All posts by h716a5.icu

Aston Villa are currently riding a crest of a wave right now under Unai Emery, with their latest Premier League victory in midweek vaulting them up to seventh spot in the table.

The win at the King Power Stadium was their fifth victory in their previous six matches and now leaves the Villans firmly in the hunt for a European spot for next season.

Nottingham Forest are the visitors today at Villa Park, and it gives the club another chance to continue their ascent up the table, and with the way they are playing right now, anything is possible.

Emery will likely make some changes to the side from midweek given the quick turnaround in games, and this could give a few players an opportunity to impress.

Bertrand Traore had a match-winning cameo against the Foxes, which could give Emery a licence to start the player and allow him to showcase his ability from the first whistle.

Will Bertrand Traore start for Aston Villa against Nottingham Forest?

The winger spent the first half of the season on loan at Turkish side Basaksehir, scoring three goals in 18 matches. However, he was recalled by Emery in January as Villa failed to sign a winger during the transfer window.

Since recovering from injury, he has played three times for the club and his contribution in midweek could be the confidence boost that he requires heading into the final weeks of the campaign.

He has averaged 1.3 shots per game and succeeded with 50% of his attempted dribbles during his three appearances so far, with his average game time of just 21 minutes not giving him the ideal chance to showcase his abilities.

The £17m winger enjoyed a successful first season at the club during 2020/21, registering 14 goal contributions (seven goals and seven assists), and if Emery can bring him back to that level ahead of next term, he could be like a brand-new signing.

His former manager, Dean Smith, lauded Traore at the end of his first campaign, saying: "He's a marvellous technician, I've been really pleased, and I expect better from him next season as well."

There is surely no doubt he has the ability to shine against a Forest side who have conceded 52 goals already this season, and we feel Traore can take advantage of their questionable defending this afternoon and build upon his midweek performance.

Insider ExWHUEmployee has revealed that those within the West Ham United hierarchy do not rate Graham Potter particularly highly as he enters the market of possible future managers.

What's the latest on Graham Potter and West Ham?

With the Hammers struggling down towards the bottom end of the Premier League table, the future of David Moyes has looked uncertain for some time.

Indeed, as per The Guardian, there has been "growing dressing-room discontent" over the 59-year-old's tactics this season and it feels as though he could soon be sacked.

Elsewhere in London, another manager did depart his club this weekend. Yes, Chelsea fired Potter on Sunday and with the 47-year-old now a free agent, he may well be considered as a future Moyes replacement.

With that in mind, Ex went to his sources to enquire about the possibility but it doesn't sound as though the Englishman has a lot of fans at West Ham.

In an update on The West Ham Way Patreon, the club insider explained: "The feedback was not so good on Potter with the top source within the club stating the general feeling is he was massively helped with his recruitment at the club (Brighton) by his backroom staff and that his time at Brighton may have given people an inaccurate perception of the manager."

Was Potter that bad at Chelsea?

The former Chelsea boss certainly didn't do a very good job with the Blues. He leaves them 11th in the table having managed to lose nine, draw eight and win just 11 of his 28 Premier League games in charge.

However, the criticism that suggests recruitment at Brighton was the only thing that made him an initial success in English football seems a little harsh.

After all, he did pretty well to rise from relative obscurity with Swedish team Ostersund – where he once masterminded a Europa League win over Arsenal at the Emirates – all the way to the Champions League, via spells with Swansea and Brighton before Chelsea.

Even so, he does remain unproven at the very top of the game and after his most recent job ended so badly, it's not hard to see why West Ham and other clubs may have doubts before appointing Potter.

Anyway, after a win over Southampton on the weekend, Moyes remains very much in charge. However, at the end of the season, if the club are on the lookout for a new manager, perhaps the hierarchy will take more time to carefully consider Potter as a serious candidate.

Journalist Daniel Wales has claimed Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock is good enough to get in the England squad amid Jude Bellingham comparisons.

What's the latest on Joe Willock and Newcastle United?

With the Premier League taking a break while intentional teams play fixtures across the globe, the Magpies regular will get to rest his legs too.

Indeed, aged 23 years old, Willock remains uncapped at senior level for his country – though has played for multiple youth teams, right up to the U21s.

However, it seems as though there are those who think he deserves a reward for his good form at the club, having played in all but one of the club's league games this term as Newcastle push for a Champions League spot.

While speaking on the Everything is Black and White podcast, Wales claimed Willock – who earns £80,000 per week – should be in Gareth Southgate's England squad.

He said: "I saw a stat yesterday, it showed players that are similar to Jude Bellingham and I think it was Gavi and Pedri were the top two.

