Following the long-awaited departure of Christian Eriksen in the January transfer window, Tottenham can finally look to a future where they don’t have the Denmark international’s name hanging over their heads anymore.
The former Ajax man was linked with a move away back in the summer, but eventually stayed put in north London, and endured a fairly disastrous final few months before he sealed his exit to Inter.
He managed just two goals and two assists in 20 Premier League games, and there may well have been a sense of ‘good riddance’ when his departure was confirmed.
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Naturally, Spurs may be looking to sign a replacement attacking midfielder, and according to Sport Bild (via Sport Witness), Jose Mourinho’s side have been offered the chance to sign RB Leipzig’s Emil Forsberg.
The report claims that along with the Lilywhites, the likes of Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal, Leicester and Everton have all been given the opportunity to make a move for the Sweden international too.
But whilst he has a generally impressive record in his time at Leipzig – he has managed 37 goals and 50 assists in 165 games – his underlying numbers this season point to someone who would be no better than what they had with Eriksen.
As per Whoscored, he is averaging just 1.1 shots and 1.2 key passes per game in the Bundesliga this year, less than what Eriksen managed in his time in the Premier League before his move away – the Dane has numbers of 1.3 shots and 1.2 key passes per match.
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And defensively, Eriksen also performed to a significantly better standard than what Forsberg has produced this campaign. The former Spurs man averaged one tackle and 0.6 interceptions per game in the top-flight, whilst Forsberg is registering almost half that in both those categories – 0.6 tackles and 0.3 interceptions respectively.
Some fans earlier in the season slammed Eriksen’s display against Manchester United, and questioned his attitude. To think that a less than committed version of the play-maker has still averaged better numbers than Forsberg in so many key areas should be a warning that Spurs simply cannot ignore. Mourinho must avoid taking up the opportunity to sign the Leipzig man.
Meanwhile, Tottenham have entered the race to sign this prodigy.
It’s hard to make a case against Marcelo Bielsa being the most important person at Leeds United.
The Argentine has taken United from being a side that finished 13th the season before his arrival to a genuine promotion contender.
The most amazing thing is that he’s done it using the same core group of players that were at the club when he arrived.
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Indeed, the likes of Stuart Dallas, Pablo Hernandez, Luke Ayling, Mateusz Klich, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips have all played at least 28 league games this term, and they were at Elland Road when Bielsa arrived.
However, if United go up, they may need a hefty squad overhaul, because as good as those players have been this season, they were still mid-table Championship players before Bielsa’s arrival.
If the Whites want to give themselves the best chance of being competitive upon their ascension to the top-flight they’ll need some talented players through the door, and that means they’re going to have to rely on Victor Orta.
The Director of Football often splits opinion amongst the fanbase, but if United go up, his job will be the most important at the club.
No matter how brilliant Bielsa is, if his players aren’t up to the test, then he will struggle to compete with the established talent that almost every Premier League club have at their disposal.
Orta has gotten things wrong in the past, just look at how the loan deals for Jack Clarke and Eddie Nketiah turned out, with both players being recalled early.
However, he’s consistently been bailed out by the manager’s ability to get the best out of his current crop at this level.
Unfortunately, the Premier League is a different animal, and if Orta gets it wrong this summer it could lead to United’s season ending in tears.
Fingers crossed the Spaniard can work some magic in the transfer window if Leeds go up.
In other news, Gaetano Berardi has given Leeds something to think about.
Nicolas Pepe’s record since arriving at Arsenal stands at six goals and eight assists in 32 appearances in all competitions.
They are not the worst statistics in the world but some of the supporters could be forgiven for thinking that the summer arrival would have scored more than four Premier League goals at this stage of the season.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has recently discussed his plans for the attacker, which led to a number of the club’s supporters taking to social media.
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Some of the Arsenal fans have praised Arteta for his comments on the 18-time Ivory Coast international and are seemingly still behind the club’s record signing.
However, it would be fair to say that not all of the supporters agree, with some seemingly becoming increasingly frustrated by his lack of consistency.
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One fan even claimed that Arsenal should look to sell Pepe during this summer’s transfer window and instead play Bukayo Saka in his position.
This Premier League attacker could potentially be regarded as a replacement for Pepe this summer should the Gunners decide to cut their losses.
Pundit Michael Brown has backed the idea of a Brendan Rodgers and Odsonne Edouard reunion at Leicester City.
