All posts by z3u9t.icu

It only seems like yesterday when Arsenal fans were excited about the prospect of Denis Suarez joining the club. Two months later, and it’s hard to identify what all the hype was about.

The Barcelona loanee has only featured six times for the Gunners since his much-anticipated move from the Catalan giants, and during his time in north London Suarez has yet to start a game for Unai Emery’s side and has only played over an hour of Premier League football.

It was originally planned that Suarez would join the Gunners permanently in the summer for a reported fee of £18 million as a ready-made replacement for Juventus-bound Aaron Ramsey, however, it is now emerging that the Spaniard will be shipped back to Barca at the end of the season.

According to the Sun, Emery and the Arsenal board are shifting summer interests to alternative options to replace Emery, with PSG midfielder Christopher Nkunku heavily linked with a move to the Emirates in the transfer window.

The news will come as no surprise to Gunner fans, who have been far from impressed with Suarez’s involvement in the first-team since his arrival, but how has the Barcelona midfielder, who has enjoyed success under Emery, failed to make the grade at Arsenal?

A shift in preferred personnel seems to be the big reason why Suarez has not seen minutes in north London. Although the former Manchester City academy star can play a multitude of positions, it appears Emery sees him as a central midfielder in Arsenal’s system, and with the recent return of Granit Xhaka and Ramsey getting a run in the first-team, this leaves little room for the 25-year-old playmaker to break into the starting XI.

With Xhaka and Ramsey impressing and Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi already waiting in the wings, why did Emery even bring in Suarez when there are glaring holes in the Arsenal team that needed addressing?

Emery and the Arsenal transfer board are eager to fill out the Ramsey shaped hole that will be left when the Welshman makes the move to Turin this summer, and although replacing this void is of importance, it is something that didn’t need solving whilst the player is still at the club.

Instead of trying to bring in an extra centre-back or find a short-term replacement for Hector Bellerin, Emery and co decided to find the solution for a problem that can be solved in a few months time, and this incompetence has not only cost Arsenal financially but added numbers to a position that didn’t need adding.

The Suarez signing reflects an arrogance amongst the Arsenal transfer committee, and the Spaniard’s failing as a player at the club should serve as a lesson to those who make these decisions that it’s about strengthening in the right areas, not the bloated areas.

Arsenal fans, will Suarez redeem himself at the club?

[ad_pod ]

Luton Town fans have expressed their genuine delight at the inclusion of Jack Stacey in League One’s Team of the Season.

The 22-year-old has made 38 appearances in the top-flight this season and has only been absent once, on the first day of the season, as the Hatters lost 1-0 to Portsmouth.

He has been ever-present since, laying on a total of six assists from right-back and scoring four goals.

With Stacey in the team, Luton have lost just three games and sit top of League One, five points clear of second-placed Barnsley.

And he has been in exceptional form in recent outings, scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory over Bradford and also netting in the 2-2 draw with Gillingham. Against Doncaster, Luton’s last fixture, Stacey laid on an assist in a 4-0 thumping.

Stacey moved to Luton from Reading in 2017 and appears to have finally found his niche, with the club seemingly set to win promotion to the Championship this season.

Luton left-back James Justin and striker James Collins, who has scored 20 goals in League One, have also been included in the Team of the Season.

Stacey expressed his delight at his inclusion on Tuesday, with a number of supporters quickly praising the full-back. Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

[ad_pod ]

West Ham United suffered a huge psychological blow on Saturday evening as they were outclassed by Everton on home turf.

The two sides are considered to be of a similar calibre, so it’s now wonder the visitors’ dominance evoked plenty of concern amongst the Hammers faithful.

A 2-0 defeat underlined West Ham’s need to bring in further reinforcements in the summer window as Manuel Pellegrini aims to take the east London side to the next level.

However, rumours emerging over the course of the last few days suggest players could be set to move in both directions during the window.

Here are some of the biggest transfer rumours to emerge in recent days…

Asking price named for Declan Rice

The sale of Declan Rice would be an unthinkable blow for West Ham.

But those who cannot resist resorting to deeply-entrenched footballing clichés will be the first to claim that every player has their price.

In Rice’s case, a fee of £70 million will be enough to secure his signature in the summer, according to Football Insider.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are all keen on signing the recently capped England international in the summer.

Expect this one to rumble on right through the summer.

Asking price revealed for Edin Dzeko

The former Manchester City centre-forward is a notorious goal-machine with a proven track record in the Bundesliga, the Premier League and Serie A.

However, a recent report from Italian media outlet Calciomercato appears to suggest that Roma may be willing to cash in on the 33-year-old in the summer, with West Ham and Inter Milan both expressing an interest.

The report also claims the Hammers have already tabled a bid worth €10 million, but the Italian giants want at least double that figure.

Could Pellegrini secure a reunion with the clinical Bosnian this summer?

Teenager set for summer release

Another report from Football Insider concerns a far less coveted young talent, namely Vashon Neufville.

