All posts by h716a5.icu

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that he doesn’t expect West Ham to have any problems keeping Tomas Soucek this summer.

Soucek only made his loan move permanent from Slavia Prague last summer, but is enjoying an outstanding campaign at the London Stadium, leading to former Tottenham man Jamie O’Hara hinting at a potential summer exit for the Czech Republic international.

The midfielder has been in outstanding goalscoring form for the Hammers this term, netting nine Premier League goals, including strikes against Manchester United, Everton and the third in the draw with Arsenal earlier this month.

Soucek continued his purple patch by netting a hat-trick in Czech Republic’s 6-2 victory over Estonia in their World Cup qualifier last Wednesday, taking his tally for the season to 13 for club and country.

Despite his outstanding goalscoring exploits, ex-Hammers striker McAvennie doesn’t see any reason why Soucek would consider a move away from east London this summer, although he believes his performances have warranted a new contract.

He told Football FanCast: “He’s bought into David Moyes. I think he needs a new contract. West Ham can pay the big bucks, but they’re not going to do it at the beginning.

“So Mr Sullivan paid him bottom drawer, not bottom drawer to us, bottom drawer is about 40 or 50 grand, but I think he’s worth more than that.

“But I don’t see a problem. People love London and West Ham are a decent club, I loved them. The fans love Soucek. If you give him the money he deserves, I don’t where he would go. Where he is going to go where you’re going to get a game all the time and be loved.

“He’s Lampard-like – a midfielder player that scores goes. He’s enjoying it, why would he want to move? He’ll get the wages, and be on par with everyone else and be happy.”

Manchester United’s recent boardroom reshuffle has seen Red Devils’ legend Nicky Butt leave the club.

Previously Head of First Team Development at Old Trafford, the former midfielder departs after nine years of overseeing the club’s best academy prospects.

It is work that has seen him draw plenty of praise.

Speaking exclusively to FootballFanCast, Peterborough United Director of Football Barry Fry suggested that he has “saved the club hundreds and hundreds of millions” with his “fantastic” development of youth.

It is difficult to argue with that assessment with as many as six Red Devils academy graduates; Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, Mason Greenwood, Brandon William, Axel Tuanzebe and Dean Henderson, all forging a key role within Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad.

Between them, those six players have racked up 571 appearances for the Red Devils’ first team, indicating the fantastic work that Butt has done in his preparation for senior football.

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Meanwhile, he has also saved the club considerable amounts in transfer fees too, as Fry alluded to. The six players are all rated at £182m between them, with Marcus Rashford rated the highest at a price of £76.5m.

It could be imagined though that it would have taken even more for a club to purchase the England man, again highlighting the excellent work done in the youth system by Butt that the club have not had to fork out those considerable fees for new recruits.

Away from the players currently plying their trade at Old Trafford, the Red Devils have also certainly profited from individuals who have sought pastures anew.

In the time that Butt has been employed at the club, the Red Devils have raked in approximately £25m from the sales of academy prospects – the most lucrative being the departures of the likes of Adnan Januzaj and Sam Johnstone to Real Sociedad and West Bromwich Albion respectively.

It is a mark of the quality of Butt that United can earn such amounts from their youth prospects even if they do not have the desired impact with the Red Devils.

He is certainly deserving of the praise he gets then as he departs the club.

AND in more news, take a look at which Red Devil rounded off his international contributions with style…

Southampton return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon as they take on Burnley at St Mary’s in the early kick-off, and with captain James Ward-Prowse potentially sidelined for the game, Ralph Hasenhuttl should consider unleashing Alexandre Jankewitz in his midfield.

Ward-Prowse was forced to withdraw early from international duty earlier this week and was sent back to Southampton as a precaution after picking up a calf problem.

The Austrian manager has since confirmed that, whilst he is hopeful the Saints captain will be fit, the 26-year-old hasn’t been training with the squad in the build-up to the game against Sean Dyche’s side.

You may worry that Ward-Prowse’s run of playing 90 minutes in every single Southampton fixture so far this season could soon come to an end, and with Oriol Romeu also sidelined through injury, Hasenhuttl has a big decision to make when it comes to selecting a midfield partner for Ibrahima Diallo.

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Fortunately, Southampton have a more than capable midfielder waiting in the wings in the form of Jankewitz, who has been the name on many Saints fans’ lips this week after some impressive performances with Switzerland at the European Under-21 Championship.