Rodgers – who left Celtic Park to become manager of Leicester midway through last season – was in charge when the Hoops completed their club-record signing of the French striker in a deal worth £9m.
Since the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker arrived at the club, he has scored an eye-catching 60 goals along with 31 assists in 126 appearances for the Bhoys – a quite excellent record.
27 of those goals and 19 of those assists have come this season, and 43-year-old Brown believes that a move to the King Power Stadium would be an attractive one, both for Edouard – who Goal describe as “unstoppable” – and also for Rodgers.
What did he say?
Brown told Football Insider: “Edouard has got his backing and Brendan really likes him. He could go to another, maybe slightly more wealthy club, but Leicester can pay now financially, they can put him in the system.
“I reckon that young, hungry group at Leicester that’s very settled, would be very attractive to him rather than a club that’s trying to grow to come back and that’s like: ‘Who’s going to be there, what sort of system are they, what players, who’s going, who’s not?’
“Leicester certainly would be a fit and an attractive one to further his career. You’d say Leicester would be a good next step with a manager that he knows well.”
Rodgers would become even more hated
When the ex-Liverpool and Swansea manager left the Bhoys for Leicester, it wasn’t taken well by the Celtic Park faithful – in fact, that is a severe understatement.
A banner emerged shortly after the Northern Irishman’s departure which read: “You traded immortality for mediocrity. Never a Celt. Always a fraud”.
In general, his exit was met with a vicious backlash and he is now regarded as a hated figure at the club.
So, if Rodgers returned to his former club, only to pinch their best player from them and run off back to Leicester with him, you can only imagine how that situation would go down with the Celtic Park faithful.
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If they didn’t already hate the Foxes boss, they surely will if he signs the prolific French frontman.
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Gary O’Neil joined The Debate podcast and discussed Steven Gerrard’s struggles at Glasgow Rangers this season and how his best player isn’t really making the situation any easier at all.
Alfredo Morelos has arguably been among Rangers’ best players if not their very best player in the ongoing campaign but with him, it’s often what happens off the pitch rather than on it that is a problem.
O’Neil believes that the bookings and the suspensions the striker has been given in the past are due to his rash personality are definitely making Gerrard’s job that much more difficult.
Here’s what he said on Morelos on The Debate podcast (12/3/2020): “Morelos, his best player probably. He’s had these issues with red cards and he keeps getting suspended and he gave him some time off and he didn’t come back on time. But you need him. He is your best player, he’s your goalscorer and I think that’s a difficult one to manage. I think at the moment, especially with Steven Gerrard being a young man, it’s just a headache that he doesn’t really need, he’s got enough going on. These off-field things you don’t really want to have to manage.”
So far in 2019/20, Morelos has rattled the inside of the opposition’s net a total of 29 times, assisting further ten along the way as well, but then there’s the other side of the coin that has to be mentioned too.
The 23-year-old forward has already tallied eight yellow cards and two red cards in the ongoing campaign, missing multiple games through unnecessary suspension.
That is definitely a headache and a problem Gerrard doesn’t really need at the moment and will have to be solved sooner rather than later.
Rangers fans, what do you think about Morelos’ discipline issues? Is this a serious problem for Gerrard? Let us know down in the comments below!
The Premier League has been suspended, with the government advising everyone to partake in social distancing and self-isolate where possible.
West Ham’s academy graduate has urged supporters to stay safe and follow the guidelines that have been set out.
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The 19-year-old has had a rapid rise to prominence in claret and blue, partly due to Ryan Fredericks’ injury, making four appearances, including a debut against league-leaders Liverpool.
He has dealt with the step up well, averaging 1.5 aerial duels won per game, as well as completing 3 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 3.3 clearances and 1.3 dribbles per game.
It says a lot about his newly found popularity among Hammers fans that he was the player chosen to deliver this message to them, with the hope being that supporters will take his words onboard.
West Ham’s original Instagram post can be seen below:
Meanwhile, a journalist from The Independent was wrong about one West Ham man.
The fiasco surrounding Aston Villa star Jack Grealish has been one of the biggest talking points in football in recent days.
The supremely talented playmaker attended a party at Ross McCormack’s flat in the midst of a national lockdown, breaking government rules in the process, and has since been fined £150,000 by his employers.
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In response to the controversy, it seems that every one has been quick to vocalise their opinion.
Some have taken the hard-line approach and condemned the 24-year-old’s actions, but BBC Sport pundit Ian Wright took a much more rounded view in his assessment of the situation while speaking to Radio 5 Live.
