Slaven Bilic is a man under pressure. The Croatian’s West Ham have endured a thoroughly disappointing campaign after the euphoric highs of 2015/16 and as is so often the case when form declines, the manager finds himself the subject of pointed fingers.
Indeed, the London Evening Standard have reported that the Hammers’ coming three games may be pivotal in deciding his fate at the London Stadium, with rumours having suggested that Jaap Stam at Reading, Huddersfield’s David Wagner and even Rafa Benitez at Newcastle are all being considered to step into the Irons dugout.
But, is Bilic being hard done by? Perhaps. After all, he’s had a lot to contend with this season at the helm of West Ham, who have lost their key player, moved to a new stadium and had to cope with the failings of last summer.
Maybe, just maybe, the club needs him more than he needs them right now…
Chelsea fans have called on the club to sign Paulo Dybala this summer after his impressive performance for Juventus against Barcelona on Tuesday evening.
The 23-year-old forward scored twice in a stunning display, which resulted in the Italian giants taking a 3-0 lead in the quarter-final tie.
Widespread reports have claimed for some time that the Premier League leaders are interested in clinching Dybala’s signature.
The man himself, though, recently cooled talk of any transfer by telling La Repubblica that he is “happy” and “fine” in Turin, but he did admit that he does not know where his future is heading.
In 35 appearances in all competitions this season, the Argentina international has scored 16 goals and created six assists.
After witnessing his performance in Turin against Spanish giants Barcelona, Chelsea fans are convinced that Dybala is the man that manager Antonio Conte should go for this summer.
Some fans would prefer the Argentine over Everton striker Romelu Lukaku.
Rumoured Chelsea target Paulo Dybala has called an end to speculation over his future by signing a new contract at Juventus.
What’s the latest?
The Serie A giants confirmed on their official Twitter page that the 23-year-old Argentine has penned fresh terms in Turin.
Dybala has committed the next five years of his career to the Italian outfit, meaning that plenty of big clubs have missed out.
Earlier this week,ÂThe ExpressÂclaimed that Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona were among those interested in the forward.
However, it seems as though the lure of the Premier League or La Liga was not enough for Dybala to entertain a transfer.
The important thing for Juve is that he has put rumours of his future to bed before the summer transfer window opens.
Is this really a blow for Chelsea?
In short, yes. But not just for Chelsea. Any club that were keen on adding Dybala to their team have missed out because he is a great young talent.
Some may argue that Serie A is not as competitive as some other divisions in Europe, but he has scored eight goals and registered six assists in 24 appearances in the league.
In all competitions he has found the back of the net 14 times, and most notably is the fact that he has netted four of those goals on the elite stage in the Champions League.
Two of them were scored against Barcelona in Tuesday night’s 3-0 victory in the first leg of their quarter-final tie in Turin.
Dybala would have no doubt strengthened Chelsea’s attacking department had he arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer, but now they will have to go back to the drawing board.
When Arsenal signed Petr Cech from Chelsea in the summer of 2015, the Czech Republic international was supposed to provide the stability that the Gunners have been lacking between the sticks for some time.
Cech’s time at the Emirates Stadium has been up and down, however, and at the age of 34, the goalkeeper was never going to provide a long-term solution for the London outfit.
Cech, David Ospina and Emiliano Martinez have all played in goal for Arsenal in recent weeks, but there is a reason why the club are being linked with a new goalkeeper ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.
Manchester City’s Joe Hart is one name in the picture, but Arsenal fans believe that the answer to their goalkeeping problems is already at the club, with Polish international Wojciech Szczesny still contracted to the Gunners despite spending the last couple of years on loan at Roma.
The goalkeeper turned 27 on Tuesday, which promoted a tweet from Arsenal’s official account, and the club’s supporters took the chance to call for the return of the Pole, who has been in impressive form for Roma this season.
Indeed, Szczesny has started all 32 of Roma’s Serie A matches this season, with Luciano Spalletti’s side sitting second in Italy’s top flight behind the reigning champions Juventus.
Newcastle United won their final three games of the 2016-17 Championship season to snatch the title away from Brighton & Hove Albion at the final moment.
Indeed, Newcastle’s 3-0 victory over Barnsley on Sunday afternoon proved enough for the Magpies to finish top of England’s second tier after Brighton were held to a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa.
Rafael Benitez’s time at Newcastle has not been without its trials and tribulations, but the former Real Madrid boss has led the Magpies back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.
It would be fair to say that the club’s social media department are currently making full use of the situation, and a tweet on Monday afternoon, which revealed the final Championship table, was something that went down well with supporters of the famous outfit.
As it transpired, Newcastle finished nine points clear of third-place Reading to comfortably gain promotion to the Premier League, but taking the title away from Brighton at the final moment was something that meant a lot to the fans.
