All posts by h79snht.top

Heading to the South Coast with the chance of pulling just one-point behind second-placed Liverpool in the Premier League standings, everything seemed to point towards an Arsenal victory over Bournemouth. In truth, it was the complete opposite.

Arsenal were at sixes and sevens defensively, falling to a three-goal deficit to Bournemouth, before resiliently fighting back to save some face with a superb comeback to steal a point and cap-off a tremendous night for the neutral supporters.

3-3 against Bournemouth isn’t exactly a result that Arsenal will be too happy with though and Hector Bellerin was highlighted as one of the worst performers in the game, after being caught out of position for the first goal and being bullied off the ball for the third.

For the young full-back, it was certainly his worst performance in an Arsenal shirt and fans on social media were far from forgiving, as they took to Twitter in vast numbers to criticise his performance.

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Manchester United is the most successful club in Premier League history

Thirteen league titles will not be topped for a very, very long time, if ever at all, which is why they can boast being top of the tree despite suffering something of a monumental collapse over the last few years.

With success comes world class players. It is because of them and former boss Sir Alex Ferguson that United have been so successful over the years.

United have had the pleasure of having some of the world’s best players don the famous red shirt at Old Trafford, with many of them going on to be hugely influential to their trophy hauling antics in years gone by – particularly thanks to their goal scoring abilities.

But can you name the top 20 Premier League goalscorers for Man United?

Are there any in the top 20 that may surprise you? Take the quiz below, brought to you by EFQ, and see how many you can get in just 5 minutes – and then challenge your mates by sharing the quiz with them afterwards.

Go on then, do your worst! And NO CHEATING!

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Manchester United have triggered a one-year extension in Antonio Valencia’s contract, reports the Manchester Evening News.

What’s the word?

The Ecuadorian is in his eighth year at Old Trafford, and has been thriving under manager Jose Mourinho.

As a result of his positive form, the club have reportedly rewarded him with an additional year on his deal.

According to the Manchester Evening News, the three-year contract that Valencia agreed in 2014 under former manager Louis van Gaal included a 12-month option.

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Much like they did with Marouane Fellaini, United have exercised the clause, meaning that Valencia will be tied down to the club until the summer of 2018, just before his 33rd birthday.

Why Valencia’s new deal is good news for United.

Since switching from the wing to right-back, Valencia has become a crucial part of the Mourinho’s team, playing in all but three Premier League games this season.

The only reason he was out of those specific games was because of a broken arm, but the manager proved how vital Valencia was to the setup by installing him as soon as he had recovered.

The former Villarreal player has been so impressive that he has forced Matteo Darmian down the pecking order, resulting in the Italian competing for the left-back spot.

Under Van Gaal, Valencia struggled to impress as a winger, making just 14 outings in the top flight.

He has certainly revived his career this season and looks set to continue being Mourinho’s first-choice right-back.

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Happy 33rd birthday Darren Fletcher. Having fought off illness, the Scot has returned to the top of the English game. He has started all 22 of West Bromwich Albion’s Premier League matches this season and become a lynchpin for Tony Pulis’ side. The glories of Champions League nights and Premier League titles are a memory now, but his status in such successful Manchester United teams should never be forgotten. Fletcher is the standard bearer for the under-valued, indispensable, trusted squad member.

Alex Ferguson placed faith in Fletcher above all else. Whether it be a certain role in a big game or the guarantee of a good performance, Fletcher was one of a clutch of players that seldom received the plaudits, but were as key to Manchester United’s successes as anyone. Park Ji-Sung was another that Ferguson would throw into the line-up for the toughest of European nights in the knowledge that he was not going to cost his team the match with a rash mistake and stick strictly to instructions.

John O’Shea, Michael Carrick and countless others were in similar situations. Whether it be versatility or reliability, they racked up medals at the club and were as key to the success as anyone. The bit-part players are easily forgotten, but those bit-parts are so often the most crucial of all. Fletcher is the pinnacle of that crucial role– especially with Carrick’s importance now widely accepted – and he has continued in a similar vein at West Brom. The Baggies are enjoying an excellent season, it is no coincidence that Fletcher has been a regular starter. His numbers are often unspectacular, but his experience has been vital to the improvement of Pulis’ side.

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These players often drift away from the clubs where they have been so important. John Obi Mikel, for instance, left Chelsea this winter as a multiple league title winner, European champion and as one of the highest foreign appearance makers in Chelsea history. Bemoaned for much of his career and rarely an every-game starter, Mikel was pivotal in many of Chelsea’s successes, none more so than their against the odds Champions League win in 2012. He, like Fletcher, will not get the praise he deserves, or the appreciation he truly warrants from Chelsea or the wider footballing world.

Fletcher represents so many players in a similar situation. Manchester United had many throughout the Ferguson years and Chelsea have had several of their own – Branislav Ivanovic and Ramires spring to mind. Each team has their squad members that split opinion, many are even forgotten about, but they remain integral to the history of a club. Mikel and Fletcher will not go down as ‘legends’ (for those who feel the need to categorise like that) yet their longevity and reliability makes them cornerstones of immensely successful periods for their respective clubs.

