Sheffield Wednesday again failed to win in the English Championship on Tuesday night, this time losing 2-1 away to Millwall.
Despite taking a first half thanks to Joey Pelupessy, the Owls suffered a collapse in the second 45 minutes, meaning they have now just won one league match in the seven that new manager Jos Luhukay has taken charge of.
While the Dutch manager has been picking up positive results in the FA Cup, fans are craving stability in league action and were left fuming with his tactical decisions on Tuesday night.
Neither Lucas Joao nor Atdhe Nuhiu started the match at The Den, leaving Wednesday without a recognised striker on the pitch for the majority of the game and supporters were baffled.
Joao has scored three goals in his last five appearances while Nuhiu has scored four and assisted once in his last five starts for the club.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Eight points above the relegation zone, Luhukay will need to pick up league wins soon or unrest is only going to grow.
He hasn’t had ample opportunity to impress this summer in Brazil, but the chances that Memphis Depay has been presented with, he has grabbed with both hands. Three substitute appearances have brought two goals and one assist, each time proving a game-changing selection by the new Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal. And with Louis at the helm in Manchester next season, the potential signing of Depay should be a prospect that has United fans drooling.
Depay has been a regular for PSV for the past two seasons, and it’s hard not to notice similarities with Cristiano Ronaldo in his game. Both are typically deployed from the left side of midfield, and tend to drift inside due to the fact they are both right-footed. Depay, like Ronaldo, is a direct threat on goal from 30 yards out, and he can beat numerous people with ease.
At 20 years of age, Ronaldo was starting regularly for Manchester United, but he was far from the player he is now. He wasn’t the goalscorer we see today, and his end product often took the backseat to his love of showboating. Nine goals in 50 appearances was a good return, but Depay has produced 14 goals in 43 for PSV in 2014.
Granted, the competition Depay faces in the Netherlands is inferior to the quality of Premier League and Champions League opposition, but Depay has burst onto the biggest stage and had a defining impact for his country. His effect hasn’t gone unnoticed this summer and it most certainly will have pleased van Gaal. When he’s needed a man to change a game, Depay has been one of the reliable ones.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
What United lacked last season, amongst many things, was the ability to create from wide positions. When Adnan Januzaj was dropped, the predictability of their men on the flanks made them easy to counteract. Depay’s trickery, pace, and eye for goal makes him a far tougher prospect for defenders than the likes of Ashley Young or Antonia Valencia. At just 20 years old, Depay is still improving. But currently he is showing himself to have the potential to reach the very top. Comparisons to Ronaldo will always be deemed premature, but they aren’t wholly inaccurate. A move to Old Trafford will see him become a top player.
[youtube rvO32HHfnl8]
[ffccomp link=”https://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/win-a-pair-of-puma-tricks” oneliner=”For your chance to WIN a pair of Puma Tricks, simply comment below with who you think will win the Golden Boot in Brazil this summer…” step=”PREDICT THE GOLDEN BOOT WINNER BELOW” terms=”http://win-a-pair-of-puma-tricks.pen.io/” topics=”world cup, football, football boots, puma, tricks, soccer”]
Jack Butland had admitted his future at cash-strapped Birmingham is in doubt as the club’s financial crisis continues.
Everton and Southampton are set to use the opportunity to lure the young Goalkeeper to the Premier League.
The Blues’ President Carson Yeung has been at the centre of a money-laundering investigation in his native Hong Kong since last summer, freezing the businessman’s assets in the process.
Yeung is still currently Birmingham’s leading share-holder, but the club are desperately searching for new owners.
Butland, 19, is a regular for the England U21’s, and was called into the senior squad for Euro 2012 after John Ruddy broke a finger in training. The youngster also became the first choice goalkeeper for Team GB at the London Olympics.
Despite only making 13 first team appearances for Birmingham, the hot prospect could soon be on his way to the Premier League as the club attempts to cash-in on the valuable teenager in order to balance their books.
Talking to the Daily Mirror, the goalkeeper revealed that the entirety of Lee Clark’s squad have question marks surrounding their future for the Blues.
“You can talk about it, but there’s nothing we can do about it as players” said Butland.
“We can only control what we do on the pitch and what we do on the training ground.
“What happens with the board, with the owners and a possible takeover is meaningless until something actually does happen.’
