Tag Futebol

Whilst the futures of a certain Reds duo continually dominate Merseyside football headlines, an occurrence over on the other side of Stanley Park may constitute the most curious transfer event of the summer. Everton midfielder Dan Gosling has been cleared to walk away from Goodison Park as a free agent following his club’s failure to offer him a new contract in writing. Although the club may rue the decision to formalise the verbal agreement negotiated between the two parties earlier this year, with the mistake set to cost them in the region of £4m-£5m, opting to seek employment elsewhere may come back to haunt the England Under-21 international. Will Gosling regret reneging upon his new contract at Everton?

Signed from Plymouth Argyle during the transfer window of January 2008, Dan Gosling swiftly earned a reputation as one of England’s finest young talents at Goodison Park. The versatile 20-year-old, who can operate at right-back, right-midfield and centre-midfield, was dispatched to the club’s reserve team immediately after his arrival but was promoted to the first-team squad at the start of the 2008/09 season. Over the course of the last two seasons, Gosling made 34 appearances and scored six goals, both respectable tallies for a young player plying his trade in the Premier League. Gosling also managed to write himself into Everton folklore after scoring an extra-time winner against arch-rivals Liverpool during an FA Cup fourth round replay in 2009.

Although Gosling may have left Everton on the grounds that he can receive a better salary and more playing time at another club, he is unlikely to find another playing environment as suitable as the one that he left behind at Goodison Park. David Moyes plucked Gosling from the relative obscurity of Championship football and courageously afforded Gosling healthy doses of first-team football over the course of the last seasons. The cases of Wayne Rooney and Jack Rodwell both vindicate Moyes’ reputation as one of a nurturing, youth-friendly manager. Everton’s most recent recruit, 20-year-old Frenchman Magaye Gueye, cited Moyes’ reputation as major factor in his decision to join the club, stating “I had better feelings with Everton. I know I will get opportunities to play in a great league, which has been my dream since I was a kid.”

Newcastle United and West Ham United have both been touted as Gosling’s most likely destinations. Whilst he may be able to secure higher wages and first-team playing time at either club, both clubs are more likely than Everton to find themselves in a relegation battle next season, and could consequently provide a more tumultuous, unsettled environment for Gosling to develop in. On the other hand, Everton are comfortably established in the top half of the Premier League table and would have provided a more secure setting for Gosling to continue his progress.

Gosling’s former team-mate Jack Rodwell, one of England’s most coveted young players, spurned interest from Chelsea and Manchester United in order to sign a new contract at Everton at the end of last season. Clearly recognising the value of the environment created by David Moyes at Goodison Park, Rodwell has acknowledged that his future growth as a player would best be served upon Merseyside. Only time will tell whether or not Gosling will rue the decision not to follow the actions of his former team-mate.

Will Dan Gosling rue his decision to leave Goodison Park?

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Follow all things Everton at www.twitter.com/Everton_FFC

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

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Click on image below to see the Argentinean babes at the World Cup

West Ham United have seen an opening £33m bid to Lazio for Felipe Anderson rejected, according to Gazzetta Dello Sport, via the Express.

What’s the latest, then?

The report claims that West Ham have finally tabled an offer to the Italian giants for the playmaker but it has been turned down as it falls £10m short of Lazio’s valuation of £43m for the player.

That would smash the Hammers’ transfer record – set when they bought Marko Arnautovic last summer from Stoke – and the report says that part of the reason Lazio want so much is because 25 per cent of any transfer fee is owed to Brazilian outfit Santos.

The report also goes on to say that Lazio are prepared to play hardball because of the financial implications of their failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Anderson would elevate Pellegrini’s West Ham revolution

There is no doubt that, for as long as Lazio are prepared to be obstinate over the transfer fee for Anderson, securing his services will be expensive business and represents a risk for a player who has never performed in the Premier League.

However, West Ham need a new darling – something that has been lacking slightly since Dimitri Payet left – and someone to get the fans excited ahead of a new season, and something of a new, attacking era under Manuel Pellegrini.

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Anderson could be that man, linking up with Manuel Lanzini in a 4-2-2-2 formation to add some stardust as the former Manchester City manager embraces the attacking football the fans love.

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Alexandre Lacazette arrived at Arsenal in the summer with plenty of promise and he did not disappoint when the season began.

The France international scored on his Premier League debut in an exciting 4-2 victory over Leicester City, and in his first 10 matches for the Gunners he netted five goals.

Since then, though, the forward has only found the back of the goal on three occasions.

In fact, Lacazette has not scored for the North London outfit in his last eight appearances, but he has provided two assists.

Manager Arsene Wenger spoke of the striker’s form during his weekly press conference, and insisted that he is not worried about the current dip.

Fans hit back at the coach by claiming that he is a huge part of the problem given that Lacazette is rarely given an entire 90 minutes on the pitch.

