Category Uncategorized

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Kiko Casilla is finally showing what he has to offer at Leeds United.

The Whites have the best defence in the Championship this term, and that’s in no small part down to the Spaniard.

Indeed, the goalkeeper has been praised by Liam Cooper in recent times, but the good run may be about to come to an end after Phil Hay provided his thoughts on the stopper’s current predicament in terms of the FA investigation around the apparent racism incident against Charlton earlier in the season.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

What’s been said then?

Hay was hosting a Q&A session on The Athletic, and of course, the question was asked about what will happen with Casilla.

“A decision won’t take much longer. They’ve interviewed two Charlton players and they spoke to Casilla last week.

“They should have all the information they need. On the basis that two players at Charlton said they heard a racist comment, I suspect he will be cited. The minimum ban for racist offences is six games.”

Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…

Terrible news

This isn’t what any Leeds fan will have wanted to hear, especially after the Spaniard put in such a good performance against Sheffield Wednesday, making a string of four saves that kept his team in the game.

A host of supporters praised his efforts after a similar type of performance against Barnsley as the stopper has seemingly turned around his career in the north of England.

During his first season at Elland Road, those at Elland Road may have been happier that Casilla would be going to miss six games, especially after a red card against Sheffield United and his clanger in the playoffs.

However, after seemingly finding his feet in Yorkshire this will be a blow to United, especially as the unproven and relatively untested Illan Meslier or Kamil Miazek would come in.

Casilla being handed a six-game ban could cause a number of problems for United especially if their woes in front of goal continue too. They’ve failed to score more than one goal in any of their last six league matches.

Southampton fans on Twitter have called on the players to put some effort in when the Saints travel to Manchester on Tuesday evening, for the Carabao Cup tie at the Etihad Stadium.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side go into the game against the back-to-back champions after suffering a humiliating 9-0 defeat to Leicester on Friday evening, in front of their own supporters to make matters worse.

It equalled a 24-year long record for the biggest ever Premier League win, previously set by Manchester United against Ipswich in 1995.

Coming up against Pep Guardiola’s side, who have scored 201 Premier League goals across the 2017/18 and 2018/19 campaigns combined, is hardly ideal for the south coast side, but they have plenty to prove to themselves and the supporters.

We can’t speak for every Southampton fan, but some of the Saints supporters on Twitter want to see one thing in Manchester on Tuesday – a bit of effort.

Let’s take a look at some of the tweets…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk steered his side back on track at the weekend with a 1-0 victory over Wigan Athletic at Hillsborough.

In midweek, the 40-year-old had picked up his first league defeat at the helm of the south Yorkshire club, but Saturday’s win means he has amassed ten points from a possible 15 – also moving them to within one point of the playoffs.

Considering Monk inherited the entirety of this squad, that’s pretty impressive.

The Owls boss was forced into at least one change as midfielder Sam Hutchinson’s fifth yellow card of the season meant he was suspended for this one.

His move to hand Massimo Luongo his first league start in the blue and white stripes ultimately paid off too as the 27-year-old netted the winner in the 57th-minute.

The Australian international slotted home Adam Reach’s cut-back pass from just inside the penalty area for the game’s only goal.

And his performance as a whole will have given Monk plenty of food for thought as Luongo was pretty much everywhere despite being primarily deployed in the number ten role.

Aside from the goal, he recorded one key pass, one tackle, two shots, and was fouled on one occasion, per SofaScore.

The midfielder could well keep hold of his spot after the international break as Hutchinson hasn’t exactly been outstanding – he’s not been bad either, but there’s certainly room for improvement as he averages a rating of 6.87.

As already mentioned, the 30-year-old has already picked up five yellow cards, making him a key protagonist in one of Wednesday’s problematic areas – discipline.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

They rank as the second-worst side in the Championship for Fair Play with a total of 22 yellow cards in 11 matches.

Hutchinson accounts for a quarter on his own.

He’s also the wrong side of 30, meaning he’s entering the twilight of his career whereas, at 27, Luongo is only just reaching his peak years. The former, therefore, could face a battle to get back in.