Butland attracted interest from Southampton in the summer; however a transfer fee could not be agreed between the two clubs. The Saints are expected to have another attempt at signing the 19-year-old in January, however Everton have now joined the race. It is believed Birmingham have labelled the young starlet with an £8million price-tag.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Meanwhile, fellow Birmingham youngster Nathan Redmond has attracted interest from Manchester City and could soon be on his way to Eastlands.
Sergio Aguero has been so consistent in front of goal over the years, that the Manchester City star often fades into the background when the Premier League’s star performers are mentioned.
Since moving to England from Atletico Madrid in 2011, the hitman has found the back of the net 143 times in the top flight.
Last season, Aguero scored 21 goals in 28 league appearances, but questions were still raised about his long-term future at the Etihad due to the emergence of Gabriel Jesus.
On the international stage with Argentina, the striker has not won a trophy, but he came close in the 2014 World Cup when the nation reached the final.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”256266″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Three reasons we love to hate… Spain”]
It was not their day, though, as Joachim Low’s Germany side sealed victory to take the crown.
Argentina have another chance to win the biggest prize in football as they kicked off their campaign at Russia 2018 with a Group D match against Iceland on Saturday.
Aguero – valued at £72m by Transfermarkt – opened the scoring in the 19th minute by turning his marker and thumping the ball into the top corner.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
By the final whistle, though, Argentina were restricted to a 1-1 draw after Lionel Messi had a penalty saved.
On Reddit, City fans were more concerned with Aguero’s performance than the overall result, and many were left excited about the season ahead.
Comment from discussion Aguero with his first World Cup Goal for Argentina!.Comment from discussion Aguero with his first World Cup Goal for Argentina!.Comment from discussion Aguero with his first World Cup Goal for Argentina!.Comment from discussion Aguero with his first World Cup Goal for Argentina!.Comment from discussion Aguero with his first World Cup Goal for Argentina!.Comment from discussion Aguero with his first World Cup Goal for Argentina!.Comment from discussion Aguero with his first World Cup Goal for Argentina!.Comment from discussion Aguero with his first World Cup Goal for Argentina!.Comment from discussion Aguero with his first World Cup Goal for Argentina!.Comment from discussion Aguero with his first World Cup Goal for Argentina!.
Within two starts, Arsenal fans have already seen the best and worst of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was swapped with Manchester United for Alexis Sanchez during the January transfer window. During a 5-1 demolition of Everton in the home comforts of the Emirates Stadium that didn’t require the Gunners to hit anything close to top gear, the Armenian attacker bagged three assists.
But as Arsenal struggled to make any real impact in the North London Derby on Saturday, and only grew wearier as the game went on, Mkhitaryan was suddenly an incredibly anonymous figure. In fact, before being hooked off by Arsene Wenger midway through the second half, he failed to create a single chance, complete a single dribble or take a single effort at goal.
Of course, there were more systematic factors at work and Arsenal performed poorly as a collective. But Mkhitaryan’s poor display raised the inevitable question of whether it was a mistake for the Gunners to sign the attacking midfielder, who Transfermarkt value at £31.5million.
We posed that exact query to Gunners fans and our poll revealed that while the majority think Mkhitaryan was indeed a good acquisition, a significant 40% believe it was a mistake to bring him to north London.
Would you have preferred cash for Sanchez, Arsenal fans? Let us know by commenting below…
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
To take you back to the January window, amid a debasing crisis in confidence, Manchester United sought a saviour in the form of then-Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata. The Premier League champions forked out £37million on the Spain international – the most expensive purchase in Old Trafford’s long and prestigious transfer history.
Indeed, snapping up the 25 year-old was an opportunity the Carrington camp felt they couldn’t ignore; a two-time Chelsea Player of the Year, an attacking midfielder who claimed twelve goals and twelve assists in the Premier League last season, a natural playmaker who could rectify United’s disturbing lack of creativity going forward, available for a fair price due to Jose Mourinho’s concerns over a lack of defensive work-rate – Mata had all the makings of an acquisition that would not only improve performances on the pitch, but furthermore generate confidence in David Moyes’ ability to attract top quality players. The theory goes that the Spaniard’s January arrival will make United’s planned summer swoops a considerably smoother process.
But a splatter of matches into Mata’s Red Devils career and he’s yet to have the desired effect. In fact, the midfielder’s new club have won just three times from seven games in his presence, and including last week’s Champions League defeat to Olympiacos, they’ve lost three matches out of a possible eight following Mata’s arrival.
