All posts by h716a5.icu

[ad_pod ]

Stoke City are interested in signing Sam Vokes from Burnley before the transfer deadline, according to Sky Sports News.

The Potters have identified the striker as a potential acquisition but Sean Dyche will not let any player leave unless he can source a replacement.

What’s the word?

Stoke, per Sky Sports, could sell both Peter Crouch and Bojan Krkic before the transfer deadline and are keen to bolster their attacking options.

The club are currently 15th in the Championship, but believe Vokes has the ability to play in both the second-tier and the Premier League.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Vokes has been a key member of Dyche’s side this season, making 28 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

However, he has scored just four goals in all competitions and his last strike for the club came in November 2018, in a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United.

Per The Mirror, Burnley are interested in Birmingham City’s Che Adams, who could be a replacement for the Welshman.

Soar up the table

Stoke could soar up the table if they manage to sign Vokes.

The 29-year-old has played 113 games in the Premier League and has 198 appearances to his name in the Championship, according to Transfermarkt.

As per the same stats-based website, his goalscoring record is light-years better in the second-tier than the top-flight; he has scored 52 goals in the Championship, compared to 17 in the Premier League.

Stoke bringing him in, particularly to replace the enigmatic Bojan and the ageing Crouch, would do wonders for their hopes of working their way into the top 10 and potentially into the play-offs.

The Potters are currently eight points behind sixth-placed Derby County; Vokes could be just the man to score the goals needed to close that gap.

[ad_pod ]According to The Times’ northern football correspondent Paul Joyce on his official Twitter account on Thursday, Anderlecht and interested in signing Everton winger Yannick Bolasie on loan, and the Merseyside outfit want the deal to happen.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the 29-year-old had joined Championship club Aston Villa on a season-long loan deal during the summer transfer window, but having failed to really make an impact in the Midlands he decided to cut short his spell, as per avfc.co.uk, and return to Goodison Park earlier this month.

Now it appears as though he is attracting admiring glances from Belgium according to Joyce, with Sky Sports also reporting that talks are already at an advanced stage, and the fact that the Toffees are keen for a move to go through tells you all you need to know about what manager Marco Silva thinks about the DR Congo international.

Will he go?

It would appear likely, and Everton are likely to do everything they can to get it done if the well-placed Joyce is correct with what he has said.

Silva already has plenty of depth and quality in wide areas in the form of Richarlison, Bernard, Ademola Lookman and Theo Walcott, and it is no surprise that he sees no future for Bolasie at Goodison – at least for the remainder of this season.

The 29-year-old himself will be looking to make a big impact for Anderlecht if he does end up joining them, as he looks to recapture the sort of form that earned him a big-money move to Merseyside in the first place.

Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin may be out for the season but it’s given him a chance to show off his new accessory. Check out the video below to see for yourself…

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, Tottenham are interested in a move for defender Max Aarons. The 19-year-old currently plays his football at Championship table-toppers Norwich City after making the move to Carrow Road as a youth player back in 2016, with his impressive efforts for the Canaries this season seemingly attracting the interest of Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.

And that’s because a recent report from The Daily Mirror suggests that the Premier League title-chasers are keeping an eye on the 19-year-old’s development at the Norfolk-based outfit, with a move to North London, and thus the chance to work under Pochettino, a move that could turn Aarons into a star.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, former Southampton chief Pochettino has a proven track-record throughout his time in English football of developing and nurturing young talent into world stars, be it Luke Shaw at St Mary’s, or indeed the likes of Dele Alli, Eric Dier, and Harry Kane at Spurs.

In fact, the latter trio are now first team regulars at Tottenham with messrs Alli and Kane arguably indispensable, which itself underlines just what an outstanding coach Pochettino is – after all, Alli had never played in the Championship, let alone the Premier League, prior to his move to Spurs back in 2015.

Yet Argentine Pochettino has given him, as well as Shaw, Kane, Dier, and more recently Harry Winks, the opportunity to play first team football and prove their worth, which they have all done in abundance to suggest that there are few managers out there better equipped at bringing through young, English talent than the Tottenham manager.

And that must be of interest to Norwich defender Aarons, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise this season at Carrow Road to suggest that, with the right guidance, he could be destined for huge things in the game.

The 19-year-old originally began his youth career at Luton Town before moving to Norfolk back in 2016, earning his senior debut for Daniel Farke’s side only back in August of last year in their Carabao Cup victory over Stevenage.

Yet that has since paved the way for 26 further first team appearances for the England Under-19 international, 25 of which have come in the Championship to help the Canaries to top spot in the second tier table, with his two goals and four assists very much playing a part in their rise.

And such is the undoubted talent the right back possesses, he would surely flourish under the guidance of Pochettino at Tottenham – the Argentine’s willingness to give young players an opportunity to perform could well benefit the youngster in his quest to reach his full potential.