In the two games that Hutchinson has either been withdrawn or missing from entirely, the Owls have won – Middlesborough last weekend and Wigan on Saturday.

A telling sign, perhaps?

FIFA, FIFA, FIFA. It’s all anyone ever seems to go on about at this time of year.

There’s a lot of funny and interesting content to be gotten out of professional footballers interacting with the video game and its ratings, and this time Trent Alexander-Arnold has taken part in an interesting game show on the Premier League’s YouTube channel.

Indeed, the right-back took part in a game of ‘Play Your Cards Right’ with FIFA Ultimate Team players rather than actual cards.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

David Meyler acted as Bruce Forsyth on this occasion, and there were a few interesting things to take away from this clip.

The defender absolutely smashed this challenge as he only got one question wrong – incorrectly predicting Jamie Vardy to be higher rated than Wilfried Zaha.

It seems that the 20-year-old is a seasoned FIFA veteran as he knew many of the ratings before they were even revealed.

Alexander-Arnold refused to choose between Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk as he correctly predicted them to be the exact same rating on this year’s edition of the game.

Real Madrid are in a rather weird phase right now.

Even though their La Liga form is on the rise and Zinedine Zidane’s troops are occupying the very top of the table, things are not really going their way in the Champions League.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Their latest venture left them with only a point for their efforts as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Club Brugge.

Interestingly enough, that game was also Daniel Carvajal’s 50th appearance in the Champions League for the club.

In that time, he has scored one goal, registered 10 assists and won four trophies.

And just recently, a number of fans swarmed social media and Twitter and posted lots of messages of support for their “unsung hero”, who is also known as an “underrated” player within their squad.

It seems that Carvajal still has a big section of fans among the Madridistas.

You can see some of their replies down below:

View this post on InstagramEntrenando con ? … vamossss !! Always forward together let’s go!! ??⚽️?A post shared by Erik Lamela (@eriklamela) on Sep 26, 2019 at 7:50am PDT

The message from the Spurs players is loud and clear – they want to look forward and not dwell on the poor run they’ve been on as of late.

This sort of mentality is exactly what Tottenham need if they are to bounce back after a disappointing start to the season. It will do them absolutely no use whatsoever to sit and think about past events.

It remains to be seen whether or not Spurs can win this weekend against Southampton, but these Instagram posts should fill supporters will confidence that the squad are not buying into the crisis mode mentality that seems to be engulfing some parts of the fan base.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Lee Dixon described Trent Alexander-Arnold as England’s best right-back as part of ITV’s coverage of their Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo, via The Daily Express.

What did he say?

The Liverpool right-back earned his seventh England cap as the Three Lions won 5-3 but it was not a performance to remember, as he was caught out of position for the second goal conceded.

As a result, he will need to improve significantly if he is to do enough to earn the spot as Gareth’s Southgate’s first choice, with the experienced Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier pushing for a place alongside Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who withdrew from the current squad through injury.

Despite that, the former Arsenal right-back likes what he sees in the 20-year-old, and believes he should be first-choice for the Three Lions.

Speaking on ITV, as reported by The Express, he said: “I think in the squad these two [Alexander-Arnold and Chilwell] are the best for me.

“Alexander-Arnold, his season last year was phenomenal going forward, he’s learning the game defensively.”

It was Alexander-Arnold’s thirst to get forward which left him out of position for Kosovo’s second goal, but if he can work on that aspect of his game, as Dixon suggests, then he may do enough to become a permanent fixture in Southgate’s side.

Is Dixon correct?

There is no doubting the strength in depth of England’s right-backs currently. Three of the four play for top-six sides, while Trippier plays for one of the best teams in Spain – Atletico Madrid.

Alexander-Arnold is still yet to show his best form at international level and with Euro 2020 not too far away his manager may opt for a more experienced option in Walker or Trippier, though their form this season will also influence that decision.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It will be a confidence boost for the Liverpool man to hear such praise, however, particularly from a right-back who was successful in his playing days.