And his verdict, which included an anecdote about Grealish’s willingness to engage with Villa supporters, has been warmly received by fans on Twitter.
Indeed, much of the fanbase raved over Wright’s assessment of the situation, hailing his human touch and acceptance that everyone is capable of making a poor lapse in judgement.
One fan lauded the verdict as “top class”, while former Villa player Lewis Kinsella also offered a positive reaction.
Here’s what the fans had to say in response to Wright’s verdict…
The Premier League is the absolute best, isn’t it?
This is a league that boasts some of the greatest footballers in the world, some of the very best teams, and some of the most historic results ever seen.
Some players end up becoming icons, making the league their own and placing their stamp on their respective teams.
Here, Football FanCast takes a look at some of the most important transfers in the league’s history.
Whether they instituted a tactical shift or potentially allowed a new era to dawn, these are some of the very finest transfers in the league’s history!
Lauren to Arsenal – 2000
Today, the Premier League is awash with full-backs who act almost as wingers, bombing down the touchline to provide space and width for the midfielder in front of them to tuck inside. But back in the summer of 2003, that was a relatively uncommon idea – in fact, the right-back position was generally occupied by the worst player in the team, expected to put in the leg-work, make some meaty challenges and eventually pick up a booking.
But Arsene Wenger’s swoop for then-Mallorca midfielder Lauren soon changed all that. With one-time reserves forward Ashley Cole asked to make a similar transition on the opposite side, overlapping full-backs became a defining feature of Arsenal’s attacking play as the Invincibles carved up the Premier League in unprecedented unbeaten fashion.
That not only led to Arsenal’s 2003/04 squad becoming arguably the greatest side in Premier League history over the course of a single season, but also accelerated a trend of dynamic full-backs that’s now commonplace throughout the division today.
Didier Drogba to Chelsea – 2004
Didier Drogba’s 2004 arrival at Chelsea not only helped transform the Blues almost instantaneously into one of the Premier League’s most dominant forces, winning four titles during his two spells at the west London club, but also changed the tactical landscape of the division for the next ten years.
Indeed, the appointment of Jose Mourinho brought a new way of tactical thinking to the English top flight; chiefly, a rejection of the age-old 4-4-2 formation for an extra body in midfield, allowing for greater control of midfield and the consequential possession to pin teams back.
Football – Chelsea v Real Zaragoza – Gianfranco Zola Tribute Match – 04/05 – Pre Season Friendly – Stamford Bridge , 8/8/04 Didier Drogba – Chelsea celebrates his goal with fans Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Lee Mills
That, however, required a striker large, aggressive and potent enough to essentially do the work of two centre-forwards, whilst having the power and strength to bring the midfield into the game.
Drogba fitted that bill perfectly and as the rest of the Premier League soon embraced 4-3-3 and 4-5-1 as a consequence of Chelsea’s resounding success under Mourinho, pint-sized poachers quickly began to fade away – the age of little-and-large combos coming to an abrupt end.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to Manchester United – 1996
The Premier League is very much a squad game these days, but Sir Alex Ferguson was one of the first to truly cotton onto that trend. His ability to not only pick the right players for the right game but also keep happy those who’d resultantly been left out was always exceptional, as was his ability to change the game from the bench.
Curiously, the Premier League increased the substitutes capacity to five during the same year Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arrived at Old Trafford from little-known Molde in 1996. And whilst the Norway international always struggled to claim a place in the starting XI over the likes of Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke and Teddy Sheringham, he offered United something truly unique as the Premier League’s first standout super-sub.
Football – Manchester United v Sunderland – FA Premier League – 15/4/00 Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Darren Walsh Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer celebrates his 2nd goal
Fast forward to present day and super-subs can be seen in practically every Premier League squad but particularly those at the top end of the table. Think of Manchester City regularly bringing Gabriel Jesus on for Sergio Aguero, or Liverpool giving Divock Origi a few minutes at the end of their most vital games.
Robinho to Manchester City – 2008
Robinho’s Premier League career may have been unexpectedly short-lived, lasting just 18 months at Manchester City, but his shock move signified a dramatic shift in the balance of power in the English top flight, arriving from Real Madrid on the same day the Abu Dhabi United Investment Group purchased the Citizens.
The Brazilian provided a real eye-opener for what was to come at the Etihad Stadium; not only players of the highest calibre but particularly aesthetic and glamorous ones at that.