"And then Joe Willock was third after those, if I remember rightly, showing that he is certainly capable of, perhaps not exactly emulating the ability of Jude Bellingham – we know how good he is for his age as well – but certainly producing performances good enough to get him in the England squad with that sort of ability that Joe Willock is showing week-in, week-out."

Does Joe Willock deserve an England call-up?

The information Wales is referring to comes from an article by The Athletic. In the story, it notes that across Europe from players aged 23 and under who have played 900+ minutes this season, only Barcelona duo Gavi and Pedri are more "stylistically similar" than Bellingham.

With that in mind, if Gareth Southgate was to see Bellingham pick up an injury, Willock is theoretically the best player to come in and replace him.

However, until he gets handed an international call-up, it will be impossible for the Newcastle man to prove his worth. In the meantime, then, he'll have to just keep on impressing with the Magpies.

To be fair to Willock, in the last two games before the break, he delivered impressive 7.8 and 7.7 Sofascore ratings in wins over Wolves and Nottingham Forest respectively, so he may wonder what more he was to do to play for his country.

Manchester United are eyeing up a move for exciting Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma in the summer transfer window, according to a fresh rumour.

The Lowdown: Mitoma superb for Brighton

The Seagulls have been a breath of fresh air this season, playing some eye-catching football under both Graham Potter and his successor, Roberto De Zerbi.

A top-four finish in the Premier League still isn’t out of the question for Brighton, who sit seventh in the table during the international break, and numerous breakout players have been key to their success.

One of those is undoubtedly Mitoma, who has impressed hugely out on the left wing with his quick feet, directness and end product, causing defenders nightmares along the way – just ask Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The 25-year-old has six goals and three assists to his name in the league so far this season, and his performances are understandably catching the eye of some top clubs.

Manchester City have been linked with a summer move for Mitoma and now it appears as though United are also in the mix.

The Latest: United eyeing move

According to The Daily Mail, the Red Devils have already sent scouts to watch the Japanese starlet in action and will now be keeping a close eye on him when they meet Brighton in the FA Cup semi-final later this month.

Mitoma’s current Seagulls deal runs until the summer of 2025.

The Verdict: Could be a great addition

The Brighton speedster has arguably been one of the Premier League’s most exciting attacking players this season, being hailed for his ‘blistering pace’ by Lewis Dunk, as well as being a ‘threat and a danger when he runs in behind’.

For these reasons, the 13-cap Japan international could be such an exciting signing by United at the end of the season, adding an extra spark to Erik ten Hag’s attack.

With the Red Devils likely to be fighting across four fronts next season, and back in the Champions League, rotation will be key and Mitoma could thrive on the left-hand side, linking with Luke Shaw and providing consistent end product.

There is the issue of Marcus Rashford potentially keeping him out of the team regularly, but Ten Hag could even consider using the Englishman more centrally moving forward, depending on whether or not he signs a big-name striker during the summer window.

Either way, the £10,000-a-week Mitoma is someone who United should be considering signing, following a season that has seen his reputation skyrocket.

Journalist Dean Jones says Arsenal star Oleksandr Zinchenko’s leadership is ‘absolutely unbelievable’, and he has ‘incredible’ desire and technical ability.

The Lowdown: Instant impact

Zinchenko has made an instant impact since arriving from Manchester City in the summer, helping turn Arsenal from top-four hopefuls into Premier League title contenders.

The Ukraine international has made 27 appearances in total over all competitions so far this season, and has only missed one game where he has been available (Mikel Arteta.

The Latest: Zinchenko hailed

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has hailed Zinchenko’s leadership as ‘absolutely unbelievable’, and claims that he has an ‘incredible’ desire and technical ability:

“I think that Zinchenko’s leadership from that position is absolutely unbelievable.

“The desire he’s got matched with the technical ability has been incredible. What a signing he’s been for Arsenal.”

The Verdict: Great business

The deal to sign Zinchenko for a fee potentially totalling £32m looks like an absolute bargain by the day.

In their title-chasing season, the 26-year-old has ranked highly among the squad for average aerial duels won, tackles, clearances, interceptions, shots, passes and long balls per game in the Premier League (WhoScored).

The mentality that he has added to this side is emphasised by the facts that upon signing on the dotted line, Zinchenko said that he wanted to win titles, with Arsenal’s last top-flight trophy coming in 2004, and having finished fifth last season.

Indeed, Zinchenko won four Premier League titles with City before making the move to the Emirates Stadium, and the £150,000-per-week star could well add a fifth to his trophy cabinet by the end of the campaign.

Patrick Vieira’s sacking at Crystal Palace is not the only moving and shuffling behind the scenes at Selhurst Park, hints former Eagles midfielder Darren Ambrose.

The Lowdown: Vieira sacked as Palace manager

The Frenchman arrived as Palace boss back in the summer of 2021, in an appointment that was considered exciting at the time, especially given his pedigree as a player.

