All posts by h716a5.icu

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Aston Villa may be pursuing a new goalkeeper this summer but they’ve handed Jed Steer a massive boost by rewarding him with a new contract that’s set to keep him at the club until 2023.

The Villans have been linked with moves for Neil Etheridge, Jack Butland and Tom Heaton so the decision to renew Steer’s contract is a significant move.

Understandably, Villa fans were delighted with the news, taking to Twitter to celebrate his new deal.

Some supporters decided to focus on his efforts during the play-offs as one declared that they wouldn’t be in the Premier League without him. Another said it was well deserved for helping the Midlands outfit get to Wembley.

A further fan hailed the way he came into the team under pressure whilst one individual claimed he deserved to be their number one next term.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Steer was originally left out of the side at the beginning of last season, finding himself down in the pecking order behind both Andre Moreira and Orjan Nyland.

A loan spell with Charlton then followed before he was recalled over the winter. His form was hugely impressive as he went onto be the hero of their penalty shoot-out victory over West Brom in the play-off semi-finals.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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

Aston Villa have done some particularly shrewd work in exploiting the loan market in the past year.

Signing Axel Tuanzebe and Anwar El Ghazi on loan last season, Dean Smith also added Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause to his squad on a temporary basis over the winter.

But they’re once again targeting another loan deal. Per The Guardian, they have an interest in Chelsea teenager Ethan Ampadu.

The Welshman was rarely afforded much game time last season, featuring just three times in the Europa League as he had to settle for a solitary start.

It was a disappointing campaign for the defensive-minded player but he could be set for a new lease of life on loan at the Villans.

On the chalkboard

Despite being the tender age of just 18, Ampadu is someone who plays like an individual beyond his years. He’s intelligent on the ball and calm in possession, boasting a pass success of 87.9%.

Yet, it’s his defensive contribution that can benefit Villa most next season if he joins.

Whether that be as a centre back or as a holding midfield player, two roles he’s featured in for the Blues, his reading of the game is exceptional and his ability to step out and intercept the play is impressive for someone so young.

In the Europa League he made 1.7 interceptions per game in 2018/19 whilst for Wales in the Nations League, that went up to 2.7 per match, completing eight interceptions in three outings.

If you compare that to the current Villa squad then his record at international level is streets ahead of anyone else in the side.

Mile Jedinak was top of their charts making 1.7, but he’s now been released. However, in terms of those who started regularly, Mings had the best stats with 1.2 interceptions on average per 90 minutes.

If Villa are looking for someone who can offer more protection then Ampadu could prove to be game-changing.

Despite still being incredibly inexperienced, his ability to break up the play could be crucial for a newly promoted team who quite possibly won’t see as much of the ball next term.

Having lost Jedinak and Glenn Whelan, you sense as though Villa will need to find someone capable of doing a similar job to make up for their departures. Ampadu could well be their answer.

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have urged the club to swoop for Real Madrid midfielder Dani Ceballos after the Daily Star claimed that he could leave the club for a fee of £30m.

The Spanish giants, who need to raise funds this summer, reportedly deem the Spain Under-21 international expendable.

Real have already signed the likes of Eden Hazard and Ferland Mendy this summer and Ceballos is said to be wanted by both Spurs and Arsenal.

Spurs are reportedly closing in on the signings of Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele and Leeds United’s Jack Clarke, while they have also been linked with Fulham’s Ryan Sessegnon and Real Betis’ Giovani Lo Celso.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

They have yet to announce their first transfer since the January 2018 acquisition of Lucas Moura, however, and fans have urged the club to make a move for Ceballos, who has made a total of 56 appearances for Los Blancos.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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

Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina defender Juan Foyth has enjoyed a strong showing at the Copa America.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

On the chalkboard

The 22-year-old only really made his first-team breakthrough in 2018/19, as he made 12 appearances in the Premier League and three in the club’s run to the Champions League final.

He was included in Argentina’s squad for the tournament, however, and has enjoyed a relatively impressive showing.

Indeed, Foyth made four appearances for his country, including playing 90 minutes in the semi-final defeat to Brazil.

Per WhoScored, he averaged 3.8 tackles per game, along with 3.5 clearances.

On the ball, he made an average of 29.8 passes per game with a completion rate of 90.8%, and also made 1.5 dribbles per game.

He is raw, of course, and also made 1.8 fouls per game while he was dribbled past, on average, 1.3 times per game.

Perhaps this speaks to playing in a system that does not prize defensive solidity; Foyth made fewer tackles, on average, in the Premier League, as well as fewer fouls.

Promising signs

Foyth is still a youngster in terms of his development and one has to feel that higher scrutiny is placed upon defenders who are learning their trade.

Yet he has equipped himself well thus far and is clearly ingratiating himself under Pochettino, who reportedly believes Foyth has the potential to become one of the best centre-backs in Europe.

The experience of a major international tournament, and the heartache that can come along with it, will hopefully stand Foyth in good stead to make further progress in England upon his return.

Spurs, of course, have a number of excellent central defenders, with Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld and Davinson Sanchez still on the books.

But when Foyth is given a chance, and one has to assume that he will be given Pochettino’s clear liking of the youngster, he has all the tools required to grab it with both hands. Those 12 Premier League appearances represent a number that can be readily improved upon next time out.

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Tottenham Hotspur are in the hunt to sign Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips, according to The Mirror.