Ultimately, Aarons is very much a Championship sensation at present with the talent and potential to go far in the game – and a move to Spurs to work under Pochettino could go some way to turning him into a star.

Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

[ad_pod ]Kemar Roofe has scored 14 times in 26 Championship appearances for Leeds United this season, which is an impressive record.The forward has only managed one in his last eight league appearances, though, and was deployed in a deeper position against Swansea City on Wednesday night.Roofe found it difficult to make his mark against the Swans, but it was a successful night for the Whites as they collected all three points with a 2-1 win, returning to the top of the Championship as a result.The 26-year-old could be forgiven for thinking that he would have the support of the Leeds fanbase even if he went a few games without a goal.However, a number of the club’s supporters were unhappy with what they saw from the Englishman against the Welsh club.Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…Harshly, a host of Leeds fans took to social media to criticise Roofe, with a couple of supporters even claiming that he would not be good enough to perform in the Premier League next season should Marcelo Bielsa’s side earn promotion.A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

West Bromwich Albion took a big step forward in their quest for Premier League promotion, moving three points behind league leaders Norwich City in the Championship title race.

While it’s getting difficult to predict who will clinch the Championship trophy, West Brom’s bigger target is automatic promotion back to the top-flight.

The Baggies have played some lethal attacking football this season and continued their impressive run with a 3-2 win over Queens Park Rangers. Despite going behind multiple times, Darren Moore’s side showed impressive spirit to come back and clinch three crucial points from Loftus Road.

What was even better is that new signings Jefferson Montero and Jacob Murphy both scored to contribute in the victory. It seems like West Brom’s fighting spirit has been quickly etched into their system. The Baggies now boast a dangerous attack, with the new signings complimenting Jay Rodriguez and Dwight Gayle, who’ve scored 18 and 16 goals respectively.

Moore is allowing his side freedom and has instilled a sense of urgency to win over the past few months. West Brom do not let up from a challenge and their ability to peg back from despair is admirable. They’ve been revitalized this season and are displaying admirable resiliency towards the end of the season.

If their comeback win against QPR proved anything, the Baggies have inherited a never-say-die attitude from Moore. The gaffer’s implemented an unrelenting fighting spirit, which can boost West Brom into finishing the season strongly and attaining automatic promotion.

[ad_pod ]

In an exclusive interview with The Liverpool Echo, Everton manager Marco Silva has provided an update on Yerry Mina’s situation at Goodison Park.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Merseyside outfit signed the Colombia international in a big-money £27.2m deal from Barcelona during the summer transfer window, but it’s fair to say his career in the Premier League hasn’t got off to the best of starts and in general he has been a disappointing addition to date.

The 24-year-old has had plenty of spells on the sidelines through injury, and according to The Liverpool Echo he is a doubt for the clash against Cardiff City on Tuesday night following his latest issue.

Silva said: “He had some good moments, some good performances also, but afterwards comes a little problem which has stopped him many times.

“It’s not easy for him, he’s always stopping for many reasons. With his size, he needs to work every day to be in a good physical condition.

“We hope now that he has joined up with the rest of the team, until the end of the season he doesn’t stop more and he can go three months to be able to fight to be a starting player.”

Can he be a starter when fit?

Even when the South American was available, he sometimes found himself behind Michael Keane and Kurt Zouma in the centre-back pecking order under the Portuguese boss.

When he is ready to return, he needs to prove to his manager that he can be a first-choice option for the Toffees next term, especially with Zouma’s future far from certain given he is only on loan from Chelsea.

The 24-year-old needs to rediscover the form he showed for his country at the 2018 World Cup, and that is clearly what Silva wants to see from him from now until the end of the campaign.

[ad_pod ]

Liverpool were held to a dour 0-0 draw by Manchester United on Sunday.

The Reds knew that victory at Old Trafford would take them three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table but they were unable to take advantage of Pep Guardiola’s side playing in the Carabao Cup final.

Instead, their front three of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino drew a blank, with the latter substituted in the first half after appearing to hurt his ankle.

The result means that Liverpool are now just a point clear of Guardiola’s men. Their destiny is still in their own hands as they attempt to win their first league title of this century, but the dropped points inevitably qualify as a setback – especially against a United side severely weakened by injuries.

Many Reds fans are worried about the prospect of the run-in after a performance that was short on attacking threat and which featured a worrying injury to a top player.

Take a look at some of the best reaction on Twitter below!

Tottenham have seen their title challenge typically ripped apart over the last seven days, and it proves why their biggest stars need to move on before they win silverware.

Losses to Burnley and Chelsea and a draw against Arsenal on Saturday took them from being almost two points behind then leaders Man City to now being 10 points behind them. It’s been followed by an exclusive in the Sunday Mirror claiming Real Madrid are prepared to use Gareth Bale as a makeweight to brink Spurs maestro Christian Eriksen to the Bernabeu.

