Category Uncategorized

Sunday will be the last day of this Premier League season and for many players and some managers it will likely be a time to say goodbyes. That may be the case for Sam Allardyce who is expected to be moved on this summer after West Ham failed to renew his contract and let’s be honest if the club were really hoping for the Englishman to be back in charge come August then they would have started negotiations already.

Allardyce joined the Hammers in 2011 making him the leagues second longest-serving manager behind Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger but that is probably about to change. The ex-Newcastle United boss helped mastermind a promotion to the Premier League making this their third consecutive appearance in the top-flight. Though despite keeping the club up many of West Ham’s fans no longer think he has what it takes to develop the team and help them climb the table.

I can’t help feeling a bit sorry for Big Sam as in the last three years West Ham have consistently avoided the relegation battle finishing around mid-table but apparently that is no longer enough. The Hammers started the season so well that qualifying for the Champions League or Europa League, through points not discipline, was actually still a possibility. In all honesty West Ham are nowhere near being a top six or seven club but they want to be and that is perhaps why Allardyce’s time is almost up.

Teams like Southampton and Swansea City have shown just how far ambition can take you and after West Ham’s impressive start some are questioning why they haven’t finished in a higher position. Especially with the club just one season away from their big move to the Olympic Park. If they want to fill the stadium then they’ll need to make the club more entertaining and nothing entertains like success.

Their 2-1 defeat against Everton on the last home game of the season definitely didn’t help the matter though Allardyce has one last chance to impress by beating Newcastle on Sunday which may even see the club relegated. Allardyce spent less than eight months with the Magpies before a mutual agreement to part company occurred, though fan protests over the clubs continuing decline surely left him with little option but to leave. Now his last action as Hammers boss may be to condemn his old club to the Championship.

If Big Sam does leave, with some expecting his departure to be confirmed as soon as tomorrow, then the club will obviously have to find the replacement that they believe has the attributes Allardyce was lacking. Ex-Manchester United manager David Moyes is rumoured to be a front runner but considering that he has publically stated a desire to stay in Spain with Real Sociedad then next choice Rafa Benitez might be a better option.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Benitez has worked previously for Liverpool and Chelsea where he won both the Champions League and Europa League so if West Ham are looking for experience at continental level then he’d certainly be their man. But whether he’s ready to leave Napoli is uncertain as the Italians may still qualify for next year’s Champions League and Rafa will want to be around for that.

Allardyce has been through a lot during his many years in football management and he always finds a way to get back on his feet after a sacking so you’d expect he’ll do the same this time. And who knows, maybe West Ham’s new manager won’t work out and the club will come back on bended knee for Big Sam, at which point he would be well within his rights to tell them where to go!

Everton, Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion are on standby if Manchester City misfit Scott Sinclair is allowed to leave on loan next season.

Sinclair will seek a loan move from the Etihad Stadium next season – if manager Roberto Mancini keeps his job, but the winger is ready to stay and battle for his place should the Italian be sacked by the deposed Premier League champions.

Sinclair more than quadrupled his £10,000-a-week salary by switching from Swansea for £6.2million last August, but he has started just two Premier League games for boss Mancini, and is yet to score a goal for the club. Sinclair, 24, is reluctant to leave the Blues permanently, however, he is apparently open to a loan move to get him some regular first-team games if Mancini continues to view him as nothing more than a bench-filler.

WBA boss Steve Clarke could have a slight advantage in the race to sign him up, having worked with Sinclair for two years previously at Chelsea.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[cat_link cat=”manchester-city” type=”grid”]

In an era when football matches are a constant part of life, cup fixtures still bring that little extra sparkle to the minds of players and fans alike. In the Capital One Cup this season, that sparkle has often translated into goal-scoring frenzies, and on the odd, special occasions, it produces a memorable solo performance from a player who may not always be the centre of attention. In this series, FFC takes a look at some stellar one-man displays…

Theo Walcott’s Arsenal career is reaching a crossroads. At 23 years of age, the versatile forward appears to have been disenchanted with life at the Emirates this season thanks to the influx of players in the last two years – Gervinho, Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla and the emerging Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – who offer direct competition for his place in the side. After two consecutive seasons of scoring in double figures, Walcott was disappointed to spend the early stages of this season as an infrequent member of the starting eleven.

