All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

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…

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier has found first-team minutes hard to come by under Mauricio Pochettino this season, with his first Premier League start of the season not coming until the clash against Brighton and Hove Albion prior to the international break.

Following the disappointing 3-0 defeat at the Amex, a report emerged in The Times that the England international tops the list of players his Argentine manager is looking to move on during the January transfer window, as he looks to shake up his squad.

Judging by that, the 47-year-old wants the versatile player – who can feature in midfield or defence – gone in the New Year, but he certainly made an impressive cameo from the substitutes’ bench against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday night.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The north London outfit ran out comfortable 5-0 winners against the Serbian outfit at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the former Sporting Lisbon man on the pitch for the final 23 minutes – coming on and getting up to speed can be difficult in games like that.

However, impressively all of his 26 passes were accurate, while he also had a shot at goal too, according to WhoScored.

Perhaps what was most impressive was the range of passing he showed, with one particularly impressive long ball forward finding a teammate, which is exactly the type of quality Spurs require from those central positions.

Given the 25-year-old now faces competition from the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko for a spot in Pochettino’s central midfield, he certainly has an uphill task ahead of him.

However, unlike those three he can act as an out-and-out defensive midfielder who can sit and protect the backline, and perhaps that is what they need having conceded seven times at home to Bayern Munich with the aforementioned trio playing instead of him, for example.

Pochettino may want to axe him, but Dier showed there could still be life in him at Tottenham yet with his impressive display against Red Star.

Trouble in paradise.

Ole in or Ole out? There’s a divide amongst fans at the moment about the permanent status of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the manager of Manchester United, and we don’t expect it’ll cool anytime soon with a less than ideal run of fixtures coming up, including Liverpool, Partizan Belgrade, Norwich City and Chelsea.

Although, with just five wins in 22 competitive matches, and some pretty atrocious performances along the way, the likes Rochdale and Astana have been made to look like behemoth world-beaters.

Thursday night was abysmal, there are no two ways about it. Having failed to register a single shot on target in the Europa League for the first time in their history, according to OptaJoe, Solskjaer’s side have added another unwanted record to their collection.

It follows the news that the club have suffered their worst start to a season in 30 years.

Despite this all, Solskjaer has remained blindly positive about his players’ performances, calling it a “good point away from home.”

Fans responded by calling for his head…

England were beaten 2-1 by Czech Republic on Friday evening as the Three Lions suffered their first qualification defeat for 10 years.

Harry Kane had given the 2018 World Cup semi-finalists the lead in Prague, but the home side deservedly turned things around to secure a huge three points.

There was only one Liverpool player on display in the international fixture with Jordan Henderson lining up in the middle of the park.

Trent Alexander-Arnold would have been tipped by many to start at right-back given how well the Merseyside outfit are doing this term, although Kieran Trippier – now with Atletico Madrid – ultimately got the nod.

It was a disappointing night for Gareth Southgate’s side, but it appears that the Liverpool fans were not really bothered by the defeat.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Indeed, their side are chasing the Premier League title and will also be keen to defend the Champions League crown that they famously won last season.

Club over country has been an interesting debate over the years, and it seems that the Liverpool supporters are only really concerned by their team’s form.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]

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… 

Liverpool suffered their second defeat of the season against Napoli and though individual mistakes cost them victory, there were some positives to take from their latest trip to the San Paolo.

This time around, they looked more comfortable in possession and provided a greater goal threat than last season, which remains the only game out of 75 in which the Reds failed to have a shot on target.

It was not only in attack where they improved, either, as they had the majority share of possession and stifled a Napoli attack, which had scored nine goals in three games, for large spells.

They didn’t meet their usual high standards, however. Adrian impressed in goal but Sadio Mane was the only attacker who showcased his flair throughout, and he barely put a foot wrong in everything he did.

He was reliable on the ball and when finding teammates, with the only criticism that he perhaps lacked that cutting edge needed to put his team in front in a game which was decided by fine margins.

The Senegal international was heavily involved in what the Reds did going forward, as evidenced by his statistics from WhoScored.

His 66 touches were the most of any forward player on the pitch and that made him a danger for the Napoli defence, who did well to prevent his influence having an impact on the game.

As usual, Mane was key to everything Liverpool did in the opposition half. The forward was constantly looking at ways to test the backline and put his side ahead, and his teammates perhaps let him down as nothing materialised from the three key passes he managed.

That aspect of his game impressed all night, achieving a pass success rate of 90% which was once again the best of any forward, but ultimately he had nothing to show for his efforts.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 27-year-old has been impressive in front of goal this season with excellently taken goals against Southampton and Newcastle in particular, but he couldn’t quite find the corners of the goal against Napoli despite his two shots on target from two attempts.