This move would be ideal for the Dane, who must be getting rather disillusioned at spending the prime of his career at a club who can’t even organise the building of a stadium, nevermind win a trophy. This is probably the reason he’s reportedly stalled on signing a new deal at the club, and who could blame him if he leaves?

Harry Kane is the other star who simply needs to be playing for one of the best clubs in world football and not one that can’t even mount a challenge of a domestic trophy. In the opinion of most, he’s the best striker in the world at the moment, but the game is fickle and he could quickly be overshadowed by another fresh talent in the years to come.

He, like Eriksen, needs to make a move now.

Madrid would be ideal for both considering the club are going through what they’d probably deem as a crisis at the moment, because they’re not in line for any trophies the way they’re playing. However, it just proves the difference between them and Manchester United compared to Spurs who are applauded when they come close to challenging.

The gap is huge, and it’s too huge for even those two great players to fill.

It would be a huge shame if they both wasted their careers merely competing in competitions rather than challenging to win them, but that appears to be what they’d be resigned to if they stay loyal to Spurs.

What do you think is the next best step for Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane?

Another loan spell is surely beckoning Harry Wilson at the beginning of next season as the promising Welshman looks to barge his way into a crowded and competitive Liverpool team.

It has been an extremely positive first experience in senior football for Wilson, who has been the standout player in Frank Lampard’s promotion hopeful Derby County side, scoring 12 goals in all competitions.

Indeed, the 21-year-old has evidently outgrown the Championship and his return to Derby, or any other club in the competition for that matter, seems unlikely.

Rather, according to goal.com, Jurgen Klopp prefers the option to find him a club in the Premier League to continue his development, readying him for the future challenges at Anfield.

But who with?

Brendan Rodgers; Leicester City is one of the reported likely locations.

Rodgers, who was reportedly interested in taking the player to Celtic last term, missed out because Klopp felt he had too little faith youngsters (as per goal.com)

However, now with the financial clout of the former Premier League winners, there is every chance the Foxes boss could come bounding back with a permanent offer. And we think the move makes perfect sense.

Here are two reasons why…

Youth and development

Contrary to Klopp’s belief, Rodgers will be of immense benefit to Leicester’s fledgeling players.

After all, this is where it all started for the former Chelsea youth coach – developing talent.

For example, though he cannot claim the introduction of Kieran Tierney, he has overseen the full-backs progress into one of Scotland’s most promising talents. The same could be said for Raheem Sterling. Rodgers gave him his chance at Liverpool and look at him now: one of the best players in the Premier League.

Leicester have an impressive roster of young, up and coming talent, including the likes of Demarai Gray, Harvey Barnes and Ben Chilwell, and Harry Wilson should want to join their ranks next season.

No budging current starters

It is unlikely that Wilson will get anywhere near the current Liverpool team for some time, despite how well he has performed.

There is too much quality in the forward positions, where he naturally operates, with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah all irreplaceable.

Furthermore, the midfield, a region he has occupied more regularly for Lampard, may be relatively weak at Liverpool, but the emergence of Fabinho as a serious contender has considerably limited the available spots, as Milner and Henderson are no longer needed to cover.

You would also imagine that Klopp will want to reinforce his midfield with some serious, world-class talent this summer.

Disgruntled Real Madrid maestro Isco, for example, is one of the major targets (as per Tuttosport).

An easy choice as far as we are concerned.

Liverpool fans, would losing Harry Wilson be a catastrophe? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

[ad_pod ]

Sheffield United kept the pressure on the Championship’s top two, Leeds United and Norwich City, with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Brentford at Bramall Lane on Tuesday.

Promotion to the Premier League this season is a very real possibility for the Blades, but it will likely go down to the wire. However, they kept themselves very much in the hunt with this vital win. 

On the chalkboard

They had to dig deep to secure the three points after Gary Madine’s first half red card. Chris Wilder’s side produced an exceptionally solid defensive performance and proved impossible to break down, despite the fact they were a man short for most of the game.

Who would make a combined Sheffield XI? Ingood Nick makes his picks in the video below…

And Wilder deserves enormous credit for how he was able to organise his side and guide them to victory against a good team despite their numerical disadvantage.

The manager’s substitutions were both inspired and fearless, and they shaped the course of the game in the home side’s favour. 

Defending on the front foot

Wilder didn’t make the mistake of stocking his side with defenders and sitting deep. This would have just invited relentless waves of pressure, and the Blades would have eventually cracked. Instead, two of his three changes saw him bring strikers onto the pitch – goal-scorer David McGoldrick and veteran club captain Billy Sharp.

This provided United with mobility up front, so they always had an out-ball. What’s more, Sharp and McGoldrick are both powerful enough to hold up the ball and diligent enough to defend effectively from the front. 

By occupying Brentford with these strikers, the Blades succeeded in blunting the visitors’ threat. Of course, their defenders still had to be at the top of their game, but they were given a big helping hand by their manager’s bold tactical decisions.