All posts by z3u9t.icu

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

Despite West Ham starting the season positively Felipe Anderson has come under fire from some fans recently, but there could be a solution available to bring the best out of him.

On the chalkboard

The Brazilian was described by Jamie Carragher as the Hammers’ best player on Sky Sports’ coverage of West Ham vs Crystal Palace, and if Manuel Pellegrini can get him playing at his best on a consistent basis – such as when he scored four Premier League goals in December 2018 – then his side could challenge in the upper echelons of the league.

In the current set-up he often fails to support Sebastien Haller because he plays wide and is burdened with defensive responsibility, but if the Chilean can find a way to free him up then his best performances should begin to show.

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So far this season he is yet to get on the scoresheet and has instead been part of a midfield that has been accused of not providing service to Haller, which is a reason why the Hammers have scored only 11 goals in eight league games.

However, since Pellegrini is a manager who hasn’t mixed up his preferred formation since arriving in east London, it is instead personnel that will need altering, and that means players such as Manuel Lanzini and Pablo Fornals could drop out, but with a combined total of three goals and assists between them, that may be another positive.

Free role

With that under consideration, Pellegrini should revert back to a successful system he sometimes utilised during his spell as manager of Manchester City, playing two deep centre midfielders with two wide players in front of them, and two strikers looking to feed off them.

West Ham have the personnel to succeed with that style and once Michail Antonio returns the Irons boss should look to implement it.

With him and Andriy Yarmolenko on either wing the Hammers would have a goalscoring threat from out wide, but perhaps more importantly, it would allow Anderson to float in the position in and around Haller, linking up with the striker and roaming out wide when necessary.

His dribbling success of 2.3 per game shows he has an ability to receive the ball and play on the turn, allowing him to run at the opposition, and if he takes up various positions around the pitch and becomes difficult to track, then he should have joy in the opposition’s final third.

If he can improve his shooting he could provide a threat from distance and add an unpredictable nature to his game, as his average of 1.7 key passes per game shows he can create chances for Haller too.

Nicolas Otamendi has had a month to forget in the blue of Manchester City, with him losing the ball to give Norwich a 3-1 lead a few weeks ago and diving in to allow Adama Traore to put Wolves 1-0 up last weekend. He’s off on international duty in the blue of Argentina now, and got 90 minutes under his belt in a 2-2 draw with Germany.

He was City’s most reliable centre-back in their ‘Centurions’ season, making more league appearances than any other player in his position (34). But since then, his recent form has clearly stuck in fans’ minds. Considering they’re now eight points off the top, his form is a real concern.

City’s official Twitter account updated their fans’ on his involvement with his national team on Wednesday night, and it was clear to see that some supporters have lost patience with the 31-year-old. They took to the replies to show their discontent that he was getting game time for Argentina, although some did show support for the centre-back.

You can see some of their reactions to the tweet below:

Some fans were supportive, though:

How do you think the title race will play out over the rest of the season?

Things just appear to be going from bad to worse for Manchester United at the moment. The club made just three permanent signings in the summer transfer window, bringing in Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire for a combined fee totalling well over £100m.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side then failed to replace both Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, and they have paid for it dearly already this season. The Red Devils have managed to score just nine times in their opening eight Premier League games, and have seen centre-forward Marcus Rashford find the back of the net on only three occasions.

It could have been so much different however. According to The Athletic, Portuguese sensation Joao Felix’s availability was discussed several times over the course of the summer window, after the 19-year-old burst onto the scene with 20 goals for Benfica last year. However, United reportedly had concerns over his ability to adapt to the physicality of the Premier League, and thus decided against a move.

After hearing the news they turned down the chance to make a swoop for the now Atletico Madrid star, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the matter.

Many supporters of the Manchester side revealed they couldn’t believe the club had arrived at such a conclusion over Felix’s talents, and insisted it is simply more evidence of their “clueless decision makers”.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger has signed a deal to release his first autobiography, per The London Evening Standard.Weidenfeld and Nicolson, one of Britain’s leading literary imprints, have agreed to publish the Frenchman’s book which will be titled “My Life in Red and White”.

Wenger, 70, spent 22 years at the helm at Highbury and the Emirates and guided the Gunners to three Premier League titles and two FA Cups, including the famous Invincibles campaign of 2003/04 when the Frenchman’s side went an entire season unbeaten.

The book will highlight Wenger’s career in-depth, including both the good times and the challenging later years. His autobiography is set to be released in Britain and France during Autumn 2020.

Arsenal supporters were pretty chuffed about the announcement. One fan said that the book is going to be a “good read”, while another said that he is “counting down the days already”.

Here you will find some of the best responses from Arsenal fans:

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

Confidence should be sky-high in the Liverpool camp when they visit Old Trafford on Sunday but they will need a great deal more than that if they are to maintain their 100% record.

On the chalkboard

Despite the Reds’ success in recent years and a domination in the Premier League which has seen them lose just once in 46 matches since the beginning of last year, they always seem to struggle at Old Trafford.

To demonstrate that point, Christian Benteke is the last Liverpool player to score there from open play in the league, and the Anfield outfit have won just once at the Theatre of Dreams in the last ten years..