As reported in an exclusive by The Express, Celtic may face a tough decision on Stuart Armstrong this summer with the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Everton and Brighton all interested in paying good money for his services.
What’s the story?
Given the season Celtic have had, it’s no surprise that their first team stars are attracting attention from the Premier League and that’s particular true of Stuart Armstrong.
The Scotland international has emerged into a very fine player and with just over a year left on his contract, the Hoops face a decision on his future.
The Express say Tony Pulis’ West Brom are willing to pay £8m for the dynamic midfielder and also offer him wages approaching £30,000-per-week.
They’re not the only ones either with both Everton and Brighton also considering a move for the 25 year old, the paper reckons.
Armstrong appears happy at Celtic and working with Brendan Rodgers but with his new deal still not ironed out, interest like this means he holds a very strong hand in negotiations.
Can the club match his wage expectations or should they consider moving him on for a price more than quadruple what they were reported to have paid for him?
Not the right time
If Celtic were at the peak of Brendan Rodgers’ reign at the club then selling Stuart Armstrong may look like an attractive option but given they are at the start of what could be a momentous cycle at the club, they must retain as much of their first team talent as possible.
Armstrong has been simply fantastic this season, scoring a huge 15 goals from midfield. That kind of threat from deep doesn’t come along often.
There may come a day when the club feel its best to cash in on his talent but it feels too soon and whatever demands he has in contract negotiations they should meet, within reason.
The English season comes to a climax at Wembley Stadium tomorrow for what could be a tale of an historic double, a career salvaging win or the end of an era.
Arsene Wenger takes his Arsenal side to the national stadium for an FA Cup final more important than any of the previous seven he has contested. After a woeful season at The Emirates Stadium the Frenchman’s future at the club could well come down to the events at Wembley tomorrow evening as they take on Premier League winners Chelsea in search of the second league and FA Cup double in the history of the club.
Antonio Conte’s side have been astounding this season and beating them would be a tall order for a full strength Arsenal side, however, going into the game Wenger has far from that at his disposal.
It is at the back where things are most concerning for the Gunners. With Laurent Koscielny suspended after a foolish sending off against Everton and Gabriel injured, as well as Germany international Shkodran Mustafi and full-back Kieran Gibbs both doubts, it could be a rather thread-bare defensive line come kick-off.
However, Wenger can take solace from one member of his defensive unit who is ready to go against Conte’s title winners. Despite having only arrived from Bolton last summer and spending most of the season on the peripheries of the squad, centre-half Rob Holding has emerged as a top prospect over the last couple of months of the campaign, with the move to three at the back having given him the chance to develop in front of the eyes of the manager and fans.
He may well be inexperienced at this level, but he is the best Wenger has got this weekend and there are a number of reasons he can be trusted to take yet another step up in an Arsenal shirt.
Considering the 21-year-old had to wait so long for a chance in the Premier League after a couple of early appearances, his numbers – especially when you take into account the season the Gunners have endured – are rather impressive.
In fact, his average of 51.8 passes per match is bettered only be Mustafi when it comes to defenders at the club, which for such a young centre-half is quite remarkable and shows confidence beyond his years.
The former Bolton man was a standout performer in the somewhat surprise semi-final win over Manchester City just over a month ago, keeping ferocious City striker Sergio Aguero quiet for large parts of the afternoon, and Wenger will be desperate to see more of the same from the Englishman.
Having tamed one of the most potent goalscorers in recent years in the last round, Holding must now face up to a different challenge in the brute force of Chelsea top scorer Diego Costa. However, with so much on the line for the north Londoners, you wouldn’t put another standout performance beyond this promising talent.
According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United are said to be interested in signing out-of-favour Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart on loan this summer.
With both Adrian and Darren Randolph making mistakes last season that saw them dropped from the starting line-up, Irons manager Slaven Bilic is obviously looking to bring in a new stopper – as long as they are an improvement on what he currently has.
The 30-year-old is surplus to requirements under City manager Pep Guardiola and spent last term on loan at Serie A outfit Torino, although he has already announced that he won’t be moving to the Italian outfit on a permanent deal.
With the 2018 World Cup just a year away, Hart will know that he needs to find a new club this summer in order to be playing first team football next term to ensure that he is still Gareth Southgate’s first choice keeper, but the Hammers certainly need to be wary of any deal.
Here are three reasons Hart wouldn’t be an upgrade on Adrian and Randolph…
Performances
While both Adrian and Darren Randolph would have come under criticism last season for high-profile errors, Hart has also been under scrutiny for the mistakes he has made over the course of the last couple of years.
