All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur have crashed out of the FA Cup at the fifth-round stage against lower league opposition for the second successive year after they were beaten by Championship outfit Sheffield United on Wednesday night.

In the absence of manager Antonio Conte, the Premier League side were beaten by Iliman Ndiaye’s fine 79th-minute solo effort as the Senegalese midfielder weaved his way through Spurs’ backline before firing home past a helpless Fraser Forster.

The Lilywhites coaching team, led by assistant Cristian Stellini, made the bold call to drop leading talisman Harry Kane from the starting XI in what now appears to be a “farcical decision” – as described by iPaper journalist Oliver Young-Myles.

Richarlison started in his place, with Heung-min Son and Lucas Moura for support, and his utter disasterclass at Bramall Lane hardly helped matters…

How did Richarlison do against Sheffield United?

Having cost a whopping club-record fee of around £60m in the summer, the Tottenham faithful are yet to see the levels that the Brazil international hit at his former side Everton, the sort that made chairman Daniel Levy and sporting director Fabio Paratici sanction such an expensive move.

Yet to score in 16 top-flight appearances, it seems as if Richarlison’s poor form rumbled into the FA Cup, where he squandered numerous chances – namely one that nearly hit the corner flag – before being hooked shortly after the hour mark, with the aforementioned Kane finally entering the pitch.

As per Sofascore, the 25-year-old flop failed to get any of his three shots on target, whilst he was only able to muster 13 accurate passes from 21 attempts (67% accuracy) and from 32 touches, often trusting himself instead of playing in the likes of Son and Ivan Perisic.

Richarlison was somewhat bullied by the second-tier side, too.

He contested as many as seven duels, both in the air and on the ground, but was only able to come out on top in two of those, registering a success rate of just 28.5%.

That’s rather disappointing for a £90k-per-week star up against players like Chris Basham and Jack Robinson, who were relegated from the Premier League a little over 18 months ago.

Both he and Son were huge flaws in Spurs’ attack, with neither managing to earn a rating of better than 6.8 by Sofascore. The South Korean, who lasted the whole 90 minutes, managed just one more accurate pass than Richarlison and lost over half of his duels as well.

Such a display from the former Toffees man saw Sheffield Star reporter Danny Hall lambast the frontman, writing on Twitter: “Kane replaces Richarlison who’s had a stinker of a night in all honesty.”

Although they were sentiments echoed by writer Andrew Gaffney, who dubbed him “toothless,” and by journalist Delme Parfitt, who slammed him as “desperately disappointing.”

Indeed, Richarlison’s struggles continued at Bramall Lane and now with Spurs out of the FA Cup, it’ll take a lot to win the fanbase back, heading into the final few months of the campaign.

AND in other news, Paratici could land Son heir in Spurs move for £60m gem who’s a “real box of tricks 

Manchester United’s shocking 7-0 defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool saw summer signing Antony produce yet another ineffectual display on the flanks, with the fleet-footed Brazilian once again showing little to warrant his hefty £86m price tag.

Although the 23-year-old cannot be blamed for the mammoth nature of that fee, it is not unreasonable to demand more from a player who previously provided 46 goal contributions in just 82 games during his time at Ajax, with there having been little evidence that the forward can replicate those feats in the Premier League.

The former Sao Paolo man – who has failed to score in the top flight since October – has showcased a distinct lack of quality in the final third during his time in England to date, with that having been evident at Anfield as the wide man produced a multitude of ‘dire crosses’, in the words of Manchester Evening News journalist, Samuel Luckhurst.

Those woes were laid bare by the fact that the struggling asset failed to complete any of his five crosses and lost possession on 18 occasions from his 41 touches, with that seeing him record a measly match rating of just 5.7, as per Sofascore.

As journalist Nathan Ridley noted, the 5 foot 9 trickster was also somewhat “pathetic” in a defensive sense after winning just two of his 13 duels, while pundit Micah Richards suggested that it was as if United were “playing with ten men because Antony wasn’t doing his work down that side.”

That lack of application must surely see the 15-cap dynamo taken out of the side in the coming games, albeit with Erik ten Hag’s options on the right flank rather limited, particularly with both Anthony Elanga and Facundo Pellistri having rarely been trusted of late.

An alternative option in that role could well have presented itself in the youth ranks, however, with teenage sensation Ethan Williams currently making his mark at academy level.

Who is Man United starlet Ethan Williams?

The promising Englishman will likely be hoping to take inspiration from Alejandro Garnacho – who is now a permanent first-team fixture – by forcing his way into Ten Hag’s thinking, with the 17-year-old having proved his quality as a result of his standout displays in the youth set-up.

