Football FanCast recently exclusively revealed that Liverpool are still interested in signing West Ham United star Manuel Lanzini.
The Hammers’ attacking midfielder certainly has plenty to offer the Reds and could thrive at Anfield. However, the 26-year-old, who recently returned from a lengthy injury lay-off, has hinted that his future remains at the London Stadium.
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What he said
The four-cap Argentina international told the Irons’ official website: “We have many good things to work for in the future and I am looking forward to playing for Mister Pellegrini and his staff. We have a very strong squad here and hopefully we can achieve good things this season and in the next seasons…I am sure the best is yet to come.”
The No. 10 has been with the east London club since 2015, and has made over 100 appearances for the Hammers in that time. Prior to his serious injury, the attacker was in fine form and had played his way into Argentina’s preliminary World Cup squad.
Interest from others
Back in June 2018 it was reported by The Telegraph that Liverpool were considering Lanzini as a potential transfer target. Now their interest may be being rekindled as the Reds continue to monitor the West Ham man’s situation.
However, West Ham fans ought to be able to take heart from Lanzini’s comments that suggest that the Argentine remains committed to the club and working with Pellegrini. It’s certainly vital that the Irons do all they can to keep Lanzini at the club as he is one of their most talented creators and is well loved by the fans.
Manchester United remain in good form meaning their chance of securing Champions League football once again is increasing.
Their saviour – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – has definitely enhanced his reputation even more with the Old Trafford faithful after now delivering on the managerial front as well.
Of course, his work is far from done this season, those loving fans would be extra adoring should he deliver Champions League football and potentially the FA Cup.
It’s a lot to ask but in the build-up to next season, whether Ole is still there or not, Manchester United are now in a far better position compared to a few months prior.
Still, improvements this summer will be required, silverware or not, with a dominant midfielder being a slot United will want to fill.
A player who could fit that exact specification is Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey, who could be an influential signing for Manchester United.
Partey, (who is valued at £36 million on Transfermarkt) is more of a rotational player for the Spanish giants but with a move to Manchester United, could become even better next to the likes of Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera.
The 25-year-old would definitely be described as a powerhouse and he operates in a brilliant way across every area on the pitch.
Having played 31 times this season, Partey has contributed two goals and a further five assists, showing he is more keen to give his team-mates the glory.
With great vision for passes whether it’s short or long, Atletico Madrid arguably underuse him, with their midfield already being very good.
He’s started just 13 times in La Liga this season, so if game-time is a concern for the Ghana international, a move to Manchester United would suit him perfectly.
Loads of Sunderland fans have been reacting to a crushing blow, as Duncan Watmore has once again suffered a season-ending injury.
Sunderland were held to a 0-0 draw at Oakwell on Tuesday night, as Barnsley kept a slight advantage over the Black Cats in the race for automatic promotion.
Jack Ross’ side will certainly take a point from a ground where just six other teams have avoided defeated this season (and not one has won), but the gaffer delivered an update after the game that has taken any gloss off an otherwise decent outing.
Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….
Watmore, who missed the first 19 games of the season with a knee injury, will now miss the remainder of the campaign with an ankle problem, the club confirmed.
The 25 year-old became an instant fan favourite when he broke into the first team as a youngster, and has since racked up 65 games for the club.
That 65 would of course be a lot higher if he wasn’t so unfortunate with injuries, and loads of fans have been giving their verdict on his latest setback.
Josh Cullen has been in impressive form for Charlton Athletic on loan this season, and the standard of his performances have earned him recognition away from the Valley.
Indeed, the 22-year-old has earned his first ever international call-up to the Ireland squad to face Gibraltar and Georgia in a pair of Euro 2020 qualifiers, replacing the injured Ronan Curtis.
Cullen will join fellow central midfielders Jeff Hendrick, Glenn Whelan and Harry Arter as he bids to break into the starting XI.
Shortly after news broke concerning his late call-up, Cullen took to Twitter to reveal his delight at Mick McCarthy’s decision to draft him into the squad.
The call-up represents a landmark moment in the West Ham academy product’s career. Cullen’s bid to establish himself at the top level has not been a smooth process, but his latest achievement suggests that he has made significant strides forward in League One this season.
In response to his tweet, supporters turned out in their numbers to heap praise on the impressive loanee and urged him to remain injury free with the Addicks battling for promotion.