As time has gone on, however, Vieira has started to look more out of his depth and under pressure, with the Eagles failing to win any of their last 12 matches and not tasting victory in 2023 to date.

The 1-0 defeat away to rivals Brighton on Wednesday evening proved to be the final straw for the 46-year-old, who was officially relieved of his duties on Friday.

It means the search is now on to find Vieira’s successor as soon as possible, ensuring Palace don’t get themselves dragged into a genuine relegation battle in the Premier League.

The Latest: Ambrose reacts to news

Speaking to Sky Sports News on Friday morning, Ambrose hinted at some behind-the-scenes issues involving Shaun Derry, who departed in January amid rumours of a fall-out with the gaffer:

“The immediate reaction myself was shock, until I dug into it and looked at the real reasons. There are situations within the football club that hasn’t been fully released yet, like Shaun Derry, well not parting ways, but he’s on gardening leave at the moment.

“Who knows, he may return at some stage, but there just seems (to be) some kind of issues that were arising in the football club.”

The Verdict: Correct decision

While Palace fans have shown plenty of support for Vieira in recent months, as well as patience, performances and results have simply not been good enough for some time now.

The football on show has been bordering on unwatchable – the Eagles haven’t scored in their last four matches, dating back to the middle of February – and it is clear that a change was required before the team got themselves into real trouble.

The Derry side of things is intriguing, with the former midfielder joining Vieira’s staff in 2021 but then being placed on gardening leave on deadline day back in January.

Whether or not the situation surrounding him is anything to do with the sacking remains to be seen but reports of rumoured clashes with him did emerge following the move, adding fuel to the fire.

If everyone isn’t pulling in the same direction when it comes to the entire staff, it is so difficult to pick up positive results, and this potential bad blood may have proved fatal for Vieira.

Everton’s penchant over the last few years for spending vast amounts of money on players who simply haven’t performed on the pitch is staggering.

The likes of Theo Walcott, Allan, Moise Kean and Andre Gomes all arrived at Goodison Park to much fanfare and were expected to take the club to the next level, however, it didn’t work out like that.

All these players have subsequently left without leaving a positive mark, yet there is one big-money signing who is still at the Toffees yet has struggled to live up to the hype upon his arrival – Yerry Mina.

How much is Yerry Mina worth now?

The Colombian defender joined the Merseyside club having enjoyed a fantastic World Cup in 2018, where he became the first defender to score in his first three matches in the competition, although his country were knocked out by England at the last 16 stage.

Everton had seen enough to splash out £27.2m to sign him from Barcelona ahead of the 2018/2019 season and given his credentials, he looked as though he could become a rock at the heart of the club’s defence over the next few years.

It was a shaky start, with Mina playing just 13 Premier League matches in his debut season, missing 33 games in total due to a variety of injuries.

29 and 24 league appearances followed in his next two campaigns, however, since the beginning of 2021/2022, Mina has featured just 18 times across all competitions and thus has seen his value plummet.

According to Football Transfers, Mina is now worth just €12.8m (£11m) with that marking a massive drop from the near £30m the Toffees spent on him over four years ago.

Add the fact that he is earning £120k-per-week and it’s clear that his minimal contributions recently are draining money from the club which could be spent elsewhere and Sean Dyche may look to move him on this summer.

Noel Whelan criticised the player late last year, saying “on most days, he looks average” and with his contract expiring in a few months, he could well find his days numbered at Everton.

It hasn’t worked out for the 28-year-old at Everton, and his high transfer fee plus total wages may well have been utilised on other players who could have made a much bigger impact. Note this one down in the nightmare segment of Farhad Moshiri’s notebook.

West Ham United have made a surprise out-of-window ‘offer’ to sign Lazio star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, according to reports from Italy.

The Lowdown: Rice on the move?

Reports have suggested that Irons captain Declan Rice could well be on the move this summer as the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea display real interest in the 24-year-old.

Hammers boss David Moyes, who was under mounting pressure before his team sealed an impressive 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend, may have to face the possibility of Rice’s exit soon.

The club captain has made no secret of his desire to compete at the highest level and win silverware, potentially motivating West Ham to shortlist replacements for him.

The Latest: West Ham make Milinkovic-Savic ‘offer’…

According to Calciomercato, the east Londoners have made an out-of-transfer window ‘offer’ to sign Milinkovic-Savic via his representative Mateja Kezman.

The agent has apparently ‘collected’ a bid from West Ham for his client, with the likes of Arsenal and Newcastle also making the same move.

All three clubs have allegedly made €40m (£35m) proposals, with this report adding that Milinkovic-Savic is ‘almost certain’ to say goodbye to Lazio this summer.

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The Verdict: Fantastic player…

A move for the Serbia international would certainly come as both an exciting and an ambitious one from West Ham’s perspective.

