All posts by z3u9t.icu

Sebastien Haller is facing his final chance to make a success of his career with West Ham United after Irons icon Frank McAvennie called for the Frenchman to stop “sulking” and get with the show.

What’s he said?

Speaking with Football Insider, McAvennie has torn into Haller after the striker failed to offer any impact at the top of the pitch against Liverpool in the absence of Michail Antonio, who was forced to sit out the Hammers’ trip to Anfield with a hamstring injury.

The strain is expected to sideline Antonio for much of November, but David Moyes has already confirmed that the 30-year-old is back on an exercise bike and moving well following further ultrasound scans that revealed the issue to not be as severe as first feared.

Antonio’s sooner-than-expected return has reduced the window for Haller to impress after a stilted maiden campaign in east London, featuring just seven goals in 32 Premier League appearances of which four came in the opening eight games.

McAvennie expects much more from West Ham’s club-record £45million signing, beginning in Saturday night’s London derby with Fulham.

“I don’t get the boys when they’re not in the team and they’re sulking,” he said. “If somebody takes your place, which never happened to me, you fight to get it back.

“Antonio is going to be out for a few weeks, so you’ve got two or three weeks of games to prove that you’re the number one striker. If he doesn’t do that, then he’s got nobody else to blame but himself.

“He’s got it in him, sometimes he does something and you’re like ‘wow, that’s a striker’ but then his head goes down and you can’t do that in the Premier League.

“All the great strikers didn’t mope about with their head down, they go again and that’s what the big man’s got to do. Hopefully, Haller can get with the programme, keep his head up, and start smiling.”

Haller’s appearance at Liverpool was the 24-year-old’s first Premier League start for the season following five substitute cameos totalling 50 minutes, along with three Carabao Cup outings in which the former U21 international netted four times.

Last chance saloon

As McAvennie states, Antonio’s injury has opened a glorious window for Haller to demonstrate his worth to Moyes, but the 26-year-old wasted his first shot at success by struggling to impress at Anfield.

The now £27m-rated forward could only register 17 touches against Liverpool, lost possession 10 times, attempted just two ground duels, completed a mere five passes and failed to register a shot on goal or attempted dribble, per SofaScore.

His issues can stem from the system Moyes is favouring, though, as Haller was a success in Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt as the Bundesliga side did not persist with a one-striker formation which leaves the 26-year-old isolated.

Instead, he thrived alongside Ante Rebic and Luka Jovic, and finding a shape closer to that is how Jonathan Harding, a journalist based in Germany who covered Haller’s final Frankfurt season, believes Moyes can get the most out of the attacker Niko Kovac once claimed “even a bulldozer can’t move”.

“A lot of things will have to go wrong for him not to deliver at West Ham,” Harding told The Athletic. “His playing style, athleticism and build make him suited to the Premier League.

“But he needs someone else up there with him. I think it would be wrong to play him up front on his own. It would be a big mistake if West Ham play him up top and use him in a similar way they did with Andy Carroll. Don’t do it, because it would be a big waste of Haller’s talent.”

But a lot has gone wrong for Haller in his brief time in east London to now be a misfit in claret and blue who Manuel Pellegrini bet big on succeeding. The question is, can Haller now use Antonio’s injury to his benefit, or will this prove to be his last hurrah?

AND in other news, West Ham are considering a January bid to sign an “explosive” talent.

Inter Milan could sell former Spurs star Christian Eriksen this summer – just six months after he left Tottenham Hotspur. 

Eriksen quit Spurs for the Serie A side in January where he teamed up with Antonio Conte. However, the Dane has struggled to settle down at the San Siro and was benched for the past two games, including the 3-1 victory over Torino.

It is quite a fall from grace for a player who left Spurs in pursuit of bigger and better things.

According to Sport Mediaset via Football Italia, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, Eriksen could be sold as Inter look to get rid of 11 players in the summer. He has struggled for consistency so far and Conte wants to cut his losses.