The 19-year-old hasn’t been seen for Southampton since getting himself sent off on his full Premier League debut in the defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier in the season, but Hasenhuttl should put his faith in the teenager to make a much more positive impression against Burnley on Sunday.

If Jankewitz isn’t entrusted with any minutes between now and the end of the season, then you worry that Southampton could lose him permanently in the not-too-distant future, especially after he handed in a transfer request in January as a result of his lack of playing time in the first team.

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The last thing Hasenhuttl wants to do is make Ward-Prowse’s injury worse by selecting him when he’s not fully fit, so he should forget about picking his captain against Dyche’s side on Sunday and instead give Jankewitz another chance to impress.

In other news… No goals this season: Hasenhuttl must axe 25 y/o flop this summer, he’s stealing a living

Leeds United are interested in signing Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara this summer, but other Premier League clubs are also keen.

The 10-man Whites picked up a famous victory on Saturday, winning 2-1 away to Manchester City in the dying seconds thanks to Stuart Dallas’ double. It was a win which took Marcelo Bielsa’s side ninth in the table at the time, with other results meaning they have since slipped to 10th.

Although it was further proof of this Leeds side’s brilliance, it is still vital that reinforcements come in this summer, allowing the squad to keep improving.

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Leeds linked with Kamara move

According to the Daily Mail, Rangers are ‘fighting’ to keep hold of Kamara, with a number of suitors keen on acquiring his signature.

Leeds’ interest is confirmed in the report, while Brighton, Southampton, Burnley and Watford are also mentioned as being interested in the midfielder who has been described as having a “fantastic attitude” by Steven Gerrard, his manager at Ibrox.

Transfer Tavern take

Making the step up from the Scottish Premiership to the Premier League isn’t always easy, but Kamara looks a formidable player, with 27 caps to his name for Finland, not to mention being a key man in Rangers’ title-winning season.

He was also once on the academy books at Arsenal and made one senior appearance for the club during Arsene Wenger’s reign in charge, an EFL Cup defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in 2015. A profile on Kamara by The Athletic wrote that he would ‘fit the mould of the sort of midfielder’ that the then-Gunners manager would have been seeking.

The 25-year-old could add depth to the Leeds midfield, bringing the same defensive nous that Kalvin Phillips offers in front of the back-line, averaging one tackle and 0.9 interceptions per game in the Premiership this season.

In other news, the absence of one Leeds man against Manchester City has been explained by Phil Hay. Read more here.

Sunderland fans were far from happy with the showing of Josh Scowen during their match against Blackpool in League One on Saturday.

The Black Cats hopes of automatic promotion to the Championship lay in tatters. 2-1 defeats to Charlton Athletic and Wigan Athletic already put them on the back foot, but the 1-0 loss to the Seasiders means they are now eight points behind Peterborough in second with five games left to play (BBC).

The display of Scowen was particularly disappointing for the Black Cats supporters. He has come under fire in the past for his showings, and it was the same again here against Blackpool as he struggled to give his side the upper hand in the middle of the park. His passing, in particular, was criticised by the fans, as he lost possession 15 times, per Sofascore.

The Stadium of Light faithful were far from happy with that they saw, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on the showing.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Scowen below

“I feel qualified to speak on this as I’ve watched so many bad players for Sunderland: Josh Scowen is one of the worst players I’ve ever seen, and Lee Burge is an atrocious goalkeeper.”

Credit: @AnthonyMorrow83

“Scowen is a horrendous footballer”

Credit: @15jgilmore

“Scowen couldn’t pass water so far today”

Credit: @76skelly

“He’s rancid scowen like”

Credit: @liammcm5499114

“Scowen – Can’t pass. Can’t shoot. Doesn’t create. Doesn’t get into the box. Does give away possession. Does give away needless free kicks. #safc SIMPLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH.”

Credit: @W24Holden

“He’s been needing to come off for about 2 hours we’ve only played 94 minutes”

Credit: @AshmanJase

In other news, Sunderland fans are delighted with news on this man.

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that the location could attract Eddie Howe to the Southampton job.

Howe has lived in Bournemouth, which is just more than 30 miles up the South Coast from Southampton, for most of his life having played for the Cherries for 11 years across two spells before taking the club from League Two to the Premier League during his 11 seasons as a manager.