The 19-year-old is out of contract in the summer and the club have already opted against offering him a new deal.

Neufville went to Newport County on loan at the start of the season but his spell was cut short after he failed to secure regular first-team opportunities.

That fact alone is enough to suggest the Hammers won’t live to regret their decision.

[ad_pod ]

Crystal Palace were apathetic in their attempts to cause the ultimate upset at Tottenham’s new White Hart Lane opener and, instead of taking the game to their hosts in pursuit of a result, piled numbers behind the ball and simply waited for the inevitable Spurs breakthrough.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side kept a whopping 65% of possession, passing it around under no pressure and probing for an opening, which eventually came in the second half after a Luka Milivojevic error.

Regardless of the stats saying otherwise, Roy Hodgson had this to say on his team’s performance:

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video below…

“It has obviously been a great evening for them but we certainly played our part; no surrender and didn’t make life easy for them.”

Perhaps the former England boss was watching the wrong game. Palace simply sat back and waited to be picked apart and, if it wasn’t for the heroics of Vicente Guaita and James Tomkins, the scoreline could have weighed far more heavily in the hosts’ favour.

The Selhurst Park faithful were rightly fuming with the boss’ comments, as they reacted in numbers on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]

Aston Villa managed to recover from a goal and a man down against Rotherham on Wednesday night as they secured their seventh win on the bounce.

Key to that was right-back Ahmed Elmohamady, who provided the assist for Jack Grealish’s winning goal.

It was as far from a comfortable victory as you could get for the Villans but Dean Smith’s men were fortunate enough to prevail.

Speaking about the performance after the game, a host of Villa fans praised the Egyptian defender.

One fan labelled him as Mr Consistent, as they were quick to congratulate him for his performance at the New York Stadium.

Another supporter said the 31-year-old’s display was an unbelievable effort whilst a fellow member of the Villa Park faithful claimed he was as cool as a cucumber.

Elmohamady has stepped up in place of the injured Alan Hutton and has had a brilliant impact on the side.

Hutton is nearing a return to first team action but recent displays from his fellow right-back suggest he’ll struggle to get back into the side.

He has started 28 times in the Championship this term and provided seven assists in the process.

Here’s the best of the reaction from Twitter to his midweek performance.

Another must-win game for Arsenal, another day where Aaron Ramsey turned up for the club.

The Welsh international scored the Gunners’ opening goal against Napoli in a 2-0 win that has put the north London side one foot into the Europa League semi-finals, and it again added to the debate of ‘why are Arsenal letting Ramsey go?’

As well as Ramsey being one of the best players on the pitch for Arsenal, again, it was yet another quiet night for Mesut Ozil, who was substituted off 67 minutes, an all too familiar sight for Gunners fans, and the fact that the German is set to remain at the club for another season whilst the Welsh international walks is one of the worst player dealings the club have ever done.

Sure, Ozil fanboys will tell you that Arsenal are a much worse team without the former Real Madrid playmaker in the team, but when you sit down and watch the Gunners, you can see that the Gunners are normally better off as a team without the former German international in the starting XI.

Without Ramsey, though, Arsenal are not the fluid, stylish team we have seen countless times this season. Whenever the 28-year-old midfielder is absent from the side, the Gunners don’t look like the complete team, and his introduction more than often brings Unai Emery’s team to life.

With Ozil, Arsenal remains unspectacular. The German’s inconsistent performances have made him a divided figure in the community, and the reality is that the club are better off without the 30-year-old playmaker in the squad and off the wage bill.

Ramsey could have become an all-time great at Arsenal, but allowing him the walk on a free to Juventus is up there with one of the worst decisions the club have made that is only made worse by the fact Ozil will remain with the Gunners and live to fight another day.

Arsenal fans, should the club sell Ozil this summer? Let us know!

[ad_pod ]

It’s no secret that right-wing is a problem position for Manchester United and the club’s acute awareness of their own shortcomings looks certain to dictate their transfer strategy in the summer window.

What’s the word?

United have an abundance of left-sided attacking players on their ranks but a distinct shortage on the opposite flank.

A lack of quality options on the right-wing has stimulated plenty of speculation linking the club with a move for Jadon Sancho.

According to a report published by The Independent at the start of the month, United have made the England international their number one transfer target ahead of the upcoming window, with a fee of £100 million plus add-ons required to lure him away from Borussia Dortmund.

That obscene transfer fee doesn’t appear to be stifling any interest from Old Trafford despite the fact Nicolas Pepe could represent a more affordable option.

According to CIES Football Observatory, the electric winger, who has scored 20-goals in all-competitions so far this season, is valued at €52 million (£44.9 million).

At less than half the price it would take to sign Sancho it seems foolish for Ed Woodward and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to prioritise the signing of Dortmund’s crown jewel, but Ian McGarry has revealed why Pepe isn’t an ideal option.

While speaking on The Transfer Window podcast (26:27), the former journalist, who now works as a football operations and communications consultant, had some very interesting things to say about United’s interest in Pepe and Sancho.

