With Everton struggling to make much of an impact up front this season, pressure is on new signing Cenk Tosun to be their saviour.
The Turkish international made his debut for the Toffees on Saturday in the late kickoff against Tottenham Hotspur.
Playing in such a big Premier League game for a first outing must have been a little daunting for the £27m man.
In the end, the forward was unable to make much of an impression, but he was only given 62 minutes by manager Sam Allardyce before being replaced by Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
It will be a debut to forget for Tosun given that the team were beaten comfortably 4-0 by Spurs, whose star player Harry Kane broke Teddy Sheringham’s club record of 97 top-flight goals.
Shortly after the game, Everton fans assessed the overall performance from their team, and Tosun’s debut was a talking point.
Everton, who are ninth in the league table, have lost their last three fixtures and have conceded eight goals in the process.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Andre Ayew is reportedly on the verge of leaving West Ham United.
The 28-year-old joined the Hammers from Swansea City in the summer of 2016, and has scored 12 times in 50 appearances for the London club.
This term, the forward, who is valued at £16.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has only managed three goals in 18 Premier League appearances, which is not exactly a great record.
Swansea have reportedly offered West Ham £18m for Ayew, and it seems that the Ghana international wants to leave the London Stadium.
The January transfer window closes on Wednesday night, however, meaning that Swansea do not have too long to seal a return.
West Ham paid £20.5m to sign Ayew in August 2016, but it has not quite happened for the attacker in the English capital.
The club’s supporters have been reacting to the news that the forward is set to leave, and it would be fair to say that there are many with differing opinions.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Javier Hernandez recently admitted that he did ask to leave West Ham United during the January transfer window.
However, the Mexican later insisted that he was dedicated to the Hammers, at least until the end of the season.
It has not quite happened for the former Manchester United striker since he arrived at West Ham, but he scored a super goal against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.
The strike was Hernandez’s sixth in the Premier League this season, but he will more than likely find himself out of the team when the likes of Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini return to the fold.
It appears that the West Ham fans are split on the centre-forward, who is rated at £16.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk.
On one hand, they are pleased to have the Mexican at the club, but on the other, Hernandez has not really performed as a striker collecting in the region of £140,000 a week should.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Southampton slipped back into the relegation zone following another disappointing performance and 2-0 defeat against Liverpool at St Mary’s on Sunday, and they continue to be in real danger of dropping into the Championship six years after they were promoted.
Mauricio Pellegrino and the players gained some temporary respite with the fine 3-2 win against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns the previous weekend that moved them out of the bottom three.
However, while Huddersfield Town and Swansea City won and Stoke City and Brighton and Hove Albion picked up a point, and Newcastle United put in a huge display to beat Manchester United 1-0 at St James’ Park, Saints failed to match their relegation rivals and once they found themselves 1-0 down early on, they never really looked like getting back into the game.
Sofiane Boufal played 85 minutes in the victory against the Baggies and Dusan Tadic featured for 88 minutes, and while the latter kept his place in the starting XI against Jurgen Klopp’s men, the former dropped to the substitutes’ bench as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg came into the side.
While Tadic had an excellent relationship with former Southampton centre-forward Graziano Pelle when he joined the club in 2014 – and has 30 assists in 123 Premier League outings for the south coast outfit – his assists have certainly dried up in the last 18 months or so.
The Serbia international has three assists in 25 top flight appearances so far this season, while he only got six in 33 last term, with just one of those coming in his final 11 outings of the 2016/17 campaign.
That means he has just four assists in his last 36 Premier League appearances, and the St Mary’s faithful are quickly growing frustrated with the 29-year-old who is struggling to deliver even though he is named in the starting XI most weeks.
Meanwhile, hopes were high that Boufal was going to make a big impression for the south coast outfit when he joined them from Lille in the summer of 2016, having provided 10 assists in 51 outings for the Ligue 1 outfit.
The Moroccan international was known for his trickery and ability on the ball, and Saints would have been hopeful that he could go some way to replacing Mane following his move to Liverpool.
The attacker was struggling with injury when he signed and didn’t really have a pre-season, and it meant that he struggled for starts and to find any form in his first campaign in the Premier League, ending it with no assists in 24 top flight games.
