This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Although Aston Villa will want as strong a squad as possible as they look to retain their Premier League status in 2019/20, one player who simply must be axed from the realms of B6 in January is Henri Lansbury, based on Spotrac’s detailing of the wages within Dean Smith’s squad.
The breakdown reveals the alleged annual and weekly wages of 20 Villa players, and despite making just three substitute appearances in the current Premier League campaign, Lansbury sits as the second-highest-paid player from those listed.
Since arriving from Nottingham Forest in 2017, the 29-year-old has been unable to secure a regular starting berth under the management of former boss Steve Bruce and now Smith, largely owing to how impressive John McGinn, Jack Grealish and Conor Hourihane have been.
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They finished last season with a combined 22 goals and 30 assists. In comparison, Lansbury has scored two goals and registered three assists in 24 league starts for the West Midlands outfit over the last two campaigns.
On a reported weekly wage of £40,000, sitting only behind veteran keeper Tom Heaton (£42,000 p/week), for Lansbury to justify such a vast comparative outlay for the club, a more regular starting berth must be earned and a more consistent contribution provided.
But barring an injury crisis, and despite the lack of starts not being directly Lansbury’s fault, it is difficult to see how the midfielder will manage to do that. He’s only featured from the bench in the Premier League this season and after the summer arrivals of Douglas Luiz and Marvelos Nakamba, even the aforementioned Hourihane has clinched just four top flight starts this term. Competition in midfield is pretty fierce right now.
With that in mind, is vital that the club look to offload the former Nottingham Forest man at the next opportunity in January. Not only will that free up wages for potential signings who could give something more significant to the squad, but it would also ensure Villa receive good value for a player whose contract will have just twelve months left in the summer.
Lansbury just isn’t contributing enough to justify his wages and certainly from a financial perspective, the sooner he’s gone, the better.
Sunderland continue to disappoint under Phil Parkinson and fans have turned their angry glare upon Chris Maguire after he once again failed to produce against Coventry.
Some feel frustration with the player because they know he has to ability to be a key player, yet shows his full capability far too infrequently, and his side suffers as a result.
On Saturday Parkinson played him in a wider position but he still failed to influence the game in the way he sometimes can, with zero successful dribbles and not a single key pass made.
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Other accusations have been thrown at him suggesting he isn’t a team player and that he “only plays for himself”, which affects the overall balance of the team and could be a reason for negative results.
By the way some supporters are talking it seems that they would back a decision to drop him from the starting eleven, and that could be the next step Parkinson takes if Maguire continues to fall below his best standard.
Here are some of the reactions to the 30-year-old’s recent performances.
Fans have also directed their grievances at Phil Parkinson in recent days, with many dissatisfied with the job he is doing at the moment.
Leeds United centre-back Gaetano Berardi may have just been pushed closer to the exit door at Elland Road – that’s if recent reports are to be believed.
According to the Daily Star, the west Yorkshire outfit are eager to land 6 foot 3 Middlesbrough centre-back Daniel Ayala this summer, irrespective of the division they’ll be competing in.
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It’s claimed that the 29-year-0ld is out of contract at the end of the season and will be leaving the Riverside Stadium, even if they escape relegation into League One, which has put Victor Orta and co on full alert ahead of a potential switch.
This latest report practically closes the door on the zero-to-hero Swiss defender and his long-serving career at the club.
Berardi has been limited to just 17 appearances in the Championship this campaign but has impressively clocked 11 clean sheets, and his recent form has led to fans begging for him to be handed a new contract.
His current deal is set to expire in just a few months, and any fresh information on an extension have been far and few between.
With the club seemingly set to capture Ayala regardless of the circumstances, you’d imagine it being the final nail in the coffin for the 31-year-old at Leeds.
It would be a sorry way to go after six years in west Yorkshire, where he has racked up 150 appearances – he’s also one of the few remaining survivors from the Massimo Cellino era at the club.