“Pepe is not the kind of player who is under the radar in any way, he’s been starring for Lille for a while and just this season he has been watched for the club in person by Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton.”

And McGarry later went on to add (27:10): “I think Manchester United are shooting themselves in the foot a little bit by focusing on a very overpriced bid for Jadon Sancho, seemingly on the back of his form for England as well obviously as Dortmund.

“But the fact he’s English makes him A more expensive and B apparently much more attractive.

“There is an issue with Pepe being Ivorian and playing for the Ivory Coast because of the EU regulations for the Premier League restricting the amount of non-EU players you can have in your 25-man squad.

“But with regard to Manchester United I’d have thought getting rid of one non-EU player wouldn’t have been difficult, i.e. Alexis Sanchez immediately comes to mind. So I think United will probably lose out on this one.”

Alexis Sanchez ties United’s hands

Pepe is almost guaranteed to be a man in high demand this summer. That McGarry has revealed as many as four Premier League clubs have watched him in action this season is telling about how highly he is rated on the continent.

But it seems that United will have to park their interest due to his nationality, which is a massive, massive shame.

Premier League rules naturally dictate but it’s difficult to escape the feeling that United have backed themselves into a corner with Sanchez.

His presence at the club is already financially draining enough considering the size of his £350,000 per week contract, and it now seems the Red Devils could be forced to splurge £100 million on Sancho instead of targeting a more cost-effective deal for Pepe.

It seems the financial implications of Snachez’s disastrous spell at Man United continue to manifest themselves within their transfer strategy.

[ad_pod ]Loads of Rangers fans are weighing in on the latest rumour to do the rounds on Twitter, with Danny Welbeck being touted as a possible summer signing.Rangers are expected to undergo another small squad overhaul this summer, and while there will likely be nowhere close to the 15 signings Steven Gerrard made last summer, the Gers need to continue to trim and reshape the squad.And fans are looking at Welbeck as a possible arrival, with the Arsenal striker set to become a free agent at the end of this season.Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…The 28 year-old will be without a club by the start of July, and plenty of Gers fans are eyeing a swoop to bring him to Ibrox for free.Of course, free signings have more negotiating power when agreeing wages, meaning the player’s personal demands could put a stop to any possible move.

That hasn’t stopped fans fantasising about signing the versatile attacker though, who can play as a number nine or down the wing, with some even suggesting a pay-as-you-play deal, such is the extent of his injury record.

Take a look at the Twitter reactions down below, where plenty of fans are backing a move for the £13.5m-rated ace…

It has been a tough couple of days for Patrick Bamford, hasn’t it Leeds United fans?

The 25-year-old forward’s decision to go to ground following an altercation with Aston Villa’s Anwar El Ghazi during last Sunday’s 1-1 was rightfully criticised after replays showed that there was no contact between the two players.

Although Bamford was booked for his role in the incident, referee Stuart Atwell decided to refer the incident to the FA who have since charged the former Middlesbrough ace for successfully deceiving a match official (Via the Guardian) which could result in him having to serve a two-match ban.

If this is indeed the case, Leeds will have to prepare for the first leg of their play-off semi-final clash without the striker which could be a huge blow for their promotion aspirations this season. Despite having the likes of Kemar Roofe and Izzy Brown who can lead the line for his side, Bamford’s absence is far from ideal for Marcelo Bielsa who may have to adjust his tactics in response to the forward’s suspension.

However, it is imperative that the Argentine boss does not alienate one of the Whites’ most gifted footballers as if he does, he could risk the £5.4m-rated ace’s future at Elland Road (via Transfermarkt).

Whereas Bamford should rightfully be punished for his actions, Bielsa must forgive him in order for the club to move forward from this particular debacle.

Having scored 10 goals in all competitions for Leeds this season, he could prove to be the all-important difference between his side playing Premier League or Championship football next season.

What do you think Whites fans? Does Bamford deserve a second chance following his actions against Aston Villa? How big of a miss would it be if he is handed a two-match ban by the FA? Let us know below.

[ad_pod ]

“Looks like he will probably be wasteful.”

That was Norwich City Central’s damming verdict of Onel Hernandez as he was named one player who will not hack it for Norwich in the Premier League.

The reason for this according to Norwich City Central is that “he has been given so many chances but his end-product is not quite there, once he gets in on goal he just lacks that composure.”

He then went on to say that because Norwich won’t be getting many chances they need to take as many as they possibly can, and Norwich City Central do not believe Hernandez can do that.

The 26-year-old has scored eight and set up ten in 40 appearances.

These are decent numbers but, in the Premier League, he is unlikely to get as many chances.

The Canaries would be better off buying a winger with more Premier League experience if they are to survive.

See the video below to hear why Hernandez won’t cut it in the Premier League.

[pm-post-brid name=’two-footed-talk-which-norwich-players-wont-hack-it-in-the-epl’ affiliate=’www.footballfancast.com’]