Here’s what fans of Charlton, West Ham and Bradford City had to say in response to Cullen’s post:
Technically brilliant with an eye for a pass, Merson started his professional career with Arsenal, before representing the likes of Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and Walsall.
It was Merson’s 51st birthday on Wednesday and one of his former clubs – Villa – paid tribute to the former attacker with a message on their social media page.
Merson turned out for Villa between 1998 and 2002, scoring 19 times in 129 appearances in all competitions.
There is no question that he is still highly regarded by the club’s fans and a large number were keen to pay tribute to the pundit on Wednesday.
Merson made 21 England appearances during his professional career, but there is a general feeling that he should have turned out on more occasions for the national team due to his immense quality.
A selection of the Twitter reaction from the adoring Villa fans can be seen below:
Crystal Palace’s miserable couple of weeks continued as they crashed out of the Fa Cup quarter-final, compounding the heartache felt after their loss at the hands of bitter rivals Brighton in the fixture which preceded their trip to Vicarage Road.
Just as they did against the Hornets, the Eagles fought back from one down to level the score before letting it slip in the late stages, with Andre Gray netting in the 79th minute to see the Hornets through to Wembley.
While there was nothing much to be done about the latter strike, Palace will surely feel they should have done better with Gray’s winner.
Luka Milivojevic had spotted the speedster’s run but, in the second he looked away, the Serb lost his man and Gray was allowed to tap home from seven yards out. It was, admittedly, a great ball from Roberto Pereyra but there was nothing else on for the Argentine and Gray’s run should certainly have been followed.
Palace might have been without the influential Wilfried Zaha for this game but it’s difficult to speculate if the outcome would have been any different if the Ivorian was involved.
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The number 11 has been in great form for Palace in recent weeks, scoring five goals in his last seven games, and he was undoubtedly a big loss to Palace in the Watford clash, which he missed due to injury.
In a fantastic string of displays, Zaha’s performance against Brighton is a stain – the speedster got little joy down the left flank, with Martin Montoya effectively dealing with the enormous threat posed. The Eagles had a full strength front-line in that game and struggled to break down their deep-sat opposition – their defence, though, was not at full health.
Mamadou Sakho has missed the last four games in all competitions through injury and looks set to see out the rest of the season on the sidelines – the Frenchman has been and will continue to be a massive loss for the Croydon outfit.
His spider-like dribbles out from the back might give the Palace faithful heart attacks now and then but there is no doubt that the 29-year-old galvanises the defence and instils a confidence in his teammates that the deputies cannot.
Scott Dann and Martin Kelly have taken turns to step in alongside James Tomkins since Sakho took to the treatment room but neither have the former Liverpool defender’s calming influence.
Palace’s attack – of which Zaha is the key man – has long been perceived their saving grace, but the partnership struck up by Tomkins and Sakho, combined with the ever-improving Aaron Wan-Bissaka and bargain buy van Aanholt, means the Eagles surely have one of, if not the, best defences outside of the top six.
The ‘pride of south London’ kept four clean sheets in a spectacular run of form at the end of last season in which they lost just once in their final eight games and a back line containing Sakho at the core was a huge part of that.
Zaha is widely regarded as Palace’s most important player but, in the last 180 minutes alone, Sakho has laid down a strong claim to take that mantle away – the sooner he returns to action the better.
Well, now it’s “almost” official then. Jimmy Shan’s impressive work with West Bromwich Albion’s convinced the hierarchy to keep him as the interim manager till the end of the season, according to the Daily Mirror. Indeed, while underwhelming, it’s actually a logical decision from the club considering the season ends in two months.
Still, it’s not without risks.
Despite seemingly being a hit among the Baggies players, Shan’s still very inexperienced when it comes to high-pressure situations. So, with a play-off spot almost confirmed, his biggest test will be when they head on a potential path all the way to Wembley.
Obviously, Shan’s changed their style from Moore’s ultra-attacking one earlier this season, bringing more stability with his cautious approach. West Brom have shifted towards a more defensive 4-3-3 formation, with Chris Brunt being reinstated as their engine in the heart of midfield and everything looks pretty solid right now. Furthermore, Shan’s giving opportunities to those who worked hardest for the Baggies, while switching his options very well. While his two victories weren’t the prettiest, it guaranteed six crucial points for Shan.
The Baggies are treading water with their style, inviting pressure and giving opponents chances to score. However, their counter-attacking method’s worked and can actually work to their advantage in the play-offs. If not anything, Shan clearly knows how to see off results.