The £32.5million deal – at the time, one of the biggest transfer fees in Premier League history – also announced City as the latest member of the elite at the very top of the English game, funded by stupidly rich owners who were capable of unprecedented spending.
Robinho was very much the trailblazer for all the exotic, ludicrously expensive signings to follow and the key to City attracting players of that top-class calibre.
Steve McManaman to Real Madrid – 1999
Following its introduction in 1995, the Bosman ruling wasn’t being taken advantage of by Europe’s biggest talents, particularly those in the Premier League. So when Steve McManaman left Liverpool for Real Madrid by way of a free transfer in 1999, the move sent shockwaves throughout English football.
It proved to be a watershed moment for not only professional footballers, who suddenly realised they had the power to dictate terms to their employers, but also Liverpool Football Club.
Football – UEFA Champions League – Semi Final – 2nd Leg – Real Madrid v Barcelona – 1/5/02 Steve McManaman – Real Madrid in action against Philip Cocu – Barcelona Mandatory Credit:Action Images / Michael Regan Digital
The decline at Anfield from the end of the 1980s was already underway, but McManaman ditching his boyhood club for Real was a real sign of the times, kickstarting a trend Liverpool have never truly arrested since – namely, their key players quitting Merseyside for Europe’s most illustrious clubs. Michael Owen would follow not long after, with Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho both heading to Barcelona.
More detrimentally, McManaman’s decision to take advantage of the relatively recent ruling increased its notoriety throughout the footballing world, partly leading to the situation today where player wages have escalated beyond all proportion – power shifting away from the clubs and into the hands of footballers and their agents. Of course, that can’t all be put on Jean-Marc Bosman’s doorstep let alone McManaman’s. But for two huge reasons, his free transfer to the Bernabeu has shaped much of the Premier League as we see it today.
N’Golo Kante to Leicester City – 2015
Leicester City’s title triumph is without a doubt one of the greatest miracles in sporting history, let alone throughout the history of the Premier League.
Whilst a whole raft of factors collided to create a perfect storm that saw a side narrowly avoid relegation and then beat some of the richest clubs in the world to the Premier League title, there is little doubt it wouldn’t have been possible without the £5.6million acquisition of little-known N’Golo Kante from Caen.
A small fee for a particularly small player, one who had been turned down by big clubs before because of his height, but the Frenchman’s influence was nothing short of ginormous.
His relentless energy not only protected a largely average back four but also allowed for Leicester to play unfashionably with two in central midfield and two up front, which created the dynamics for Jamie Vardy to play off Leonardo Ulloa and penetrate the space behind opposition defences.
Kante now plies his trade with Chelsea and subsequently became the first player ever to win consecutive Premier League titles with two different clubs. That was no coincidence either; utilising Kante’s incredible workrate once again, Antonio Conte also opted for two in the engine room in his 3-4-3 formation – freeing room for another attacking presence in the final third.
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Eric Cantona arrived in English football a matter of months before the first Premier League season, rather ironically joining the bitter rivals of the club he’s now synonymous with – Leeds United. But the Frenchman couldn’t settle at Elland Road and just a few months into the inaugural Premier League campaign, he crossed the divide in a £1.2million move to Manchester United.
That would be where Cantona not only established himself as a Premier League and Manchester United legend, winning four out of the first five Premier League titles to earn the title ‘King Eric’, but also where he showed English football the enormous potential in attracting players from abroad – something the newly increasing wealth of the English top flight suddenly facilitated.
Whether that’s a good or bad thing remains a never-ending debate, but there is no question Cantona’s talismanic performances for United made the rest of the Premier League realise the level of talent available abroad.
He was one of the first steps in turning the Premier League into the most international, competitive and exciting leagues in world football.
With the Premier League season still under suspension, one of the biggest questions that have remained on every football lover’s lips is when the restart is likely to be.
Although in the face of the ongoing pandemic, such questions might be considered to be rather sensitive and selfish, considering that people are testing positive for the virus every minute, while several others are dying every day.
But can we really blame these fans for missing their beloved league so much?
No, we cannot.
The bromance between the EPL and its global community is just too strong to be broken by any pandemic.
No disrespect COVID-19, but that’s just the truth.
As the most-watched league in the world, the premier league has been a hotspot for football lovers for many years now. And that’s thanks in no small parts to its nonstop delivery of mouthwatering fixtures, exciting matchups, and several other intriguing actions.