Eriksen, who is currently valued at £61m via Transfermarkt, has played 11 games in Serie A so far, scoring one goal and supplying two assists in total. It has been widely speculated that the former Chelsea boss never wanted him in the first place, as he wanted to sign Arturo Vidal from Barcelona instead.

Manchester United and Real Madrid were strongly linked to the 28-year-old Denmark playmaker in the last transfer window after he refused to sign an extension at Spurs. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was even prepared to pay £40m for him but ended up signing Bruno Fernandes, who has turned out to be one of the best signings at Old Trafford in recent memory.

Eriksen’s downfall has been rather dramatic as Zinedine Zidane personally pulled out of a verbal agreement to sign him for Real Madrid in the winter.

Meanwhile, Tottenham continue to be linked to Barcelona star Philippe Coutinho, who has been tipped to return to the Premier League this summer. Catalan outlet Esport3 claimed that Coutinho’s agent Kia Joorabchian is sorting out a transfer amid interest from Spurs and Arsenal.

As it stands, it is unlikely that Spurs fans will quickly forget the fact Eriksen angled for a move and ran down the final 12 months of his contract, so they may feel a sense of schadenfreude that his switch to Inter has not gone to plan thus far.

Tottenham fans, do you think Christian Eriksen regrets his decision to leave Spurs? Let us know in the comments below!

Leeds United must land Marcelo Bielsa one man in particular if they are to succeed in the big time next season…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, Brentford striker Ollie Watkins was “a name mentioned” to the reliable Whites correspondent this week, meaning he could be someone that the Yorkshire giants are indeed taking a look at.

Elsewhere, it has been reported that the Bees value their leading talisman in excess of £25m following their failure to gain promotion in the Championship playoff final.

Aston Villa, who are managed by Watkins’ ex-coach Dean Smith, are also keen on landing the impressive forward.

Exactly what Bielsa needs

The striking position is an interesting headache for Bielsa, he clearly likes Patrick Bamford but he shouldn’t sniff away from upgrading that position now they’re back in the top-flight.

Despite hitting 16 goals for the season, Bamford was hugely wasteful and was one major cause of Leeds ranking inside the bottom five for chance conversion – the title-winners scored just 12.5% of their opportunities per Transfermarkt.

Watkins scored a whopping 26 goals in the second tier last season, averaging only 2.7 shots per game as well as 1.5 key passes and 0.8 dribbles, via WhoScored.

Meanwhile, United’s number nine scored ten fewer goals yet averaged 0.5 more shots each appearance. The difference is staggering.

It’s no wonder Trevor Sinclair described him as “lethal” before likening him to Jermain Defoe. His former Exeter boss Paul Tisdale believes he “has the ability and the perfect attitude”.

These are just further ticks next to his name on the scouting list.

His ability to run defences ragged is exactly what Bielsa needs in a striker next season, and the club should absolutely pay up to clinch him.

AND in other news, Leeds mustn’t hand a second chance to £10m flop…

Referees aren’t just the guys in the middle of the pitch making sure the rules are being followed anymore, now they’re almost just as talked about as the players themselves.

Nine times out of ten they’re making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Whether it’s a dodgy penalty, missed handball, a goal kick given instead of a corner, and more recently, VAR and goalline technology mishaps, referees all around the world are now well-known names amongst the fans.

As a result, many are accused of favouring certain clubs over others and some have built reputations for being either no-nonsense or just a soft touch. Whether it’s Mike Dean or Michael Oliver, fans will have their opinions on them, mostly without much substantiation other than the fact they made one or two mad decisions that went against their team once upon a time.

Judging referees is a football fans’ favourite pastime in modern football, but do the stats back up the opinions? Well, TOFFS have recently completed a very interesting referee report that will completely change some fans’ opinions on the most recognised referees in the Premier League.

Click through the gallery to see what clubs are favoured more by certain referees, and those who should always dread having a specific man in the middle the next time they play…

Arsenal

Over the last decade, Mike Jones is the referee who has overseen the highest Arsenal win percentage (80%) when refereeing games involving the Gunners, while Michael Oliver has the lowest win percentage (22.22%).

