As reported by French outlet L’Equipe, Kurt Zouma is considering his Chelsea future carefully as he seeks a return to regular first team football.
What’s the word?
Since returning from injury in January, Zouma has made just one Premier League appearance, playing just two minutes of Chelsea’s big victory over Arsenal last weekend.
Now he’s been left considering his Chelsea future and is set for talks with the club in the summer. When asked about his future he revealed he desires more first team football.
As quoted by L’Equipe, Zouma said:
We’ll have to see how the second half of the season goes. The team is the priority: first of all, to be champions! After that, yes, we’ll have to talk, because I’m young, and it’s at my age that you have to play the most. I’m going to have to play if I want to achieve my objectives and get back into the France team.
It’s at least honest and his words are unlikely to cause ire amongst the Chelsea support, who must understand the defender’s ambition.
Is he good enough for more?
Kurt Zouma has the potential to be a regular fixture in the Chelsea defence for years to come. At the age of just 22, he already looks the complete package; strong in the air, strong in the tackle, pacy and composed.
His ambition to seek more first team football is admirable and that desire should be rewarded by Conte. Perhaps wrapping the league up with games to spare will give the Italian manager breathing room to give him more top-flight time.
What’s certain though is that Conte should seek to address the concerns of Zouma and offer assurances he has a bright future at Stamford Bridge.
Any Newcastle United fan would be forgiven for thinking that their team have secured Premier League promotion after coming from behind to beat rivals Brighton on Tuesday night.
Rafael Benitez’s side were trailing for 80 minutes after Glenn Murray netted from the penalty spot within the first quarter of an hour.
The equaliser came from Mohamed Diame thanks to an incredible slice of luck when his flick found its way into the top corner.
Two minutes from time, Ayoze Perez found a dramatic winner when he nestled the ball into the bottom corner from eight yards out.
Brighton started off the better side, but the Magpies grew into the game, creating 19 shots compared to the Seagulls’ 10.
The result has moved Newcastle back to the top of the Championship table, eight points above the playoff places and two ahead of Brighton.
Fans took to Twitter to express their delight and recognised what this result could do for their Premier League promotion hopes.
Speaking exclusively to The Evening Times, former Celtic hero Stiliyan Petrov believes that Moussa Dembele is so good that he can eventually reach the very top of the game.
What’s the story?
Petrov knows what it takes to get it done for Celtic and in the English Premier League after a spell with Aston Villa and he’s backed red hot striking sensation Dembele to have a massively successful career.
As quoted by The Evening Times, he said:
What we have all seen is that he has the potential to go to the top. Celtic did very well to stay strong and hold on to him in the January transfer window and that is important. They should want to have him at the club for as long as possible and from what I hear he is happy where he is. He is very young, he has a lot of time to get better and as a striker you always have to prove yourself. It is not enough to do it over one season, you have to do it again and again – like Henrik.
The comparisons to Henrik Larsson appear to be getting more and more frequent with many Celtic supporters believing the Frenchman is the greatest striker to grace the club since those days. Are they right?
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How good is he?
Dembele’s season has been quite extraordinary. He’s scored 32 goals in 44 appearances for the club so far this term, although only 33 of those appearances have been from the start of matches.
He’s rapidly closing in on the 40 goal mark and could break the record for most goals in a debut season for the Bhoys which stands at 43, set by Joe McBride in 1966.
Also scoring 5 goals in 3 matches against arch-rivals Rangers this season, he’s rapidly become a fan favourite amongst the passionate Celtic support.
He’ll have another chance to enhance his reputation at the club when the Hoops take on the Gers this Sunday at Celtic Park.
England may have suffered a 1-0 defeat to Germany last night courtesy of an incredible strike from retiring Mannschaft icon Lukas Podolski, but there was plenty of positives for Gareth Southgate to take from an energetic and entertaining ninety minutes in Dortmund.
Not least including a fantastic performance from young midfielder Dele Alli, deemed the Man of the Match by many due to his presence at the heart of virtually every Three Lions attack and general quality shown around the final third.
But England lined up in a new-look 3-4-2-1 formation that partnered the Tottenham man alongside Liverpool’s Adam Lallana, who was equally pivotal to England’s promising display.
Indeed, as our infographic shows, Lallana was a relentless threat, with two shots, three created chances and five balls whipped into the box – two of which found their target. But he also chipped in off the ball, producing one tackle and one interception throughout the ninety minutes.
It shows England fans shouldn’t simply be excited about Alli’s progress on the international stage; the real positive going forward is the Alli and Lallana partnership behind England’s front-man.
As reported by The Evening Times, Rangers defender Danny Wilson has lifted the lid on who he and the squad feels is responsible for a dire season after their promotion to the top-flight.
What’s the story?
