All posts by z3u9t.icu

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Fulham have confirmed the permanent signing of Lazar Markovic from Liverpool, per an announcement on the club’s official website.

The Serbia international moves to Craven Cottage after a dismal spell on Merseyside.

During the five years he spent at the club following a move from Benfica in 2012, Markovic made just 34 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

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A number of loan spells failed to yield a positive result, either, as he was shipped out to the likes of Fenerbahce, Sporting CP, Hull City and Anderlecht.

He has now left the club on a permanent basis, signing a deal until the end of the season as Fulham bid to secure their Premier League survival under Claudio Ranieri.

Fans of the Cottagers, however, have been left less than impressed at the deadline day deal, with Markovic not seen as the kind of player required to take the club away from danger between now and the end of the season.

According to a recent report from Sky Sports, Arsenal and Tottenham are interested in a move for defender Matthias Ginter. The 25-year-old currently plays his football at Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach and has done so since leaving Borussia Dortmund back in 2017, with his mightily impressive efforts for the German top-flight outfit seemingly attracting interest from those in North London.

And that’s because a recent report from Sky Sports suggests that Unai Emery and indeed Mauricio Pochettino are eyeing up a move for the 25-year-old defender, with it plainly clear from their defensive frailties this season that the Gunners need to beat Spurs to the £31.5 million-rated ace’s signature (as per Transfermarkt).

The Breakdown

Ultimately, even were Toby Alderweireld to leave Tottenham this summer, given he has penned a new contract which will bring a £25 million release clause into play during the close season, Pochettino is still well stocked in that department with Jan Vertonghen and Davinson Sanchez, both of whom have proven to be hugely accomplished Premier League defenders.

Add in youngster Juan Foyth, who has shown signs that he could be a first team regular at Spurs in years to come, as well as Eric Dier, who has shown adeptness when playing at the back, and Tottenham would be reasonably strong defensively even if Alderweireld were to leave.

Yet the same simply cannot be said of Arsenal’s defensive options, with the backline once again letting the North London giants down in their bid to climb the Premier League table this term.

Going forward, the Gunners are a match for anyone having scored 51 goals in their 25 matches this term, only Manchester City (68) and Liverpool (56) have netted more, but Emery’s men are also the highest conceders of the so-called big six, shipping 36 goals so far this season, which is one more than Manchester United, who themselves have also been slated for their defensive deficiencies this term.

And when one looks at the options at Emery’s disposal, it’s difficult to see how they are going to improve defensively without a few additions in the summer.

Laurent Koscielny has been a stalwart in the Gunners backline for many years now, but at 33 his best football might well be behind him, while it’s clear that Shkodran Mustafi simply isn’t a good enough defender at Premier League level – he is too often found wanting.

And while Sokratis has shown glimpses of promise following his move last summer, niggling injuries have restricted him to only 16 Premier League appearances – clearly, adding Ginter is a must for the Gunners this summer.

The 25-year-old spent three years at Borussia Dortmund between 2014 and 2017 and in that time appeared on 102 occasions for the German giants, helping the club to successive top three finishes in the Bundesliga in his final two seasons before leaving for Monchengladbach in 2017.

And the Germany international, capped 23 times by his country at senior level, has continued to go from strength to strength with 54 appearances in all competitions for the top-flight side, including starting all 34 of their Bundesliga matches last term as they finished ninth in the top tier.

Clearly then, Ginter is very highly thought of in his homeland and as such could prove to be an asset to Emery as he seeks to rebuild his Arsenal backline – and at the age of 25, the German could be the man at the heart of the Gunners defence for many years to come.

As such, with both North London clubs reportedly (as per Sky Sports) keen on the defender, it’s Arsenal that simply must beat Tottenham to Ginter’s signature this summer.

Arsenal and Tottenham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Manchester City are in the League Cup Final, still in the FA Cup, still in the Champions League and have the small issue of a three-way title race. It all sounds perfect, but the source of their excitement could also be their Achilles’ heel.

If City had a fully-fit squad for every game of the season, in almost a FIFA-like scenario, it’s fair to assume they’d probably win all three domestic competitions and go far in the Champions League. Their squad is far superior to any other in England and so why not try and win everything?

Well, the issue there is real life isn’t like FIFA and players having to perform every three days will inevitably wear them down. City being in all four competitions means more tired legs and a higher likelihood of injury, and it also means greed can cause themselves to be spread too thin.

The strength of City’s squad means they’re more likely to be able to deal with this than the likes of Liverpool, but even this squad isn’t deep enough to play every three or four days until the end of the season. In important games, City rely too heavily on 33-year-old Fernandinho and have only one left-back at the club, and that’s the injury-prone Benjamin Mendy.