But football lovers aren’t the only ones who miss the glamour and glitz of the Premier League.
Talk of the Fantasy Premier League (FPL) fans, Monday Night Football (MNF) lovers, and even those bettors betting with Agen Bola Terpercaya like Spbobet all miss the excitements, money-making potential, and entertainment of their beloved league.
What we know about the suspension of the Premier League
In the wake of Mikel Arteta testing positive for the COVID-19 virus back in March, the football bodies in England decided to halt all footballing activities, including weekend matchups, FA Cup games, and even lower league fixtures.
But with most clubs still having at least 9 matches to play before the season wraps, there’s a growing sense that the few remaining games might just be played behind closed doors.
How long has the Premier League been suspended for?
Back in March, the match between Manchester City and Arsenal had to be called off because some of the members of the Arsenal team were feared to have been in direct contact with the disease, having met the president of the Greek club Olympiakos a while before. The rescheduling of that match marked the beginning of a process that would soon eventually result in the indefinite suspension of the whole league.
From the time of suspending the Manchester City vs. Arsenal game, a match earlier scheduled to hold on March 11, the Premier League has been made to sit in the stands and watch as the world continues to fight its unseen enemy for exactly 34 days and still counting.
When is the Premier League likely to resume?
After a meeting between all 20 clubs on Friday, April 3, it was announced that the Premier League would not resume in early May as previously planned.
The situation is clearly evolving day-by-day, and it remains to be seen when the league will be able to get back underway. The Premier League remains determined to complete the current season and avoid it being written off completely.
A league statement read: “The Premier League will not resume at the beginning of May – and the 2019/20 season will only return when it is safe and appropriate to do so.
“The restart date is under constant review with all stakeholders, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic develops, and we work together through this very challenging time.
“The Premier League is working closely with the whole of professional football in this country, as well as with the Government, public agencies, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the game achieves a collaborative solution.
“With this, there is a combined objective for all remaining domestic league and cup matches to be played, enabling us to maintain the integrity of each competition.
“However, any return to play will only be with the full support of Government and when medical guidance allows.”
Will the Premier League season be voided?
One very popular opinion amongst football lovers is the idea of voiding the current premier league season and declaring it as null and nonexistent and then waiting until the whole Coronavirus drama passes before starting a new season.
But guess what? There’s not a chance in heaven of that happening.
Not only will a cancellation send a wrong impression about the league’s management to the public, but it could also result in the league incurring losses up to £1billion, according to chief executive Richard Masters.
Sky, BT, and overseas rights holders have already paid the Premier League for their full season’s broadcast rights, despite a quarter of the campaign left to play.
So scrapping the campaign will mean broadcasters will look to recoup millions.
What else has the Premier League said?
As well as supporting the NHS and promoting public health messages, the Premier League detailed its discussions regarding its players and clubs in lower leagues.
The April 3 statement continued: “In the face of substantial and continuing losses for the 2019/20 season since the suspension of matches began, and to protect employees throughout the professional game, Premier League clubs unanimously agreed to consult their players regarding a combination of conditional reductions and deferrals amounting to 30 percent of total annual remuneration.
“This guidance will be kept under constant review as circumstances change.
It added: “Discussions also took place regarding financial relief for clubs in the short term, and while there is no single solution, measures are to be put in place to immediately deal with the impact of falling cash flow.
“Critically, the league unanimously voted to advance funds of £125 million to the EFL and National League as it is aware of the severe difficulties clubs throughout the football pyramid are suffering at this time.”
Leeds United fans have flocked to one of Phil Hay’s tweets this week after he shared an emerging story from his employers, The Athletic.
The piece in question is by David Ornstein and involves club medics warning the Premier League that they believe a return to football isn’t safe whatsoever, and this obviously will have the same effect to Championship clubs such as the Whites.
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He claims that doctors have written to the top-flight seeking urgent answers and raising concerns surrounding any comeback to match action.
With Leeds’ promotion chances hanging in the balance, much of the Elland Road faithful have chimed in with their thoughts on the matter.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side currently sit top of the Championship standings, holding a seven-point cushion over those in the playoff positions and had looked like ending their 16-year absence from England’s elite division.
The EFL have constantly maintained that they would like to resume the season when it is safe to do so, but time appears to be running out after Rick Parry’s deadline of the end of July.
It remains to be seen if football will continue – and whether or not Leeds will be promoted.
Here’s what fans have been saying…
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