Some players get called under-rated so often that it is no longer true. Fletcher, Mikel and many others never enjoy that luxury. Footballers do not play the sport for praise, but the role of players so obviously trusted by their managers cannot be overstated. In some cases it can be the difference between success and failure.

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Antonio Conte definitely won’t be sitting on his hands in the summer transfer, despite Chelsea’s fantastic season so far, with The Times stating the Blues are prepared to spend a remarkable £70m to bring Bernardo Silva to West London this summer.

French principality side Monaco have impressed this season, currently standing ahead of Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the Ligue 1 table, with Bernardo Silva being a huge reason behind their success.

However, for a fee of £70m, you’d expect Bernardo Silva to have stand-out statistics and it’s fair to say he doesn’t boast them currently.

From 25 appearances in Ligue 1 this season, Bernardo Silva boasts five goals and six assists from his position in attacking midfielder and, whilst those numbers are relatively impressing, they’re not quite enough to warrant such an audacious price-tag.

Silva’s passing accuracy is also average, standing at 80%, whilst he averages just 0.4 aerial duels won a match and 1.7 shots per game. At just 22, he is a fantastic talent but Chelsea’s may be getting ahead of themselves if they part with a club-record fee for his signature.

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has admitted he is under pressure following the Reds’ 3-1 defeat to Leicester City last night, which continued a horrendous run of form for the Anfield outfit in 2017.

Since the turn of the year, Liverpool have won just two fixtures across all competitions, one of which was a 1-0 victory over League Two Plymouth Argyle in an FA Cup replay, whilst they’ve been dumped out of both domestic cup competitions.

Defeats to Southampton and Wolves sealed their fate in the cups and their Premier League campaign hasn’t faired much better, with the Reds enduring defeats at the hands of struggling Hull City, Swansea City and Leicester to put a real dent into their hopes of returning to the Champions League.

Quoted by Goal, Klopp has admitted he’s under pressure following the woeful spell and admits the situation is serious.

“It’s getting more serious now. We all play for our future, myself included. We get judged every day, especially on match days. Of course performances have influence on these things.”

“I feel maximum responsibility because I am the manager. I hope I use the word ‘we’ and not ‘they’ because I’m involved in this.”

Sat fifth in the Premier League, Liverpool missed the chance to rise into the top-four last night and now face the prospect of slipping to sixth and potentially four points behind the Champions League spots.

With huge clashes against Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton on the horizon, Liverpool cannot afford any further slip-ups.

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Much like the Ryder Cup, the diverse nature of the Premier League affords us the luxury of dreaming of pitting England’s best athletes against those from further ashore.

Though the Three Lions have not won an International trophy since the infamous 1966, there’s little doubt we have had the privilege of watching some of the best English talent ply their trade in front of our eyes and screens over the last few years, with many of us able to watch living legends of the game on a weekly basis.

In fact, many of them are teaming up for the Icons of Football series later in June and it will certainly be a pleasure to watch some of the best England have to offer reunite, even if it is away from the football pitch and now on the golf course.

The likes of Alan Shearer, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes (all of whom make our legend eleven) will team up with former colleagues Andy Cole, Robbie Fowler, Paul Ince, Kevin Phillips and Teddy Sheringham to take on the Rest of World this summer.

Between them, they have a raft of international experience and will be no strangers to handling the pressure of playing for England, having amassed so many appearances between the lot.

Elsewhere, Premier League star James Milner and Phil Jagielka – both of whom have represented their nation at the last few international tournaments – will also be major parts of Lee Westwood’s team.

With so many domestic and international trophies between those lining up for Westwood, he’ll no doubt be hoping they bring their winning expertise to the Belfry in June.

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Tickets for Icons of Football 2017 are available now at icons-series.com

Derby County are in the market for Oxford United winger Marvin Johnson, reports the Daily Mail.

What’s the story?

The Rams are believed to have begun strategising ahead of this summer’s transfer window.

It is unlikely that Derby will reach the playoffs this season as they currently reside 10 points behind the top six in the Championship.

With the club expecting to compete in the second tier for the 2017-18 campaign, attention has turned to League One for transfer targets.

According to the Daily Mail, Derby manager Steve McClaren has been impressed by the winger’s performances for Oxford and is considering a summer swoop.

Should Johnson join Derby?

The 26-year-old is likely to have attracted plenty of interest from Championship clubs due to his form at Kassam Stadium.

Johnson has made 27 League One appearances, 22 of which were starts, and has scored five goals in all competitions.

The winger joined the U’s from Motherwell just last year, but it would be difficult to turn down an opportunity to play in the Championship.

As it stands, Oxford face a big challenge if they want to seal a place in the playoffs as the club currently sit 11th in the standings, nine points adrift of the top six.

