West Brom continued their promotion push with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday with first half goals from Hal Robson-Kanu and Jay Rodriguez enough to secure the Baggies all three points. Given just four minutes, Stefan Johansen hardly had time to make his impact on the game, but he can finally make his mark against QPR next time out.
On the chalkboard
The Norwegian signed for the Midlands outfit in January having failed to hold down a starting spot with Fulham, despite being a key player in the Cottagers’ promotion last season, and has yet to really kick on in his new surroundings either.
Largely playing as box-to-box midfield player, the 28-year-old chalked up eight goals and as many assists for the Craven Cottage outfit but a big spending spree in the summer as Slavisa Jokanovic and co looked to maximise their chances of retaining Premier League status beyond the 18/19 season saw the likes of Jean-Michel Seri revamp the midfield.
A loan move to the Championship seemed the ideal move for the versatile midfielder, who was surely intended to add some much-needed creation to Darren Moore’s side. He has, however, looked average at best so far. Perhaps he can ignite his West Brom career on Tuesday night when they square off with QPR?
Better away from home
Of the 46-cap international’s eight goals for Fulham last campaign, five came away from home where the pressure of a home crowd is alleviated and so the trip to Loftus Road represents a fantastic opportunity for Johansen to show Moore and the fans what he is capable of.
There is no doubt that he has the quality to succeed in stripes and could prove to be a key player for the Baggies as we enter the final stretch of the Championship season, although he must get off the mark soon if he is to earn Premier League promotion for the second consecutive year.
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West Ham were unable to build on their impressive performance against Liverpool two outings ago as they drew with Crystal Palace the following week. But against Fulham this Friday, they have the chance to get a much-need victory.
The Hammers, having spent just shy of £100m in the summer, surely had aspirations of breaking well into the top ten but are currently on the cusp of doing so, although a string of poor results could mean they plummet down the table as the clubs around them are on similar points.
Claudio Ranieri, meanwhile, has largely been unable to clean up the mess left by Slavisa Jokanovic when the Serbian boss was given the boot in November and the Cottagers find themselves second-bottom with just 17 points.
As far as opportunities to get back to winnings ways come, it doesn’t get much better for Manuel Pellegrini and West Ham. How, though, can they assure their poor run of results doesn’t extend to a seventh game and that they maximise this chance to return to top form? Football FanCast lay out three suggested solutions below…
Start either Samir Nasri or Manuel Lanzini
The thing so obviously missing from the Irons’ lacklustre showing at Selhurst Park last time out was an out-and-out playmaker to connect the dots and make things happen. Fortunately for Pellegrini, he has two such players set to make their respective comebacks from injury on Friday.
Nasri has impressed in the number 10 role since his switch to the London Stadium in January while Lanzini has long been a big fan-favourite – the latter hasn’t featured all season, though.
Pellegrini may be hasty to thrust Lanzini in particular, back into action but it’s a risk he must take if he wants to get the best out of Marko Arnautovic, who was starved of service after coming on against the Eagles.
Clog the middle
Declan Rice has been a revelation for the Hammers this season playing at the base of midfield and he will be essential once again if the Irons are to take all three points from Fulham.
The Cottagers hold the second-highest percentage in the league for attacks down the middle with 28%, so Pellegrini would be wise to make sure their ability to do so is limited on Friday. Instructing his players to tuck into the midfield will force Fulham to go out wide as the centre of the pitch will be far too congested.
Fulham will have to come up with different avenues of attack and, by the time they do, West Ham could be out of sight.
Play two up top
Soccer Football – Premier League – Newcastle United v West Ham United – St James’ Park, Newcastle, Britain – December 1, 2018 West Ham’s Javier Hernandez celebrates scoring their first goal with Marko Arnautovic REUTERS/Scott Heppell EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contac
West Ham pretty much played with ten men against Palace – Javier Hernandez went completely missing and did nothing to trouble the Eagles defence apart from when he found space in the box early on, but miss-controlled the ball.
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The former Manchester United man is a quality finisher but starting him up front on his own, where he was deployed against Palace, doesn’t work. Felipe Anderson, meanwhile, thrives with a target man up front such as Arnautovic, and looked lost as to who to pass the ball to last time out.
Arnautovic, who started the season strongly but has recently fallen off amidst injury setbacks, is surely the man to get the best out of both Hernandez and Anderson going forward. Pellegrini needs a striker who he can be confident will score goals beyond 29-year-old Arnautovic and starting the two together could be the combination that ensures Hernandez hits a purple patch. A classic big man and little man partnership.
According to Sky Sports News, Wolverhampton Wanderers are one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing in-form FC Copenhagen winger Robert Skov, and he would something to the team that Adama Traore doesn’t.
What’s the word, then?
Well, according to Sky Sports News, Wolves, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford and West Ham United are all monitoring the prolific forward, who has enjoyed a magnificent campaign for the Danish outfit.