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On only four occasions this season has the 26-year-old completed a full match.

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The onus at Tottenham has always been on glory, doing things in a certain way even if that way doesn’t always bring success. It therefore unsurprising that a few dissenters are already struggling to adjust to a new meaner and all together less inspiring Spurs under AVB.

Nine goals from ten Premier League games and it would appear remarkable that Spurs are sitting pretty in one of the coveted Champions League places. The meanest defensive record across all competitions is perhaps one answer, however with an abundance of attacking riches at their disposal I think Spurs can do better still.

It has been a curious start, Spurs have invested heavily in attack minded players; Chadli, Lamela and Soldado to name but a few, yet still an inability to create anything meaningful. Clearly with the players at his disposal AVB must be a little concerned, a tactical re-think may be in order if he is to galvanise this attacking unit.

AVB has employed thus far, various combinations of attacking players but one theme has remained constant. Spurs have decided to experiment with so called ‘inverted wingers’, named so because the wide man plays off his predominantly weaker side with a tendency to cut in. This is new for Spurs, even with Lennon and Bale out wide, Lennon still occupied the right in the main with Bale left to infamously float where he wanted.

This isn’t a revolutionary brainwave from AVB though, the idea of an ‘inverted winger’ has long been fashionable on the continent. Arjen Robben is perhaps the most famous exponent of this tactic, playing wide right for Bayern he so often cuts in to expose opponents to his absolute wand of a left foot. Even the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were known to play in off their apparently weaker side; so no the experiment at Tottenham wasn’t destined for disaster.

This tactic can and does work for many clubs, but for Spurs at the moment it is simply stifling their ability to create.

It was one of the most evident problems for Spurs on Sunday, the likes of Lennon and Townsend cutting in and running at almost a 90-degree angle to the goal. Spurs in the main failed to unleash any meaningful strikes off either wing, with both players often harried by the likes of Barry and McCarthy into deeper positions.

But this isn’t just a question of a tactic not working, what it is doing is making Spurs even worse. On Sunday it was the turn of Holtby in the number 10 role, and in my opinion the German has a great game, however he was continually crowded and squeezed not by the opposition but by Spurs’ wingers coming in off their flanks.

It is easy for a team to defend narrow, Everton at most had to cover half the pitch because little or nothing came from wide. The little that did come from wide was actually promising, Vertonghen breaking free from Coleman and actually showing some menace, so why not Lennon and Townsend?

In recent times Spurs have always looked best attacking with pace out wide, beating the full back and delivering defence splitting crosses. The new Spurs are predictable and easily found out, the system just isn’t working.

Another frustration of late is the continual laying of blame at the door of Roberto Soldado, unimpressive on Sunday but not the problem more the solution.

Soldado is a world class striker, this isn’t really the debate because years playing top flight football in Spain are suggestive that this more a fact. The pattern with Soldado is that he primarily scores in the box, all his La Liga goals last season were from within the penalty area. So when on Sunday he is continually forced to come deep to receive the ball you know something is wrong. At best he is getting maybe one half-chance per game in the area, ridiculous for a player that the club invested so heavily in.

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He may not be the best at holding up the high ball, but he is aerial ability when in front of goal is unquestionable. Spurs need to start delivering the ball from out-wide because when you have one of the worlds greatest poachers at your disposal, playing the majority of the time on the edge of the oppositions are just isn’t smart.

I’m all for experimentation and change, but at Spurs it is time to revert to the blueprint out wide that worked so well in the past. Start feeding the £26m frontman and who knows what the potential could be for Spurs.

Time to scrap the inverted wingers?

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has stated that his side must cut out silly errors to stand a chance of progressing through their Champions League group.

The Premier League champions were beaten 3-2 by Real Madrid in their first game, and face Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night at the Etihad Stadium.

The Italian coach is confident but feels his side must be more solid in their defending.

“In the second half in Madrid we played really well, but it was a mistake to drop back too deep after scoring our second goal,” Mancini told reporters, published in The Guardian.

“We conceded a lot of space to players as good as Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, and that’s what cost us. If we are going to get out of this Champions League group we need to improve very quickly because we only have five games left, and we need to stop conceding easy goals like we did in Madrid.

“We could have been luckier, we ended up with the best teams in Spain, Germany and Holland, but all Champions League games are difficult. You are bound to be playing against the best teams from other countries, even when they are not the actual champions.

“For that reason, it is a difficult competition. Our aim this season is to improve on last season and at least get out of the group, but in this group, getting to the second stage is not going to be easy.

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“For a second year we are in the toughest group, but we know we are also a strong team and we have to play with confidence,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

Newcastle United could be in for a busy summer in the transfer market if manager Rafa Benitez gets his own way and is handed a significant budget by owner Mike Ashley, as he looks to establish the Tyneside outfit as a top-half Premier League club.