As for cards, Stuart Attwell has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Arsenal matches in the Premier League with 2.67, although Mike Dean has dished out more cards to Arsenal players than anyone else.

Aston Villa

Lee Probert is Aston Villa’s luckiest referee over the last 10 years with a win percentage 42.86%, while Phil Dowd only ever refereed one Aston Villa victory during his career in the middle!

Mark Clattenburg has shown more cards to Villa players in the Premier League than any other referee, while Neil Swarbrick’s average of 2.13 cards-per-game is the highest ratio where Villa matches are concerned.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth fans will be hoping to see more of Kevin Friend in the near future, with the referee officially being the Cherries’ luckiest referee.

That said, Friend also loves to show Bournemouth players cards!

Bournemouth’s unluckiest referee is Lee Mason, who has only overseen one Bournemouth victory from the 12 games involving the club in which he has refereed.

Brighton

John Moss is the referee Brighton fans will not want to see in the middle of their matches in future as the referee has never been involved in a Seagulls victory from six Premier League matches.

But Craig Pawson is Brighton’s luckiest, ref, with a 50% win percentage!

John Moss also holds the record for the highest cards-per-game average for Brighton with 2.67 while Chris Kavanagh is the referee who has shown Brighton the most cards in the Premier League – 20!

Burnley

Martin Atkinson dominates the rankings here for Burnley.

He’s not only Burnley’s luckiest ref with a win percentage of 55% from 20 matches involving the Clarets, but he’s also the man who has shown more cards to their players than any other referee over the last 10 years in the top-flight – 45 yellows and 1 red, averaging 2.3 cards-per-game.

Burnley will dread seeing Michael Oliver appear in the middle of the park for their matches in future, as the ref has only see Burnley win once from 12 games he’s been involved in.

Chelsea

Over the last decade in the Premier League, Neil Swarbrick has been Chelsea’s luckiest referee with a win percentage of 83.33% from 12 games.

While Kevin Friend is the ref who has the lowest win percentage for Chelsea – 45%.

Mike Dean has dished out more cards to Chelsea players over the last 10 years (88), while Anthony Taylor has the highest cards-per-game average with 2.23.

Crystal Palace

Lee Mason is Crystal Palace’s luckiest referee with a 50% win percentage from the 12 Eagles matches he’s refereed. Kevin Friend is their unluckiest, having been in charge of one Crystal Palace victory in 13.

John Moss is the man who seems to love showing Palace players cards, having dished out 52 to Eagles stars with an average of 2.26 per-match.

Everton

Everton’s favourite referee over the last 10 years is Paul Tierney, who has a win percentage of 60%. Then man in the middle they’ll dread seeing in future is Craig Pawson, who has reffed three Toffees victories out of a possible 15!

Michael Oliver has dished out the most cards to Everton players over the last decade with 53, but Bobby Madley has the highest cards-per-game average with 2.2.

Leicester City

Anthony Taylor has overseen the highest win percentage for Leicester City over the last decade, with 53.33%. Martin Atkinson is the Foxes’ unluckiest ref with a win percentage of just under 19%.

Mike Dean is the man who loves showing Leicester players a card the most, with 37 cards shown in 21 games, but Chris Kavanagh is the most card happy where Foxes players are concerned – he averages 2.27 cards-per-game.

Liverpool

Liverpool’s luckiest referee over the last 10 years is Lee Probert, who has reffed a Reds victory in almost 77% of the 13 games he’s been involved in.

Howard Webb is Liverpool’s unluckiest referee, so Reds fans will be delighted that he’s no retired.

Martin Atkinson is the man in the middle who loves giving Liverpool players cards the most – he’s handed Reds players a whopping 71 cards in the 44 games he’s been involved in.

Manchester City

Over the last decade, Neil Swarbrick is the referee who has overseen the highest Man City win percentage (90%) when refereeing games involving City, while Mark Clattenburg has the lowest win percentage (39.29%).

