All posts by h716a5.icu

[ad_pod ]Salomon Rondon won Newcastle United’s Player of the Year award, having enjoyed a very successful season with the Magpies.Rondon – on loan from West Bromwich Albion – has scored 11 times in all competitions for Rafael Benitez’s side during the 2018-19 campaign.As it stands, the centre-forward will be heading back to West Brom at the end of the season, but it is no secret that Newcastle want him on a permanent deal.A number of players have impressed for Newcastle this season, but it was not a surprise that Rondon landed the trophy.Indeed, the 29-year-old has put in a string of impressive performances this term – namely against Liverpool at St James’ Park last time out.The Newcastle fans took to social media to offer their views on the fact that the South American’s form had been recognised.

And it will not come as a surprise to learn that the supporters fully agree with the 6 ft 1 ace’s award, with plenty of fans calling on him to stay in the North East next season.

A selection of the Twitter reaction to his individual accolade can be seen below:

The good thing for Xherdan Shaqiri is that he’s quickly reaching his peak.

The bad thing is it collides with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane’s best form.

Indeed, despite his decent contribution, Shaqiri is seemingly yet to properly win over Jurgen Klopp. Now is his time to do so.

The 27-year-old has two matches remaining to prove himself worthy of a place in this world-class team. Making only his third substitute appearance in the last 10 Premier League matches, the Swiss magician finally bore fruit to help Liverpool keep their title flame alive.

Indeed, his sumptuous free-kick was too menacing to defend for Newcastle United. The inspired moment proved how dangerous his left-foot can be. As Mohamed Salah could be sidelined after being stretched off at St. James Park, Shaqiri could finally get his moment of fame.

There’s surely a good chance he starts in both remaining games against Barcelona and Wolves. While winning either the Champions League or Premier League looks bleak, Shaqiri needs to perform at his best in order to save his career. Like he did against the Magpies, he needs to put in inviting crosses for Sadio Mane, using his creativity to light up Anfield.

Despite his inspired substitute performances, there are no guarantees Shaqiri gets many chances next season. Ryan Kent will return and the competition will get stronger.

Unless he can influence Liverpool into retaining their sizzling attacking style in Salah and Firmino’s absence, it could be the end of the line at Anfield for the temperamental Swiss superstar.

Liverpool fans, do you think Shaqiri can make an impact in the remaining games? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez came of age in the FA Cup final following a tough debut campaign with the Premier League champions, which made Pep Guardiola’s decision to substitute him 10 minutes after half-time at Wembley even more baffling.

On the chalkboard

City signed the Algeria international in a £60m deal from Leicester City last summer, but he has found regular starts hard to come by – perhaps not too surprising given he is up against the likes of Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Leroy Sane for a spot in the XI.

Still, he has made 44 appearances in all competitions and provided an impressive 12 goals and 12 assists, including one of each in the final day Premier League win against Brighton and Hove Albion that ensured they lifted the famous trophy for a second successive season.

The fact he started at the Amex Stadium and then at Wembley was perhaps surprising given he hadn’t played a single minute of top flight football since the beginning of March previously, but he didn’t let his manager down.

Wembley high to Wembley woe

Despite tearing Watford’s Jose Holebas apart during the first 45 minutes, being unfortunate with some good deliveries from out wide and seeing a good effort parried away by Heurelho Homes, he was replaced by Kevin De Bruyne in the 55th minute.

Who would win out of Man Utd’s treble winners and Man City today? Fans discuss in the video below…

Given he was clearly in a good moment and arguably City’s most effective attacking player at that point, the decision to take off a player who should have plenty in the tank given his lack of minutes recently was harsh and confusing.

We all know that Guardiola strives for perfection, and maybe he felt that the introduction of De Bruyne would provide the final ball that had been lacking from Mahrez at times and put the game out of sight – it certainly proved to be the case as the Belgian shone following his introduction, with the game ending in a remarkable 6-0 win.

But it was hardly a confidence booster for the African wide man, who would have felt that he did enough to get at least a further 15 or 20 minutes on the pitch.

It was a harsh lesson for the 28-year-old, who will now know that he needs to work even harder to impress his manager in 2019/20 should he remain at the Etihad Stadium.

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Newcastle fans have taken a shine to West Brom loanee Salomon Rondon, but just how good was the Venezuelan’s debut campaign on Tyneside?