Walcott has been waiting for a chance to show what he can really offer up front, and he got that chance earlier this season, sharing the front line with Giroud and out-of-favour Moroccan Marouane Chamakh.

I was just arriving at a local pub with some friends when we heard of Reading’s fourth goal, scored by Stephen Hunt, with less than 40 minutes gone. But if we thought that was unbelievable, the story of the rest of the Capital One Cup 4th Round game was something else. And it was Walcott who popped up with three crucial goals at key moments in the game to inspire a famous Arsenal revival.

His first came on the stroke of half-time, sprinting clear of the Royals’ defence to latch onto an Andrei Arshavin through ball and lift his shot over the onrushing Adam Federici. That goal, which gave the travelling fans hope and quieted chants of “We want our Arsenal back”, set up a second half in which Arsenal were scarcely recognisable from their first-half travesty.

The Gunners still trailed as minutes ticked away, but Walcott was everywhere. Laurent Koscielny, who had already scored an own goal, scored from a Walcott corner in stoppage time before Walcott himself drove home even further into the added time to tie the game at 4-4.

The Englishman wasn’t done yet. After Pavel Pogrebnyak had cancelled out Chamakh’s strike early in extra time, it was Walcott who landed the decisive blow, blasting home from eight yards out as time ticked away in extra time to score Arsenal’s sixth. Almost from the restart Chamakh added a seventh, and one of the most memorable games in recent League Cup history drew to a close.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Many stats will live long in football fandom from this record-breaking night. The two sides had a combined 80 shots, of which 49 were on target; Arsenal’s side featured three debutants; Reading’s first ever defeat from a 4-0 lead was, unbelievably, not the first time the club has recorded a 7-5 defeat (Doncaster Rovers, Third Division, 1982).

One thing should be remembered above all others, though – this was the night that Theo Walcott reminded us all of exactly what he can do on a football pitch. More specifically, in the middle of a football pitch. His goals saved Arsenal and kept them marching on in this year’s Capital One Cup and if he continues to be given the chance up front for the Gunners, who knows how far they can get.

If Kevin De Bruyne had been voted PFA Player of the Year, it would have been no surprise given his influence in Manchester City’s team this season.

In fact, during the majority of the campaign, many thought that the Belgium international was a shoe-in for the individual award.

However, on Sunday evening at a ceremony in Grosvenor House Hotel in London, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah was handed the gong.

The Egyptian international is leading the race for the Golden Boot with 31 Premier League goals to his name, but his overall tally is 41 in all competitions.

The 25-year-old has an opportunity to win the Champions League with Liverpool, but they need to get past Roma over two legs in order to reach the showpiece in Kiev.

In contrast, De Bruyne already has silverware under his belt this season as he is a Carabao Cup winner and Premier League champion.

The midfielder has been a vital cog in Man City’s team having netted 12 goals and created 19 assists in all competitions.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Despite the Belgian’s consistency, it was Salah who received more votes from his peers – an outcome that was predicted by our readers in a poll.

The majority of City fans took the news well, although unsurprisingly, they felt that their man should have claimed the gong.

The centre of Arsenal’s defence has been an interesting position for the Gunners this season, with a lack of reliable options being overcome and Arsene Wenger now having three international-standard players to pick from.

The first half of the season saw the likes of Nacho Monreal and Mathieu Debuchy have to slot in at the heart of their side’s rearguard due to injuries to others.

However, since the signing of Brazilian Gabriel Paulista in January, the North London club have turned a problem area into a position of strength.

The Emirates Stadium outfit have been much more secure at the back since the turn of the year, with more confidence in the team’s defence due to competition for places at its core.

Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny have formed a long-standing partnership at the back for the Gunners, but the future longevity of this pairing is seemingly in doubt.

While the giant German brings a wealth of experience, a physical presence and leadership to the team when he plays, the veteran is also lacking in a key component of the modern game – pace.

Too many times in the past has Koscielny or one of the Arsenal full-backs been forced to get Mertesacker out of a troublesome position due to a lack of acceleration.

[ad_pod id=’ffc-video-small’ align=’left’]

As such, the signs are there that Gabriel and Koscielny could well be the ideal pairing for the North London club going forward.