As for cards, Chris Foy has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Man City matches in the Premier League with 2.12, although Mike Dean has dished out more cards to Man City players than anyone else.

Manchester United

Over the last decade, Lee Probert is the referee who has overseen the highest Manchester United win percentage (75%) when refereeing games involving the Red Devils, while Michael Oliver has the lowest win percentage (39.29%).

As for cards, Mike Dean leads way for cards in Man United matches. He’s dished out 96 cards at an average of 2.34 cards-per-game – more than any other referee over the last 10 years.

Newcastle United

Over the last decade, Chris Foy is the referee who has overseen the highest Newcastle win percentage (47.37%) when refereeing games involving the Magpies, while Mike Jones has the lowest win percentage (16.67%).

As for cards, Howard Webb has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Newcastle matches in the Premier League with 2.34, although Andre Marriner has dished out more cards to Newcastle players than anyone else.

Norwich City

Over the last decade, Howard Webb is the referee who has overseen the highest Norwich win percentage (55.56%) when refereeing games involving the Canaries, while Mike Jones has the lowest win percentage (0%).

As for cards, Kevin Friend leads way for cards in Norwich matches. He’s dished out 29 cards at an average of 2.23 cards-per-game – more than any other referee over the last 10 years.

Sheffield United

Andrew Madley, Jon Moss, Peter Bankes and Robert Jones have all refereed a Sheffield United win in the one and only game they’ve overseen involving Chris Wilder’s side.

Lee Mason, Mike Dean and Simon Hooper are all among the most card-happy referees in games involving the Blades.

Southampton

Over the last decade, Martin Atkinson is the referee who has overseen the highest Southampton win percentage (57.14%) when refereeing games involving the Saints, while Lee Probert has the lowest win percentage (0%).

As for cards, Bobby Madley has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Southampton matches in the Premier League with 2.3, although John Moss has dished out more cards to Saints players than anyone else.

Tottenham

Over the last decade, Neil Swarbrick is the referee who has overseen the highest Tottenham win percentage (81.82%) when refereeing games involving Spurs, while Lee Probert has the lowest win percentage (25%).

As for cards, Craig Pawson has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Tottenham matches in the Premier League with 2.4, although Mike Dean has dished out more cards to Spurs players than anyone else.

Watford

Over the last decade, Roger East is the referee who has overseen the highest Watford win percentage (50%) when refereeing games involving the Hornets, while Martin Atkinson has the lowest win percentage (16.67%).

As for cards, Mike Dean has the highest cards-per-game ratio for Watford matches in the Premier League with 2.64, although Anthony Taylor has dished out more cards to Watford players than anyone else.

West Ham United

Over the last decade, Martin Atkinson is the referee who has overseen the highest West Ham win percentage (41.94%) when refereeing games involving the Hammers, while Phil Dowd has the lowest win percentage (7.14%).

As for cards, Neil Swarbrick has the highest cards-per-game ratio for West Ham matches in the Premier League with 2.21, although Martin Atkinson has dished out more cards to Hammers players than anyone else – 65!

Wolves

Over the last decade, Phil Dowd is the referee who has overseen the highest Wolves win percentage (50%) when refereeing games involving the Molineux club, while Peter Walton has the lowest win percentage (11.11%).

As for cards, Stuart Attwell leads way for cards in Wolves matches. He’s dished out 38 cards at an average of 2.92 cards-per-game – more than any other referee over the last 10 years.

Newcastle had an afternoon to forget on Saturday as they lost 2-1 to Watford via two Troy Deeney penalties.

The Magpies’ performance was summed up by a litany of individual errors, notably from Javier Manquillo and Matt Ritchie who gave away the spot-kicks, but there was another player on the pitch who was arguably just as bad.

Indeed, Danny Rose had an absolute stinker against the Hornets, picking up a 6.14 rating from WhoScored for a performance that saw him make just one tackle, with no interceptions, clearances or key passes.

Watch Newcastle United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Rose’s game got off to a poor start. He was chastised early on by his captain for failing to clear a ball when the team were in danger, and due to the lack of a crowd, every viewer could hear exactly what Jamaal Lascelles thought of the full-back’s error.