The Manchester native – who can feature on either flank – has illustrated his finishing prowess by racking up five goals and six assists in just 15 U18 Premier League games this season, having enjoyed a particular hot streak of late with six goal involvements in his last five league outings.

That includes a goal and an assist in the recent 3-3 draw with rivals Leeds United, while Williams was also able to provide an assist during the club’s FA Youth Cup run, albeit with the Red Devils failing to emulate last season’s success in the competition after crashing out to Stoke City.

The teen gem has also been deployed in a full-back berth on occasion this season, with that perhaps suggesting that he could be able to offer greater defensive traits to that of Antony if he is to be selected any time soon.

Such form has clearly caught the attention of Ten Hag and co as the exciting youngster was pictured taking part in first-team training back in November, with that perhaps an indication that a senior bow may not be too far away.

YouTuber Mark Goldbridge has slammed Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho for his "nightmare" performance in the club's recent Premier League draw.

What’s the latest on Jadon Sancho and Man United?

In this weekend's fixture, the Red Devils would have fancied themselves as strong favourites as they faced bottom-of-the-table Southampton at Old Trafford.

However, with just 34 minutes on the clock, Casemiro lunged in to make a foul on Carlos Alcaraz which was initially given as a yellow card but soon upgraded to a red thanks to the intervention of VAR.

As a result, things became a lot more complicated for Man Utd and they ended up having to settle for just a point in a hard-fought 0-0 draw in front of their own fans.

While speaking about the game on The United Stand, Goldbridge noted that the need for defensive work just didn't suit Sancho who stood out like a "sore thumb" on the day.

He explained (24:38): “Looked like it was going to be the perfect game for Sancho, turned into the nightmare.

"Jaden Sancho is a really good technical footballer, and I think we still need to be patient with him. And I really like Sancho. And he's playing at home, number 10, Casemiro behind him, bottom of the league. You think, this is perfect for Sancho, express yourself.

"Casimiro gets sent off, suddenly you've got to work hard defensively. And we know that's Sancho’s weakness. He is not really, defensively, working hard as much as he's going to need to. It's a big part of his game to improve. And that got exposed today.

"So I think Sancho is still a work in progress, we've still got to be patient. But he did stand out like a sore thumb today. Because there wasn't a lot of attacking to do, was there? It was about defensive work."

How did Sancho perform for MUFC?

That the winger did not finish the game with a single shot at goal (either on, off target, or even blocked), nor did he attempt a cross, shows just how little opportunity he had to get forward (via SofaScore).

And so, Sancho had to do a lot of defensive work instead. Seeing as he attempted and won more ground duels than any other United player (7/13), while also making three tackles and blocking one shot, perhaps he did more than Goldbridge actually realised.

Indeed, it seems as though he was actually able to help his side keep a clean sheet with his efforts and only really lacked when it came to contributing to the attack.

Of course, as an attacking player, Sancho will mainly be rated on what he can produce in terms of goals and assists but manager Erik ten Hag may appreciate his efforts this weekend even if Goldbridge doesn't.

Chelsea fans have been reacting to the news that Mason Mount could be set to leave the club this summer.

The Lowdown: Uncertain future

The Blues playmaker has entered the final 18 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge and is facing an uncertain future under Graham Potter having rejected the chance to extend his stay.

Football Insider report that the England international is being targeted by Premier League rivals Liverpool and it’s claimed that he would be keen on the move being an admirer of Jurgen Klopp.

Fabrizio Romano recently delivered an update on the 24-year-old’s current stance having joined forces with a new representative. He wrote:

“Tony Mount remains Mason Mount’s official agent; he has partnered with Neil Fewings (ROOF group) to help with talks as there’s no agreement with Chelsea on new deal.

“Mount could leave in the summer if agreement won’t be reached – Liverpool remain among clubs interested.”

The Latest: Chelsea fans react…

Taking to Twitter, Chelsea lovers reacted to the possibility of Mount departing SW6 at the end of the season which they seemed to like the idea of. They said:

“If he doesn’t want to play for Chelsea anymore, I’ll show him where the door is.” – @LiquidatorPod

“WE’RE FINALLY FREED FROM THE SHACKLES OF MOUNT.” – @ryanwritesalot

“We wish you all the best Mason. Hope you don’t regret it at the end. Good luck!” – @Teeprince22

“If he doesn’t want to stay he should be sold immediately in the summer.” – @onlyoneNtonja

“Let’s just get it done. It’s becoming more annoying than having Potter as our coach.” – @JGarliauskas

“Chelsea will probably just end up paying over the odds for a replacement like they usually do.“ – @andyorton7

“We don’t care he can leave we are still better without him.” – @madebablue2

“Mason Mount should just leave quietly with no drama, he has not been [at] the levels of Recce James, Chalobah.” – @DavidMayieko1

The Verdict: Don’t let him go

Chelsea may have been stuck in ongoing negotiations with Mount for a long period of time but Todd Boehly shouldn’t let him go because he’s such an important player for the future of the club.