I’m not suggesting this is in any way due to the Spaniard’s form – his three assists in seven Premier League outings is a more potent contribution than the vast majority of the Old Trafford roster this season, and firmly in line of what we’ve come to expect from Mata over the course of the last few years.
Yet, the more I consider Manchester United’s £37million acquisition, the less I feel I genuinely understand it. From David Moyes’ perspective, he’s paid a justifiable fee for a talented player, and certainly Mata is a player of far too much quality to be a cameo performer on the Chelsea bench.
But from Jose Mourinho’s perspective, he must have thought Santa had delivered his Christmas present a month too late. Here’s Manchester United, splashing out a club record fee on a player that the Portuguese clearly thought wasn’t good enough for the Blues first team. Debates over Mata’s defensive contribution aside, and although that obviously relates to Chelsea’s mechanical style under Mourinho, the Stamford Bridge boss wouldn’t have let Mata leave if he wasn’t certain of having greater, more useful talent already at his disposal.
Considering the £37million deal in that context, it hardly portrays Manchester United as a club in full control of its faculties. One could even dig out the old adage of ‘panic buying’.
Perhaps that critique may seem rather sensationalist and harsh; admittedly, Juan Mata would be an automatic pick for most Champions League sides, and had it not been for United’s precarious league position, the chances are that Mourinho would have refused to sell. Back in the summer, he blocked Demba Ba’s planned move to Arsenal precisely out of fear of strengthening a title rival.
But where does Mata actually fit into the Manchester United starting line-up? The club already have a permanent No.10 in Wayne Rooney, who is used in that position because of the world-class quality Robin Van Persie provides up front. The issue was expected to be resolved in the next transfer window, when it was believed that one of the Red Devils’ two star front-men would be swiftly moved on. But since that theory came to light, Wazza Roo has been tied down to a new £300k per-week contract – the most lucrative in Premier League history – and RVP has publicly insisted that he’ll be on staying at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future, potentially beyond his current contract which expires in 2016.
David Moyes boldly declared upon Mata’s arrival that he has no problem with utilising the Spain international on the wing, in not-so-subtle defiance of Mourinho’s view on the issue. As we witnessed against Liverpool last weekend however, having arguably the only player on the Red Devils roster capable of controlling the game via the ball is an incredible waste.
The former Chelsea midfielder is by far at his most impactful when pulling the strings in the centre of the pitch. Pushed out to left midfield against the Anfield side, the entire game passed Mata by, and as Mourinho had previously warned, his lack of defensive coverage for Patrice Evra and United’s engine room was a huge problem. The Spaniard’s inability to effectively tuck-in gave Liverpool complete control in the middle of the park, and his lack of natural pace left the Red Devils unable to penetrate on the counter attack.
Are Manchester United going to let this pattern dangerously repeat itself? Is David Moyes prepared to let United’s club record signing spend his entire Old Trafford career floundering on the wing for the sake of Wayne Rooney? Mata’s arrival has only caused further selection headaches for Moyes, who has already spent the vast majority of his first season with the Premier League champions trying to decide on what constitutes his best starting XI.
All of these troubling dilemmas stem from the fact that the 25 year-old wasn’t the player Manchester United actually needed in January. Their creativity crisis can be traced to the engine room and out wide – throwing another central attacking midfielder into the mix hasn’t solved anything, or even postponed this intrinsic flaw until the summer.
United apologists will be quick to point out that central midfielders and wingers who can parallel Mata’s proven quality were few and far between during the January window. But in turn, that only amplifies the argument that the Carrington club may have been better off holding onto their money.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It’s not that the Red Devils don’t have the money to spend, and it’s not that Juan Mata isn’t an exceptional talent worthy of playing for such a prestigious, silverware-laden club.
But David Moyes has now invested £37million in a player who will never be able to fulfil his most ultimate purpose in the United starting XI or adequately occupy the Red Devils’ void of talent on the wings. Now that both Van Persie and Wayne Rooney have committed their long-term futures to the club, this perplexing conundrum appears a long way off resolution.
With that in mind, would it be so daring, bold or controversial to label the Premier League champions’ club record signing, for lack of more fitting diction, a mistake?
Reading midfielder Jem Karacan could receive his first international cap tonight as Turkey face Hungary in a Group D World Cup qualifying match.