The paper say that Spurs are interested alongside Aston Villa and Newcastle, although the Elland Road outfit value the player at as much as £30m.

Phillips was a massive part of the Leeds side that came close to promotion from the English Championship last term, making 46 appearances for the club.

Before Tanguy Ndombele, Spurs fans haven’t been able to vlog about a transfer since January 2018! Judging by the video below, it’s been worth the wait…

However, entirely untested at a level above the English second-tier, the reported asking price is a little steep even in today’s inflated market.

The central midfield area may not be a massive priority for Spurs either, as some have fans pointed out, especially after the impressive capture of Tanguy Ndombele.

If Spurs are to progress from their current standing and push towards winning the Premier League, they’ll likely need a higher calibre of signing than Phillips, even if he is young and has potential at 23 years of age.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Fans aren’t very keen on seeing him arrive at the club, with many taking to Twitter over the last 48 hours to share their thoughts…

[ad_pod ]This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…West Ham are poised to sign Sebastian Haller from Eintracht Frankfurt, the Bundesliga club have confirmed.

The Hammers have agreed a fee of £45m for the striker, which could rise to £50m depending on certain performance-related bonuses, per sources.

The news comes after Tuttosport reported that a bid worth €60m (£54.2m) had been tabled for Torino striker Andrea Belotti.

The Serie A club rejected the offer but one has to wonder: Is Haller the better option?

He is slightly cheaper, of course, but he scored 20 goals in all competitions last season.

Per Understat, he made 29 appearances in the Bundesliga, scoring 15 goals and registering nine assists.

He averaged 2.23 shots per 90, along with 1.57 key passes; that’s a pass leading to a shot.

His expected goals (xG) rate of 13.69 was outperformed, meaning that he took chances that he was not expected to. His expected assist (xA) rate of 7.37 was also outperformed, meaning that his team-mates were clinical when he gave them the ball.

He averaged an xG per 90 of 0.57, meaning he was expected to score in every other game in the German top-flight.

Belotti, meanwhile, scored 17 goals in all competitions and 15 in Serie A, the same as Haller. Per Understat, he registered three assists.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He averaged 3.40 shots per 90, along with 0.95 key passes.

While they scored the same amount of goals, Belotti had a higher xG rate than his number of actual strikes – 17.01 to 15 – meaning that he missed chances he should have scored, while he was also unable to turn provider. He averaged an xG per 90 of 0.46, which is significantly lower than Haller’s.

On the surface, the pair are similar but, scratch a little deeper, and one sees that Haller is a more potent, and more productive, option.

He regularly looks to bring others into play and is also a more clinical finisher than the Italian.

Neither player, of course, has any experience of playing in the Premier League but one feels that West Ham have made the correct call.

Haller is a cheaper option – perhaps due to his lack of standing outside of Germany; he hasn’t won a senior cap for France, while Belotti has won 22 for Italy – but he could well prove a bargain.

We wonder if his family will ever look at him in the same way again, though it seems unlikely.

Rice you rascal.

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Some Everton fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was reported by Sky Sports that the club are weighing up moves for Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina and Chelsea centre-back Fikayo Tomori.

The Toffees are said to view Lemina – who has been told he can leave by the Saints – as a potential replacement for the PSG-bound Idrissa Gueye. The Gabon international is also of interest to Wolves and Manchester United.

Check out some amazing tekkers in the video below…

It is believed that Marco Silva has not yet given up on signing last season’s loan hero Kurt Zouma on a permanent basis, although the deal has stalled with Frank Lampard revealing that he’d like to keep the France international – Zouma himself has also said he will probably stay at Stamford Bridge.

The Merseysiders are chasing four or five additions before the deadline slams shut, and the aforementioned pair could well be included in that total if Sky Sports are to be believed.

Let’s take a look at how some of the Everton fans on Twitter reacted to the news…

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West Ham United fans want to sign Gary Cahill on a free transfer this summer.

A report from Football Insider has claimed that the club are interested in acquiring the former Chelsea defender before next Thursday’s deadline.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Indeed, the Hammers have struggled throughout pre-season, conceding 10 goals in five games, including shipping four against Manchester City and three against Hertha Berlin.

Of course, Cahill left the Blues at the end of the 2018/19 campaign, having made 290 appearances for the club.

In that time, he won the Premier League twice, the FA Cup twice, the Europa League twice and the Champions League once.

A former England international, Cahill also won a total of 61 caps for his country, scoring five goals.

And Hammers fans are keen for the club to strike a deal for the 33-year-old, such is his experience and Premier League knowhow.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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Patrick Bamford was on the score-sheet as Leeds United opened their 2019-20 Championship campaign with a 3-1 victory against Bristol City last weekend.

However, the 25-year-old could not inspire his team to all three points on Sunday as Marcelo Bielsa’s side were held to a 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest.

According to WhoScored, Bamford had five shots in the clash at Elland Road but was unable to find the back of the net with Pablo Hernandez getting the goal for the hosts.

And a number of the Leeds supporters have taken to social media to criticise the striker for some wayward finishing.

There is a lot of pressure on Bamford to score the goals this season when considering that Kemar Roofe joined Anderlecht in the latter stages of the transfer window.

On-loan Arsenal attacker Eddie Nketiah has been signed to boost Bielsa’s options in the final third. However, Bamford really needs to step up and have a big season.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the club’s fans can be seen below:

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