As the Premier League relegation battlers potentially contemplate Rice’s eventual heir, we believe that Milinkovic-Savic stands out as an elite candidate.

As per WhoScored, the ‘really top player’ (in the words of Kevin Campbell) stands out as Lazio’s best performer by average match rating this season, ranking in their top three for attempts at goal, key passes made and successful dribbles per 90.

The 28-year-old also ranks highly in terms of defensive metrics such as tackles and interceptions per 90, with Milinkovic-Savic looking like a true all-rounder in midfield.

However, West Ham may well have a battle on their hands to sign the Lazio star, given the level of reported interest in him, and much could depend on how the Irons finish the current campaign.

Everton could reportedly make a €44m (£38.7m) bid to try and sign Udinese duo Beto and Rodrigo Becao.

The Lowdown: January interest

Everton reportedly had a late offer for Beto rejected in the January transfer window, with Udinese feeling that they could sell in July instead.

They were also linked with a late move for Becao, under the condition that Michael Keane would leave, but the Englishman ended up staying put at Goodison Park.

The Latest: Summer swoop?

As per local outlet Udinese Blog, the Merseyside club could make a £38.7m offer to sign both players this summer, which could take shape ‘in the coming weeks’.

Sean Dyche has ‘suggested’ Beto’s name in particular, and is preparing to return for him in the next window after receiving a ‘no’ from Udinese in January.

The Verdict: Reinforcements needed

Of course, there are no guarantees that the Toffees will stay up this season, but if they do, reinforcements will be needed in order to make sure that they are not in the same situation next term.

They have struggled for goals all season, being the joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League with 17, and Beto would certainly help in that regard, having achieved double figures for goals in each of his last three league campaigns, and seven so far in the Serie A with Udinese this term (Transfermarkt).

Becao would improve the team defensively, with the centre-back ranking in the 97th percentile for touches, 96th for tackles and 89th for non-penalty goals of all his positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year, among other metrics that makes him a complete defender (FBRef).

Nonetheless, both players have the potential to break into the starting line-up under Dyche, and so this is a double deal that the Blues should be seriously considering.

As Newcastle United gear themselves up for Sunday’s Carabao Cup final encounter with Manchester United, one man who will likely be feeling that mix of nerves and excitement more than most is academy graduate, Sean Longstaff, with the North Shields native hoping to help steer his boyhood club to long-awaited glory.

As the 25-year-old has himself admitted, he is simply “living the dream” at present under Magpies boss Eddie Howe, having shaken off a tough spell under former manager Steve Bruce to emerge as a leading figure for the resurgent outfit.

The local lad will almost certainly be handed a starting berth for this weekend’s highly-anticipated meeting at Wembley, with that involvement set to come just under five years on from the midfielder making his senior debut for the club in the competition back in August 2018.

That early impact under Rafa Benitez had seen the towering gem catch the eye of upcoming opponents, Man United, in the summer of 2019, albeit with the Red Devils ultimately walking away from any deal having baulked at the Tynesiders’ reported £50m asking price.

Despite that initial promise, though, the 5 foot 11 machine was subsequently restricted to something of a bit-part role in the years that followed, having never made more than 15 Premier League starts in a single season prior to the beginning of the current campaign.

That lack of action now appears a distant memory for the club’s “unsung hero”, however – as lauded by pundit Tam McManus – with the Englishman having already started 19 league games this season, proving influential in the club’s rampant run of form both in the top-flight and in the cup.

For all the expectancy that Newcastle would simply splash the cash following the change in ownership, it is a testament to the work of Howe that he has more than put his faith in those already at the club, with Longstaff one of the more obvious beneficiaries of the 45-year-old’s appointment.

How much is Longstaff worth?

The playmaker’s rise of late is illustrated by the fact that he is now set to be worth in the region of £16m, according to Football Transfers, with that a rather sizeable sum considering that the £50k-per-week man cost the club nothing to develop him in the youth ranks.

Not that the northeast side will be looking to cash in any time soon, however, with Longstaff currently blossoming in the centre of the park, having scored three goals and provided three assists in 30 games in all competitions this season.

Praised for being “absolutely everywhere” in the midfield by the aforementioned McManus, the one-time Blackpool loanee has showcased his defensive prowess by averaging 1.3 tackles per game in the league this season, while also offering a threat creatively as he laid on five big chances from his 23 top-flight outings.

The relentless gem’s most telling contribution this term, however, came during the semi-final triumph over Southampton last month to help steer his side to the showpiece, having netted twice in the second-leg victory at St James’ Park.

It would no doubt be fitting if Longstaff were to again prove the hero come Sunday, although no matter the outcome of that mouthwatering clash, Newcastle do appear to have struck gold by persisting with the youth product.