City have been lucky so far this season to have been handed favourable draws in the Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup, playing the likes of Rotherham, Burton and Newport. Had they been handed tougher ties, Guardiola may have needed to pick which competitions he was prioritising, but luckily the second string, if City even have a second string, has been good enough to get through in the domestic cups so far.

Liverpool have a weaker squad and don’t feel capable of winning all four competitions, so they decided to prioritise the Premier League and Champions League, fielding teams in domestic cups that were more beatable than City’s. This could be the masterstroke that hands Liverpool the Premier League title.

As City progress through the competitions, the draws will get harder and the big players will be called on to play three times in seven days, so it’s impossible to think they’ll be as prepared for the Premier League title race as they would be with a full week between games.

The Sky Blues could well go on to win everything, but then again, they could also go on to win absolutely nothing because they were greedy and on the quest for what Guardiola achieved at Barcelona in 2009, a clean sweep of trophies. It’s a risky game the Catalonian is playing, and he thinks he can win, although Liverpool may just have the advantage when it comes to the Premier League.

Do you think City should’ve taken Liverpool’s approach and disregarded the League Cup and FA Cup to focus on the league title?

Arsenal are ready to re-open talks for Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega according to the Mirror, and he should be the start of Unai Emery’s bargain hunt this summer.

He’s played 22 times this season, scoring three goals and making three assists in the process, but most importantly he’s been key in two Europa League victories and one Spanish Cup win. Arsenal could do with some trophy-winning experience in their ranks.

It’s widely known Arsenal won’t have much money to spend again this summer, and so the Gunners manager has an uphill battle on his hands to acquire the players with the technical ability to play his fluid, attacking system. The club will have to dig deep into their scouting network to find cheap talent capable of mounting a title challenge next season.

This Argentinian, however, has been under Emery’s watch for years now, having been managed by the Spaniard on two occasions, at Seville and Valencia. The fact he knows Emery’s system inside out could make him the perfect acquisition for Arsenal, who have struggled to adapt to the changes the manager has implemented at times this season.

The one concern would be his age because he turns 31-years-old in June and so can’t be considered a player for the future. However, his role may not be needed in the future anyway. Emery needs reliable players, who know his or similar ways of playing to usher Arsenal’s existing talent into line.

Yes, it would be preferable to have a player who is proven in a system like Emery’s and who is young enough to be the Gunners’ midfield lynchpin for the next ten years, but with the spending restrictions in place at The Emirates, the best of both worlds would simply cost too much.

His apparent £17m buy-out clause already looks an attractive proposition for what is a proven midfielder, but it he could turn into one of Arsenal’s best signings this decade if he can stamp his mark on their midfield and help the talent around him to adapt too. That could lead to a title challenge, and who knows, maybe even the Premier League trophy.

How do you think Arsenal should improve their midfield this summer?

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The 2018-19 campaign is not finished, but Newcastle United’s signing of Salomon Rondon last summer has to be considered a success.

Following a whole host of speculation, Rondon joined Newcastle on loan from West Bromwich Albion, with Dwight Gayle moving in the opposite direction.

The powerful forward has scored seven times in 21 appearances for the Magpies, including six Premier League goals for Rafael Benitez’s side.

Newcastle are currently 16th in the Premier League table, just one point above the relegation zone, despite winning two of their last four in the league.

This weekend, Benitez’s team have a huge game at home to Huddersfield Town.

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On Thursday, Rondon shared a video of a smart finish that he produced during a training session ahead of the clash with the struggling Terriers.

And the Newcastle fans have urged the South American to do the same this weekend.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dream reign as Manchester United interim manager doesn’t look like it’ll stop anytime soon.

In his first ten Premier League games, he’s won 26 points from an available 30, only dropping points to Liverpool and Burnley. He’s ignited a fire in United’s belly, something which doesn’t look to be defusing anytime soon.

While there are an uncountable number of things he’s improved upon since arriving in December, there are little things he’s still very raw at. Solskjaer might’ve got United playing like United again, but his timing and knowledge of substitutions hasn’t really been “vintage” yet.

Once a famous substitute himself, Solskjaer’s often created some of his own problems making poor changes. This was evident in Manchester United’s 0-0 draw against Liverpool, which extraordinarily saw three United players limp off before half-time. Ander Herrera picked up an early injury and was substituted with Andreas Perreira, who recovered well from the Burnley despair.

However, it was Solskjaer’s other substitution which came back to haunt him. He prematurely brought on an unfit Jesse Lingard, who soon after limped up after further injuring his hamstring. He should’ve just brought on Alexis Sanchez, who inevitably had to be the third and final substitute before half-time.

The wasted substitution meant Marcus Rashford, who suffered an injury early on, had to play on with much pain. If he and Lingard miss a chunk of games, Solskjaer has to take the blame, as the Norwegian needs to learn more about timing and implementing his substitutes better.

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In July 2017, Manchester United signed striker Romelu Lukaku for £75 million, as reported by the BBC.

What they’re missing

The Belgian hitman produced a fantastic final campaign for the Toffees, scoring 25 goals and racking up six assists in 37 Premier League outings, as per Transfermarkt’s stats. He hasn’t since had the impact at Old Trafford that he’d have hoped for but he certainly made a huge impression in his time at Goodison Park.

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Since the 25-year-old’s exit, Everton have signed a number of strikers, including spending £27 million on Cenk Tosun in January 2018. The Turkish frontman has flopped on Merseyside though, having failed to fill the Belgian’s boots.

Marco Silva’s side are still lacking someone to lead the line as effectively as the 79-cap international.

What they need

Without Lukaku the Toffees lack a powerful, physical player to spearhead their attack. Whilst Tosun has the physique to look capable of this, he has as yet proved incapable of imposing himself in the Premier League. When in an Everton shirt the now Man United man would bully defences.

Without a finisher as reliable as the Belgian the Toffees have struggled to really challenge for a top six place in the Premier League. If they still had him, and with the likes of Richarlison and Gylfi Sigurdsson playing around him, they may be much closer to that goal now.

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Nottingham Forest manager Martin O’Neill has admitted, via The Nottingham Post, he has been surprised by the speed of loanee Sam Byram’s recovery from injury, as the 25-year-old looks more and more likely to feature before the end of the season.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Reds signed the right-back on a season-long temporary deal from West Ham United during the summer transfer window, but he made just three appearances in all competitions for them before suffering serious knee ligament damage in August.

The defender has been out since and during his pre-match Hull City press conference, as per The Nottingham Post, O’Neill admitted didn’t expect to see him action before the end of the campaign: “He is not as far away as I thought he would be, when I first came into the club.

“I thought we might not see him at all this season, but he is doing really well.

“It would be great for us, to have him back. The lad has been afflicted with some really bad injuries.”

Byram is now back training with the first-team squad, and he will be hoping to get some minutes under his belt for the U23s in order to boost his match fitness.

Useful return?

He certainly would be.

Forest haven’t had the chance to see the best of Byram yet, and he may well have one final opportunity to try and secure a permanent move to The City Ground next season in the last couple of weeks of the campaign unless he suffers any setbacks.

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With Tendayi Darikwa still often flattering the deceive at right-back with good performances mixed with less than convincing ones, the door certainly seems to be open in that particular spot right now ahead of the 2019/2020 camapign whichever division they find themselves in.

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Andy Carroll may well have played his last game for West Ham United.

Out of contract this summer, Carroll has picked up another ankle injury.

The 30-year-old bounced back from ankle surgery to make his return in the latter stages of 2018, but has not played in West Ham’s last two Premier League matches.

Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini confirmed on Thursday that the centre-forward had picked up another issue, but refused to put a timescale on it.

West Ham can trigger an extension to Carroll’s contract if they wish, but it seems likely that he will leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.

The news has been discussed by the Newcastle United fans on social media, with some insisting that they would not take the nine-time England international back.

Carroll scored 33 times in 90 appearances during his time at Newcastle, but is now seemingly battling to save his career in the top flight.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Magpies fans can be seen below:

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Newcastle continued their impressive form with a hard-fought draw at Bournemouth this weekend, and Tony Cascarino has heaped praise on Salomon Rondon.

The Magpies were unfortunate to come away from the Vitality Stadium with only one point on Saturday, with Jefferson Lerma very lucky to stay on the pitch for a first half horror tackle.

Rafael Benitez’s side also had a couple of decent penalty shouts, but even without the luck on their side, wondergoals from Rondon and Matt Ritchie ensured they avoided defeat.

And Cascarino, who knows a thing or two about playing centre forward, is massively impressed by the Venezuelan international.

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What did he say?

“In January last year, Alan Pardew persuaded West Bromwich Albion to turn down £38 million from China for Salomon Rondon,” Cascarino wrote in his column for The Times.

“If he keeps playing like this, he could be a £50 million striker. There hasn’t been a better signing this season, but he is only on loan at Newcastle. If they can make it permanent, they should, because he can be a Champions League player.”

Does he have a point?

Cascarino is indeed right about Rondon’s capabilities – the striker has racked up 19 goals and three assists in 38 European games, with four of those goals coming in Europe’s elite competition – he is a Champions League player.

The number nine has been phenomenal for the Magpies, and while one could argue he is not an outright £50m player, he is worth that much to Newcastle.

Rondon has Benitez’s trust, he loves playing for the club, does everything demanded of him and has recently started to reap the benefits in front of goal as well.

Pardew didn’t get a lot right in his managerial career, as the Toon Army will be the first to tell you, but he may just have been spot on in his valuation of Rondon’s importance to a side likely to be fighting relegation year after year, just as his West Brom side were then and just as the Magpies are now.