His display showed he will be important to the Reds’ success in Europe once again this campaign, as he has been for the previous two. His trickery makes him a handful at the highest level and he can often be too much for defenders to cope with, as shown through his three successful dribbles.

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have been drooling over former target Ricardo Pereira’s latest Leicester City performance.

The Telegraph reported in June 2017 that the Portugal international was Mauricio Pochettino’s first choice to replace Manchester City-bound Kyle Walker, with Nice demanding around £20m for his services.

However, The Independent saying later in the summer that Daniel Levy was finding a deal more difficult to do than was first anticipated.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Spurs eventually ended up bringing Serge Aurier to north London instead on August 31, with Ricardo turning up at the King Power Stadium the following summer.

The 25-year-old has certainly made a big impact at full-back for the Foxes, and scored an excellent solo goal in the 5-0 win against Newcastle United on Sunday.

Tottenham supporters were quick to have their say on the Leicester right-back having seen their own one sent off in the first half for two bookable offences on Saturday, and it’s fair to say that many weren’t impressed with chairman Daniel Levy.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Crystal Palace have been rather impressive in recent times as they continue to improve under Roy Hodgson, having gone unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions. 

The Eagles still find themselves at risk from slipping into the relegation zone as they’re currently only two points above the bottom three, so they still need to seek even more improvements.

Interestingly, it appears as if the London club already have their sights set on a possible summer swoop, as according to Calciomercato (via 90Min), Crystal Palace are interested in Christian Kouame.

Indeed, the 21-year-old has established himself as one of the brightest prospects in Italy this season, having produced four goals and six assists at current club Genoa. He is a powerful forward who possesses an obvious aerial threat, so he would be a great addition for Palace who look to play off a target man.

Sadly, the likes of Christian Benteke, Jordan Ayew, Connor Wickham and Michy Batshuayi have only produced a combined three goals this season, so it’s safe to say they could do with bringing in attacking reinforcements.

Roy Hodgson can make a big statement by securing the services of Christian Kouame as they would pip one of Europe’s elite to the signing as Juventus also hold a strong interest in the Ivory Coast forward, and he has the potential to become a future star.

What do you think Crystal Palace fans?

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Tuesday night signalled the end to the first international break of the season as another round of Premier League action draws closer.

Those at Aston Villa will have mainly been concerned with Tyrone Mings’ involvement in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad as the 26-year-old was called up to represent England for the very first time, though it wasn’t to be as he didn’t feature.

Conor Hourihane was also in action, playing for Mick McCarthy’s Republic of Ireland side in their friendly win over Bulgaria, who England had thrashed 4-0 just a few days earlier.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 5 foot 11 midfielder was deployed in unfamiliar territory, but it appeared to pay off with the Boys in Green winning 3-1 which has now left Villa boss Dean Smith with something to think about.

On the Chalkboard

Hourihane played at left-back for McCarthy’s men despite primarily being a central midfielder and with Matt Targett out through injury, it could give the west Midlands club a viable option in the meantime.

The Republic boss said before the match:

“He has all the tools to play there that’s for sure. He is a very intelligent player. He has a wonderful left foot, and if we can get him further up the pitch so he can deliver crosses, we should get some joy out of that.

“It is about trying to find things out. Why would I not try it? That’s what these games are for. What if he’s amazing?”

The Villa boss essentially got a free look at one of his players operating in a different position which can surely only prove to be beneficial in the long-run, especially if Targett is out longer than expected or their other option, Neil Taylor, picks up some sort of issue too.

In the last three seasons, Hourihane has averaged 0.9 crosses or more in the Championship with his best being 1.4 per match in the 2016/17 season at Villa, which shows he can indeed get up the pitch to deliver.

Nine of his assists in their playoff-winning campaign came from crosses, six from a free-kick and two from a corner so that only further emphasises his ability to whip a ball into the penalty area.

It remains to be seen whether we will see Hourihane deputise out left in the claret and blue, but at least Smith knows now he has a potentially viable option, particularly if he favours someone with attacking qualities.

[ad_pod ]

West Ham have ‘in recent hours’ shown an interest in Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa, according to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna.

The Lowdown: Left-back options

West Ham have been hugely reliant on Aaron Cresswell for many years to hold down the left-back position. The defender has made an astonishing 239 appearances for the Hammers in the league, placing him second in the Irons’ table for most Premier League appearances, behind Mark Noble, who totals 407 matches.

However, Cresswell is now 32 years old, and he has just 18 months left on his contract.

Arthur Masuaku is the club’s alternative option at left-back. The 28-year-old has made 11 top-flight appearances this season, seven of which have come off the bench. Despite this, fans would likely be reluctant to see him replace Cresswell in the starting XI, as the player has received some criticism for his recent performances.

Pundit Ian Wright singled Masuaku out for the ‘poor game’ he had in the Hammers’ defeat to Southampton, suggesting that he is a defensive liability.