It wasn’t just the centre-back who had a few choice words for Rose as a number of fans took to social media to voice their complaints with the Tottenham loanee’s performance.

The defender may only have a few games left as a Newcastle player due to his loan deal being up at the end of the season.

Of course, as with many loan deals, rumours have circulated that Steve Bruce’s side are looking into the possibility of signing him permanently, but after this performance, many United fans don’t want to see him back beyond the end of the season, and you can’t blame them for having that point of view after Saturday’s poor showing.

Mario Balotelli just didn’t seem to have what it takes to succeed at Liverpool.

The Italy international joined the Reds on the back of a spell at AC Milan in 2014, where he had managed 30 goals in 54 matches. It wasn’t his first spell in the Premier League, with him previously having spent time with Manchester City, and his performances back in his homeland indicated he may be ready to prove exactly why there was so much hype about him as a youngster.

However, it wasn’t to be at Anfield. He managed just four goals in 28 matches for the club, and he was out of the door on loan in August 2015, returning to Milan. By the time he rocked up again in Merseyside, Jurgen Klopp was the manager, and according to The Athletic, the 29-year-old was desperate to impress the new boss. However, the decision had already been made for him to depart permanently, and he joined Nice.

Twitter page Anfield Edition picked up on this latest report, and it is fair to say fans are unhappy with Klopp for moving him on without giving him a chance, one even said it was “very sad.”

Many took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments below.

Let us know what you think!

Newcastle United’s prospective takeover continues to rumble on into the second half of May but The Sun’s Alan Nixon believes it could be a little longer before any official announcement.

On Monday, the Premier League announced a return to training starting today as part of their ‘Project Restart’ plans to get the remaining fixtures underway.

That’s on top of having to do their due diligence in the owners and directors test for the consortium wanting to purchase the Magpies.

Nixon also claims that they’ll need to shuffle a few more papers though he also states that it should still happen, which is reflected in the odds at www.betting.co.uk, so a sign of encouragement, perhaps.

He said:

It’s been well over a month since reports first emerged suggesting that Mike Ashley was going to sell up after 13 years at the helm, and while fans at St James’ Park are losing their minds at the length of time it’s taking, the current circumstances facing football and the wider country are paramount right now.

Whose Line Is It Anyway: Michael Owen, Garth Crooks or Mark Lawrenson?

AND in other news, George Caulkin downplays Newcastle post-takeover plans

Liverpool fans have reacted to Jamie Carragher’s claim that Jurgen Klopp could end up reaching the legendary status of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.

Carragher thinks that should Klopp win the Premier League title this year, he must be regarded in the same bracket as those two managers, as he has already lifted the Champions League.

The former Liverpool defender told the Liverpool Echo: “Klopp is already a legendary figure at Liverpool Football Club for delivering the European Cup but if he wins the league, you’re talking about Shankly, Paisley levels then”.

As we are coming up to 30 years since Liverpool last won the league title, Klopp would certainly reach an unparalleled status.

He will be the first man to win the Premier League and be the guy that broke the duck on such a painfully long wait for a first-tier title.

One fan said that if anybody is going to do this, it is Klopp, whilst another supporter “he’s something special”. Not everyone, however, is completely in agreement that he will be on that legendary shelf of managers just yet.

[ad_pod ]

The German will still have a long way to go to match the records of Paisley and Shankly.

Paisley won six First Division titles and three European Cups during his time at Anfield, whilst Shankly claimed three top-flight league titles and two FA Cups.

Here is how some of the fans reacted to Carragher’s claim…

Former Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino has been reflecting on his time with the club in an interview with Coaches Voice, admitting that he made mistakes during his spell at St Mary’s.

What did he say?

Well, the Argentine replaced Claude Puel on the south coast in the summer of 2017, but he only lasted for nine months until he was sacked in March 2018 following a largely disastrous campaign – he won just five of his 30 Premier League matches at the helm.