The 22-year-old has scored a remarkable 24 goals and provided a further six assists in 38 appearances in all competitions, despite playing from the right wing.
Skov joined Copenhagen in a deal worth just under £1m, according to Sky Sports News, in January 2018, but he may well cost significantly more than that now given his displays this term.
Would he be a good Wolves signing?
He certainly would be.
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While Raul Jimenez has netted 13 goals in total this season, their joint-second top scorers are Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota with six apiece, and they could do with an extra goal threat even if they are the best of the rest outside the top six in the Premier League right now.
It may have been hoped that Adama Traore would provide it following his move from Middlesbrough last summer, but while the 23-year-old has an abundance of pace and skill, he still struggles to find that end product in the final third.
One goal and one assist in 28 outings in all competitions sum that point up – albeit the majority of them from the substitutes’ bench – and Skov looks as though he would add the one thing to this term that the former Barcelona man can’t.
January signing Lovre Kalinic sat on the Aston Villa substitutes’ bench for the third match running and watched Jed Steer keep his second successive clean sheet against Birmingham City on Sunday, and manager Dean Smith’s post-match comments suggest the recent addition won’t be starting again anytime soon.
What’s the word, then?
Well, the Midlands outfit agreed a deal to sign the 28-year-old on a four-and-a-half year deal from Gent just prior to the January transfer window opening, and he was thrust straight into action on January 5 in the FA Cup following Orjan Nyland’s Achilles injury.
That was the first of eight successive appearances in all competitions for the Croatia international, before he suffered concussion during the 2-0 defeat against West Bromwich Albion last month and was taken off at half-time.
Despite recovering he has been an unused substitute in every fixture since, and watched Steer produce another impressive display between the sticks against arch-rivals Birmingham City at St Andrew’s on Sunday.
What did Smith say?
Speaking post-match, via The Birmingham Mail, the Villa boss said: “I signed Kalinic because of the ability he has got.
“I probably didn’t want to throw Kalinic in as early as we did but we had to. Unfortunately Nyland ruptured his Achilles.
“I gave Jed the chance when Kalinic got concussed. He’s taken it. I’ve said before that he doesn’t have too many shots to save.
“Everything he did today except from his last goal-kick was good. He’s very vocal and has got a presence about him.
“Kalinic has come from a league where he was more protected.”
Smith’s words certainly suggest that he doesn’t feel the Croatian is ready to start on a regular basis right now, and with Villa making a late promotion push he appears unlikely to get another chance before the end of the campaign, unless Steer makes a bad error or gets injured himself.
أعلن الجهاز الفني لمنتخب تونس الأول، بقيادة المنذر الكبير عن قائمة لاعبيه المقرر لها خوض المعسكر المقبل المقرر أن يبدأ في الرابع من الشهر الجاري.
ويستعد منتخب تونس للعب مباراتين وديتين خلال معسكره، أمام السودان ونيجيريا، يومي 9 و13 أكتوبر الجاري، وذلك استعدادًا لمواجهتي تنزانيا ضمن تصفيات كأس أمم إفريقيا “الكاميرون 2021”.
وشهدت قائمة منتخب تونس انضمام 27 لاعبًا، بينهم علي معلول الظهير الأيسر للأهلي، وفرجاني ساسي لاعب خط وسط الزمالك، فيما غاب حمزة المثلوثي، الذي أعلن رئيس القلعة البيضاء مرتضى منصور عن ضمه في وقت سابق.
سيد عبد الحفيظ: معلول سيسافر تونس.. ولن نطلب تأجيل مباراة بيراميدز بالدوري
بذلك يصبح معلول مهددًا بالغياب عن الأهلي في 3 مباريات حال انضمامه للمعسكر منذ بدايته، وهي، المقاولون العرب وإنبي وبيراميدز، فيما قد يغيب ساسي عن الزمالك في مواجهة سموحة بكأس مصر ووادي دجلة وحرس الحدود في الدوري. قائمة منتخب تونس
حراسة المرمى: فاروق بن مصطفى، ومعز بن شريفية، وأيمن دحمان، والبشير بن سعيد.
خط الدفاع: علي معلول، وأسامة الحدادي، وديلان برون، وياسين مرياح، ومنتصر الطالبي، وجاسر الخميري، وعمر الرقيق، ووجدي كشريدة، ومحمد دراقر.
خط الوسط: إلياس السخيري، ومارك اللمطي، وأحمد خليل، وأنيس بن سليمان، وأيمن بن محمد، وأمين بن عمر، وفرجاني ساسي، وإلياس الجلاصي، وسيف الدين الخاوي، وحمزة رفيعة، وسعد بقير.
خط الهجوم: يوسف المساكني، ونعيم السليتي، ووهبي الخزري.
ويتصدر منتخب تونس مجموعته في مشوار التصفيات المؤهلة لكأس أمم افريقيا برصيد 6 نقاط من فوزين أمام ليبيا وغينيا الاستوائية.