The 23-year-old was drafted into Abdullah Avci’s Turkey squad last week and is hopeful he can make his international debut in Budapest. Karacan, who has a Turkish father but was born in Catford, London, has made appearances for Turkey at every youth level from the Under 17s upwards, but is yet to earn his first senior cap.
Turkey find themselves fourth in group D after losing 1-0 to Romania in Istanbul last Friday, with only three points from three games, trailing six points behind league leaders Holland.
Jem Karacan has appeared several times in the Premier League for winless Reading this season, and has been at Reading since signing for the club in 2007, making 126 appearances.
The young Turk hopes that Reading’s current Premier League status will help him win his first cap.
“Every team in the Premier League is a high-profile side, everyone around the world knows that.
“Hopefully I can play as many games as I can in the Premier League and prove to Turkey I can play international football.”
However, Karacan believes it is difficult for anglicised turks to receive call-ups.
“I don’t think there are many people who have got a call up from the Premier League who are half Turkish and half English in the last few years I’ve been pushing for a call up.
“It has been quite frustrating but year-by-year they have been sending more scouts over,” he added.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
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 difficulties, the Royals midfielder is determined to play for Turkey.
“We’ll be pushing hard and I just want to play for Turkey and it would be a dream come true to get a first full cap. I’ll do everything I can to do that.”
One of Tottenham’s hottest prospects, young striker Reo Griffiths, is expected to spurn Bundesliga interest and sign a professional contract with the club, according to the Evening Standard.
What’s the story, then?
The Standard report that the 17-year-old hitman is expected to remain with the North London club and sign his first long-term deal in North London after a season where he scored 28 goals at Under 18 level.
They go on to say that he is concerned about how Harry Kane is going to halt his progression once he gets to first-team level but will move into the Under 23 setup for the coming campaign.
That deal should see off interest from Bundesliga clubs, who have been circling for young English talent across the board, and RB Leipzig have been rumoured to have been close to a £2m swoop.
He is the perfect Kane backup
Signing players to be in reserve for England captain and Spurs talisman Harry Kane is a thankless task for Tottenham because, as Griffiths has already eluded to above, it is such a hard task to overtake him in the pecking order.
All elite strikers will be wary of coming to Tottenham because they know they will likely be playing second fiddle to Kane, so promoting within is the ideal solution to that problem.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
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 scores goals for fun and Mauricio Pochettino has enjoyed great success when it comes to promoting young English talent and Griffiths is good enough to make the jump, if his goalscoring record at youth level is anything to go by.
According to reports in the Daily Mail on January 18, runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City scouted Lille youngster Boubakary Soumare in his side’s 2-1 defeat to Rennes on Wednesday night.
The 18-year-old has broken into the first team with the Ligue 1 outfit after joining them from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer, and his impressive performances have caught the eye of Citizens boss Pep Guardiola.
The Daily Mail says that the Spaniard is looking to strengthen his side’s defensive midfield options, with a report from the same source earlier this month saying that Guardiola potentially sees the teenager as a long-term replacement for Yaya Toure, whose contract is due to expire this summer.
The report adds that Lille may have to cash in on the France U19 international as they are under pressure to sell to evade financial sanctions from the French football federation.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur are yet to sign anyone this month as they look to secure a top-four finish in the English top flight as well as advance past Juventus in the knockout stages of the Champions League, but Mauricio Pochettino will be keeping a close eye on the market.
If the Argentine does want to strengthen his squad before January 31, bringing Soumare to Wembley could prove to be a shrewd move.
Here are three reasons Tottenham must hijack Man City’s bid to sign the 18-year-old…
Defensive midfield cover
Tottenham have been without both Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele at points this season through injury, with the likes of Eric Dier, Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks filling in for the duo in the middle of the park.
It highlighted Spurs’ lack of defensive midfield cover, and bringing a promising young player like Soumare in to fill the role in the second-half of the campaign and push for a spot in the first team would be a smart move.
His qualities
The 18-year-old is 6ft 2in tall, strong and it is no wonder that Pep Guardiola already sees the teenager as a potential long-term replacement for Yaya Toure.
According to WhoScored.com, the France U19 international’s main strengths are his passing and his ability in the air, and he has an accuracy of 87% for the former in eight Ligue 1 appearances this season.