But the 43-year-old has been out of a job since Bournemouth were relegated last season, with strong reports that he’s set to replace Neil Lennon at Celtic.

However, talks have stalled and Howe has since been touted as a potential successor for Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace and Steve Bruce at Newcastle.

But with Ralph Hasenhuttl under pressure following Southampton’s wretched Premier League record since the turn of the year – they lie 20th in the 2021 table behind already-relegated Sheffield United – Windass believes that Howe would be an ideal replacement at St Mary’s.

He told Football FanCast:

“That’s a good fit, I don’t think Eddie wants to leave Bournemouth, he’s been there his whole life. Without a shadow of a doubt that would be a good fit, the location for Eddie.”

It’s fair to say that Ross Barkley hasn’t exactly enjoyed the greatest times of Aston Villa this season.

The midfielder has been on loan at Dean Smith’s side from fellow Premier League outfit Chelsea and has managed just three goals all season in the top-flight.

Speaking in his post-match press conference after the 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday, the Villa manager confirmed that no talks over a permanent deal had taken place with Chelsea.

He said: “Ross Barkley came in on loan at the start of the season. Obviously, Frank was the manager at the time we did a deal to bring him in on loan. That’s where it was. He’s got another two years left on his contract at Chelsea and that’s not been discussed at all.”

In letting Barkley go in the summer and signing Jesse Lingard from Manchester United instead, Johan Lange could help to build a dream attack for Smith.

Reports in recent days have suggested that Villa are now ready to battle West Ham in the race to sign the £13.5m-rated ace from Manchester United this summer, and it’s a move which could pay off big time for Smith.

Since joining the Hammers, Lingard has been “absolutely phenomenal”, racking up an incredible nine goals and four assists in just ten Premier League games.

The England international’s ability to break the lines with his movement and constant running is something which has added a different dimension to West Ham’s game, and is a trait that Michael Carrick was quick to praise back at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils coach said of Lingard: “He senses where the space is and how to use it. I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a dribbler with skills and tricks but he’s dynamic. How he plays, he is unique in some ways. You don’t see so much of that now as everyone wants to get on the ball. Off the ball, he’s very effective.”

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With Ollie Watkins and Jack Grealish being the main sources of goals and creativity respectively this season for Villa, bringing Lingard into the side would go a long way towards building a devastating attack.

The 28-year-old could be the man to support Watkins and break beyond him into the box whenever the striker holds up the ball or runs the channels, while Grealish should also love playing with someone who will constantly move off the ball looking for pockets of space into which to run.

A revitalised Lingard seems like a perfect fit for Smith, and someone who could easily replace Barkley at Villa Park.

Meanwhile, Villa could face major transfer misery over this maestro…

Lots of Aston Villa fans have been talking about some news involving Frederic Guilbert that emerged on social media.

Guilbert has recently talked about his future at Aston Villa. He described Matty Cash to be a ‘good player’ for Villa, saying that the club have paid a lot of money to bring the Englishman to the club. While the defender is currently on loan at Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, he said that it is the manager’s choice and if things don’t work out for him, he will have to leave Villa permanently.

The Frenchman made it clear that he likes it at Strasbourg, but he is a Villain and he’s proud of it too.

Before he joined Strasbourg in the winter, the 26-year-old defender had failed to play even once in the Premier League for Dean Smith’s men. So far for the Ligue 1 side though, he has played nine times in the league. He has scored once and has three assists too (As per Transfermarkt).

Last season for Villa though, Guilbert had been a regular at the back. He played 25 Premier League games, getting two assists.

Journalist Ashley Preece relayed Guilbert’s comments on Twitter. Many Villa fans made their views clear about the Frenchman.

What did Villa fans make of Guilbert’s comments?

“Fred is needed by us can help with competition for Cash, cover and as an option Cash pushed further forward with Fred played at RB if need be.”

Credit: @HoItender

“Fred needs to be part of the squad next season.”Credit: @drewwalsh32″Perfect squad player. I don’t know why we would get rid. If anything, he has the potential to take that RB spot for himself.”Credit: @AvfcTribe”I hope he stays at Villa!”Credit: @Tony89405449″Basically he is staying and went out on loan to keep fit until Elmo’s contract expired.”Credit: @VillaVisionBen”Fred has to come back next season.”Credit: @iamVillaIn other news, ‘Would be filth’, ‘Get him in’ – Many AVFC fans buzz as ‘good news’ emerges on ‘quality’ target

This weekend’s Old Firm derby, for the second time in the space of a few months, will have nothing riding on it for Celtic.