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There is a key reason for the lack of success, too, and that is the fact the front three often fail to meet their high standards against the Red Devils, scoring just twice in 21 games between them.

A quick glance at the stats makes for alarming reading for Liverpool fans, with Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah all struggling to perform.

It should act as a worry for Klopp, as it is rare for each one of his forwards not to be firing, and without their contribution the Reds instead will have to rely on goals from elsewhere, which they have found hard to come by.

Attacking intent

Under Klopp Liverpool have never scored more than once at United, with last year’s goalless draw critical to them losing their lead over Man City in the title race.

This time around, the German has to be more adventurous and clinical going forward, and with Paul Pogba missing for the hosts he should play a more creative, forward-thinking player in the middle, such as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

That will allow Liverpool to dominate in United’s half and with another player seeking to get into the box it should open up space for the front three to work their magic.

There is worse news for Liverpool, too, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer improved his defence over the summer with Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka arriving, the latter of whom could make his return from injury on Sunday.

Another concern is that they haven’t been their free-flowing best this season, with only two goals from open play against Sheffield United and Leicester.

As a result, despite the contrast in form between the two sides it is a difficult match to predict, and if Liverpool can’t get their front three to hit their best form then they will likely struggle.

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

QPR welcome Brentford to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on Monday evening, where Mark Warburton will presumably be looking to get one over on his former employers.

The Bees have had an average start to the 2019/20 Championship campaign, currently sitting 12th on 18 points with five wins from their 13 games.

In QPR’s case, the Londoners are performing above expectations and currently find themselves in the playoff places before the weekend’s action kicks off – they are just three points off league leaders West Brom at the time of writing.

If Warburton is hoping to get a result against his former side, then there are two Brentford players who could prove to be a thorn in the 57-year-old’s side…

Said Benrahma 

The Algerian attacker is an exceptionally gifted player who has been a lively presence in the Championship this season.

Benrahma hit an impressive ten goals and recorded 14 assists in the 2018/19 season, and has proven to be a useful outlet in the current campaign with one goal and two assists in 11 appearances.

The 24-year-old averages an impressive three shots per game, 3.1 dribbles per game and 2.5 key passes per game – he has also won the WhoScored Man of the Match award in his last two league games, against Millwall and Swansea.

Ollie Watkins 

The 23-year-old has started this season on fire.

After scoring ten league goals in the entirety of last term, Watkins has already hit eight in just 13 appearances this season.

Brentford’s No.11 also averages three shots per game, while registering 1.5 key passes per game.

Additionally, Watkins is fouled by the opposition 1.2 times per game in the Championship, and he really has been a lively attacking presence in the centre-forward role so far this season.

It is no wonder that clubs like Crystal Palace are interested in the striker, and Warburton has a job on his hands to contain two of his former side’s most dangerous players.

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

Newcastle may have turned a corner with the performance and result against West Ham, and the front-three showed that when on top form they can be a handful for any opponent.

On the chalkboard

Steve Bruce has faced a tough challenge during his first three months in charge of the Magpies, in what was meant to be a dream job for the boyhood Newcastle fan.

From day one, some fans were against him, and though he was given money to spend he inherited a squad which scored just 42 goals in the league, yet lost 23 goals from that total with the departures of Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon.

Despite that, he has done well in parts, and proved that much of the criticism aimed his way has been unwarranted.

He has maintained faith in both his system and his players, and could be about to reap the rewards, starting with Newcastle’s fine display against the Hammers on Saturday, a game they very easily could have led 3-0 at half-time.

With the front three scoring just once between them in ten league games prior to the visit to the London Stadium, some managers would have decided to withdraw them from the team – but not Bruce.

The former Manchester United player has built much of his career on effective man-management. The combination of Miguel Almiron, Allan Saint-Maximin and Joelinton has showcased both that and his tactical skills, and Bruce was the reason why his team looked so accomplished in their 3-2 win.

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Signs of progress

One of the reasons why Bruce has been somewhat under fire is because of the Magpies’ lack of goals, with six in ten scored before the trip to London.

However, with two summer arrivals starting in attack as well as one who only arrived in January, Bruce should have been afforded more time, as he is now starting to prove that once gelled together, his players are capable of producing winning football.

Alan Shearer noted as much on Match of the Day, as quoted by The Athletic:

“The concern this season for Newcastle has been a lack of creativity and a lack of link-up play between Saint-Maximin, Almiron and Joelinton. But not (against West Ham).”

Bruce knows the limitations of his squad, and should be praised rather than ridiculed for operating with a system which best suits them.

Players like Jetro Willems and Saint-Maximin are beginning to excel under him, whilst his handling of Matty Longstaff and Jonjo Shelvey has also resulted in match-winning moments against Man United and West Ham respectively.

Newcastle may not be a team which dominates the ball, but they have pacy wingers and a target man in Joelinton who, with a bit of confidence, will be able to seek out their runs, and that is now beginning to work well for the Magpies.

In our latest instalment of the Flashback series, we take a look back at a certain moment and look at how things might have changed those initial reactions.