The Portsmouth-born talent has posted 70 goal contributions in 192 senior appearances in the capital, highlighting the positive impact he makes when on the field.

The Blues already previously sold the likes of Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori who were academy graduates so it’s important that they don’t do the same with Mount.

Manchester United’s recent success this season is due to Erik ten Hag's diligence in the transfer market, buying players he has either previously coached (Lisandro Martinez and Antony) or signing already established stars such as Casemiro.

Of course, money has been spent to improve the quality of the squad and with a League Cup trophy secured, along with the chance to win more titles this term, his era has begun in promising fashion.

The Dutchman could finally be the manager to follow on from Sir Alex Ferguson and lead the club into a new trophy-laden era, while replicating the Scot’s success in the transfer market.

It wasn’t all excellent signing after excellent signing at United under Fergie, especially in his final decade, with big money spent on a few players who couldn’t live up to expectations, with Owen Hargreaves being one such player.

Was Owen Hargreaves a success at Manchester United?

The Canadian-born midfielder joined the Old Trafford side in the summer of 2007 for a fee of £17m from Bayern Munich, and it was looked upon as a smart investment, especially considering how successful he had been in Germany.

He made over 200 appearances for the Bundesliga giants, winning a Champions League winners medal and four league titles. The midfielder had also starred for England at the 2006 World Cup, and it looked as though Fergie had secured another wonderful signing for United.

His first season was certainly promising as he featured 34 times across all competitions as United retained their Premier League title and won the Champions League – Hargreaves second success in the competition.

That was to be as good as it got for the player however, with knee injuries plaguing the rest of his career as he missed a total of 134 matches over the next three seasons and despite a couple of attempted comebacks, where he broke down each time, his United career was effectively over.

All in all, he played just 39 times for the club before leaving on a free transfer in the summer of 2011 and he eventually joined Manchester City on a one-year contract.

Fergie described Hargreaves as “one of the most disappointing signings of my career” due to his injury troubles and lack of playing time across his final three seasons.

It’s clear Fergie had a nightmare on Hargreaves despite his initial solid impression, and it was a colossal waste of money across the course of his four-year contract.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag will be looking at further improving his squad during the summer transfer window, despite enjoying a solid start to life in England.

With the League Cup already secured, the Old Trafford side could still potentially win another three trophies, however it will be the progress under the Dutchman that will have pleased the United supporters the most.

Signing players such as Casemiro, Antony and Lisandro Martinez has given the club a solid foundation and ahead of 2023/2024 and Ten Hag may just add another couple of quality players to reinforce his playing squad.

Indeed, according to Spanish outlet AS, United could be set to make an approach for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix this summer with the report saying that the Red Devils have ‘always been that club that has been there to watch’, suggesting they have been keen on the player for quite some time.

Could Joao Felix join Man United this summer?

It’s certainly possible, given the club’s vast resources and the fact they will require more attacking options as Wout Weghorst will return to Burnley following his loan spell.

The Portuguese star – who has been valued at around £80m ahead of the summer window – has been on loan at Chelsea since January, scoring two Premier League goals in seven appearances and if he did make the move to Manchester, Ten Hag could form a dream duo with him and Marcus Rashford.

The Englishman has been a revelation this term, scoring 27 goals and registering nine assists as his goal scoring has hit new levels and with someone as talented as Felix playing just inside him behind the striker, the duo could cause mayhem for opposition defences.

Both Rashford and Felix make 0.7 key passes per game, while making over one dribble per game and are always eyeing the chance to score goals as often as possible, taking 2.7 and 3.3 shots on goal, respectively, per match.

With United almost sure to be taking part in next season's Champions League, Ten Hag will need players who are up to the required standard and with Felix scoring ten goals in the competition while playing for Atletico, he could be an excellent option for next campaign.

Renato Paiva, Felix's former youth coach at Benfica, lauded the player, saying: "He has enormous football intelligence. He reads situations really quickly. Obviously, a player has to have quality to be at Benfica in the first place, but he had something extra – creativity, a little bit of magic.