With both still at an age where they could play together for a number of years and strike up a real understanding, the future is looking bright for Arsenal’s defence.

That said, Koscielny can be impulsive and makes questionable decisions at times, while the Brazilian is still getting to grips with a new club, culture, team and language.

There is a case to suggest that this pairing will be the club’s future first choice but for the time being it appears that Mertesacker has a significant role to play.

With Arsenal lacking players that have won major silverware, if the Gunners are to challenge for the Premier League title they will need more than just raw ability and potential.

Leaders and players with a strong mental fortitude will be needed, which is where Mertesacker comes in.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

He is undoubtedly one of the leaders of an Arsenal squad that has ability but not yet delivered its full potential, while he has shown that he can play a considerable role in successful sides at the highest level.

Whilst Gabriel continues to ease his way into English football gradually, Mertesacker has an important role to play in continuing Arsenal’s development.

In the long run the Brazilian and Koscielny look like a robust and dynamic partnership, but for the time being the North London side need the experienced German to continue to act as a talisman for the Gunners.

[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]

Probably many Arsenal fans look forward to this summer with the excitement that £70 million in the pocket provides. The generous spend that the Premier League club are planning ahead of next season comes packaged – and here is the main difference with prior seasons – with the firm intention of keeping their key players in the squad. But if Arsene Wenger wants to take the team back to the top, the mentioned amount doesn’t sound enough to make The Gunners a force once again.

Having a look at the current squad suggests a goalkeeper, a centre back, a holding midfielder and a striker are, for several reasons, vital in order to strengthen the starting line up in positions that have showed weaknesses this season. We are not talking about players to broaden the choice, but signings that suppose a step up to Arsenal’s starting XI, so the expenditure should be concentrated in no more than five big names.

Looking at it that way, the £70million will have to be spent wisely and carefully. Arsenal have invested over £100million in 13 signings over the last two years. Those acquisitions have made a more solid squad in terms of choice and variety, but other than Cazorla, none of them have covered the gap that the stars recently sold – Fabregas, Nasri, Van Persie – have left. It is time now to throw a few cherries on top of the cake.

[cat_link cat=”arsenal” type=”list”]

Starting the analysis line by line, the goalkeeper position is the least urgent to cover at the Emirates. It is an improvable spot and, if the club come across an experienced goalkeeper at a reasonable price – Victor Valdes could be a good example – the move should be considered. Otherwise, there is no point in blowing half of the budget on a top-class goalie, and investing in a long-term option does not seem as the best idea when Szczesny is only 22 and shows margin for improvement.

The heart of the back-four need a fourth central defender to join Mertesacker, Vermaelen and Koscielny. Having already three relatively solid centre-backs and new blood with the likes of Ignasi Miquel, it would be an unnecessary expense to bring in ‘just another central defender’. If that position is reinforced, it should be with a proven player that notably improves what Wenger already has, able to pair up with Vermaelen or Mertesacker and lift Arsenal’s defence to a higher level. It will mean an ambitious outlay, but there is no point in bringing someone in that role if he is not going to bring the consistency the back-four have lacked in the last few years.

On that line, a right back will most likely be needed as Bacary Sagna could be set to leave. A decent competitor for Carl Jenkinson seems necessary, although it shouldn’t be a position to deposit a vast amount of the budget into.

Moving up to the midfield, the creativity and talent that the likes of Isco can bring to the team sound very appealing, but the urge is in the holding midfield position. With Diaby out of the game until the end of the year and the uncertainty the injury-prone midfielder will inevitably carry when he returns, the signing of a solid defensive midfielder is vital. An experienced anchorman with very specific duties would brace the team defensively and give freedom to players like Arteta or Wilshere to concentrate on what they do best.