Bielsa is certainly going to need a centre-back or two in the summer, so it may not be wise to completely disregard the talents of Berardi just yet.
Ben White is almost certain to head back to parent club Brighton and Hove Albion, which means skipper Liam Cooper is set to be the only senior option in the role at the moment.
AND in other news, Leeds can banish Ben White woes with a swoop for the next Javi Martinez…
Whilst the likes of Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams have enjoyed a break-through season at Manchester United this year, one academy starlet who has struggled to force his way into first-team contention, is Angel Gomes.The 19-year-old has played just six times for the senior side, with only 19 minutes worth of Premier League football under his belt this campaign.
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Gomes’ current contract at Old Trafford comes to an end in a few weeks, and now, The Evening Standard claim Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side haven’t given up hope of getting him to put pen to paper on a new deal.
The report claims that the sight of Tahith Chong committing his future to the club recently may convince Gomes to do the same, and that whilst the teenager is highly thought of at the club, he is being linked with the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea.
After hearing about the update on Gomes’ future, United fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.
A couple of fans urged United to not let Gomes walk away, with one supporter even insisting that if given the game-time, he could be their Jadon Sancho.
It would certainly be a shame to see a talented academy product make his exit from United this summer, especially after the success the likes of Greenwood and Williams have enjoyed in getting a run of first-team games under their belt.
But with Bruno Fernandes’ arrival in January, and reports linking them with a move for Birmingham starlet Jude Bellingham, Gomes’ position at the club is likely to be further under threat.
The common belief is that a goalkeeper is like a fine wine, maturing with age and reaching their peak years in the latter stages of their careers.
This theory is well-supported by acclaimed shot-stoppers Edwin Van Der Sar, Brad Friedal, David Seaman, David James, and of course Gianluigi Buffon who have produced brilliant displays at club and international level deep into their thirties and early forties.
However, in more recent times the likes of Buffon now appear to be the anomaly rather than the norm.
It is widely regarded that the top ‘keepers across the globe currently are Ederson, Alisson, Jan Oblak, and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen who are all aged between 26 and 28. This is no coincidence.
The trend of goalkeepers being in their prime during their mid-twenties to early thirties, rather than the commonly perceived early to late-thirties has been evident for longer than many may realise.
Iker Casillas, Victor Valdes, Joe Hart, Manuel Neuer, and David De Gea lead a growing number of keepers to peak in their mid-twenties before falling away in their early thirties or sooner in Hart’s and De Gea’s case.
Whilst it may be harsh to brand United’s number one with the same brush as Burnley’s number two given the chasm between their current status’ it is important to put it into context.
Hart was Manchester City’s first-choice keeper at just 23-years-old and won the Golden Glove for keeping the most clean-sheets throughout the season for three years in a row, claiming two Premier League titles along the way.
But by the age of 29, he was public enemy number one in England after disappointing displays in the 2016 European Championships heavily contributed to the Three Lions embarrassing early exit.
New City boss Pep Guardiola didn’t fancy him either, and he was shipped out on loan to Torino just a few months later.
The similarities to De Gea’s career are striking but the Spaniard’s dip in performance has been much less severe.
Despite initially struggling to adapt to his new surroundings for the first couple of years De Gea helped United to win their last Premier League title back in 2013 aged just 22.
After his transition period was over, De Gea blossomed into one of the best keepers in the world and won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award three out of the next four seasons, as well as being included in four consecutive PFA Team of the Year sides.
In December 2017, in a 3–1 win over Arsenal at the Emirates, De Gea recorded 14 saves and equaled the Premier League record for the greatest number of saves in a single game. In the same campaign, he won his first and, so far only Golden Glove.
But just like Hart, it was a major tournament that started the decline.
Disastrous errors against Portugal and Morocco in the group stages were compiled by his failure to save a single spot-kick in the last 16 as hosts Russia dumped the Spaniards out of the 2018 World Cup.