The Spanish boss has grown frustrated with Ashley in the past as he doesn’t feel he has been backed as well financially as he perhaps should have been, and he will be determined to make sure that is not the case over the course of the next few weeks and months, with the St James’ Park faithful, who have had their say on a link to a 28-year-old Champions League star on Twitter, hopeful of the same outcome.

The Magpies have been linked with a whole host of players in the media ever since they preserved their top flight status for at least another year by beating Arsenal at St James’ Park last month, and now the hard work will start for Benitez to ensure they progress and improve next term.

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The goalkeeper, left-back, centre-back, left wing and striker positions are just a few that may well be a priority for the 58-year-old in terms of strengthening this summer, and he will know that he is under a little more pressure to get deals over the line given the transfer window closes before the 2018/19 campaign gets underway on August 9.

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So, Newcastle fans, who do you want to sign this summer? Let us know by voting on the poll below…

According to AS, West Ham United are contemplating a January transfer for Leganes’ star midfielder, Gabriel Pires.

The 24-year-old signed with the Madrid club from Juventus in the summer of 2016, and he’s quickly established himself as an integral figure in their midfield.

What’s the story?

The Brazilian playmaker has made 14 appearances in La Liga this season, contributing to four goals, by scoring three and providing one assist for Leganes.

It is believed that David Moyes is eager to establish his identity at West Ham, and Gabriel Pires has been sighted as one target to augment the standard of his midfield.

In accordance with AS’ report, there are two proposals that West Ham are willing to make. The first of which would be to complete a permanent deal for the playmaker for a fee of £4.8m.

Secondly, the Irons are reportedly ready to take the 24-year-old on loan for the remainder of the season, paying an initial fee of £1.5m, then giving £8m at the end of the loan to sign the midfielder on a permanent deal.

Is he worth it?

While West Ham supporters might have hoped for more significant goal contribution in La Liga this term, there’s no disputing Pires’ significance to Leganes.  Pires has scored 15 goals since making his debut for the Spanish club in 2015, and he was incredibly valuable as he assisted his team to promotion to La Liga in the 15/16 season.

One of his foremost qualities is his versatility. Pires has operated as a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder and even as a forward for Leganes this term.

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He’s highly regarded for his refined tackling ability, in addition to his proficiency from dead-ball situations. At the age of 24, his potential is vast, and he would undoubtedly strengthen Moyes’ team.

Brendan Rodgers has proved himself to be an astute operator in the transfer market, snapping up several smart acquisitions during his time at Liverpool boss, including the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge, Mamadou Sakho and Simon Mignolet.

The Ulsterman is expected to put the coming January transfer window to good use, by further bolstering his squad as the Reds try and assert themselves in the Premier League title race.

As a result, the tabloids are producing their regular reports linking the Merseysiders to countless players of various pedigree and quality across the globe.

In order to separate the wheat from the chaff, and lend the Reds gaffer some advice, we at Football FanCast have made a short list of FIVE of the Anfield outfit’s January targets that they should avoid at all costs. They simply aren’t up to Liverpool’s high standards.

CLICK ON LACINA TRAORE TO REVEAL THE FIVE JANUARY TRANSFER TARGETS THAT WON’T CUT THE MUSTARD AT LIVERPOOL

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Striker Nelson Oliveira insists that he is happy at Deportivo la Coruna despite being linked with a move to either Chelsea or Manchester United, according to Talk Sport.

Oliveira has joined the La Liga newcomers on loan from Benfica in search of some regular first-team football.

Although the 21-year-old’s goal scoring record of 10 goals in 70 career appearances is less than impressive, it his is potential to develop into a dangerous aerial threat that has attracted interest from major European clubs and in particular, the Premier League.

The Portuguese target man, who came on as a substitute in nearly every Portugal game during Euro 2012, says that for now he just wants to focus on playing for Deportivo: “I do not think about the rumours leaving because I am good at Coruna.

“I am focused on having a good season here. The season has started now and I am not paying any interest to the news I could leave,” he added.

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Oliveira was perhaps one of the surprise selections for Euro 2012 after being included following an impressive under-20 World Cup display which saw him voted as the second best player of the tournament.

David Moyes has been chastised for a lack of ambition in his team selections since his appointment as West Ham manager and being safe from relegation has not tempted the Scotsman to change his approach.

The Hammers finish the season with two home games and they have both seen Moyes name unchanged sides from the safety-first setups that have seen the club finish the season on the right side of the drop zone.

Jordan Hugill – valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt – was a January deadline day swoop that was supposed to add extra firepower to the West Ham attack but the frontman has hardly featured since his arrival from Moyes’ old club Preston North End.

Hammers fans cannot understand at all why Hugill was totally excluded from not just the starting 11 but the entire 18 for the final day engagement with Everton and they are not happy at all with how Moyes is treating the striker…

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