The 30-year-old was crucified after he failed to make what looked like a routine save for England against Iceland at Euro 2016 – which resulted in a goal – while he was far from impressive for Torino after conceding 62 goals in 36 league appearances, or for the Three Lions against Scotland last weekend.
We all know that Hart can make great saves when needed, but so can the current Irons duo.
Concentration
Britain Football Soccer – England Training – St George’s Park – 21/3/17 England’s Joe Hart during training Action Images via Reuters / Lee Smith Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY.
If Bilic is to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, he will want one that he knows is going to be an upgrade on Adrian and Randolph and can make a difference.
Hart’s concentration levels will certainly worry him in that respect, as the 30-year-old seems prone to errors when he has time to think about making a save – like against Iceland.
The fact that he was beaten twice from free-kicks by the same player in just a matter of minutes against Scotland last weekend only emphasises this point.
The future
Football Soccer – Inter Milan v Torino – Italian Serie A – San Siro stadium, Milan, Italy- 26/10/16 – Torino’s goalkeeper Joe Hart gestures. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
While there is no doubt that Hart has shown what a class goalkeeper he is during his career, the fact that he is the same age as both Adrian and Randolph means a deal makes little sense as there seems to be few signs that he will improve.
If West Ham had have brought in someone like Jordan Pickford who is young and has the potential to improve then it may be a different story, but it’s hard to argue that Hart would be an upgrade on the two goalkeepers West Ham already have right now.
Manchester United will have been watching the recent speculation about AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma with great interest.
The 18-year-old has had a fine season in Italy, starting every league game for the Rosseneri after breaking into the famous side at just 16-years-old.
A string of fine performances over the season, as well as his undoubted potential to succeed the his legendary namesake Gianluigi Buffon as Italy’s number one, has seen his stock rise exponentially over the last 18 months.
Keen to keep the exciting youngster at the San Siro, Milan have been readying a new bumper contract for the wonder kid.
Milan have recently had an influx of money under their new owners and have already made a number of exciting signings in the hope of building a new generation with Donnarumma as its centrepiece.
But this no longer appears to be the case, with Donnarumma reportedly announcing his intention to leave.
And the news will have put Europe’s top sides on alert, with United in particular on red alert.
One of their top players over the last few seasons, the Red Devils’ stopper David De Gea has been linked with a move to Real Madrid for years now.
Since the young Italian has broken through and confirmed himself as one of Serie A’s top keepers however, the Spanish giants will surely be interested in securing his signature.
While this will no doubt be music to the ears of United fans, there is a way things could turn out even better at Old Trafford.
With the Italian’s contract due to expire in twelve months’ time, it seems very unlikely Milan will allow him to leave for free and will instead be looking to sell now.
And according to Marca, Zinadine Zidane has told Keylor Navas he will be the keeper at the Bernabeu next season, making a move for the Italian less likely; albeit still not impossible.
There is the possibility Donnarumma would spend a season as second-fiddle to the Costa Rican who impressed as Real Madrid won four trophies in 2016/17.
Should Italian want to be top dog and Zidane want to keep his word however, both Milan and the 18-year-old would have to look elsewhere.
This would make United favourites to sign him assuming De Gea left. While they would miss the Spaniard, signing the world’s best young goalkeeper may be a power move the Old Trafford hierarchy may be unable to resist as they look to get to the top of club football once more.
On top of that, they have great links with his agent Mino Raiola after brokering the world-record transfer of Paul Pogba. Knowing Raiola’s priority of getting the best deal financially, this would put them in pole position.
Any move would likely spark a merry-go-round of transfers with Donnarumma, De Gea, Navas and possibly even Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois on the move after he has allegedly stalling on contract negotiations.
If that were to happen, it’s safe to say United wouldn’t be the only club keeping an eye on the situation.
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Rafa Benitez is an ambitious manager and the Toon Army is an ambitious fan base, but ahead of Newcastle United’s return to the Premier League, whether that proves to be beneficial or detrimental remains to be seen.
No question, most clubs around the world would kill to have a following as passionate as Newcastle’s, but that passion works both ways; the atmosphere at St. James’ Park can quickly turn when performances lack excitement and the club always feels like it’s swinging between irresistible highs and unprecedented lows.
To survive in an increasingly competitive Premier League next season, level-headedness and realism is needed. It’s essential to walk before you can run in the top flight and although Newcastle have plenty of experience of being there, setting targets too high can see a campaign implode spectacularly.
If even the reigning champions can finish the following campaign in tenth place, as Chelsea did two years ago, there are certainly no guarantees Newcastle will be clear of the relegation battle next season. Nonetheless, when we asked Magpies fans to predict how their club would fare next term, the majority said between 15th and 10th, whereas only five percent predicted lower.