"He read the game with great lucidity and matched that with the speed and quality of his execution. His understanding of the game was miles ahead of that of his team-mates."

Rashford has been the main man at United this term regarding goals scored, yet if Felix was to make the move, the two forwards combining could be an exciting prospect for the fans, while terrorising defences in the Premier League in the process.

West Ham United still cannot be sure which division they will be playing in next season but it seems as if the Hammers are already planning some of their transfer business.

The latest player to be linked with a move to David Moyes' side is Manchester City defender Taylor Harwood-Bellis, with the centre-back impressing on loan with Burnley in the Championship this term.

Could West Ham sign Taylor Harwood-Bellis?

According to 90min, West Ham are among a number of clubs showing an interest in the 21-year-old, whose contract at the Etihad, where he earns £7.5k-per-week, is set to expire next summer.

While the report claims that City rate the Englishman highly and want to extend his contract further, the academy graduate recognises that he is way down the pecking order in Pep Guardiola's thinking, with world-class centre-backs such as Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones all ahead of him.

Burnley would understandably like to sign the defender permanently in the summer after his starring role in their likely title-winning Championship campaign but will face competition from the Hammers, as well as Newcastle United, Fulham and Brentford.

Should West Ham sign Harwood-Bellis?

This season has seen the youngster make 27 appearances in the second tier for Vincent Kompany's side, contributing one goal and two assists, with a superb 7.15 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Not only is this a better average rating than anyone in West Ham's squad, with Declan Rice the highest rated at the London Stadium with a 6.98 rating from WhoScored, but his return of 1.9 interceptions per game is also unmatched by anyone at the east London club.

Harwood-Bellis has now accumulated 100 senior appearances in his career with City, Stoke, Anderlecht, Burnley and Blackburn Rovers, where he would earn the praise of former manager Tony Mowbray during his loan spell in the 2020/21 campaign.

He said: “Taylor has a defensive instinct, a warrior attitude and he’s someone who wants to win headers and tackles. He wants to engage, he’s composed on the ball and has a lot of really good attributes."

Moyes has worked to improve West Ham's central defensive options in his time at the club and brought Nayef Aguerd to the club last summer, with the Morocco international starting to prove his worth at the London Stadium after a goal and clean sheet in the vital win against Southampton last Sunday.

While his current partner, Kurt Zouma, has been a reliable servant in his time at West Ham, the Frenchman is also far too injury prone and is currently enduring one the worst seasons of his career, averaging a disappointing 6.67 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Now 28, the former Chelsea man cannot be considered a long-term option next to Aguerd due to his injury issues, and Moyes might be better served by bringing in a talented youngster such as Harwood-Bellis instead.

Glasgow Rangers suffered a damaging 3-2 Old Firm defeat this afternoon which has all but ended their slim Premiership title aspirations that they had going under Michael Beale – and thoughts now turn to 2023/24.

Both sides had a goal ruled out during the first half and they went into the break with the scores at 1-1. James Tavernier scored a sublime free kick on the stroke of half-time to go within one of a century of Rangers goals.

The full-back would score his 100th with a cleverly taken header, yet it was all too late for the Light Blues, as two calamitous mistakes by Ben Davies and John Souttar had earlier Celtic a 3-1 advantage.

Beale has yet to win an Old Firm game since taking over at the club back in November, and this will have to totally change next season if they are to challenge for the league title.

Despite the defeat, a few players made themselves known – most notably Tavernier, who put in a solid display; yet, it was January signing Nicolas Raskin who looked at home in the Gers' midfield axis.

How did Nicolas Raskin play for Rangers against Celtic?

The Belgian came in for John Lundstram in the starting XI ahead of the game and proved why Beale wanted him so badly during the January transfer window.

He received a Sofascore rating of 6.4/10, which wasn’t the best in the team, but his combative nature and ability to hunt down every ball were key to Rangers enjoying some success through the match, especially when they pressed Celtic and forced them to make mistakes.

Indeed, Raskin managed 48 touches throughout the tie, and although he made just 76% of his passes, the midfielder succeeded with both his dribble attempts, won five duels and made two tackles, showing great physicality to stand his ground and only being dribbled past once in the whole game.

It looks like he will be a huge success at the Ibrox side, and being thrown into a first league derby start in the most important game of the season is an indication of the faith placed into him by Beale.

Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie claimed that Raskin was the “standout” for Rangers while also stating that the 22-year-old was “such an upgrade in midfield”, and if Beale can build a Rangers side around him and a few other players ahead of next term, we think the title race could be a lot closer.