De Gea kept just five clean sheets in his first 25 appearances the following season. He was criticised by fans and pundits for the atypical mistakes made in losses to Barcelona, Everton, Manchester City and a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
He ended the season with just seven clean sheets in 38 Premier League appearances, his lowest tally during his time at United. At only 29-years-old many believe De Gea has already begun a steady deterioration.
His lack of ability with his feet is in stark contrast to those of his Premier League rivals; City’s Ederson and Liverpool’s Alisson have added another dimension to Neuer’s evolution of the position.
The imposing Germany and Bayern shot-stopper has suffered somewhat of a decline himself though since a recurring foot injury in 2017.
Neuer won the Champions League, World Cup, three Bundesliga’s, two DFB Pokals, as well as being named in the UEFA Team of the Year for three consecutive seasons during his prime. This resulted in him finishing third in the 2014 Ballon d’Or voting behind only Ronaldo and Messi when he was 28-years-old.
However, at just 31, Neuer began his own decline in unfortunate circumstances. A fractured left foot in April 2017 ended his season early and a recurring fracture in September of the same year restricted the once invincible German to only four appearances for the entire 2017/18 campaign.
Neuer has found it impossible to regain the form he once produced with alarming regularity since his initial injury setback and at 34 is fighting a losing battle to keep Barcelona’s Ter Stegen at bay in the national side.
Iker Casillas is perceived as Neuer’s predecessor as the best goalkeeper in the world and his record-breaking run of six consecutive UEFA Team of the Year awards from 2007 to 2012 (aged 26 to 31) before the Bayern man took over lay’s testament to that.
He played a crucial part in the all-conquering Spain side that won the 2008 European Championships in the same year that he finished fourth in the Ballon d’Or. The Spaniards went on to claim their first World Cup title in 2010 where Casillas kept a record five clean sheets. Two years later they managed to retain their Euro’s crown, where the Madrid man set a new record by going 509 consecutive minutes without conceding.
Casillas never returned to his previously dizzy heights after a serious injury in January 2013. Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho signed Diego Lopez from Sevilla and Casillas’ compatriot kept his place for the remainder of the campaign despite the iconic ‘keeper’s return from the sidelines.
Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas (L) greets Barcelona’s goalkeeper Victor Valdes at the end of their Spanish first division soccer match at Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona, October 7, 2012. REUTERS/Sergio Carmona (SPAIN – Tags: SPORT SOCCER)
Even when Carlo Ancelotti replaced the enigmatic Mourinho in the dugout, Casillas found himself limited to cup competitions and went 238 days without starting a Los Blancos match.
Casillas managed to reclaim the Madrid number one jersey the following season, but he was no longer the player he once was and left his boyhood club for Porto aged just 34.
Victor Valdes, Casillas’ former international deputy, suffered a similar fate leaving his boyhood club Barcelona at just 32 to embark on a road to nowhere. Disappointing spells at Manchester United and Standard Liege led to a relegation campaign with Middlesbrough and subsequent retirement at 35.
Not the send-off one the most highly decorated goalkeepers in the world deserved.
It was Bayern’s Neuer that was the catalyst for the evolution of what is expected of the modern-day goalkeeper.
It is now a prerequisite for ‘keepers to be able to play with their feet to an exceptional standard, a proficiency less essential before the German giant ripped up the rulebook.
It was not by chance that Neuer replaced Casillas in the UEFA team of the year in 2013. It marked a huge shift in what is now expected.
The onus is now on goalkeepers to be as astute on the ball as they are with their hands, as comfortable sweeping up loose balls and starting attacks as they are clawing a 30-yard strike out of the corner of the net.
It’s a young players game between the sticks where technique, pace, and ball control are as important as balance, agility, and a commanding presence.
Amidst suggestions Tottenham are keeping an eye on Eberechi Eze ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, the QPR starlet himself has admitted to being a big fan of one Spurs player in particular: Dele Alli.