If he shapes them accordingly in the play-offs, West Brom could edge their way into winning promotion to the Premier League. While he’ll look to bring excitement back into the game, if Shan’s current “negative” method can get the Baggies back where they belong, then so be it.
West Brom fans, are you pleased with Shan’s extension as interim manager? Join the discussion by commenting below…
Cardiff City fans have been full of praise for Neil Etheridge’s heroic performance against Manchester City on Wednesday night.
The Filipino shot-stopper had a lot of work to do against the reigning champions as City peppered the goal with shots, registering 11 strikes on target.
Etheridge made two fantastic saves, stopping both a long-range strike from Phil Foden and a point blank header from Aymeric Laporte.
Though Cardiff lost 2-0 it could’ve been a lot more as City applied constant pressure to Cardiff’s backline.
The 6 foot 2 star’s heroics may prove important come the end of the season as Cardiff’s goal difference could be decisive in the battle against relegation.
Losing just 2-0 against a team that regularly hit five or more against lesser opposition at the Etihad is a respectable result and Etheridge is to thank for keeping the score down.
Cardiff fans took to Twitter during and after the match to sound their appreciation for the keeper.
Jordan Henderson might have been relegated to substitute at Liverpool this season, but his impact has never been larger.
His match-sealing goal against Southampton on Friday night put the Reds a step closer to Premier League glory, and his emotional celebration made the fans remember that their club captain is in it to win it this season.
Henderson might have been demoted to the bench due to the emergence of Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum establishing themselves as first-team midfielders, but Jurgen Klopp himself has claimed that his importance on the first-team is even stronger than ever.
The Liverpool manager even said after the 3-1 win that Henderson has done well in replacing legend Steven Gerrard at the club, saying, “The most difficult job in the last 500 years of football was to replace Steven Gerrard.
“In the mind of the people it was like if it’s not Stevie, then it’s not good enough, and he has dealt with that outstandingly well so he can be really proud. Now we have to think of the future and he is a very important part of our team.”
Henderson’s importance can be understandable when you look at his appearance stats in the league this season. The Liverpool skipper has only failed to come on the pitch once when he has been involved with the squad this campaign, starting 18 and coming on as sub 11 times.
Fans, for the remainder of the season at least, will want to see Henderson remain on the bench for players who bring more urgency and quality to the team, but in their captain they know they have a player who makes as big as an impact on the squad than anyone else, and that nobody in the club is as suited to wear the armband as the man who was picked to succeed Gerrard at the club.
Liverpool fans, has this been Henderson’s best season? Let us know!
According to Football Insider, a Bournemouth scout was in attendance for Stoke City’s 2-2 draw with Rotherham on Saturday as the Cherries look to step up their pursuit of England international Jack Butland.
After recent blunders from Asmir Begovic, Eddie Howe’s keenness on a new goalkeeper makes sense.
Could Butland be the final piece in the jigsaw for Bournemouth?
What’s the word?
Well, Football Insider understands that the Vitality Stadium outfit could be on the hunt for two goalkeepers this summer with the aforementioned Begovic falling out of favour and Artur Boruc, whose contract also runs out at the end of the campaign, not getting any younger.
Butland is expected to finally leave the bet365 Stadium this summer having surprisingly remained at the club after relegation to the Championship last season. The 26-year-old has been a regular fixture in the Potters lineup this term, playing all 42 league games and keeping 17 clean sheets.
Bournemouth will have to stump up the cash if they’re to get their man though – Stoke are set to demand a fee in the region of £15m for the number 1’s services, although it will certainly be worth it from a Cherries point of view.
The final piece of the jigsaw
Howe has gone to great lengths to lower the average age of his squad in recent seasons, with the likes of Jordon Ibe, Dominic Solanke, Nathan Ake and David Brooks recruited in the hope that they will be a big part of the Cherries’ future, as well as their present.
Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…
The south coast outfit have youth in all areas of the pitch and look set to be a force in the Premier League for the foreseeable future, although one role isn’t quite locked down for the next decade: goalkeeper.
Begovic, 31 and Boruc, 39, won’t be able to guard the net forever so signing a young, quality goalkeeper would mean Bournemouth have pretty much all bases covered for the next five or six seasons, as long as they can keep all their young stars of course.
Butland is highly-rated and still has room to grow, so the move would make perfect sense, although Bournemouth surely won’t be the only suitors come the summer.
What do you think, Bournemouth fans, would you like to sign the custodian? Let us know in the comments below.