All posts by n8rngtd.top

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

Liverpool will face Brighton at the weekend as they look to maintain their eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League. One battle in particular could decide the final outcome.

On the chalkboard

It has been a wonderful start to the campaign for the Reds. In their first 13 games, they have picked up maximum points from 12 of them, with the other one being a draw. They have not always been at their best, but they have been relentless in their pursuit of glory. After a disappointing 1-1 draw with Napoli in midweek – they had 71% possession but couldn’t score more than once – they will be hoping to bounce back against the Seagulls.

[ad_pod ]

Brighton, meanwhile, have had a mixed term up until now. They have won four, drawn three and lost six, with them picking up varying results. They have beaten the likes of Tottenham and Everton, for example, but have also lost to the Southampton and Aston Villa. It will be interesting to see which team turns up on Saturday.

As such, this has the potential to be a fascinating game, and one duel in the middle of the park could have a telling impact.

Untitled

It wasn’t just the result that will have disappointed Jurgen Klopp on Wednesday in the Champions League. Fabinho, who has been one of the Anfield outfit’s best players so far this campaign – he was called the best defensive midfielder in the world in September by Gary Neville (Sky Sports via Metro) – was forced off after just 19 minutes after picking up an ankle injury, and is out until 2020.

Check out footballers’ biggest fashion disasters in the video below…

So far this campaign, the Brazil international has started 11 of 13 league games in that position. In the two matches he was not included in the starting XI, Georginio Wijnaldum and Adam Lallana played in that deep-lying midfield position instead. With Wijnaldum not having missed a game so far this campaign, and the Reds easily dispatching Arsenal with him in the team, there is every chance he could be starting there again against Graham Potter and Co.

It is important that he keeps up with the 28-year-old’s ability on the ball. Fabinho has averaged 60.4 passes so far this campaign, the most in the midfield and the sixth-most in the team. With 1.1 key passes per match too, he is also the most creative in the centre of the park. Wijnaldum, meanwhile, has averaged 42.4 and 0.2 respectively. Both of those would need to go up drastically.

Opposite him for Brighton, Davy Propper will be looking to take advantage of Liverpool’s misfortune. As part of a ball-playing team – only six sides have a higher average possession than their 53.4% – he is the key element in the midfield. With the fourth-most passes in the team, and the most in the middle, the Seagulls will be looking to get him into play as much as possible.

His 1.1 key passes are the third-most amongst his teammates, whilst only Steven Alzate has more than his two dribbles per match. Wijnaldum, who has averaged 1.2 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and had been dribbled past 0.5 times, will need to be at the top of his game to stop the Netherlands international from driving forward and finding danger men such as Leandro Trossard, Pascal Gross and Neal Maupay.

Should £45m-valued Wijnaldum – as per Transfermarkt – be able to do that, his job will then be to look forward creatively and pick out the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. But with 2.6 tackles per match and 1.2 interceptions, Propper has the ability to thwart the 29-year-old. This really will be a contest that could shape the whole 90 minutes.

In other news, Paul Robinson says one Liverpool man is “struggling” at Anfield.

Loads of Sheffield United supporters reacted to a tweet from the club’s official Twitter account sharing a clip of John Fleck’s son demonstrating an unbelievable first touch. 

Due to the ongoing pandemic, many football clubs have resorted to keeping their fans entertained with an array of hilarious clips and iconic montages, and the Blades posted a video of the midfielder’s child practising his skills in the back garden.

After arriving at Bramall Lane from Coventry City on a free transfer in July 2016, Fleck has helped Chris Wilder’s side spring from the lower regions of League One all the way to the upper echelons of the Premier League, scoring 5 goals and providing 2 assists in 25 appearances in the English top fight this season. The 28-year-old has won 2 caps for the Scottish national team so far and he is currently valued at £5.85m via Transfermarkt.

Unsurprisingly, loads of SUFC fans replied to the club’s post, with many urging the board to “sign him up” and offer him a contract, with one fan pleading with Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad to “sign him up.”

Take a look at the rest of the reactions down below…

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Blades discussion going on in the Vital Blades Forum! Click here to get involved!

A lot of West Ham fans are drooling over pictures posted on Twitter showing concept kits that the club could use for next season.

The designs made by Byrne Graphics keeps the home kit very similar to the current one, whilst the away kit is light blue with a pattern in a slightly darker blue with white on the collar. Meanwhile the third strip is dark black with bubbles all over the shirt.

The images have gone down amazingly with many of the Hammers’ fan base and has given them something to enjoy whilst football is currently postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It will be a historic kit for the club as the next campaign will be the 125th season since they were founded back in 1895, via footballhistory.org, and fans will be hoping they can create some amazing memories in whatever strip they do wear.