Ex-Rangers boss Mark Warburton has received a lot of flak in recent months after poor results and missed opportunities have seen the Gers fall a massive 35 points behind league leaders Celtic.
However, Wilson reckons that the buck stops with the playing squad themselves.
As quoted by The Evening Times, the defender said:
It could be a good end to the season but there is a lot of hard work to be done between now and that hopefully happening. We are all well aware that we have underperformed this season but we are of the mind-set that it is our fault so we are the ones that have to try and put it right.
It’s a candid admission, especially when Rangers supporters would have been unlikely to find fault had he asserted Warburton and his assistant David Weir were to blame for where they went wrong across the campaign.
Rangers still have plenty of goals between now and the end of the season with massive matches against Aberdeen and Celtic ahead. In fact, if they are to find it in themselves to finish second ahead of Aberdeen then every match has become a must-win one.
With the Scottish Cup also up for grabs, can Wilson and his teammates right the wrongs so far this season and make this one a memorable one for supporters?
As reported by The Express, Arsene Wenger is ready to end Alexis Sanchez’s Arsenal career given the Chilean striker’s extreme wage demands at the Emirates.
What’s the story?
Sanchez is having one of his best seasons in Arsenal shirt, at some points dragging the Gunners forward on his own. However, that contribution may not be enough to convince the Arsenal boss that he’s worth what he’s after financially.
The Express reckon the Chilean is looking for a massive £400k-a-week in wages, more than tripling his current £130k-a-week deal.
As quoted by The Express, Wenger said:
We always had a wages schedule that was respected but players earn so much money now that the cases have become much more individual than global. Some people tell me ‘just give him what he wants’. But then you cannot respect any wage structure any more – and you put the club in trouble. You have to make the decision in an objective way.
It certainly appears as if the relationship between the player and club is strained right now, with Wenger unwilling to match the demands for the good of Arsenal as a whole.
However, that could mean they end up selling their best player and with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City said to be interested, that could be disastrous for any Premier League ambitions they have next season.
How important is he?
A happy, in-form Alexis Sanchez is something almost any club in the world would appreciate given his quality in the final third and his ruthlessness in front of goal. Scoring 22 goals and assisting another 12, he’s been the Gunners most important player this season.
However, in the second half of the season he’s been less prolific and has now gone three matches without putting the ball in the back of the net. He hasn’t scored in a Premier League match Arsenal have won since way back in February.
If he truly is unhappy at the club and forcing unrealistic wage demands then selling him may be the best case scenario, as long as Arsenal can ensure he ends up on foreign shores and in an ideal world, potentially away from any clubs the Gunners may face in UEFA competition.
Is touting him to China something the club should now be pro-actively doing?
According to reports from The Daily Mail, newly promoted Newcastle United could kick-start their return to the big-time with a summer transfer swoop for Southampton attacker Jay Rodriguez.
A truly saddening tale, the winger-forward was on the peripheries of the England squad ahead of the 2014 World Cup with a run of 15 goals in 33 Premier League outings, but suffered an injury prior to the tournament in Brazil that kept him sidelined for over a year.
After returning to first-team action last season, Rodriguez has gone on to make 28 appearances across all competitions this term, scoring five goals, but is still some way from rediscovering his pre-World Cup form.
Nonetheless, the 27-year-old is a talented and hardworking player who could well reach those levels once again if given a consistent run in the starting XI. So, Magpies fans, is he the striker Rafa Benitez needs to keep your club in the Premier League next season?
Let us know if you’d back a summer swoop for Rodriguez by voting below…
Manchester United dropped two points against Swansea City on Sunday, giving Liverpool a huge boost in the race for top four positions in the Premier League.
It’s been a poor week for United who also dropped points against Manchester City mid-week. The result means that they have lost their advantage of games in hand over the Reds, now a point behind having played the same number of games. Liverpool’s destiny is back in their own hands.
The poor result was compounded by injuries to Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly, adding to United’s already significant injury crisis at Old Trafford.
With their schedule not getting any lighter over the next few weeks, it appears Jose Mourinho has it all to do if he is to make this season a good one for United fans.
Liverpool fans were of course overjoyed with the whole situation and took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
It would be grossly unfair if one underwhelming season determined the trajectory of a player’s career but such is the emphasis on the present in modern football – and the utmost need for consistency – that a sustained loss of form can result in a reputation being forever diminished.
That is now the scenario facing the five talents below after each endured a disappointing 2016/17 and while there is no disputing their considerable ability they have – fairly or otherwise – seen their stock plummet since the heady days of last summer. The question is: where does that leave them now?
Ross Barkley (Everton)
This term started badly for the 22-year-old with public criticism from his new boss ringing in his ears and an international omission. Barring the odd decent performance the situation has barely improved since.
After being substituted at half-time against Sunderland way back in September the talented midfielder knuckled down and put in some fine displays but the barbed comments – clearly made in frustration – by Ronald Koeman kept on coming and the ineffectual games began to rack up.