Meanwhile, he has won nine of the 11 aerial duels he has faced, while he has shown his quality on the ball by successfully completing eight of the nine dribbles he has attempted.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Price tag
The Daily Mail mentioned earlier this month that Lille may be forced to cash in on the 18-year-old before the January transfer window closes because of their financial difficulties, even though they only signed him during the summer.
That could mean that Tottenham will be able to pick up the highly-rated French starlet for a reasonable price before January 31, and that should interest the north London outfit as they love to sign a young player with huge potential for a low fee.
England manager Roy Hodgson got his last chance to study his options up close for the forthcoming World Cup in Brazil.
A solid yet uninspiring 1-0 victory over a compact and unimaginative Denmark will give Hodgson plenty to ponder in the upcoming weeks as the domestic season draws to a close.
Here are a few of the winners and losers from the Wembley encounter:
Winners
Raheem Sterling – Starting with the lively Sterling was a great show of confidence from Hodgson for a player who has been right at the centre of Liverpool’s rise up the table in recent weeks. Sterling showed a willingness to take on numerous defenders at once. Sterling created four chances in the game. With competition from the likes of Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana and past flavour-of-the-month Andros Townsend, Sterling proved himself as a strong candidate for a starting berth down the wing come Brazil. With Theo Walcott unavailable Sterling feels the best direct replacement with his pace and if he keeps up his form for Liverpool in the Premiership Hodgson would be blind not to select him.
Jordan Henderson – Hodgson opted for Jordan Henderson to man the centre of the field with Liverpool colleague and captain Steven Gerrard, along with Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere. His selection alone suggested he is strongly in the manager’s thinking and when England began to take the game to Denmark late in the first half in during the second, Henderson showed some of the drive he’s displayed for Liverpool on numerous occasions this season. A few neat touches and some accurate passing, most notably a fantastically weighted slide-rule pass through to Danny Welbeck should have ended with him gaining an assist, but for the inspired form of Kasper Schmeichel. Henderson maybe didn’t impose himself on the game as consistently he would have liked but at 23 and with only eight caps to his name he did his case no harm.
Adam Lallana – Given just over half an hour as a replacement for the injury-struck Jack Wilshere, and he made an immediate impact. His attacking intent was obvious as he always looked to pick the ball up inside Denmark’s penalty area. Lallana is adept with both feet and he has the ability to create space in tight areas. A slick dummy and beautifully flighted left-footed cross put the ball on a plate for Sturridge to nod past Schmeichel. Seven goals and seven assists in the league for Southampton shows Lallana combines creative play with a solid output. Hodgson can’t have ignored his impact.
Losers
Kieran Gibbs –As Leighton Baines’ inclusion in the final 23 seems a dead cert, the sheer fact that it there is one left-back spot to fight over makes the likelihood of Kieran Gibbs’ addition even more unlikely. Despite his consistent performances for Arsenal this season he struggles with injury on a regular basis. He failed to make the squad for the Denmark friendly and solid performances from both Ashley Cole and Luke Shaw may mean he fails to make the provisional 30 come May. His only hope may be that Cole’s time on the bench for Chelsea sees him edge ahead of the ex-Arsenal man.
Tom Cleverley – Despite Cleverley struggling for any kind of form this season, he retains the confidence of Hodgson. When the England manager opted to replace Henderson with Oxlade-Chamberlain with just 13 minutes to go, it suggested a change of direction. Arsene Wenger remains convinced that Oxlade-Chamberlain’s future lies in a central role and Hodgson has seemingly heeded this advice. His inclusion in central areas for Arsenal and now his presence in the centre of the field suggests Hodgson is looking for a more dynamic option to sit alongside Gerrard. Cleverley’s basic style of play combined with a lack of international experience is a problem and Hodgson has a number of better young options to play in midfield as the game versus Denmark demonstrated.
Jack Wilshere – His early collision with Daniel Agger will have had many Arsenal fans screaming at their television sets to take him off immediately. The pain was evident on his anguished face as he kicked the bottom of Agger’s boot. Choosing to continue, it seemed as though the pain was just from the initial impact. Wilshere confirmed after the game that it was just bruising but the news that he has suffered a hairline fracture will be most unwelcome for Wenger, Wilshere and Hodgson. He is destined to sit out for six weeks which will leave him with just five games to prove to Hodgson he is back to form and fitness. These things have a habit of taking time to recover and Wilshere may just find himself in a race against time.
Click below to watch West Brom vs Man United LIVE!