alone, then he runs the risk of seeing his side repeatedly cut into from the wings by Wolves’ wide men. 

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Tottenham Hotspur had Hugo Lloris to thank for a vital victory over Leicester City on Sunday.

The France international goalkeeper made a key penalty save with the score at 1-0, denying Jamie Vardy from 12 yards to keep Spurs’ lead – given to them by defender Davinson Sanchez – intact.

Christian Eriksen then doubled Tottenham’s advantage with a dipping strike from the edge of the box.

Vardy redeemed himself somewhat with a tap-in to make it 2-1 thereafter but Son Heung-Min wrapped up all three points on the break in injury time.

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…

Lloris’ save came at a key moment, with Leicester pressing to find an equaliser that they would arguably have deserved.

Spurs, of course, went on to win, leaving them five points behind both Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table.

And fans have expressed their relief that Lloris, who has been under-par in several games this season, appears to have returned to form at just the right time.

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According to an interview with evertonfc.com, winger Ademola Lookman says the trust shown in him by manager Marco Silva has allowed him to be more confident when he has been on the pitch this season.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 21-year-old looked set to instantly become a key player for the Merseyside outfit having scored on his debut against Manchester City following his move from Charlton Athletic back in 2017, but he has largely failed to kick on since then.

The England U21 international struggled for first-team opportunities under Silva’s predecessor Sam Allardyce before spending the second-half of last season on loan at RB Leipzig in Germany, where he impressed.

While there may have been some doubts over his future, Lookman has been involved again under the Portuguese boss at Goodison Park this term, and has revealed to evertonfc.com how the 41-year-old has helped him.

The attacker said: “It is always important to feel you have the manager’s trust. Once you go out there it enables you to play free.

“I have always thought about football in terms of enjoying myself. I still play football for fun and that is what I want to do my whole career, God willing.

“I enjoy expressing myself and I enjoy the pressure of football.”

How has he fared this season?

It’s certainly not been easy for him considering he faces competition from the likes of Theo Walcott, Richarlison and Bernard for a spot in the starting XI.

While he failed to make the squad against Manchester City earlier this month due to a “technical decision”, he has still made 17 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

With Everton not looking like they will have too much to play for in the closing 12 Premier League fixtures, Lookman will be hoping that Silva places his trust in him again in the coming weeks so he can continue to express himself on the field.

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A decade ago Scott Bain was cleaning Jamie Langfield’s boots at Aberdeen. On Thursday night the St Mirren goalkeeping coach was tweeting his praise for the Celtic keeper for his display in Valencia.

Bain’s career has taken off incredibly over the last 13 months, following his deadline day loan move to Celtic after a brief stint at Hibs.

Being on the bench as Celtic crashed out of last season’s Europa League tie to Zenit St Petersburg seemed to be far fetched but keeping Valencia down to a single goal in the Mestalla would have read like a ridiculous piece of fiction a year ago.

For half an hour on Thursday night, the 6 foot shot-stopper was well protected. But after the red card to Jeremy Toljan he was kept on his toes, pulling off two incredible saves to keep the Spanish side at bay until half time.

When called upon in the second half he was on top form until the 70th minute when the Celtic defence was cut open, allowing Kevin Gameiro to score.

On Sunday Bain returns to the day (domestic) job as Celtic look to power on in the SPFL, armed with the Bosman signing from Dundee that has racked up eight clean sheets on the bounce against Scottish clubs.

Here’s a look at what Celtic fans have been saying about Bain on Twitter…

The stuff of champions was evident in Norwich City’s game against Bristol City, with the Canaries looking even more prominent of going all the way this season.

Daniel Farke has worked his magic over his side and even after a disappointing loss to Preston North End earlier this month, the stunning victory over Bristol validates their championship hopes.

Facing a Robins side riding on a commendable unbeaten twelve-match unbeaten streak in the Championship, things weren’t going to be easy for the Canaries. Lee Johnson would have been hell-bent on breaking Norwich’s dominance at home and solidifying a playoffs spot.

Bristol came all guns blazing in the first half, scoring the opener and even taking back the lead a minute after Kenny McLean’s equalizer. Johnson’s side went into the break with a strong foothold in the game, but Daniel Farke made sure to quickly break that. Norwich came out the second half a different side, moving forward with vigour and intensity.

They found it difficult to break open the Robins’ rigid defence, but their never-say-die attitude prevailed. Max Aarons laid some excellent ground-work to create Ben Godfrey’s equalizer before McLean turned out an unlikely savior, rounded off his first brace with a beautiful winner. The Canaries maintained defensive solidity afterwards and should’ve increased their lead even further.

However, this inspired win against a team in form will only do good for Norwich’s campaign.

Pinned strongly to the pinnacle of the Championship ladder, the Canaries seem determined to round off Premier League promotion with a much-deserved trophy.

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Loads of Manchester United fans have been reacting to a contract update, as reports suggest Antonio Valencia will not extend his stay at Old Trafford.

If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is handed the permanent job this summer, there could be a bit of a mini overhaul in the Red Devils’ squad, and the boss will have to be ruthless.

Players like Ashley Young, Nemanja Matic and Valencia are reaching the twilight years of their careers, and it now looks like the latter of those will leave the club after the gaffer’s comments on Friday.

Valencia is out of contract this summer, per Transfermarkt, but the club do have the option to his extend his deal by another year.

That looks unlikely though, as Manchester Evening News reporter Samuel Luckhurst reported on Friday.