After plenty of failed attempts, the Magpies finally secured the centre forward Rafael Benitez dreamt of last summer, bringing Rondon to the club in a swap deal with West Brom, sending Dwight Gayle in the opposite direction.

The 29 year-old’s release clause is set at £16.5m after the Baggies failed to achieve promotion, so let’s have a look at how he fared this season.

Best moment of the season

Rondon grabbed 12 goals and seven assists in all competitions, finding the net for the first time in black and white stripes back in August, during a League Cup defeat to Nottingham Forest.

Injuries meant he started slow, but his defining moment came in November when he slammed in a brace during a 2-1 win against Bournemouth at St. James’ Park.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

Not only did the second header remind the Tyneside faithful of a certain all-time leading goalscorer, he hasn’t slowed down since that epic performance. He has not gone more than three games without a goal or assist since downing the Cherries on a day when fans fell in love with their new number nine.

Worst moment of the season

The biggest concern surrounding the striker right now is his age, as Mike Ashley is known to avoid splashing out on players past a certain point in their career.

Rondon missed three league games with a thigh problem across September and October, and as he approaches 30 muscle injuries such as this one will raise a lot of red flags around St. James’ Park.

Final grade

Rondon was phenomenal for the Magpies this season, doing everything Benitez demands of his number nine.

The 72-cap Venezuelan holds the ball up well, works the channels tirelessly and brings the pacier attackers into play.

However, a league tally of just 11 goals is not enough to justify a perfect grade, so Rondon’s debut season with Newcastle gets a B+.

If the striker does sign permanently this summer, a few extra goals on top of his well-rounded performances would surely put him in the conversation as one of the league’s finest front men.

The hunt for their inaugural technical director almost seems a never-ending one at Manchester United.

Ever since Ed Woodward indicated the need for an experienced head to oversee the club’s rebuilding under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, there have been plenty talked about for the position.

However, Woodward seemingly isn’t ready to give the helm to someone without experience, thankfully. Exactly why he’s done that in terms of having a manager remains to be seen, but that’s a different story for a different time. Instead, he would give it to someone who has produced genuine results in such a role and United seem to have found one with such a resume. That’s because, according to reports (via The Sun), the Red Devils want Stuart Webber to be their first technical director.

He’s working as Norwich City’s sporting director and done a great job with reviving the Canaries. Indeed, he played a role in Daniel Farke’s innovation, signing promising players and also giving rise to many youngsters. This is something which can please Solskjaer, whose philosophy revolves around building his team around young, exuberant players.

Indeed, he was also the reason for Huddersfield Town’s promotion before moving to Norwich. Last season, Webber made quite the profit for the Canaries, selling James Maddison for £20 million and just looks like he knows what he’s doing. That’d be nice, wouldn’t it? Moreover, he also signed the Championship highest scorer Teemu Pukki on a free, while also signing Tim Krul as a free agent. Clever, clever transfer business, the kind not heard about at Old Trafford for years now.

Webber definitely understands what he’s doing. He’ll know which players to keep and whom to buy to restart United’s development. A shrewd footballing personality with the ability to make financial profit and also sign prolific talents, Webber’s the down-to-earth, pragmatic personality needed to make United a fearsome unit once again.

United fans, do you think Webber is the right man to oversee the restructure? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Victor Wanyama, Eric Dier, Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks. All have proven their worth in some shape or form for Tottenham in recent seasons, and particularly for the latter two, Mauricio Pochettino has coaxed another level out of them. But, despite reaching the Champions League final, even the most ardent of Spurs fans will nod their heads in agreement, and accept that central midfield is potentially the one area where the north London side could significantly upgrade on. And with money hopefully set to be spent this summer, then look no further than Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele.

Valued at £45m by Transfermarkt, the Frenchman has been linked with some of the world’s best sides this season, and according to French publication L’Equipe, the midfielder could be set for a move to Lyon’s Ligue 1 rivals Paris Saint-Germain. But, keeping an eye on developments, are seemingly (previously reported by Football.London) a Spurs side intent on breaking their self-imposed transfer window exile, and making a big-money move to whet the appetite of their longing fans.

Ndombele has become a key cog in Lyon’s midfield engine room since initially joining the club on loan in the summer of 2017. The now French international has earned rave reviews for his performances this year, particularly in his side’s impressive victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League group stages. As a predominantly box-to-box midfielder, the 22-year-old carries the ball forward powerfully, and particularly this campaign, has added an end product to his game.