If it gives him a lift that could work in the Reds’ favour, as he will be looking to add to his two assists in six appearances so far this term, although his performance against Kosovo showed he isn’t lacking in confidence, with four crosses attempted as well as a free-kick from distance.

[ad_pod ]

Once again, there has been plenty of big stories to break in world football over the past five days. We have seen big transfers confirmed, lawsuits threatened and shortlists for the biggest individual rewards revealed. Here, we take a look at 10 of the biggest pieces of news to come to light during the past week…

On Friday evening, there was a big breakthrough in the saga that is Harry Maguire’s prospective move to Manchester United. BBC Sport reported that the Red Devils had agreed a fee of £80m, which would be a world record fee paid for a defender. The 26-year-old is expected to complete his medical over the weekend. Finally, it seems, we might be able to put this one to bed.

After a long and successful career in Europe during which he has become the most decorated player in football history, Dani Alves has returned to his homeland of Brazil. The 36-year-old right-back has signed a three-year deal with Sao Paulo. The latter’s president Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva said of the deal, “Daniel Alves is the embodiment of what this management envisions for Sao Paulo. He is also a socially engaged citizen and passionate about our country. Sao Paulo, therefore, wins on every possible front.”

Despite reportedly having a transfer budget of just £45m, Arsenal have still somehow managed to smash their transfer record by signing Nicolas Pepe from Lille. The Gunners have paid a fee of £72m for the Ivory Coast international, who has signed a five-year deal with the club. Pepe arrives at the Emirates Stadium on the back of a successful season in Ligue 1 during which he scored 22 goals in 38 games.

It is proving to be a difficult transfer window for Lille, with this week seeing not one, but two star players depart the club for pastures new. Along with Pepe, Rafael Leao also completed a move away from Les Dogues and signed for Serie A outfit AC Milan. The Rossoneri are believed to have paid £32m for the Brazilian, with the 20-year-old signing a five-year deal with his new team.

It is sometimes hard to keep track of Kevin-Prince Boateng. This week, he was once again on the move, this time swapping Sassuolo for Fiorentina. La Viola becomes the former Ghana international’s 11th club after Hertha Berlin, Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund, Portsmouth, AC Milan, Schalke 04, UD Las Palmas, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sassuolo and Barcelona…. and breathe!

Our next big story from the week comes from Germany. On Tuesday, Bayer Leverkusen confirmed the signing of Nadiem Amiri from Hoffenheim, with the 22-year-old signing a five-year contract with the club. The former Germany U21 international is just the latest player to leave Hoffenheim so far this summer, with nine others having departed on a permanent or short-term basis.

The nominees for the Best FIFA Men’s Player have been revealed this week, with three Liverpool players included on the shortlist. Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane have been joined by Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Frenkie De Jong, Tottenham striker Harry Kane, Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard, PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Juventus’s Matthijs de Ligt.

After just one year at the Camp Nou following his switch from Bordeaux, Malcom has completed his move to Zenit St Petersburg. The Russia outfit have paid an initial fee of €40m (£36.6m). “I want to do my best in St. Petersburg and show everyone what I can do,” said the 22-year-old upon signing for the club. Malcom scored four goals in 22 appearances for the Blaugrana.

In one of the more bizarre bits of news to emerge in the past few days, South Korea football fans are to seek compensation after Cristiano Ronaldo failed to take the pitch in a pre-season friendly. The Portugal international was contracted to play 45 minutes against the K-League All Stars for Juventus, organisers says, but the former Real Madrid man didn’t even make it onto the field.

We end this gallery with a bit of positive news for progressiveness and inclusion. It has today been revealed that Stephanie Frappart will become the first woman in history to take charge of a major European men’s football final when she referees the UEFA Super Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool in Istanbul. There will also be two female assistants: Manuela Nicolosi and Michelle O’Neill,

[ad_pod ]

Friday’s Arsenal transfer roundup featured a Gunners target wishing to stay with his current club, the pursuit of a Scottish international and the confirmed loan departure of a youngster. Today’s edition includes comments from a Copa America star, a rejected bid for a left-back and interest in a 36-year-old free agent.