Keeping ambitions in check should be one of the key jobs of the manager, especially at a club as idiosyncratic as Newcastle. That doesn’t mean prophesising a relegation scrap on the first day of the season as David Moyes did at Sunderland last term, but it does mean not raising expectations unnecessarily. So far this summer, however, Benitez has only played to the fan base’s ambitions, its apathy towards Mike Ashley and his own popularity as weapons in his ongoing power struggle at the Tyneside club.
“I’ve confirmed to Rafa and Lee that they can have every last penny that the club generates through promotion, player sales and other means in order to build for next season.”
Mike Ashley on Newcastle’s summer spending
Indeed, the summer transfer window hasn’t even opened yet and Benitez has already thrown his toys out of the pram twice. After Newcastle’s promotion from the Championship, he refused to confirm he’d still be in charge next season until Ashley promised a budget of up to £100million and despite the club parting with Graham Carr to increase Benitez’s autonomy over signings, reports last weekend claimed the Spaniard had grown frustrated with the Magpies’ transfer policy for the second time in a matter of weeks after missing out on Tammy Abraham and Newcastle ‘dragging their heels’ over a deal for Florian Lejeune.
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Some Newcastle fans will view the situation as typical Ashley, reluctant to spend despite promises otherwise because he knows the profit the club – and more importantly, he – would make from simply making up the numbers in the Premier League next season.
That perception may well have some truth in it, but the idea that Newcastle need to spend £100million this summer is outlandish enough, let alone Benitez losing patience with the club over a failed loan signing and a decent if unspectacular Eibar defender before the transfer window is even open.
It all further amplifies the illusion that Newcastle should be aiming unusually high next season for a club that has just been promoted from the Championship, something which the fan base already appears to believe. But once again, that’s not the reality of the situation; whether you’re Macclesfield or Manchester United, top fight survival after gaining promotion is always a good season.
To expect anything more is somewhere between naively idealistic and setting up for your own fall, and it’s quickly been forgotten that Newcastle didn’t exactly blow the Championship away last season, as much as they kept the rest of the division at a safe distance with a cool and consistent breeze.
Can this current squad really be expected to push for a 10th-place finish next term, even if Benitez does get to spend £100million? If the likes of Southampton, West Ham and West Brom are the benchmark, Newcastle are a long way off in terms of experience and quality.
Furthermore, Ashley has already made huge allowances by his own standards, excepting a quiet January transfer window – something which the Magpies’ champions’ status eventually justified – starting with a £50million spend last summer.
On average, over the last six seasons, survival has cost around £35million. Even doubling that sum, taking the Premier League’s new TV deal and consequential unprecedented spending into account, Benitez could end up spending £30million more ahead of 2017/18. Accordingly, that will only add to the fan base’s expectations of something more than a survival bid, as will Benitez’s protests about a lack of action thus far.
But at this point in Newcastle’s history, when the club will have to re-establish itself as a top-flight side, that feels incredibly irresponsible. Even with four games to go last season none of the top ten were mathematically clear of the relegation zone, which firstly shows how competitive the Premier League now is and secondly how being in a relegation battle can be as much perception as points on the board – some clubs will naturally assume they’ll pull away with a few games to spare, others will begin to fear the worst.
And thus, if Newcastle aren’t a safe distance away post-Christmas, you can already imagine the St. James’ Park crowd beginning to turn and fans asking why their club is in a relegation battle as frustration and fears of history repeating itself set in.
That expectation, that perception, that frustration and the subsequent pressure will be as much Benitez’s fault as anybody else for the way he’s behaved this summer, playing up to fans’ ambitions for political gain instead of going about his business quietly. Pressure on a team that has just come up from the Championship is never a good thing – and it certainly won’t be on new boys Brighton and Huddersfield in the same way.
It’s starting to feel like Benitez is holding the club to ransom because he’s a proven manager with huge popularity amongst the fans, in the same way Harry Redknapp often did at Tottenham. He constantly talked about a desire to make it into the top four in a bid to squeeze the funds to do so from Daniel Levy.
But whilst he managed it once and cost the Lilywhites a small fortune in transfer fees and wages in the process, often on largely average players, Mauricio Pochettino has done it twice in consecutive seasons, putting up a serious title challenge in both, predominantly using the resources that were already at his disposal. Just because Benitez is making big demands doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the right demands to make.
There are two sides to every argument and whilst Benitez may believe his actions are an effort to accelerate the evolution of a club that has the potential to be one of the Premier League’s major forces, they could also prove to be incredibly undermining for himself, for his players and the Magpies over the course of what looks set to be an incredibly tough 2017/18.
Benitez should be managing expectations, not using them as leverage ahead of a season in which, realistically, anything more than survival is a bonus.