However, the Hammers are still unsure whether they will be in England’s top flight or the Championship next season. They currently sit 16th in the division just two points ahead of 19th-placed Aston Villa, who have a game in hand, via BBC Sport.

While waiting to see if the season will resume, here is what some West Ham fans had to say following the tweet showing the concept kits:

Hammers fans, what are your thoughts on the concept kits featured? Comment below with your views!

Manchester United surrendered a late lead as they largely disappointed against Sheffield United on Sunday, but one man who did cover himself in some glory was David De Gea.

The Spain international often gets his side out of trouble and he did so once again for the Red Devils early on in the Bramall Lane clash.

A superb double save, the first from a John Lundstram and the second a point-blank stop from David McGoldrick’s header, kept his team in the game and it was a moment which left many fans astounded.

[ad_pod ]

In response they were quick to praise the keeper, who has previously been criticised and has conceded 15 goals in 13 league games this term.

However, there is a reason he has the nickname ‘Dave Saves’ and many were quick to show their appreciation for the 29-year-old, with one supporter suggesting that he deserves to be paid whatever amount he wants.

An abysmal first-half saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team 1-0 down at the break, with every player other than De Gea failing to produce their best quality – and but for the keeper the scoreline could have been a lot worse.

Here are some of the comments praising the Spaniard.

Arsenal were unable to hold onto their 1-0 lead against Wolves last Saturday as a Raul Jimenez strike denied Unai Emery’s side from earning a vital victory.

However, the club’s decision to highlight a save made by keeper Bernd Leno has led to criticism given the disappointing scoreline.

The Gunners’ shot-stopper kept Matt Doherty at bay with a one-handed save to keep Arsenal in the game.

Although given the current predicament at the club and the increasing calls Emery to depart The Emirates, a social media post highlighting the German keeper’s impressive save has seemingly intensified the ill-feeling from a number of the club’s fanbase towards their manager and the club. 

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

With Arsenal sitting fifth in the league table, having won just four of their first 11 league games, domestic results have not been at a satisfactory standard for the club so far in 2019/20.

The Daily Mirror report that Emery has just one month left to save his job – but for these fans that may be too long with this social media post leading to a wave of criticism towards the club.

Here are some of the best reactions following Arsenal’s tweet regarding Leno’s save against Wolves.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Chris Smalling has been ridiculed a little bit on Twitter this week.

The centre-back gave away a last-minute penalty for Roma in the Europa League on Thursday, but recent reports from Gianluca Di Marzio indicate that he’s actually having a fruitful spell in Rome.

What’s the story then?

After just two months of playing for the Serie A side, AS Roma apparently already want to make their loan deal for Smalling a permanent one.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The article describes Smalling as “Always among the best in the field and the leader of a defense that has found stability and compactness with [Gianluca] Mancini.”

After years of being panned by his own fans it’s interesting to see Smalling described in such a way, but following these supposedly incredible performances for Roma, Manchester United have a decision to make.

Don’t decide yet

United would be foolish to call it quits on Smalling’s Old Trafford career now.

With the centre-back impressing over in Italy, surely he’s worth another go if he keeps this up.

Thogden ranks every Premier League striker from best to worst in the video below…

Ok, he’s only played four league games, and even the biggest Smalling sceptic will tell you that he’s capable of hitting form, but if this truly is the beginning of a resurgence, then United shouldn’t think about selling him just yet.

The report states that Roma will try to meet with United in the next few weeks to discuss his transfer, but the Red Devils should hold off these types of negotiations until the end of the season where they can fully assess whether or not he has the ability to be an asset in the Premier League.

After all, United have conceded on average one goal per game in the Premier League this season, and former boss Jose Mourinho has identified aerial quality as one of Victor Lindelof’s key weaknesses – Smalling, meanwhile, has won almost six aerial duels per game in Serie A.

Perhaps he can still have a role to play at Old Trafford.

Things you love to see as a Leeds United fan: Lucas Radebe, Jermaine Beckford and Luciano Becchio in a video together.Leeds celebrated their 100th birthday on Thursday in style with a number of club legends flocking upon the Centenary Pavilion in their favourite suits. Tony Yeboah, Brian Deane, Danny Mills, Rod Wallace, Paul Robinson, Peter Haddock, Chris Whyte and Neil Sullivan were amongst the other Elland Road icons billed to make the trip back to Yorkshire.Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Lucas Radebe made a total 256 appearances for the club, including a stint in goal against Manchester United, and immortalised himself in Leeds folklore when he turned down the opportunity to move to Old Trafford because he “wouldn’t wear red.â€

Likewise, Jermaine Beckford booked himself a place in the history books with another defiant act against the Red Devils – a goal in their own backyard to send Leeds sailing into the next round of the FA Cup.

Becchio. Becchio was just Becchio, a great servant to the club who has developed a real cult following. His goal against Millwall, another unpopular club around West Yorkshire, which caused limbs as we’ve never seen before, had a part to play as well.

