All posts by h79snht.top

Chelsea have already made moves in the transfer market during the current window, and are looking like being active again.

The Blues have splashed the cash on Borussia Dortmund youngster Christian Pulisic, with the American set to join in the summer and improve an already vastly talented squad at Stamford Bridge.

However, there is even more scope for the Blues to improve further with some additions, and we at the Tavern feel that a few more attacking players of a younger age like Pulisic might well be welcomed at the Bridge.

That’s why we feel the club should be making moves to sign young Germand midfielder Kai Havertz, who has developed into one of the finest midfield talents in Europe this season thanks to his performances in the shirt of Bayer Leverkusen.

The 19-year-old, valued at some £65m by Transfermarkt, has already got six goals to his name this term and seems to be improving week on week too.

Havertz looks to have all the talent in the world to go on and make a big impression on the world stage if given the chance, it has to be accepted that a club like Leverkusen are not going to be able to keep hold of such a talent.

Brilliant on the ball and with a keen eye for goal too, Havertz would surely jump at the chance of a move to a club like Chelsea, and with Eden Hazard’s future still not decided, he might well be a welcome addition to the ranks for Mauro Sarri.

Chelsea fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

Jurgen Klopp seems happy with his Liverpool squad meaning new signings are unlikely with less than two weeks remaining in the window.

The Reds are currently top of the Premier League table with Klopp strengthening his squad significantly in the summer. Alisson Becker settled into life instantly and already looks like a bargain with Xherdan Shaqiri also becoming a key player for the German. With Fabinho now becoming the player we saw at Monaco, Klopp still has Naby Keita to unleash in the second half of the campaign.

Liverpool sold Dominic Solanke to Bournemouth for £19m earlier in the window but transfer spending is likely to wait until the summer. According to reports via the Evening Standard, Klopp still wants to sign a creative attacking midfielder after missing out on Nabil Fekir in the summer. Laying the groundwork for a marquee signing would be a wise move.

One man he should target is Real Madrid maestro – Isco. Valued at £67.5m by Transfermarkt, the Spaniard has blossomed into one of the finest playmakers in world football since joining the club from Malaga in 2013. Isco was highly regarded by Zinedine Zidane but has struggled for game time since the Frenchman departed the club. The 26-year-old has started just five games in La Liga this season and reports via CalcioMercato suggest his career at Madrid is hanging in the balance.

Isco is perfectly suited to the 4-2-3-1 system that Klopp has often utilised during Liverpool’s title challenge so far making him the perfect summer addition. The Spain international would be adored by the Kop – a far cry from his current situation after being booed by his own fans during Real Madrid’s defeat to CSKA Moscow. His creative ability would make Liverpool’s attack even more frightening – alongside the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane – Isco would thrive.

Approaching the prime of his career, landing the out-of-favour star should be a priority.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Southampton boss Ralph Hassenhuttl is surely looking to add attacking reinforcements with Charlie Austin reportedly (via the Sun) allowed to leave the club.

The former Burnley forward has struggled for form and fitness in recent seasons and has been deemed surplus to requirements by the new manager. Austin has proven to be an unreliable option in the forward line and the Saints are seemingly willing to listen to offers. With Manolo Gabbiadini also departing, Hassenhuttl must add another striker to his ranks on deadline day.

For his next recruit, the former RB Leipzig boss should turn his attention to the Championship. Premier League clubs have had plenty of success when poaching stars from the lower division in recent seasons with the likes of David Brooks and James Maddison starring in the higher league.

Therefore, Southampton should prioritise signing Birmingham hotshot – Che Adams. Valued at £2.25m by Transfermarkt, the 22-year-old has been on fire in the Championship, netting an incredible 15 goals already. With Birmingham currently under a transfer embargo, they may be powerless to keep their star player at the club.

Adams is a versatile forward who can play right across the forward line making him the perfect player to add another dimension to the Saints attack. His expert movement and finishing ability would make him the ideal partner for Danny Ings as the Saints look to push towards the top half of the table. Landing the Englishman also shouldn’t break the bank meaning he fits into Hassenhuttl’s budget.

This move could prove to be an astute piece of business if Southampton can convince Birmingham to part ways with their star forward.

Southampton fans, thoughts?

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Sunderland fans have been discussing their current form, and they are not too happy with the team’s set piece troubles.

Sunderland sit just three points off the automatic promotion places after their 1-0 win over Wimbledon, but there are still some weak points in Jack Ross’s squad.

The Black Cats have not lost since the 3-1 defeat at Portsmouth back in December, but more than a few teams have threatened the Wearside outfit at set pieces this campaign.

Ross’s side are better in possession than most of the teams in League One, but they have struggled at times when defending set pieces, and the lack of goals at the other end from dead balls is equally frustrating.

Barnsley, who sit three points above the Black Cats in second, looked like scoring with every set piece during the thrilling 4-2 encounter at the Stadium of Light back in November, where the towering Kieffer Moore scored twice.

Being one of the more dominant teams in division, there will no doubt be games between now and the end of the season where Ross’s side can’t find a way through a packed defence, and corners could provide a vital solution, a solution that promotion rivals Barnsley have perfected.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where fans are in total agreement that the side needs to improve this aspect of their game…

Manchester United’s 2-0 home defeat against Paris Saint Germain on Tuesday was a much-needed wake-up call for their boardroom.

Ten wins in 11 before the game and it seems like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is magic, here to save United from the boring football brought by Jose Mourinho. He’s now got them back into the top four which seemed an impossible task.

However, the results have merely papered over the cracks that lie in the heart of United’s defence and midfield. Sir Alex Ferguson failed to replace Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic and each manager since has failed too.

How Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have earned themselves new contracts is anyone’s guess, and the Red Devils have paid the price for Ed Woodward’s stubbornness in summer when he refused to capture top targets Toby Alderweireld or Harry Maguire. Everyone could tell United needed better defenders apart from the people at the club controlling the money.

Without a solid base to build from, United haven’t been able to commit enough men forward to create an exciting brand of football. Players who worry about the solidity of their defence are more likely to be cautious with their passing and movement when they have the ball, worried they might be susceptible to a counter-attack.

Solskjaer has injected belief into the players, and that cautiousness appears to have gone. That’s great against lesser teams because United’s defence is good enough to withstand their attacks, but against teams like PSG that confidence turns to carelessness.

For United to successfully play the football their fans long for, they must strengthen at the back this summer or risk jumping back on the managerial merry-go-round.

Indeed, it turns out Mourinho was right to complain all along.

Who do you think United should buy in summer?

Tottenham Hotspur’s bout with Bayern Munich was far from a success.

After all, Jose Mourinho’s troops failed to avoid defeat at the hands of the Bavarians away from home and they lost 3-1. But still, there were some positives on the night as well.

For instance, the young defender Juan Foyth was given a chance to shine and it seems that his display has sparked a small discussion among the fans and the journalists alike.

Alasdair Gold remarked that Foyth would make for an excellent defensive midfielder since his player profile suits the role perfectly.

And, in response to his tweet, many of the fans couldn’t help but agree with his opinion…

The fans are clearly hoping Mourinho actions this position change in the future and some were even urging Gold to propose this to the Special One himself.

Interestingly enough, the young defender does seem like he’s suited for the role. During the Copa America with Argentina, he recorded 90.8% passing accuracy with 3.8 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, proving that he is strong enough both on and off the ball to play in the hole between defence and midfield.

Be that as it may, many of the fans were all saying the same thing and they want to see the 21-year-old in midfield more often.

Let’s see if Mourinho feels the same way.

In other news, many Spurs fans were not happy with one thing during the game vs Bayern Munich…

From cause to affect Manchester United’s travails have been much pored over this season but at least Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has sought solace in keeping the club true to itself by adhering throughout to the ‘United Way’.

For anyone not familiar with the ‘United Way’ it essentially amounts to attacking football being played at all times (presently the red half of Manchester have created only six more big chances this season than Steve Bruce’s Newcastle United) and of course the promotion of and faith shown in their academy talents.

Of the latter the blooding of kids is traditionally ingrained in the club’s DNA and frankly the Norwegian hasn’t stopped harping on about it since his appointment.

Indeed, helped by a media happy to play along, it would be understandable if a fair-weather fan had the impression that Old Trafford has become a crèche of late.

This makes it a shame, given their recent struggles that make them too easy a target, to point out that it is little short of codswallop.

From their opening 4-0 win over Chelsea back in August to the present day, 20 players have started for the Reds on five or more occasions in all-competitions.

One of those players is Scott McTominay, an emerging success story for sure but at 22 hardly a precocious teen. Then there is Aaron Wan-Bissaka – also 22 – who signed in the summer for a very hefty fee so hardly constitutes an academy star.

One player who is often deemed to be callow and young, however, is playmaker Andreas Pereira. Unfortunately the Brazilian international – though an academy alumni whose breakthrough into the first team should certainly be enjoyed – is 23, the same age as Dele Alli. Alli to date has made 139 Premier League appearances.

Compare and contrast this to Chelsea, the side royally beaten in that August curtain raiser. Mason Mount, 20, Tammy Abraham, 22, and Fikayo Tomori, 21, have established themselves in the side yet all are younger than McTominay.

Factor in too that were it not for the long-term injury to their sensational teen Callum Hudson-Odoi, we could have seen another prodigious talent regularly feature in the side.

Ah, you say. But what about the numerous ten minute cameos Solskjaer is granting his junior army? Surely that counts for something? And it does, but only a little something. Because five clubs boast younger squads overall than Manchester United, two of whom make up the north London giants of Tottenham and Arsenal.

Earlier this season Gary Neville claimed that Solskjaer’s Saplings are unfairly being thrown into a highly pressurised situation, and that furthermore even the fabled Class of 92 would struggle without a successful team around them for necessary support.

He really needn’t have worried, or at least if utilising players in their early twenties is a cause for alarm he should extend that courtesy to the rest of the Premier League.

West Bromwich Albion will top the Championship table on Christmas Day.

Indeed, Leeds United’s loss at Fulham, coupled with West Brom’s 1-1 draw against Brentford, means that the Baggies are three points clear at the summit.

Henrik Dalsgaard sent Brentford ahead at the Hawthorns, but Darnell Furlong struck in the closing stages of the first period to level the scores.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

And that was how it finished on the afternoon.

A number of the club’s fans were actually pleased with the result as Brentford had entered the match off the back of five wins in their last seven league matches.

However, that was not an opinion shared by everyone as some of the supporters were disappointed with how their team performed on Saturday.

Meanwhile, another fan was keen to pay tribute to the team for moving onto 50 points at the mid-point of the 2019/20 campaign.

Next up for Slaven Bilic’s side is a trip to Barnsley on Boxing Day before hosting Middlesbrough in their final match of 2019.

Not only are West Brom three points clear of Leeds at the top of the Championship, they are also 12 points clear of third-placed Fulham, suggesting that it will take some collapse for the team not to be in the argument for automatic promotion come the end of the campaign.

Meanwhile, a number of the club’s fans have recently commented on the latest speculation surrounding Nathan Ferguson.

Here we go again.

Leeds United are being linked with a takeover from a rich new owner, and this time, it’s not QSI.

Of course, this news has got tongues wagging amongst the United fanbase, and one former Whites player has chipped in with his views on the matter.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

What’s been said then?

Speaking to MOT Leeds News, Paul Robinson has given his thoughts on a takeover from James Pallotta.

“We’re always hearing about takeovers at Leeds.

“Getting a cash injection in January would be fantastic and it could give us the boost we need to reach the Premier League,” he commented.

“If Leeds had invested in a 20-goal-a-season striker and a left-winger last January, we would have been promoted last year.

“You could potentially say the same again this season. There’s clearly not much money to spend, so any kind of investment or influx of money to give Leeds that push to the Premier League would be really welcome.”

Not possible

You can’t really blame Robinson for getting excited about a potential takeover from someone as rich as Pallotta, who has recently just sold his majority stake in Roma for €800m (£682.6m). However, he needs to do a bit more reading on the subject before going on record to speak about it.

Leeds’ current situation with FFP sees them right on the limit which means that spending big in January is pretty much impossible unless they want to take a massive gamble with the club’s future.

Pallotta would face the same problems as Radrizzani if he bought Leeds, so his immense wealth isn’t really a factor at this moment in time.

The worst part is that the very same article covers these points as MOT Leeds News write:

“Financial fair play is also an issue for Leeds, however, and the club can’t spend a lot of money this January without falling foul of the regulations – unless they decide to take an all-out punt in getting into the Premier League.”

Leeds may well take a heavy windfall from any potential takeover, whether it be Palotta or QSI, but the fact is they wouldn’t be able to pump their financial muscle into the club this month.

The club are bound to restrictions that saw them loan players, rather than buy permanently last summer, and after Victor Orta admitted it would be a quiet winter window, it seems impossible to suggest they’d benefit from more money at this stage of the campaign.

In other news, Phil Hay’s recent update on Che Adams may spell bad news for Leeds.

According to Calciomercato, Wolverhampton Wanderers favourite Ruben Neves is a target for Juventus as Mauricio Sarri looks to make improvements to their midfield, and they could offer Nuno Santo a solution of his own in return to try and tempt the club into selling.

What’s the word?

The latest report from Italy suggests that the former Chelsea boss is a huge admirer of the central midfielder as he can play in numerous roles, such as a number eight and as a number ten, with his set-piece taking qualities another desirable attribute.

It is also believed that Wolves value Neves between €40m and €50m (£33.9m-£42.4m) and to try and lower their price, the Serie A champions would offer Daniele Rugani in return.

That’s if the centre-back doesn’t leave the club for another team with Arsenal and Leicester both keen, per the same source.

Neves is a client of super-agent Jorge Mendes, who helped broker Cristiano Ronaldo’s move from Real Madrid to Turin last summer.

Wolves’ weakness?

It remains to be seen whether or not Wolves entertain such a deal, but it would be worth considering given their defensive struggles this season.

Nuno has suffered in the absence of his colossus Willy Boly at the back, combined with the poor form of loanee Jesus Vallejo and Ryan Bennett, leading to the Portuguese native opting for two midfielders in his back three alongside Conor Coady.

The west Midlands outfit have kept just four clean sheets in 19 matches in all competitions, the same duration the 28-year-old has been missing through injury – no coincidence.

Wolves have plenty of options in central midfield, both Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker could be pushed further upfield while Morgan Gibbs-White is due back from an injury of his own sometime soon, as is Bruno Jordao.

Rugani would be quite a smart addition with the ball-playing defender averaging a pass success rate of 88.9% across his entire Juventus career and in addition, an average of 4.7 clearances and 1.2 tackles per game, via WhoScored, should offer further encouragement over his defensive capabilities.

How much do you remember about football in 2019? Our quiz will test your knowledge…

The 25-year-old also has plenty of experience in the Champions League having played 11 times in the competition, twice this season as he contributed towards a clean sheet against Bayer Leverkusen.

He would appear to be a perfect fit for Nuno’s three-at-the-back system, but would they be willing to part ways with the beloved Neves? Probably not, but we’ll have to wait and see how this saga pans out.

While in other news, Wolves can forget about signing a striker this month, here’s why…