Finally, the attacking line need more goals. The fact that Walcott and Cazorla are the team’s top scorers in the league should be enough warning on this matter. There is absolutely no need to bury Giroud, whose first season might not have blown minds but is quite acceptable. Simply a bit of competition for the Frenchman could turn highly beneficial for Arsenal, adding more goals to the squad and possibly releasing a better version of Giroud, who is perhaps a bit too comfortable as the only No.9 choice. A strong investment – Higuain, Lewandowski – is always a guarantee when it comes to goals, and the opportunity should be taken should it present itself, but cheaper options such as David Villa should also be weighed up. Besides, the Barcelona striker can also perform on the left, giving more choice to Wenger when planning his formation.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Arsenal need to sign a lot of talent and experience to take that step up and join the fight for silverware, and the £70million doesn’t seem that much when you look at it this way. The immediate reaction invites to think recent signings have been poor, but excluding a couple of them, they are not bad.

The squad is relatively strong and most of the faces brought in the last two seasons cover needs that the team had, but the gap left by the big boys sold is yet to be fulfilled.

[opinion-widget op width=”full”]

Leeds’ torrid run continued on Friday night with a 1-0 defeat at Villa Park, and fans are furious with defender Matthew Pennington’s performance.

Despite a somewhat spirited performance in the second half, Leeds fans were yet again left disappointed on Friday night, as their side’s lifeless first half performance made life easy for Aston Villa.

Leeds have won just twice since Paul Heckingbottom arrived, and although scoring goals has been a problem, the side’s soft centre and leaky defence has infuriated fans perhaps more than anything else.

Pontus Jansson and Liam Cooper have been far from perfect this season, but nonetheless their injuries are a massive loss, as Heckingbottom was forced to start the young pairing of Matthew Pennington and Paudie O’Connor on Friday.

[ad_pod ]

While the inexperienced O’Connor has drawn plenty of plaudits since his emergence last week, fans are blasting Pennington for his performance.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The 23 year-old, on loan from Everton, hasn’t even come close to what fans expected from a Premier league defender, and his weaknesses were magnified on Friday when Lewis Grabban comfortably rose above him to head home the winner.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

The term ‘the next’ gets bandied around a lot in football – especially by the tabloids generating the ever-rotating transfer rumour mill.

Indeed, one impressive appearance at right-back for Fleetwood Town could soon lead a young starlet to the unofficial moniker of ‘the next Gary Nevillem’ or a handful of promising performances up front for Santos could quickly earn a striking whipper-snapper the title of ‘the next Pele’ – regardless of the fact he’s considered to be the greatest player in the history of the sport.

None the less, ‘the next’ is a description that always captures the imagination, somehow propelling the past into the future, leaving you to consider what the 2015 equivalent of Dennis Bergkamp, Paul Ince or Bobby Moore might well look like.

And just like the rest of you, Football Fancast have been successfully drawn in, spending the last few hours trawling the darkest corners of the internet to find the top FIVE ‘the next someones’ all linked to Premier League side Manchester United.

THE NEXT PAUL SCHOLES

A comparison that will be of particular importance to Manchester United fans, upon The Daily Star’s revelation that virtually every major Premier League club wants to get their hands on Leeds midfielder Lewis Cook this summer, the Whites youngster has been dubbed ‘the next Paul Scholes’.

The 18 year-old has emerged as a key member of Leeds’ starting Xi since his Championship debut in August, going on to make 37 league appearances. And he’s become so important manager Neil Redfearn specifically bemoaned the midfielder’s absence during a recent run of poor results – as reported by Here Is The City.

He’s certainly a talented prospect, but does the Scholes comparison really hold up? Cook’s pass completion rate stands at just 75% this season – even as a teenager, such an unspectacular return would’ve given the ginger maestro nightmares.

THE NEXT XAVI

Brendan Rodgers gave us the Welsh Xavi when he signed Joe Allen for Liverpool, and Feyenoord have now given us the Dutch Xavi – aka, Jordy Clasie, who will be no stranger to Manchester United fans.

The Netherlands international has been in strong form this term, bagging one goal and five assists from 27 Eredivisie appearances whilst creating 1.4 chances per match.

And as you’d expect from an apparent incarnate of the Barcelona icon, the 23 year-old boasts the second-most passes per match of any player in the division this season, after Ajax defender Niklas Moisander.

Clasie’s been linked with an Old Trafford switch before, in no small part due to him featuring in Oranje’s World Cup semi-final against Argentina last summer under then-Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal.

The midfielder has recently admitted his desire to try opportunities abroad, suggesting a summer move is on the cards. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, however, he views Italy as his likeliest next destination – as reported by The Daily Star.