Everton’s Gremio future in doubt

Gremio’s Everton has poured doubt on his future with the Brazilian club. Following his side’s 2-1 victory against Bahia on Sunday, the 23-year-old said, “It is a mystery if I will still be here for the next game. I really do not know what can happen, the more time goes by, the more things are tapering down”. UOL has confirmed that Arsenal have been in contact over a potential transfer.

Celtic reject Tierney bid

It is being reported that Celtic have rejected a bid from Arsenal for left-back Kieran Tierney. The Gunners are said to have put forward an offer of £25m for the 22-year-old, but the Bhoys were unhappy with the structure of the deal and wanted a bigger proportion of the cash up front rather than in add-ons.

Emery eyes Alves

Unai Emery is interested in signing former PSG defender Dani Alves according to AS. The Spaniard has asked his board to make contact with the 36-year-old Brazilian, who is currently without a club after leaving the Ligue 1 outfit at the start of this month. Alves has won over 40 trophies during his career, making him the most decorated player in history.

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino has broken the habit of a career by sending Leeds United academy product Jack Clarke back to Yorkshire on loan.

The winger became the club’s first signing in over a year on Tuesday after Spurs agreed a reported fee of £10m with Leeds United.

He has signed a contract until 2023 but will immediately return to the Championship club on loan for the duration of the 2019/20 campaign, as the Whites once again attempt to win promotion to the Premier League.

Yet this feels out of character for Pochettino.

Indeed, it must be noted that Marcelo Bielsa, a coach revered by Pochettino, manages Leeds; the pair have a storied connection. A fabled tale goes that before Bielsa signed Pochettino at Newell’s Old Boys when the Spurs boss was 13, he asked to see his legs while he was sleeping, to see if he was likely to be good enough to play for the club. He thought they were and signed him.

And yet, loans are not often utilised by Spurs. The likes of Oliver Skipp, Kyle Walker-Peters and Harry Winks could all have gone out on loan in recent seasons, as could Juan Foyth, with all four players having played through periods when they were deemed good enough to be around the first-team but not quite at the point of featuring regularly.

At most top clubs, that is when a loan is arranged, and the player will join either a mid-table Premier League club or a Championship side, as they look to gain minutes and experience – Derby’s decision to loan Liverpool’s Harry Wilson and Chelsea’s Mason Mount last season attests to that.

At Spurs, though, it’s more a case of loans being for those players who will eventually be discarded, when there isn’t actually a buyer to be found.

Look at the list of players who spent the 2018/19 season out on loan: Cameron Carter-Vickers, Samuel Shashoua, Marcus Edwards, Connor Ogilvie, Joshua Onomah, Georges-Kevin N’Koudou, Anthony Georgiou, Shayon Harrison, Kazaiah Sterling and Tom Glover.

Ogilvie has already been allowed to join Gillingham permanently, while Glover has been released. Carter-Vickers is 21 and has played four times for the club at centre-back; Shashoua is 20 and has never had a sniff of the first-team; Edwards is talented but his attitude has been questioned; Onomah has already been tipped to join Sheffield Wednesday permanently; N’Koudou does not have the required ability to play for the club; Georgiou, Harrison and Sterling are all 20 or over and have played a combined 18 minutes at the top level.

That Clarke is going out on loan, then, is a ceding of control from Pochettino.

He usually nurtures the young players who are coming through, slowly exposing them to first-team action before eventually being able to bed them in when they are ready.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Perhaps he does not deem Clarke to be in the same category as the likes of Skipp or Walker-Peters yet; perhaps this deal was merely done to get a jump on the competition and ensure that a talented player is on the books at Spurs before he becomes a star in the Championship.

That, of course, is the hope for him next season, that he can thrive at Elland Road and return to Spurs ready to make a breakthrough.

Pochettino has broken his habit with this deal. He had better hope it pays off.