With two goals and eight assists to his name this season, Ndombele would bring an exciting upgrade on Sissoko in the Spurs midfield. The comparisons between the two athletic and rampaging central midfielders are obvious, but where the former excels is in his decision-making and greater consistency.

Indeed, Ndombele’s Lyon boss Bruno Genesio said of him last season (via Goal): “He’s thoughtful and intelligent. He’s interesting because he’s one of those players capable of solving tactical problems with his game intelligence.”

For Pochettino, who prides his players on adapting to his different tactical demands and match situations, Ndombele just seems like the perfect signing. Not just in terms of the statement it would make in fending off competition from many of European football’s giants, but also the impact he could have on the team.

Lucas Moura has certainly been one of Spurs’ best signings in recent years, and has firmly shaken off the tag of being a PSG reject. So, how powerful would it be then, if the north London side rubbed salt into the wounds of their illustrious Parisien counterparts, and beat them to the signing of one of France’s most exciting football talents as well?

Tottenham fans, would you back a move for Ndombele? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below…

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The Mirror are suggesting that Mauricio Pochettino is planning to use Tottenham Hotspur’s UEFA Champions League earnings to seal the signing of James Maddison from Leicester City this summer.

The tricky English attacking midfielder burst onto the scene with Norwich City last season before a summer 2018 move to the King Power Stadium saw the 22-year-old notch up seven goals and seven assists in the Premier League, while creating an incredible 100 chances.

Pochettino is one of the best in the world when it comes to developing promising young talents and while Maddison’s progression at Leicester has hardly been limited, it does seem like a match made in heaven considering the midfielder is already producing the goods at Premier League level.

In light of this and the recent speculation, we asked some of Football FanCast’s writers whether Spurs should swoop for Maddison during the summer transfer window. Here’s a look at what they had to say…

Christy Malyan 

“Maddison’s clearly a very promising talent but he’s a very selfish player too. There have been countless opportunities this season when he’s wasted chances by electing to shoot himself rather than use team-mates. Tie in the fact Leicester will want a massive fee after signing him only a year ago and the amount of players we’ve seen take the Premier League by storm before petering out, Spurs should give it another year before making a move.”

Harry Sherlock 

“Maddison is an excellent playmaker and would fill a rather large Christian Eriksen-sized hole if the Dane heads to Real Madrid. If he doesn’t, Maddison isn’t likely to get all that much game time, though, so his future has to be tied to Eriksen’s. As a like-for-like replacement, he would be an excellent acquisition and would put a number of concerns to bed almost instantly.”

James Beavis

“Yes they should, and Tottenham must regret not going for him 12 months ago. It was clear to see with his performances for Norwich City that Maddison was capable of making the step up to the Premier League successfully, and so it proved for Leicester City in the 2018/19 campaign. The 22-year-old is capable of creating chances galore – Harry Kane would thrive on his service – and takes a mean set piece. The only issue for Spurs could be his valuation, as Leicester will likely demand a huge fee for the attacker.”

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Over the past year Jadon Sancho has become a trailblazer for young British footballers everywhere.

Suddenly we’ve started to see a number of players move out to Germany after the former Manchester City man proved there was a pathway to the top outside of English football.

But a year before his transfer to Dortmund, a certain Scotsman had also made the move to German shores, intriguingly switching Nottingham Forest for RB Leipzig.

The man in question is, of course, Oliver Burke, a player who has somehow racked up £28m in transfer fees after arriving in the Bundesliga and then the Premier League.

Football is a funny game, it’s a bizarre business too. In 2016, four goals in five games at the start of the season was apparently enough to see you get a £13m move from the Championship to Germany’s top tier.

It was a move that caught the eye, but after scoring just once in 25 matches for the German side, Burke found himself back in England.

This time it was a £15m transfer as Tony Pulis brought the Scottish international to the Hawthorns.

How he’s been able to command those types of fees must be dictated by his age. Now into his 20s, Burke still has promise, yet his performances over the last few years have been particularly poor.

As a teenager at Forest he was one of the best up and coming talents in the second tier. Now, however, his stock has decreased significantly.

His loan move to Celtic saw him score four times in 11 SPFL matches. Under the stewardship of Brendan Rodgers he looked a changed man. But after the Northern Irishman left for Leicester, his performances went downhill.

On that evidence, perhaps Rodgers is the man Albion need as their new manager? It’s beyond the realms of possibility but it proves how a progressive coach can improve Burke.

In the final months of the season he was particularly poor in Scotland, as his season ended rather typically with an injury. He was then completely outshone last month when 16-year-old Karamoko Dembele replaced him at half-time against Hearts.

If that doesn’t sum up his career so far nothing will.

West Brom fans will be forgiven for thinking he shouldn’t be given another chance. In many ways it’s difficult to disagree.

Yet with a monumental rebuild on the club’s hands ahead of next season, Burke can be key, especially after a permanent move to the Hoops was put in doubt.

If there was ever a chance to give him a second opportunity in the Midlands, now is the time.

The Scotsman earns £30,000 a week at the Baggies which puts him among the highest earners at the club. Does he deserve to be? Arguably not.

With as many as five players possibly leaving, it remains to be seen whether Burke will be among those to depart.

His performances for Celtic prove it’s unlikely he’d be able to turn his career around in such quick fashion, but if Albion hire a coach who can develop the younger players at the club, he has a future.

West Brom have a number of young talents coming through their ranks at the moment. One of the most impressive is Kyle Edwards. On paper, a wide area consisting of him and Burke is exciting, especially at Championship level.

There lies the solution to the club’s rebuild. They simply have to place their faith in those with potential, rather than players who are past their use by date.

By building that philosophy, the stage could be set for Burke’s transformation.

Since signing he’s started just twice and has failed to find the back of the net. It’s been a horrendous move but now is his opportunity to prove his worth.

After a number of moves to various clubs the winger needs to find a settled place to play his football. At Celtic there were a few glimpses of the maturing player he can become and, if he can provide even an inch of that going into next season, West Brom could be onto something.

As well as playing on the wing, he could also be utilised as a number nine, a role he played in for Celtic.

With Dwight Gayle not returning and Jay Rodriguez looking as though he could leave, that aspect of his game can be particularly useful.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

Burke has never been a £15m player, but that’s the state of transfer fees in what seems to be an ever inflated market.

£5m of that transfer fee is still owed to Leipzig. Considering West Brom are trying to cut back this summer, it’s a far from ideal situation.

However, if both player and club can forget about the sheer amount of money that was involved in his move, he may finally start to flourish.

After being called up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad, it really feels like a turning point for the wide man.

It’s now up to West Brom to take full advantage of it.

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Lots of Everton fans have taken to Twitter to react after UOL reported that the Toffees are ‘advanced’ in negotiations with Ajax forward David Neres, and are vying with Paris Saint-Germain for his signature.

The Brazilian international shone for the Dutch giants last term, scoring 12 goals and 15 assists in all competitions as Ajax won the Eredivisie title, the Dutch Cup and also came within touching distance of the Champions League final.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

Neres scored stunning goals against Real Madrid and Juventus in the knockout stages and has emerged as one of Europe’s hottest prospects – at just 22 years of age, he will only get better.

The Toffees have reportedly found discussions with Neres’ representatives ‘easy’ due to their previous dealings in signing Richarlison and Bernard, whilst the Ajax man himself would like to play in England.

It would certainly be an exciting signing for the Merseysiders, so let’s take a look at what loads of the Everton supporters have been saying on Twitter about the links…

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Lots of Liverpool fans on Twitter have been sparked into a frenzy after one supporter tracked down a flight that was heading from Lyon to Blackpool on Sunday night.

Some of you may not know that Blackpool is where the Reds tend to carry out some of their transfers – Virgil van Dijk was allegedly there for a meeting with Jurgen Klopp in the summer before his winter arrival in 2018.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

It has been reported that Lyon star Nabil Fekir may be back on the Champions League winners’ radar, after a transfer to Anfield collapsed last year.

Canal plus journalist Romain Collet-Gaudin claimed that the Merseysiders are keen to revisit a deal for the Frenchman, but would only be prepared to pay up to €30m (£26.7m) instead of the £53m agreed last summer.

So, the Liverpool fans have put two and two together and speculated that either Fekir, or another of Lyon’s stars such as Memphis Depay, Houssem Aouar or Tanguy Ndombele, may have been on that plane to Blackpool.

Let’s see what the Liverpool fans on Twitter have been saying about the situation…