Southampton supporters on Twitter grew heavily frustrated with the former Liverpool man prior to his sacking, meaning his latest comments might be even more interesting.

Pellegrino told Coaches Voice: “So when the opportunity arose, I came together with Southampton (above) as their head coach. They showed me a very ambitious project for the club. A team with a great infrastructure, power and the capacity to sign players. It was a very good place to work as a manager, and to carry on my development.

“That season went from a high to a low – my time there ended with eight Premier League fixtures remaining. Some aspects of our time there, we managed well; in others, we obviously made mistakes.”

Are you a true Saints expert? Test your knowledge on these famous academy graduates…

Honest assessment

It is certainly an honest sum up of how things went for the 48-year-old.

To say that there were things they managed well is probably a little over-exaggerated – in truth, Southampton always looked destined for a relegation battle under the South American despite finishing in eighth position the previous campaign.

Especially towards the end of his spell – including his final game in charge which was a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle United – Pellegrino simply looked out of his depth, unable to motivate and get his players performing for him.

Watch Southampton Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

In addition, one of the transfer decisions he had a significant influence on was bringing Guido Carrillo to St Mary’s in what was then a club-record £19m deal just a few weeks before he was axed, and his fellow Argentine has flopped.

The 28-year-old failed to score in 10 appearances for Saints, while he has 10 goals in 56 matches for La Liga outfit Leganes having spent the last two seasons on loan there.

Most Southampton fans will be keen to forget all about the disaster that was Pellegrino.

In other Southampton news, FFC takes a look back at the Mauricio Pochettino flop signing who cost £5m per goal…

Liverpool have shown an interest in Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria, according to reports from Germany.

Sky Deutschland reported [via The Mirror] that officials from the Anfield club have held an initial meeting with the 22-year-old’s representatives, with Arsenal doing likewise.

The Switzerland international has also attracted Premier League interest from Manchester United and Tottenham and could be available for €50m (£43.1m), as reported by Bild.

According to The Mirror, Zakaria is currently contracted to Borussia Monchengladbach until 2022.

Zakaria, who plays mainly as a defensive midfielder, has been ever-present for Borussia Monchengladbach this season prior to tonight’s DFB-Pokal clash against Borussia Dortmund.

The 22-year-old has scored twice and collected five yellow cards in 13 appearances for his club in 2019/20, with an overall return of eight goals in 78 appearances for Die Fohlen.

He has proven quite adept at winning possession for Marco Rose’s team, with a match average of 2.6 successful tackles and 1.4 interceptions in the Bundesliga so far this term. In the Europa League, those figures rise to 2.7 successful tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game. [via WhoScored]

Those tackling figures are slightly higher than Fabinho, who plays in a similar position at Liverpool. The Brazilian has won the most tackles per game for Jurgen Klopp’s team this season, with a match average of 2.5 in the Premier League, while his 1.3 interceptions per game is also slightly below Zakaria’s average. [via WhoScored]

The Swiss midfielder is also far more prolific than Fabinho, who has scored only once in 56 Liverpool appearances coming into the Carabao Cup meeting with Arsenal tonight.

One area where Zakaria is discernibly weaker than the Reds midfielder, though, is in terms of ball distribution. The Borussia Monchengladbach man has averaged 38.1 passes and 0.3 key passes per game in the Bundesliga this term, with an 83.7% success rate, as per WhoScored.

Fabinho’s Premier League match averages are 62.1 passes and 1.3 key passes, while his 86.8% accuracy rate is higher than the Swiss 22-year-old.

Zakaria’s excellent ball-winning statistics and respectable goal return for a defensive midfielder would make him a decent addition to Liverpool’s squad.

However, with Fabinho’s tackling and interception figures only marginally worse than the Borussia Monchengladbach man, and with the Brazilian being notably more effective on the ball, Zakaria seems to fit the description of a player that would be nice for Klopp to have rather than one he desperately needs.

Liverpool fans, do you think Zakaria would be an upgrade on Fabinho or is there a need for him in the Reds’ line-up? Join in the discussion by commenting below!