The Hoops can end their biggest rivals’ unbeaten run in the Premiership, but apart from that, they only have pride at stake.

On the chalkboard

After the diabolical showing in the Scottish Cup fourth round a couple of weeks ago, the Bhoys will need to show something vastly different. They were abject defensively and spurned some excellent chances to score – Odsonne Edouard snatched at a chance in the second half and then missed a penalty as well.

The Frenchman has come under fire in recent weeks and it looks as though his heart simply isn’t at Parkhead anymore.

It’s a huge shame because Edouard has been a force in Scotland for a number of years now. He hasn’t enjoyed the best of campaigns but he still has 20 goals to his name in all competitions throughout 2020/21.

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However, if Celtic want to ensure that he ends his time at Paradise with a bang, they must give him some extra assistance.

The solution

Having James Forrest back from injury in the Old Firm on Sunday should be a massive help to Edouard’s game. The Scotland international has been missing for a few weeks now with injury but has proven on his day what an exceptional player he is for Celtic.

Last term, the winger racked up 16 goals and 22 assists, numbers which have been a huge miss during his lengthy time on the sidelines throughout 2020/21.

However, another player who could get from Edouard is a certain Karamoko Dembele.

The teenager has still only made six senior appearances since being inducted into the first team fold at the age of 17, but he was given a rare opportunity to impress in the final ten minutes against Aberdeen last time out.

Dembele’s contract was initially thought to expire in the summer but Transfermarkt surprisingly claims that it won’t end until 2022. Either way, the 18-year-old could provide John Kennedy’s team with a new lease of life which is badly needed in the side.

Ryan Christie has only scored one goal in his last 19 league outings while Mohamed Elyounoussi was disappointing in the last derby, missing a golden chance to score from a few yards out.

With that in mind, bringing Dembele into the team could be game-changing at this moment in time. The winger still has a lot to prove but he’s an exciting talent who can beat his man with pace and trickery in abundance.

When he first burst onto the scene, he was given fine appraisal from one of the greatest Dutch football to bless the game in Ruud Gullit, who said that Dembele looks “pretty special” and suggested that the prodigy “is exceptionally good.”

With the young English talent on one wing and Forrest on the other, it could give Celtic a fresher and more exciting look than they’ve had at other points in this arduous season.

For Edouard, this should also be particularly fruitful.

AND in other news, Forget Mourinho: Celtic can dominate again if Desmond hires 42 y/o with “big emotions”…

Sheffield United’s woeful Premier League season continued at Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon as they were beaten 2-0 by Crystal Palace, a result which secures the visitors’ place in next season’s top flight.

An early goal from Christian Benteke set Roy Hodgson’s side on their way before Eberechi Eze made the points safe in the second half, although the Eagles were dominant throughout.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side failed to register a shot on target in the 90 minutes at Bramall Lane, whereas the visitors had eight shots on goal and were perhaps unfortunate to only score twice against a lacklustre Sheffield United, who look set for another struggle in the Championship next season unless there’s a notable overhaul at the club.

One man who disappointed in the defeat on Saturday was Oliver Burke, with the Scotland international struggling to get involved at all during his time on the pitch.

As per SofaScore, the former West Brom forward only managed 13 touches and four passes during his 65 minutes on the pitch, which was unsurprisingly the fewest of any player who started the game. Even Aaron Ramsdale in the Sheffield United goal had more, with the shot-stopper registering 40 touches and 13 successful passes during the game.

It was no surprise to see Burke axed by Heckingbottom shortly after the hour mark, as only Sander Berge (6.1) and David McGoldrick (6.3) earned a lower match rating than the attacker’s 6.4 from SofaScore.

As well as barely being involved, the 24-year-old struggled on the few occasions when he did have the ball, as his one dribble attempt was unsuccessful, whilst he also lost possession on seven occasions and was successful in just one of his five duels during the game, per SofaScore.

Although he has hardly set the world alight during his time at Bramall Lane, it was clear that he was way below par on Sunday, as so far this season he has averaged 10.1 passes per game, as well as 0.6 key passes and 0.6 dribbles, which demonstrates that he was even worse than usual against the Eagles.

In other news… Sheffield United should swoop for £3.15m-rated “top talent” likened to Messi