It is unlikely that Johnson will find himself in the Championship with Oxford next season, so this could be his only chance to secure a big move.

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Players signed from abroad have always generated excitement. Nabbing a footballer from Spain, Italy or France brings an element of excitement, with the promise of flair, creativity and technical prowess whetting appetites, while going further abroad to South America conjures images of the Brazilian team decked out in bright yellow running rings around opponents or the sheer tactical sophistication of the Argentines.As a result of this, the Championship often gets overlooked, despite the fact it’s watched in greater numbers and offers a superior level of quality to many other of Europe’s top divisions. No other second tier league anywhere on the planet comes even close to England’s offering, and even though there’s an argument that this is down to money alone there’s no disputing that the quality of football being played by teams at the top end wouldn’t leave them out of place in the Europa League or perhaps even the Champions League’s group stages.So, this division should be a happy hunting ground for Premier League sides, yet it really isn’t being exploited. It’s disrespectful to suggest that the Championship must exist to be a finishing school for the elite clubs, but there should, perhaps, be a greater emphasis from those in the top tier on making use of talent right on their doorstep.Michail Antonio, for example, has been a success at West Ham. The winger, celebrating his 27th birthday today, has been the Hammers’ standout performer this term and he was plucked from Nottingham Forest in 2015. Granted, the Irons have been poor this season, but Antonio hasn’t, with his nine league goals making him the Londoners’ top scorer, and that’s despite him having featured in no fewer than seven different positions, ranging from right back to centre-forward. He’s shown tactical flexibility, explosive power and the ability to cope with real pressure, and had he been, at the risk of coming over all Sean Dyche, been called Michele Antonito, he might well be on the shopping lists of the title-chasers while being talked about at length on podcasts and highlights shows.Although there aren’t as many players as you may expect stepping up between the divisions, a few have made impacts in the Premier League. For example, Troy Deeney and Jamie Vardy have moved from the second to the first division with Watford and Leicester respectively, both achieving success – the latter especially – while Ryan Shawcross has carved out a fine Premier League career after coming up as part of Tony Pulis’ Stoke side. Signings, too, have been successful, if not plentiful, with Joe Gomez having made an impact at Liverpool, Demarai Gray at Leicester and recently Alfie Mawson with Swansea. It’s worth remembering that John Stones was taken from Barnsley by Everton at a young age and has since gone on to become the most expensive defender in the history of the beautiful game following his £47.5m transfer to Manchester City last year.

So, is there value in the division now? Certainly. As the above video shows, the calibre of footballer across all three divisions of the Football League is, arguably, greater than ever, while Championship sides boast a great quantity of senior international players for nations all across the planet. Chris Wood at Leeds has smashed in 24 Championship goals this term, and his mix of pace and sheer physicality hint that he could lead the line for a decent club in the Premier League, while Anthony Knockaert has been truly excellent for Brighton & Hove Albion, illustrating on a weekly basis that he’s a good enough complete package to make the leap. These two players might yet both miss out on promotion, and if they do a host of clubs should sniffing around, a state of affairs that’s likely to be similar at Fulham with Tom Cairney and teenage sensation Ryan Sessegnon. As well as this, a quick glance at England’s U-21s shows that a host of the next generation are plying their trade in the Championship, also.

There is value out there, then. While teams have had their fingers burned by the likes of Cameron Jerome and Dwight Gayle – two players whose level seems to be somewhere between the two leagues – there should be a greater clamour than ever this summer for Championship players. Antonio has shown this season that the void is not as great as fans often believe it is, while exotic doesn’t always mean exciting!

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As reported by The Sunday Times, both Manchester United and Chelsea are battling it out to complete a world record transfer for Brazilian superstar Neymar this summer.

What’s the story?

We can never go too long in the Premier League without a mega-transfer rumour and the latest is a big one.

The Times reckon that both Manchester United and Chelsea have already made approaches to Neymar to convince him to push for a move to the Premier League this summer.

They say he’s looking for team that are willing to build their entire set-up around him and pay him an eye-watering £21m per season, making him the best paid footballer in Europe.

Not only that, but with his transfer market value thought to be a ridiculous £170m, any fee would likely smashing the world record move of Paul Pogba last summer, according to the report.

Worth it?

The figures spoken about in the report are of course shocking at first but when you consider what the Brazilian is capable of, if harnessed correctly, his talent could ensure both clubs are challenging for the biggest trophies in the game on a consistent basis.

With 15 goals and 18 assists this season, Neymar is certainly contributing massively to the Barcelona cause this season but as noted is not the main man there with Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi the star attractions at the Nou Camp.

A move to the Premier League and the responsibility of being a team’s main man could bring his game to the next level and see him fulfil his potential of perhaps becoming the very best player around.

At the age of 25 he’s scored a massive 236 goals already in his professional career, plus 52 in 77 appearances for his national team.

Yes he would cost a lot of money, but for good reason, and his signature could spark an era of sustained success wherever he ends up.