Having already featured in a UEFA Cup final during his time at Middlesbrough, 21-year-old Lee Cattermole joined Sunderland from Wigan Athletic in a £6m deal in 2009, as reported by The Telegraph.

Steve Bruce’s comments from The Guardian, made when signing the midfielder, show how highly the then-Sunderland manager regarded him: “He’s fiercely competitive, driven, very like Roy. When Roy was younger he had the same dynamism. Lee reminds me of him in his attitude for the game. He is a born winner.”

Cattermole would go nowhere near reaching the Manchester United icon’s level of achievement, but he did mirror parts of his grit and determination, which in turn led to him becoming a popular figure among many Sunderland fans.

The midfielder went on to play 262 times for the Black Cats during his 10 years at the club, with his dedication to the cause being highlighted in an interview with The Guardian, in which he disclosed that he had played for years with a torn hip, relying on painkillers to get through games.

This is the type of willingness to suffer that was absent from many of Cattermole’s teammates towards the end of his time at the Stadium of Light, with Jack Rodwell having his contract terminated in 2018 after Chris Coleman – and pretty much the whole of Sunderland – questioning his mentality, as reported by BBC Sport.

Cattermole’s professionalism and dedication to the club even extended to his mutually agreed departure in the summer of 2019, which saw him join VVV-Venlo.

Following two painful relegations in a row and then the League One play-off final loss against Charlton Athletic, by leaving the Stadium of Light, he allowed the club to get out of an agreement that could prove unsustainable and therefore helped them to reinvest, as reported by The Sunderland Echo.

From start to finish, Cattermole gave his all to the club and many fans showed their appreciation for that, meaning that despite the hardship he faced at the club and the mocking he faced from fans of other teams, he will be fondly remembered at the Stadium of Light.

Sunderland fans, what are your biggest memories of Cattermole? Join the discussion by commenting below…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Trevor Sinclair has hit out at VAR in Manchester City’s defeat to Liverpool, claiming that Trent Alexander-Arnold clearly touched the ball with his hand. The former City man claimed it was a “great save” from the Liverpool defender.

What did he say?

The handball incident had a huge impact on the game as seconds later Fabinho would rocket home Liverpool’s opener. Shortly after, Mohamed Salah would make it two, and City looked all but down and out after 15 minutes gone.

Sinclair explained to talkSPORT: “I can’t understand how they can give the goal after Trent Alexander-Arnold’s handball because it was that same phase in which they scored.

“Manchester City didn’t clear it and get the ball safe until the ball hit the back of the net, so it’s kind of one rule for one, one rule for another. It’s so complicated.

“VAR are there to stop mistakes, clear and obvious mistakes by the referee. I think we’ve all seen the video evidence, it’s definitely handball.

“It was a save! If that was the keeper doing that it would have been an amazing save. Forget about the first handball, because it wasn’t handball anyway.

“It was a great save from Trent Alexander-Arnold and that led to the build-up to the goal.”

No consistency

The video footage does show that Alexander-Arnold touched the ball with his hand. Indeed, the ball came at him fast and perhaps he did not have time to move his arm, however, new rules state that this should still be a handball.

At the start of this campaign, the Premier League released the updated laws regarding handballs in the league. The Premier League stated: “Any goal scored or created with the use of the hand or arm will be disallowed this season even if it is accidental.”

However, as Sinclair alluded to, the ball hit the Liverpool right-back in the build-up to their opening goal. Within seconds, Fabinho would go onto score, which makes Alexander-Arnold’s involvement key to the play.

Earlier this season, City themselves were found in the midst of VAR controversy.

Gabriel Jesus’ late winner was denied by VAR after footage showed he touched the ball before he slotted home. However, the incident looked accidental and seemed awfully familiar to that of Alexander-Arnold’s.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has opened up about playing under Unai Emery at Arsenal, during an interview with FourFourTwo.

What did he say?

The Armenia international is spending the season on loan at AS Roma, which he indicated is due to the lack of game time he was getting at the Emirates Stadium following a season in which he started 19 Premier League games, coming on as a substitute in a further 6.

This campaign he got off to a good start with Roma, getting a goal and assist in 4 Serie A matches, but has been out since then with a tear in the abductor muscle.

Speaking of his time under Emery, Mkhitaryan told FourFourTwo: “I was starting as a winger, but had to build play with the defensive midfielder, it’s why I couldn’t contribute as many goals or assists.

“I like to play more freely and move wherever there’s space, but you have to do the job that the manager asks.”

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Burning bridges

Following these comments, it is difficult to envisage the 30-year-old representing Arsenal again while Emery is manager of the club.

Considering all of the pressure the manager has been under in recent weeks, with many fans wanting him out of Arsenal, the Spaniard likely won’t take too kindly to a player on his club’s books discrediting him and his tactics so openly.

With this in mind, speaking about the topic in such a frank way is possibly ill-advised from Mkhitaryan due to the fact that he is still technically an Arsenal player.

Even if Emery does leave, this probably won’t help his cause with future bosses, as they may be questioning whether they want to manage the type of player who would come out with comments that could be deemed unprofessional from a current employee.