THE NEXT NEYMAR

According to reports from talkSPORT in March, the Red Devils are currently courting Fluminense starlet Kenedy, who has earned himself the unofficial moniker of ‘the next Neymar’.

Much like the Barcelona star, the 19 year-old forward is famed for his fleet of foot, trickery and netting prowess, having already bagged five goals in 36 appearances for the Rio outfit – alongside six goals and thirteen caps for the Brazil U17s.

The young striker, nowadays representing Selecao at U20 level, has been linked to some major clubs before, namely Barcelona, Chelsea and Inter Milan, but talkSPORT claim United have put a £5.7million offer on the table. We’re waiting for confirmation on whether it’s been accepted or not.

There’s one key difference between Kenedy and Neymar, however – the Fluminense prodigy is predominantly left-footed.

THE NEXT ARJEN ROBBEN

Over the weekend, The Express reported Manchester United’s apparent interest in FC Twente youngster Bilal Ould-Chikh, who has drawn comparisons with Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben.

Much like the former Chelsea man, the 17 year-old is sensationally quick, especially with the ball at his feet – this term averaging 1.4 successful dribbles per match.

He’s been used sparingly by coach Alfred Schrueder and confined to a cameo role, making just four starts and eleven substitute appearances, but grabbed his first Eredivise goal back in January during a 2-0 win over Heracles – as shown in the video above.

That’s built upon the reputation Ould-Chikh gained for his impressive performances during the U17 European Championships, in total boasting 13 appearances for the Netherlands across the junior levels.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Most appealingly, Twente may be forced to surrender their prodigious wideman on the cheap this summer, according to The Express once again, with his contract set to enter its final year.

THE NEXT SERGIO AGUERO

Finishing off this list is a striker every major club in Europe – including Manchester United – apparently want to get their hands on this summer, Palermo’s Paulo Dybala.

Indeed, it’s been a mesmerising campaign for the Rosanero front-man, propelling his side to eleventh in the Italian table with a potent haul of 13 goals and nine assists in 29 Serie A appearances.

He was dubbed ‘the next Sergio Aguero’ when he moved to Italy in 2012 and the 21 year-old is certainly living up to that moniker, sharing the Manchester City striker’s blend of mobility, creativity, dribbling ability and deadly proficiency in front of goal.

And it looks like the young Argentine will be on the move this summer, with Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini claiming he’ll even be sold by the end of April – as reported by The Daily Star.

That doesn’t give the Red Devils much time to pull their finger out.

Everton boss David Moyes is hoping to fight off competition to sign CSKA Moscow attacking midfielder Keisuke Honda in the summer according to talkSPORT.

Neighbours Liverpool have also been linked with the Japanese international who looks set to leave Russia in the summer as his contract comes to an end at the end of the year.

The Merseyside duo will have to lock horns with clubs from Spain and Italy to ensure the 26 year old comes to the Premier League before the start of next season.

CSKA will not want to lose their star man for free next January and so may look to take whatever they can for him in the summer.

Honda has revealed he won’t be signing a new deal in Russia and so Moyes will look to make his move swiftly.

The Everton boss will want to sort his own future out before making any summer additions but Liverpool are set to pounce if the Toffees cannot pull their finger out.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[cat_link cat=”everton” type=”grid”]

Everton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, rated at £18m by Transfermarkt, has hinted at a summer exit from Goodison Park in his latest interview with beIN SPORTS, and Toffees fans have been quick to react to his comments.

The Frenchman looked as though he would go on to become a star for the Merseyside outfit following some impressive performances in the first-half of 2017 following his move from Manchester United, but he has struggled to find any form whatsoever during the current campaign, and has often been criticised by the Goodison Park faithful for both his displays and his attitude.

Speaking on his future to beIN SPORTS, the 28-year-old said: “If I have to leave Everton, I’d like a different challenge than the Premier League. I’ve already been to Southampton, Manchester United and Everton. I don’t see myself going anywhere else in England.”

The latest quotes won’t have impressed those Everton supporters that have been on his back this term, and they were quick to give their thoughts on social media.

While one simply said “cheerio then, Morgan”, another described him as being “never an Everton-type player”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.