All three were snapped together just walking – nothing special, but just enough to pull on the old nostalgia strings…

Many Everton supporters have been discussing on social media whether or not the Blues should take any form of action over Cenk Tosun’s military salute celebration for Turkey.

Europe’s football governing body UEFA have said that they will be investigating the celebration given by Turkey’s national side, per the BBC, after several of their players offered a military salute when Tosun scored against Albania last week.

Tosun also shared a post on Instagram following the game, with the message: “For our nation, especially for the ones who are risking their lives for our nation.”

Turkey’s army are currently clashing with Kurdish fighters in areas of northern Syria controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, with dozens of civilians and fighters killed on both sides.

The offensive move by Turkey sparked the Syrian government to send its army to the northern border to try and halt the advances, via the BBC, in a decision taken after the United States withdrew all of its remaining troops from the area; they had been a close ally of the SDF, who were heavily bombarded over the weekend.

UEFA disciplinary rules prohibit any form of political gesture, or an act that is intended to provoke a reaction on political, ideological or religious beliefs.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

German Bundesliga 2 outfit FC St. Pauli have recently parted company with one of their players, Cenk Sahin, for his involvement in Turkey’s military salute celebration and a subsequent post on his Instagram account, with the Hamburg-based club releasing the midfielder with immediate effect on Monday.

The club took action after an internal investigation which included discussions with fans, board members and friends with roots in Turkey.

A statement by St. Pauli read: “Sahin has been released from his training and playing duties with immediate effect. The prime factors in reaching the decisions were his repeated disregard for the club’s values and the need to protect the player.

“After numerous discussions with fans, members and friends whose roots lie in Turkey, it has become clear to us that we cannot and should not attempt to gauge nuances in perceptions and attitudes from other cultural backgrounds in detail.”

Some Everton supporters have now suggested their side should do likewise with Tosun, although there is a clear break among fans who feel the Blues should not intervene in matters that did not occur at club level.

Here are some of the messages shared…

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

It’s nearly time for Barcelona’s second game of the Champions League group stage.

The Catalans will welcome Inter Milan at the Camp Nou and the key to overcoming them just might lie in the middle of the park.

On the chalkboard

It hasn’t really been a dream start for Barcelona in Europe this season.

Their opening clash against Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park ended in a goalless draw but the Catalans surely wanted to claim more than just a point for their efforts.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Still, that was only the first game and seeing how Inter Milan also drew their game with Slavia Prague, Group F is very much open.

This particular clash, however, is huge for both teams and if Barca want to pick up all three points, Sergio Busquets will have to outshine Marcelo Brozovic.

Midfield generals

Busquets is very much the linchpin of Barcelona’s midfield.

In many ways, the experienced Spaniard is the Catalans’ general and everything starts and ends with him in the middle of the park. But Brozovic certainly looks like Busquets’ direct counterpart in Inter’s camp.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

The Croat is heavily involved in everything that’s happening on the pitch and most of it flows directly through him.

Just this season, in the six games he’s played in Serie A, Brozovic has registered a 91.5% passing accuracy with a total of 83.8 passes per game. This becomes even more impressive when we compare it to Busquets’ 90.6% passing accuracy and 76.8 passes per game.

Barcelona are very much known for their passing game, which only emphasises Brozovic’s importance to his team since he managed to edge out Busquets in both aforementioned categories.

But the Croat falls short only slightly in key passes as he tallied 1.2 as opposed to his rival’s 1.4 per game.

Both players are pretty active going the other way as well, often dominating the defensive phases of the game. Busquets registered 2.6 tackles and one interception per game in La Liga while Brozovic averaged 3.2 tackles and 1.8 interceptions under his belt in Serie A.

By all standards, this is looking likely to be an impressive battle of two highly skilled players – Barcelona’s midfield general vs Inter Milan’s engine.

The winner of this battle just might tip the scales in his team’s favour.

[ad_pod ]

Having arrived from Portuguese giants Benfica in the summer of 2017, Victor Lindelof has emerged as Manchester United’s first-choice centre back alongside Harry Maguire.

The Sweden international struggled in the early stages of his Old Trafford career, but looks to have fully adapted to the rigours of English football – the 25-year-old has started every one of the Red Devils’ Premier League games this season.

Now, as a reward for his performances, the club have confirmed the defender has been handed a new deal until the summer of 2024.

After hearing of Lindelof’s contract, United fans flooded to Twitter to share their thoughts about the situation.

Many supporters of the Manchester side hailed the club for their decision, with one fan in particular suggesting that United “finally have a direction”.

Some Red Devils fans insisted the club are on the “right track” and that the new contracts for Lindelof and David de Gea prove they are now starting to “act like a club”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below: