According to club insider @ExWHUemployee on his Twitter account, West Ham United could bring in another free agent in the coming days after adding Patrice Evra to their squad on Wednesday, and Irons fans are confident that they are set to re-sign Alex Song.
@ExWHUemployee has hinted that the 36-year-old Frenchman won’t be the last arrival at the London Stadium, and it would certainly make sense for it to be a new midfielder given Hammers boss David Moyes didn’t get the defensively-minded player he wanted during the January transfer window following Pedro Obiang’s injury.
Song spent two seasons on loan with the east London outfit from Barcelona before joining Rubin Kazan on a permanent deal in 2016, but he has since left the club having not been paid for a number of months.
West Ham supporters were quick to have their say on who they could be signing via social media, and they seemed confident it will be the Cameroonian with one saying ‘Song will defo come back’, while another said “Sing us a Song, Ex”.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini still believes that his side’s title hopes are alive after the weekend loss to Liverpool.
The Sky Blues slipped to a 3-2 defeat at Anfield to hand the momentum in the battle for the trophy to their table-topping rivals, who now know that if they win their remaining four games they will claim English football’s top prize.
City now trail the leaders by seven points, but with two ties in hand the gap can be closed significantly.
Liverpool still have to play second placed Chelsea, and if points are dropped by Brendan Rodgers’ men, then Pellegrini’s side will be seen as favourites.
One of the extra fixtures for City occurs this evening against Sunderland, and the Chilean feels they can keep up their claim for the crown with a three-point haul:
“I think the team knows perfectly what they have to do, we lost that game but we have still to play six games more and we will fight to the end to win the title.” He is quoted by Sky Sports.
“If we don’t do it, it is because Liverpool will win their four games, but I don’t think some things change after the game on Sunday,
“Of course, the fans believe that we can do it. And the two postponed games: if we win both we are just one point behind Liverpool.
“If you don’t believe when you’re just one point behind the leader, nobody can believe anything. We have had a very good season so far and we hope we finish the last six games in the same way.
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“The important thing is that we win our games. We can do nothing about the other teams but we can do a lot of things here.
“That is why I am sure the players know exactly what they have to do and we will try to start by winning one of the two games postponed so both teams, Chelsea and Liverpool, must feel we are only three or four points behind them with one game also to play at the end of the season.”
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England U21 striker Connor Wickham is doing all he can to try and break into the Sunderland first team under Martin O’Neill.
A crucial goal in a 1-0 victory for the young Three Lions against Serbia will have done his credentials for a spot in the starting XI no harm.
Despite this, the manager has high standards and Wickham has yet to make a Premier League appearance this season with the striking competition so fierce around him.
Even though many consider Fletcher, Sessegnon and Saha to be above the 19-year-old in the pecking order, he isn’t about to take the easy option of going out on loan.
Instead the former Ipswich star wants to stay on Wearside and fight for his place just like every other member of the squad. It has taken time for the talented youngster time to adapt to his surroundings, with his reported £8million transfer fee weighing on his shoulders.
However, the Sunderland ace believes he now has developed enough to live up to the billing he was given before he arrived at the Black Cats. The player was brought in by former boss Steve Bruce but has been impressed by his current manager, Martin O’ Neill.
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The teenage marksman went on to speak to the Northern Echo about the Northern Irishman, “”I’ve spoken to him a few times and he’s told me exactly what he wants and we’ve got the coaches in to do the extra training that has been put on for me.”
Wickham will be hoping that extra training has paid off and that he gets a chance to shine and finally warm himself to the Sunderland fans in the Tyne-Wear Derby this Sunday.
Manchester City certainly have the cash to spend on world-class talent, but there is one transfer rumour that has left everyone scratching their heads.
According to Premium Sport, the Premier League champions are prepared to pay £87.5m to sign Douglas Costa from Juventus.
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Normally, a rumour such as this would not be a huge shock, but the Brazilian only signed a permanent deal with Juventus on Thursday.
The publication claims that the Italian giants parted with around £35m to secure the winger’s services from Bayern Munich, so they would immediately make a hefty profit if they sold on to City.
Judging by the media reports, the North-West outfit’s manager Pep Guardiola is keen to recruit a new winger in order to provide competition for Raheem Sterling and Leroy Sane.
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Costa would certainly be an impressive addition to the squad given how fast he can burst through the channels, but it would be a huge surprise if he left Juventus so soon after agreeing a permanent deal.
It seems that the majority of City fans share the same sentiment.
Leeds United sent scouts to watch Carpi striker Jerry Mbakogu over the weekend ahead of a potential move, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
What’s the word?
The next few days could be crucial for the Whites in terms of how their season pans out.
The club currently reside five points adrift of the playoff spots, but if the right players are bought, the team’s chances of promotion will be boosted.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, Nigerian forward Mbakogu is on the club’s radar as scouts were spotted watching the 25-year-old in action on Saturday.
The striker scored in Capri’s 2-1 victory over Spezia at the Stadio Sandro Cabassi.
The Italian publication claims that Leeds could struggle to get a deal over the line before Wednesday’s deadline, which means that the club may have to revisit a deal in the summer.
Is Mbakogu needed at Leeds?
There is no denying that the Yorkshire club could do with an added attacker in the squad, but signing Mbakogu would be a risk.
The Nigerian has scored seven goals in 19 appearances this season, which is a positive tally, but his lack of experience in the English game could hamper him.
If Leeds head coach Thomas Christiansen wants a striker who will slot into the team with ease and cope with the pressures of fighting for promotion, then Mbakogu might not be the answer.
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One thing is for sure – the Whites are in need of a new forward to share the workload with Samuel Saiz and Kemar Roofe.
The team have scored 40 Championship goals so far this season, with Roofe top-scoring on 11.
It’s a battle of wills, of supremacy off the field. Wayne Rooney to Chelsea (even with Juan Mata going the other way) has been told as an impossible story, one that apparently would seal Manchester United’s fate as a selling club who lack the mettle to stand up to a want-away player and his suitor at the other end of the table.
United can’t sell Rooney to Chelsea, or to anyone for that matter. Well why not? It’s not the death of a football club. United are holding onto a player who doesn’t want to be there, who looks far from performing a similar u-turn to that of 2010 and signing a new contract. He’s performing well when fit, but is there an interest in the player to remain at Old Trafford, to cement a place as one of the club’s all-time greats?
Jose Mourinho spoke of United having to sell Rooney abroad, but is that a likely outcome from this protracted story? Not only is it a question of who needs him – one that extends to who will pay that much in fees and wages for him – but also does the player himself want to leave England?
Is it really an act of surrender, of accepting a place in mediocrity in this current slide? Couldn’t it be argued that Manchester United look weak by hoping that a want-away player remains and somehow changes his mind on the notion of starting afresh somewhere else? What happens to the biggest club in England if the desperate act of needing to retain a star player also extends to the perception that they’re incapable of properly replacing him? It becomes more about simply strengthening a rival.
And that’s a completely pointless argument as it is. If not Rooney, Chelsea will buy another player to come in and strengthen their attack. At this point, Chelsea are already out of sight from United’s standpoint, if not in their overall performances then certainly in the depth and quality of their squad.
Direct rival means what? That their business directly impacts the other’s position in the league? United and Chelsea potentially play clubs from Europe an equal number of times than they play each other. Aren’t Real Madrid therefore technically a rival of United, whom they strengthened considerably when they sold Cristiano Ronaldo? The Portuguese has already bitten back at his old club, scoring twice against them in the Champions League last season.
Such is the way European football is played now that teams like Juventus, Bayern and Real Madrid are as much a rival as those in domestic leagues. Adding the word “direct” is a needless attempt at reinforcing an argument.
Manchester United need an overhaul, a mass of new faces, rather than just one or two. Rooney may be persuaded to stay, but how many more times do the club and David Moyes need to go through the motions of dealing with Rooney’s uncertain future?
The player is at his peak, he’s capable of world-class performances. Isn’t the smart move to sell now, rather than play this game of who looks the stronger of the two?
Much of the same goes for Chelsea, too. They don’t want Juan Mata. He’s too good to be a bit-part player. The difference is they can make do without him. They do, however, need Rooney, or at least a striker of his calibre, in the near future. A swap seems out of hand, but is actually the most sensible and rational conclusion to this.
Manchester United and Chelsea wouldn’t be the first to hold lofty statuses in the game and release a player to a rival. Barcelona have been down this road; Borussia Dortmund have now lost their two best players to Bayern Munich in the space of six months. Arsenal, Juventus, and so on.
If United do sell Rooney – and the current feeling is that one way or another he’ll leave the club – why are they not capable of replacing? David Moyes won’t surrender this season’s title race, nor will he yield to the suggestion that Manchester United have lost some of their gloss following Alex Ferguson’s retirement and their subsequent struggles in domestic competition.
If that’s the case, what’s preventing them from buying Edinson Cavani if he became available? Karim Benzema? Diego Costa? This battle of one-upmanship will eventually come to haunt the club.
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Dortmund, though you can understand their need to not lose both Mario Goetze and Robert Lewandowski in the same summer, have now foregone a transfer fee for a player who could fetch £40 million in today’s market. Where’s the sense in United doing the same, all for the sake of not being perceived to be a selling club, or however we decide to dress it up?
If United were smart, confident in their ability to recruit and not in the business of looking weak, they’d move Rooney on and concentrate on building a squad for the future. There’s absolutely no point in holding onto a player who doesn’t want to be there.
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Hartlepool United chairman Ken Hodcroft lambasted the club’s poor cup runs last season. Therefore, there was pressure for Pools to improve on their first round exits in all three competitions this season. Unfortunately, the man at the top is left seething again this term.
League Cup: first round 5-0 defeat to Crewe amid an inept display littered with defensive frailties and a dearth of creativity.
Johnstone’s Paint Trophy: first round 4-2 defeat on penalties to League Two Bradford City after a 0-0 draw again devoid of any imagination.
The stark truth is Neale Cooper’s men are just not good enough. Besides their dreadful, premature cup exits, they sit second bottom of the League One. The facts are inescapable.
Defensive calamities have made it a tiresome start to the season. A catalogue of below-par performances on a game-by-game basis from a large bulk of the squad haven’t made things easier, too. Not possessing that killer-pass dissect the opposition’s defence haven’t helped. When they do arrive in their dribs and drabs, squandering chances have added to the woes. Failing to maintain sustained pressure in the final third for a decent length of time can be added to the list of ingredients that are culminating in a recipe for disaster. A recipe for relegation.
They were all in abundance against the Bantams, minus the defensive mistakes; although that’s largely due to the fact that Phil Parkinson’s men offered little themselves and centre-back Jack Baldwin was as composed as ever, sniffing out any potential danger like a well-trained police dog. Baldwin, 19, has only been at the club over 14 months. He’s the side’s best player. That in itself say a lot about the quality of the team.
In a drab first half, Ryan Noble had tested the keeper McLaughlin after breaking away and unleashing a shot from an acute angle. Former Pools man Richie Jones had a couple of chances, as did James Henson but Scott Flinders was in fine form.
It was only when Antony Sweeney – demoted to the bench to allow Ritchie Humphreys (in for Paul Murray) and Simon Walton (in for Sweeney) – entered the action after the hour that Pools looked like mustering a goal.
Sweeney had replaced Walton who had thought he was playing in a league above, relaxing on the ball as if he wasn’t going to be chased down. Mistake. He was sussed out and was soon spraying the ball around the pitch as wayward as his second-half miscued effort before his withdrawal.
Sweeney had two immediate chances, one outside the area, one just inside. The midfielder seemed to spark a lacklustre Pools, with the occasional plausible interchanges of football. Jono Franks crossed frequently, Darren Holden bursted forward.
The wave of pressure from the hosts was brief; it wasn’t to last.
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The same can be said about Pools’ cup run. When Horwood’s penalty crashed off the underside of the bar and out with the penalties score reading 4-2 to Bradford, Pools’ cup run had ended. It was tedious at best while it lasted.
Hodcroft won’t be happy. Nor is Cooper and the disillusioned fans.
You can find me on Twitter @cmbell310 for more football chat.
According to Italian media outlet Gianluca Di Marzio, Manchester United are considering making a move for West Ham United forward Marko Arnautovic this summer, and Red Devils fans have been quick to react.
Di Marzio report that Jose Mourinho is looking for a tall attacker and as well as identifying Juventus’ Mario Mandzukic as a potential target, Arnautovic could be an alternative with the Portuguese boss seemingly unhappy with the contributions of the likes of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Juan Mata.
The Austria international, who the BBC said dominated Chris Smalling in the two sides’ 0-0 draw at the London Stadium this month, certainly enjoyed an impressive debut campaign for the Irons following a slow start, and he finished the season as their first-choice centre-forward with 11 goals and six assists in 31 Premier League appearances.
Man United supporters, the majority of whom want the club to re-sign their former attacking flop, took to social media to give their thoughts on the rumour, and many were keen on the potential deal.
While one said “he’s shown he’s better than Alexis, Rashford and Mata”, another described him as “levels ahead of Ibra”.
According to Sky Sports News, Marouane Fellaini is still locked in contract talks with Manchester United, and has not told the Red Devils that he wants to leave.
What’s the story?
Reports on Tuesday morning claimed that Fellaini had informed Man United boss Jose Mourinho that he would not be signing a new contract.
The Belgium international will see his current deal with the Red Devils expire at the end of the season, and he is currently free to discuss terms with foreign clubs.
It has been reported that Fellaini had already decided his future, but according to Sky Sports News, the 30-year-old is still very much in discussions with his English club.
Fellaini, who is valued at £10.8m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has been strongly linked with a move to Turkey, whilst it is understood that there is interest from the super-rich Chinese Super League.
The midfielder is currently with the Man United squad in Dubai as the team enjoy a warm-weather training camp ahead of Monday’s Premier League clash with Stoke City.
What will be the outcome of this one?
It is extremely difficult to say at this stage. It had been suggested that Fellaini’s mind was made up, but that no longer seems to be the case.
Fellaini has had an up and down time at Man United, but it is worth pointing out that Mourinho has been very good to the former Everton midfielder.
The Portuguese has shown Fellaini a lot of attention since coming through the door, and has consistently spoken about the midfielder’s importance to his plans.
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Fellaini only returned from a knee injury as a late substitute against Derby County in the FA Cup on Friday night, and as mentioned, is currently with the squad in Dubai.
It is understood that he turned down a new two-year contract in September, and the fact that there will be no improvement to the deal currently on the table seems to suggest that the Belgium international will move on. However, nothing is certain at this stage.
Back in the days of Sven Goran-Eriksson’s uninspiring tenure as England boss, where an above average performance was about as rare as an insightful remark from Andy Townsend, there was a general feeling that a home-grown successor would be the only way forward.
This view has it seems, been mirrored within ranks of the Irish FA, who handed their vacant national job to football’s newest odd-couple last week, appointing Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane to spearhead the country’s campaign for a place in Euro 2016.
It’s a fusion that few would have seen coming following the departure of Giovanni Trapattoni, with the apparently mild-mannered O’Neill almost the polar opposite of his new number two, in a duo that has already been labeled as ‘fire and ice’ among some areas of the press.
The pair took up preparations yesterday for their debut match in charge, and supporters will undoubtedly be keen to see the footballing ethos their side will adopt under their new management team.
What is for sure is that there will be no shortage of worthy influences on their respective styles. While O’Neill has carved out a very successful managerial career in his own right, Keane spent over a decade working with Sir Alex Ferguson, while both were playing members of Nottingham Forest sides managed by the late, great Brian Clough.
Fondly remembered for his biting wit and tactical genius, the legendary Clough won league titles and european cups, but was passed over for international management, an oversight that today sees his name often garnished by the phrase ‘the greatest manager England never had’.
It seems, though, that his style may yet find its place on the international stage through his former players. And, considering the good-but-not-great squad they will have at their disposal, the ability to induce world-class performances from lesser players, an attribute for which Clough was notorious, could be a key ingredient in any recipe for success.
And it will be this kind of quality that Keane and O’Neill, who do bear distinct attitudinal resemblances to Clough and his assistant Peter Taylor respectively, will be looking to emulate.
There is still, though, an element of a gamble for both the FAI and their new employees in this arrangement. Though not exactly make or break for O’Neill, his assistant Keane, renowned for his outspoken views, may find himself in something of a last-chance saloon in football management.
Failed stints in charge of Sunderland and Ipswich have left the stock of Ireland’s former captain at something of a low, and to flop at international level would make his odds of managing again very long indeed, confining him to the realm of great players who didn’t make great managers.
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The Irish FA meanwhile, though gutsy in their appointments which will go some way to reaffirming the national identity, will have to acknowledge the strong possibility of a ‘what were you thinking?’ reaction, should the upcoming EURO campaign sink rather than swim.
But it will be wistful thoughts of Clough that will be in the forefront of their minds as their chosen two embark upon a new era for the national side, with the aim, no doubt, of emulating the success and status of their former boss.