The 24-year-old would have been hoping for a more successful 2017/18 under new boss Pellegrino, but it hasn’t really worked out that way as he has once again been in and out of the starting line-up, even if he did produce a moment of magic to score a wonderful solo goal in the 1-0 win against West Brom at St Mary’s in November.
Despite his ability to beat a man and the glimpses of quality he has shown, the Moroccan still only has two assists to his name in 23 Premier League games this term, and two in 47 top flight matches in total for Saints.
That record is clearly not good enough and he was one of the players that was attracting groans from the home support when he entered the field against Liverpool on Sunday, giving the ball away cheaply on more than one occasion.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
While the fans’ frustrations are probably fair enough given the position of their team in the table and the respective records of Boufal and Tadic over the course of the last 12 months, now is the time to get behind the duo rather than vocally criticising them.
Soccer Football – Premier League – West Bromwich Albion vs Southampton – The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, Britain – February 3, 2018 Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse celebrates scoring their third goal Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra 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. Plea
The duo may not be doing well enough right now and not having as much of an impact as they should be, but they are still the club’s two most creative players and if they aren’t on the pitch, then the south coast outfit are left with the likes of Steven Davis, Nathan Redmond and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the attacking midfielder positions, and none of them have the ability to make as many chances as Boufal and Tadic can on their day.
With 11 matches to go and five huge Premier League fixtures in the next six weeks – against Burnley, Stoke City, Newcastle United, Swansea City and West Ham United – Saints need the attacking pair to start making a big impact on the pitch.
They are more likely to do that if they have the support of the crowd, and the fans must get behind them to boost their confidence and to ensure they help keep the team in the top flight.
Sheffield Wednesday’s poor form continued on Tuesday night, defeated by Swansea City in an FA Cup replay at the Liberty Stadium.
The Owls have now won just one match in their last eight in all competitions, leaving fans frustrated and worried they could be drawn into an English Championship relegation battle.
Wednesday will definitely need to improve their results over the next few weeks. Just seven points from the relegation zone, if they continue to fail to pick up wins, it’ll be a nervy end to the season.
Given they were going up against former manager Carlos Carvalhal on their trip to Wales, supporters were also hoping to see a better performance than the one offered in the 2-0 defeat.
[ad_pod ]
Much of the criticism was aimed at the midfield with David Jones and Jacob Butterfield under-performing throughout and contributing to both goals conceded.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Fans are now calling for them to be dropped from the side completely by Jos Luhukay, even if it means having to play inexperienced players in their place.
Sam Allardyce was briefly seen as a saviour at Everton when he took over from Ronald Koeman in November.The experienced coach managed to steer the Merseyside outfit away from the relegation zone, but in recent weeks, results have gone downhill.In their last 11 Premier League fixtures, the Toffees have picked up just two victories and at the weekend, it was another miserable result as the club were beaten 2-1 by Burnley at Turf Moor.As well as losing the encounter, Everton defender Ashley Williams was sent off in the 86th minute and the club dropped to 11th in the standings.https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/cenk-tosun.mp4A large number of fans have been calling for Allardyce to be sacked, but with just nine top-flight matches left to play before the season comes to an end, former striker Kevin Campbell thinks that no changes will be made to the coaching staff.The retired footballer, who spent six years playing for Everton during his career, made the assumption during a Twitter conversation with a fan, who suggested that the club could move for Marco Silva.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, West Ham United attacking midfielder Manuel Lanzini has said that he is confident that the club won’t suffer relegation to the Championship despite successive 4-1 away defeats leaving them just three points above the Premier League drop zone.
While a loss against Liverpool at Anfield would have perhaps been expected, the Irons should have been confident of picking up a positive result against the Swans – despite Carlos Carvalhal’s men’s recent good form at home – as they were lying three points above the south Wales outfit prior to kick-off.
That wasn’t the case though in what was a bitterly disappointing display, and manager David Moyes, who recently said no talks are planned over a new contract for Lanzini, will know that his team need to improve significantly when they host seventh-place Burnley at the London Stadium on Saturday.
The attacking midfielder, who returned to the starting line-up at Anfield following a hamstring injury, doesn’t believe the east London outfit will go down despite the precarious position they find themselves in, and the 25-year-old is relishing his opportunity to help the team from a personal point of view.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the Argentina international said: “I’m really looking forward to changing the situation we’re in.
“I think we’ll stay up. That’s all I am focusing on at the moment and I believe we will stay up. What happens in my personal future is something else but it’s not something I’m thinking of.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
West Ham will be well aware that a win against Burnley could potentially see them move six points clear of trouble with 18th-placed Crystal Palace facing Chelsea and 19th-placed Stoke City hosting Manchester City across the weekend.
According to Belgian media outlet Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN), Tottenham Hotspur have admitted defeat in their bid to keep Toby Alderweireld and are hoping to get €50m (£44m) for the centre-back this summer.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Spurs and Alderweireld have been in talks over extending the Belgium international’s contract which is due to expire in 2019 – although the north London outfit have the option to extend it by a further 12 months – but HLN says that the 29-year-old’s wage demands and what Tottenham are willing to offer him are too far apart for a compromise to be reached.
While Mauricio Pochettino and Daniel Levy would have been hoping that it was possible for that to happen, HLN report that this is now unlikely and they could choose to cash in on him this summer while his value is still high.
The author of the article, Kristoff Terreur, has suggested in a post on his official Twitter account on Wednesday that Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are all interested in Alderweireld, although they are yet to make their moves.
How has Alderweireld done this season?
The Belgian has established himself as one of the best in his position in both the Premier League and in European football in generally since joining Tottenham from Atletico Madrid in 2015.
The 29-year-old was a regular alongside Jan Vertonghen at the heart of the Spurs defence before he picked up a hamstring injury in the 3-1 win against Real Madrid in November, and despite playing 90 minutes in the FA Cup matches against Newport County and Rochdale he suffered a setback that has kept him on the sidelines until he returned to the substitutes’ bench against Swansea in the same competition last weekend.
It certainly seems as though there could be a deeper meaning to him not being involved in the squad for the north London derby against Arsenal and the first leg of their Champions League knockout tie against Juventus previously when he appeared to be fit, and it would be no surprise if his absence was also partly down to the contract negotiations with Tottenham fans already reading between the lines given he is fit to play for Belgium.
Will they sell him this summer?
They may well do, if they can get a good price and ideally don’t have to sell to a Premier League rival.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Levy and Pochettino may feel that Alderweireld’s value is at the highest it will be this summer, and they may not want a player that clearly isn’t too bothered about staying at the club next season simply running his contract down.
It certainly feels like West Ham’s season essentially rests on Saturday’s meeting with Southampton. It remains to be seen just what kind of atmosphere there will be at the London Stadium after the shocking scenes from their 3-0 Burnley defeat, and they’re now due to host a key relegation rival with just a handful of Premier League fixtures remaining.
Accordingly, David Moyes must get the balance of his side absolutely right this weekend; West Ham need enough offensive threat to seal the win, but conceding the first goal could lead to an incredible sour atmosphere at the London Stadium and would give a side low on confidence a significant gradient to climb.
With that in mind, we asked Irons supporters earlier this week whether summer signing Javier Hernandez, who has netted just seven times in the Premier League this season, should be included in Moyes’ starting XI after having to settle for a spot on the bench against the Clarets.
And according to our poll, 66% of West Ham fans think the 29-year-old should start on Saturday. So, how would you shape the rest of the Hammers’ starting XI around the Mexican poacher? Let us know by commenting below…
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
This weekend, Tottenham Hotspur have an opportunity to rub salt into Manchester City’s wounds.
Pep Guardiola’s side will head to Wembley with a desperate need to bounce back following a miserable week.
The North-West outfit were roundly mocked by rival fans after they were beaten 5-1 on aggregate by Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
In between the two legs, City’s Premier League title win was put on hold as Manchester United defeated their neighbours 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium.
[ad_pod ]
Tottenham need three wins from their final six games to secure a place in next season’s Champions League, and due to City’s recent results, they may feel confident of snatching all three points this weekend.
A separate storyline will accompany the match as Kyle Walker prepares to face is former club.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The right-back left Spurs to join City last summer, and he managed to get one over the North London outfit as Guardiola’s team earned a 4-1 victory on home soil in December.
Ahead of Saturday’s encounter, Tottenham fans discussed what kind of reception that Walker will receive at Wembley.