Speaking on The Beautiful Game podcast (Episode 80), the 21-year-old opened up on how Alli has inspired him.
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He said (as quoted by Football.London): “He’s shown that it’s possible to go from lower league and fit right in and even become more than what people expected you to be. When you look at guys like that, just like Raheem (Sterling) and (Jadon) Sancho, you appreciate what they’ve done and you look at them and it’s a round of applause to you because they’ve actually done it.”
And after hearing what Eze had to say, Spurs fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on their rumoured transfer target’s admission.
A couple of fans compared Eze to former Spurs midfielder Adel Taarabt, with one supporter in particular suggesting that the QPR prodigy has “more drive and work-rate”.
Just as Eze himself says, he could be the kind of shrewd signing Spurs make in terms of bringing in a player from a lower league and watching him flourish like Alli has done.
With various ins and outs reportedly happening this summer at Chelsea, a new name has been circulating around the media. Flamengo midfielder Gerson is a player that the club are looking to pursue and are hopeful of signing in the upcoming transfer window.
According to Fox News via The Sun, Chelsea have been impressed by what they have seen of the midfielder, although they are not the only club interested as Borussia Dortmund are also keeping tabs on the player with his valuation set at around £30m.
For this to come to fruition, an overhaul might be needed at Stamford Bridge but it seems like that might be happening as well, with The Sun reporting that N’Golo Kante and Jorginho could be on their way out to fund Kai Havertz.
If they are able to use some of the funds that might be available if they sell Kante and Jorginho, then Gerson could be an ideal type of midfielder to be drafted into the squad. In his last full season in 2018/19, he played for Fiorentina in Serie A, where he managed 36 appearances and picked up three goals and three assists; and then moved to Brazilian side Flamengo, where he has played 27 times in the league, scoring twice and picking up three assists, per Transfermarkt.
As a central midfielder his job could well be to break up opposition attacks, similar to Kante and Jorginho, and manager Frank Lampard will need to replace them if they do go, so Gerson could be the ideal addition. The 23-year-old has also featured for Brazil’s under-20 team on 10 occasions so there is no doubt that he has potential, given his international recognition.
He might not be a priority signing for Chelsea but it is a good transfer target for the club to have if they need to reinforce their midfield options depending on the futures of Kante and Jorginho.
Blues fans, would you like to have Gerson at Stamford Bridge? Comment below with your views!
Darren Bent has insisted handball rules need to change after Tottenham had a goal controversially ruled out by VAR in the 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs striker believes it was an “embarrassing” decision and officials need to rely on common sense more often.
Blades boss Chris Wilder admitted the technology is a farce as Harry Kane’s equaliser was disallowed because Lucas Moura’s arm appeared to touch the ball in the build-up.
The player-turned-pundit believes that the rules need to change to ensure this kind of scenario doesn’t happen again.
Bent told assistant editor Russell Edge “it’s embarrassing. First and foremost, in that situation, common sense has got to be used. Where, in honestly, can Lucas Moura put his hands?
“Either he lands on his neck or he puts his hands out and I think that’s where common sense has got to prevail. In that situation there, the rules have to be changed.
“In certain situations, I can understand and VAR, on rare occasions, it has been correct but as far as that one, Lucas Moura has no idea where the ball is and he’s got nowhere else to put his hands.
“To give a handball for that – his hands were in a natural position, when you’re falling that’s where your hands would go.”
It is hard to argue with Bent on this one, as Moura arguably couldn’t put his hands anywhere else.
Under the current rules, a goal cannot be given if the ball touches an attacking player’s hand or arm if it immediately results in a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Last week, Jermaine Jenas said “the players and the managers this year have been unbelievable in mentally getting over these kinds of hurdles that VAR is throwing at them.”
Although the Lilywhites went on to lose 3-1 at Bramall Lane, it raises the question over whether or not the result would have stayed the same if Kane’s equalising strike had been awarded.