Aston Villa will no longer move for a new first-choice striker addition this summer, with Unai Emery won over by Ollie Watkins, Football Insider reports.

What’s the latest transfer news out of Aston Villa?

Villa brought in teenage forward Jhon Duran during the January window and parted ways with Danny Ings, who was sold to West Ham. A new striker to partner Watkins was expected to be the club’s main priority this summer, according to Ashley Preece.

However, Watkins has enjoyed a purple patch of form under Emery in 2023, netting nine Premier League goals in the last 11 games, with Villa winning six of their last seven to climb the table.

As a result, it now looks as if Emery and Villa officials have had a change of heart when it comes to the upcoming transfer window. Football Insider journalist Pete O’Rourke shared an interesting development out of Villa Park in the last 48 hours regarding the club’s transfer plans.

He stated that Villa will no longer target a new first-choice striker, with Emery keen to build his side around Watkins. The forward is set to sign a new ‘bumper’ contract in the Midlands which means that a new A-list striker is not expected to be high on the wishlist list for Emery and his staff.

Is that a gamble by Villa and Emery?

This seems to be a real U-turn by Emery and Villa, with the manager recently admitting that he could look at bringing in another forward to rival Watkins.

NSWE are set to back the boss with a ‘huge’ transfer budget, so it’ll be interesting to see where he decides to splash the cash over the coming months.

You could argue that a new marquee attacker to rival Watkins and Duran and possibly play alongside the former of the two could have been a shrewd move, especially as Villa are the least prolific goalscorers out of the top nine Premier League sides.

Watkins’ fine form in front of goal has helped take Villa to 41 goals in 30 games, however, should he suffer an injury or a drop-off in form, Emery may have to turn to two youngsters in Duran or possibly Cameron Archer. Who knows, a new forward could still arrive between now and the time Emery begins his first full season in charge, but it doesn’t look as if it will be a big-money move.

Manchester United's relentless run of April fixtures continues at home to Sevilla in the Europa League this evening, with the Red Devils hoping for revenge having been dumped out by the La Liga outfit in the last four of the same competition back in 2020.

Ahead of this quarter-final, first-leg clash at Old Trafford, manager Erik ten Hag has received some mixed team news with both Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay out of action through injury, while both Luke Shaw and Alejandro Garnacho also remained sidelined.

On a more positive note, however, the Dutchman will also be able to call upon influential Brazilian, Casemiro, with the 31-year-old having been absent of late after serving a four-game domestic suspension, while fellow midfielder Christian Eriksen is also in contention to start, having returned from his lengthy injury lay-off against Everton at the weekend.

With United having been without the Danish playmaker since January, it will be a real boost to welcome the summer arrival back into the fold for the end-of-season run-in, with the 31-year-old having chipped in with two goals and nine assists in 32 games in all competitions this term.

While there may be a clamour to see the former Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford man returning to the starting lineup, it may not be particularly wise to rush the experienced ace back in too quickly, while the presence of loan signing Marcel Sabitzer has also ensured that a starting berth is no longer a mere formality for Eriksen.

Will Sabitzer start vs Sevilla?

It does appear that the on-loan Bayern Munich man is truly beginning to settle in his temporary home, with it looking as if the 29-year-old is doing all he can to secure a permanent deal at Old Trafford, amid reports that "talks" regarding a long-term stay at the club could be in the works.

Having scored his first goal for the Red Devils in the FA Cup triumph of Fulham prior to the international break, the 69-cap menace has continued that momentum since returning to club duty, notably providing a clever, headed assist for talisman Rashford in the 1-0 win over the Bees last week.

While the former RB Leipzig ace was not able to add to his tally of goal involvements against the Toffees last time out, the £13m-rated ace truly shone in his creative midfield berth, having been something of a "pressing machine", according to journalist Rob Blanchette.

With Bruno Fernandes dropping into a deep-lying role, the onus was on Sabitzer to lead the midfield charge alongside lone striker Rashford, with the winter arrival more than making his mark having 'thrived in an advanced role once again', according to Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

The 5 foot 10 man's most notable contribution came in the second half as he teed up midfield colleague Fernandes with a delightful, dinked pass, while the one-time Rapid Wien ace was also a real 'goal threat', according to Luckhurst.

The all-action star truly 'worked his socks off' – as per 90min's Graeme Bailey – with that high-energy and front-foot approach having seemingly helped to breathe new life into Ten Hag's side, after something of a lull either side of the international break.

With Sabitzer looking "increasingly comfortable" in that partnership with Fernandes, as per Blanchette, it may be unwise to unsettle that combination by rushing back Eriksen later today.