While the boss didn’t outright say that Valencia will leave the club, it appears as though fans are ready to say their goodbyes as well.

The 33 year-old has played an astonishing 338 times for United, scoring 25 goals, but the Twitter reactions down below are pushing him towards the exit door…

Just when Old Trafford needed a hero to save another embarrassment, an unlikely candidate emerged in Romelu Lukaku.

When he scored the stunning 89th-minute winner against Southampton and raced towards the Stretford End in pure joy, the Belgian finally seemed the striker for whom United paid more than £70 million in 2017.

Lukaku’s a changed man under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who himself, having been a prolific goal-scorer, must have seen bags of quality in him. What began as a slow process to regain his confidence is finally bearing fruit for both the manager and player. Having scored six goals in 16 Premier League appearances under Mourinho this season, Lukaku’s already matched that in ten under the Norwegian (stats via Transfermarkt).

Not only that, but he seems a much more mobile threat in the final third. Solskjaer clearly identified his shortcomings and knowing the hard-worker he is, has made him work on improving it. Slowly but surely, Lukaku’s first touch’s (heavily mocked upon) considerably improved and he’s a much more clinical player up front.

However, it was probably Solskjaer’s gamble at initially operating him through the wings which worked like magic. Especially in big games against Arsenal and Liverpool, Lukaku’s fantastic crossing ability down the right impressed fans.

Slowly, he gained the confidence to move back into the middle, and having scored three out his last four goals with his weaker foot proves how deft his touch is.

Solskjaer’s persistence’s definitely worked out, as he’s elevated another talent in helping Lukaku find back his deadly goal-scoring form.

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Sheffield United have confirmed that John Fleck has been called up to the senior Scotland international squad ahead of their upcoming EURO 2020 qualifiers.

The Glasgow-born midfielder, who came through the ranks at Rangers, has never represented his country at senior level before – although he was called up to the Scotland squad for the first time in November. He may now soon get the chance against Kazakhstan and San Marino in the approaching qualifying fixtures.

Fleck last represented his country at under-21 level, having previously featured for both the under-19s and under-17s. Now 27, the Blades’ No. 4 may finally be about to get the chance to prove his quality on the world stage. 

The Bramall Lane faithful will know that this call up is well-deserved. Fleck has been in fine form all season and plays a key role for Chris Wilder’s side.

The manager will be proud of his man for achieving this international recognition, but will be desperate for him to avoid any injury or fitness issues whilst on duty with his country. With the Blades currently in the thick of the Championship promotion race they cannot afford to lose such an important player. 

Following the match, plenty of United fans took to Twitter to react to Fleck’s call up…

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Leeds United lost a battle of wits at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon as Sheffield United usurped them into the automatic promotion places with a 1-0 win.

A pulsating encounter ended with a hobbling Pontus Jansson in goal after Kiko Casilla was dismissed for a professional foul on Billy Sharp, and both players will now be absent for the next fixture against Millwall, while the former is also set to miss the trip to Birmingham City through injury.

The double blow has arrived at a troubling time for Marcelo Bielsa with promotion on the line, and it will be intriguing to see how the pair of absences will impact on Leeds’ promotion ambitions.

With that said, we’ve taken a look at the consequences of the weekend setbacks and explored how Bielsa could respond.

Return to CB for Kalvin Phillips

Instinct and impulse would force the vast majority of onlookers to tip Gaetano Berardi to step into Jansson’s shoes, but his overwhelming lack of match fitness suggests Bielsa will be open to alternative solutions.

Berardi, 30, has spent the vast majority of the season on the sideline with serious injury problems and he hasn’t completed 90 minutes of football since the Whites recorded a domineering 3-0 win at Carrow Road in August.

The Switzerland international, for all his quality, represents something of a risk at such a crucial period in the season, and his lack of match practice could force Bielsa to shift Kalvin Phillips back into central defence.

Phillips, who has been emphatically dubbed the ‘Yorkshire Pirlo’ by adoring supporters this season, enjoyed a prolonged period in central defence during the winter months amid a shortage of natural defensive options.

The 23-year-old’s return to holding midfield has been smooth and successful, but concerns over Berardi’s lack of match fitness may well see him slot back into the defensive unit against Millwall.

Add in the fact that Phillips can offer a similar level of technical prowess which Jansson provides from the back-four and the case for a return to central defence becomes a compelling one.

Bailey Peacock-Farrell returns until May

It appeared that Peacock-Farrell’s season was over after Casilla successfully grappled the number one shirt away from the Thorp Arch academy product, but the suspension has opened a door which could see him return to the starting XI until the end of the season.

Leeds’ upcoming fixture will effectively offer the 22-year-old stopper a one-off chance to win his place back in the side and, considering Casilla’s fatal scuttle left the Whites with just 10 players against the Blades, there is no guarantee that Bielsa will reinstate him after serving a one match suspension.

Millwall’s visit represents a huge opportunity for Peacock-Farrell to convince Bielsa that he is worthy of donning the number one shirt until the campaign reaches its conclusion.

Defensive record crumbles

The four games which preceded Leeds’ weekend defeat against Sheffield United suggested that Bielsa had managed to discover a reliable defensive formula.

With Casilla offering an assured presence between the sticks and Jansson’s understanding with Cooper firmly established, Leeds conceded just once in four games before the weekend defeat.

Clean sheets against fellow promotion candidates West Bromwich Albion and Bristol City hinted that Leeds have the level of solidity needed to finish inside the top-two, but fresh disruption to the back line could jeopardise their dream of clinching automatic promotion.