As Cresswell doesn’t have long left on his current deal and with Masuaku failing to show why he should play a part in David Moyes’ starting XI, it is clear to see why West Ham have been searching for a left-back to bring into the club.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-copy/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Hammers interested in Kurzawa

According to Foot Mercato journalist Aouna, West Ham have ‘shown interest in recent hours’ for PSG defender Kurzawa.

The Frenchman has not played any part in the current season for PSG; with just one appearance in all 2021/22 competitions, which was off the bench for nine minutes in the Trophée des Champions.

Therefore, this could be ‘a way out’ for the left-back, with Newcastle United also said to be interested in the player.

The Verdict: Poor choice

Kurzawa was previously linked with a deal to fellow London club Arsenal, with reports suggesting that he even agreed a deal to move to the Emirates Stadium in January 2020.

However, with the deal failing to materialise, questions have been asked as to the reason why. The 29-year-old has a lengthy injury history, which has seen him sidelined for weeks at a time; the longest of which was a herniated disc which kept him out for three months.

With suggestions that he also has a bad attitude, this does not seem like the sort of player that Moyes should be pursuing, even despite the player’s incredible trophy haul of 18 domestic competitions won in Paris.

In other news: West Ham United: Phillips bid officially rejected

Newcastle clawed themselves out of the bottom three with an emphatic 3-1 win over Everton in the Premier League on Tuesday night.

Jamaal Lascelles’ own goal put the Toffees ahead in the match, but Mason Holgate returned the favour by putting the ball into his own net a minute later.

Goals from Ryan Fraser and Kieran Trippier then sealed the three points for the Magpies, with the latter scoring his first goal for the club.

Forget Trippier

Whilst Trippier was sensational again for Newcastle with his goal and his sublime set-piece delivery, huge credit must go to central midfielder Joe Willock.

FFC published an article in the build-up to the game highlighting his poor form this season and suggesting that he should be dropped to the team. However, this performance was the perfect response to our criticism of him and any critics from elsewhere as he put in an excellent showing on and off the ball.

Willock may have now kickstarted his career at St James’ Park on a permanent basis as he could soon become a fan favourite if he puts a string of displays together in the same vein as this season.

Off the ball, he was all over the pitch for Newcastle. As per SofaScore, he won a whopping 12 duels in his 89 minutes on the pitch, making one block, one interception and winning four tackles. One of those challenges resulted in Fraser’s goal, as Willock pinched the ball off Dele Alli just inside the Everton half – starting the move that ended in Allan Saint-Maximin’s cross falling to the Scot’s feet from close range.

This shows that he put immense effort in defensively, in terms of both his passive defending in a low blow and his aggressive pressing in the final third. Howe will surely be delighted with the tenacity he showed throughout the match and the bite he added to his game.

He also offered quality in possession. Via SofaScore, he completed an impressive five of his six attempted dribbles, losing the ball just nine times all match. This shows that he was reliable with the ball at his feet and was able to progress the play by taking it past opposition players effectively.

Therefore, the £80k-per-week gem’s overall performance was superb as he made an impact at both ends of the pitch. He can now kick on and have a strong end to the campaign by putting together a run of displays of the same quality in the weeks and months to come.

AND in other news, Keith Downie issues exciting NUFC transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing

West Ham United goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski looks set to sign a new contract at the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that the 34-year-old goalkeeper is set to be rewarded for his fine form over the past four seasons with a new one-year deal in East London, which will see the shot-stopper remain with West Ham until the summer of 2023.

The report goes on to mention the fact that the former Poland international’s current contract is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, however, an agreement between David Moyes’ side and the player regarding an extension is expected to be reached in the coming days.

Moyes will be delighted

Considering just how important a part of the West Ham side Fabianski has become since his £7m move from Swansea City back in 2018, the news that the goalkeeper looks set to remain a fixture of Moyes’ first-team squad beyond the end of the current campaign is sure to have left the 58-year-old manager delighted.

Indeed, the £900k-rated man has continually been a rock between the West Ham sticks over his three and a half years in East London, earning seasonal SofaScore ratings of 6.94, 6.76 and 6.84 in 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 respectively, as well as averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.90 over his 21 Premier League appearances in the current campaign.

The £65k-per-week ‘keeper has also kept 31 clean sheets over his 123 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers, a rather impressive feat considering the club’s turbulent period prior to Moyes’ return to the London Stadium in December of 2020.

As such, the news that the shot-stopper is set to put pen to paper on a new deal with the Irons is undoubtedly positive for everyone involved with the club, as, despite his advancing years, Fabianski has demonstrated this season that he still has much to offer at the very top level of the English game.

In other news: Big twist emerges on £42k-p/w ace after ExWHUemployee claim, WHU fans will be fuming