Moreover, some may argue that Spurs should have been given a free kick for the foul on Moura that led to him touching the ball.
As a result, the Blades leapfrogged the Lilywhites into seventh in the Premier League. Jose Mourinho’s side are now tenth in the table, twelve points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, with their chances of qualifying for the Champions League looking ever more remote, although they have a game in hand.
VAR has been subjected to intense scrutiny ever since it was first introduced, as the Blades seemed to have equalised moments after Son Heung-min’s opener in the reverse fixture.
However, Spurs have gotten away with more than most this season, as Dele Alli levelled against Watford despite appearing to control the ball with his upper arm.
With that being said, they can’t expect to receive the rub of the green all of the time, although it is highly likely the debate will continue to rage on for a number of weeks.
Tottenham fans, do you think the VAR decision was the biggest mistake of the season? Let us know down below!
Some Chelsea fans have trolled Tammy Abraham in the comments of a recent Instagram post from the London outfit.
The club uploaded a photo of the striker celebrating a goal with teammate Christian Pulisic during the Blues’ match against Norwich City earlier this season. The Canaries hosted Frank Lampard’s side at Carrow Road but fell to a 3-2 defeat thanks to goals from Abraham and Mason Mount.
The 22-year-old bagged himself a brace and became the youngest player to do so for Chelsea since 1998 (via BBC Sport). From this impressive performance he went on to hit 14 Premier League goals this season and 16 across all competitions (via Transfermarkt). However, his form has been inconsistent since he picked up an ankle injury in February.
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The official Chelsea Instagram account has done a ‘Spot the Difference’-style game using Abraham’s celebration photo from Norwich but some fans have seen it as an opportunity to call out his lack of goals as of late.
The striker got on the scoresheet against Crystal Palace last week but that was his first goal since January (via Sofasc0re). Since his dip in form, Lampard has opted to start Olivier Giroud ahead of him as the Blues continue their fight for Champions League football next season.
Chelsea have just three matches left before the end of the Premier League season and they will hope that their fixture against Norwich at Stamford Bridge tonight will bring them another three points.
Should Lampard start Abraham against Norwich? Have your say in the comments below!
Former Manchester United ace Angel Gomes has signed for Lille after leaving Old Trafford last month.
According to Sky Sports, he has been immediately shipped out on loan to Boavista following his arrival at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Gomes, 19, left the Red Devils in July after rejecting a new deal to stay at the club.
The England U20 international started his career at Man United, making his first-team debut in May 2017, becoming the youngest player to play for the club since Duncan Edwards in 1953 in the process.
He won the U17 World Cup in 2017 but found his chances limited under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Gomes merely made eight appearances for the Norwegian since he succeeded former boss Jose Mourinho in charge of Old Trafford.
The teenager bid an emotional farewell to his boyhood club on Instagram (via The Manchester Evening News).
Despite the lack of opportunities that came his way, United wanted the attacking midfielder to stay, but Gomes decided he was better off seeking a challenge elsewhere.
It’s a shame it never worked out for the winger, who was once compared to Brazilian great Ronaldinho.
A long-running dispute over his wages hardly helped his case for selection as Solskjaer demands the utmost commitment and dedication from his players but there is no denying the fact that the club legend rated him highly.
While United couldn’t persuade Gomes to put pen to paper, Ed Woodward may live to regret letting him leave for free.
Lille have developed a knack for turning prospects into world-class stars after Napoli signed Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen last week (via CGTN).
Gomes, who is currently valued at £3.24m via Transfermarkt, played six games in all competitions last season, taking 1.2 shots per game, averaging 1.4 key passes, and attempting at least one dribble on average (via WhoScored).
The diminutive midfielder has all the tools to become a valuable playmaker but he will have to ply his trade in Portugal for the first year of his new contract.
United fans, do you think Woodward has made a mistake by letting Gomes go? Let us know down below!