It seems an awfully long time ago now that Barkley was feted as a future Gazza while being linked to Manchester City and with his contract negotiations stalled in deadlock it seems the prospect of him flourishing into the Evertonian legend he was once destined to be is now a distant dream.
Where now?
Despite only going backwards this season the pedigree of clubs sniffing around remains high indeed with Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs in the reckoning according to the papers. Southampton it is then.
Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
“If he wants to become a special player he has to go in a certain direction”. So said Jose Mourinho this season on a winger/striker who arrived at Old Trafford from Monaco in 2015 saddled with a huge price-tag and even bigger expectations. A bright start offered the world but even the most optimistic of Reds would have to concede that Martial has failed to fulfil that early promise leading to limited game-time and a crisis of confidence.
The French youngster’s stats are surprisingly okay-ish (4 league goals and six assists) considering his gradual relegation to the margins but ultimately United didn’t spend £36m for okay-ish and that direction Jose referred to could yet be away from England this summer.
Where now?
Persistent links to PSG seem fanciful especially as he has recently been used as an example in France on why Kylian Mbappe should avoid coming to the Premier League. A loan deal to Lyon though has plausibility to it.
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City)
Britain Soccer Football – Leicester City v Watford – Premier League – King Power Stadium – 6/5/17 Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez celebrates scoring their second goal Action Images via Reuters / Carl Recine Livepic EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account represent
From being PFA Player of the Year to a flop in just under a year is quite a descent but it would be quite wrong to dismiss the Algerian as a one season wonder based on how sharply his form contrasts this time out to last.
For one thing Leicester’s collective struggles need to be factored in while it is perhaps understandable that such a dramatic individual rise has given way to a sophomore slump.
Even so, it appears very unlikely that Arsenal will be returning with another monster bid this summer for a winger who has seen his contributions from the right plunge from 18 goals and 10 assists in 2015/16 to 6 goals and 3 assists since August. Stat-wise that makes Mahrez a third of the player he so recently was.
Where now?
The 26 year old has reserved his best performances for the Champions League and has made no secret of his desire to compete in the competition next year.
Vincent Janssen (Tottenham)
Spurs have accrued an unwelcome reputation for buying striking duds down the years – Roberto Soldado anyone? – and unfortunately it appears that Janssen is set to join the not-so-illustrious list.
Purchased for £17m from AZ last July the 22 year old was entrusted to take some of the strain off Harry Kane but only succeeded in giving supporters palpitations as a dive in self-belief led to him hiding around the centre-circle to avoid the prospect of another six-yard miss.
As good as Janssen could still be in England at least he has become a confidence player devoid of confidence and an opportunistic striker not given opportunities.
Where now?
Still highly regarded in Holland it is entirely possible that Spurs could recoup much of their outlay.
Claudio Bravo (Manchester City)
So calamitous has the Chilean proven to be that it seems cruel to kick through the ashes of his season but one statistic stands out above the gaffes and spills: at the height of his depths the 112-cap international conceded 17 goals from 26 shots on target.
Presently injured and not expected to be back until the autumn it is as likely to be at City as Luke Shaw being made captain across town.
Where now?
A return to La Liga beckons for a cut-price fee, a fee City would probably be happy to pay themselves.
Not many footballers can say they won lower league titles in both Sweden and England before going on to win three Premier League titles and a memorable treble. Even fewer can say that they scored an injury time winner at the Nou Camp to win the Champions League final with almost the last kick of their side’s treble-winning season.
So it’s fair to say that Teddy Sheringham has had the kind of career most can only dream of.
The Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur legend even had time to turn out a mere 51 times for England, too. He appeared at Euro 96 and World Cup 98, capturing the hearts of the nation with his prolific partnership with Alan Shearer as the two combined to spectacular effect at the 1996 European Championships held on home soil.
Football – England v Holland – EURO 96 Group A – Wembley – 18/6/96 Mandatory Credit : Action Images Teddy Sheringham congratulates Alan Shearer on his first goal from the penalty spot
In all, Sheringham amassed 11 goals for his country, playing mostly as a second striker – a number 10 tasked with linking up play and helping to provide unmissable chances for Alan Shearer, the born goalscorer. Sheringham will be representing his country again at the Icons of Football tournament at the Belfry from 23-25 June, aiming to fire England to victory over a Rest of the World team which included Pep Guardiola, Alessandro Del Piero and Dirk Kuyt.
He’ll also show off his golfing skills alongside former Manchester United teammate Andrew Cole, with whom he won the treble in 1999.
Sheringham played for United 145 times in all competitions, scoring 46 goals in a spell sandwiched between two terms at Tottenham Hotspur, where he played 277 times in all, scoring 125 goals.
Overall, 355 goals in 898 professional appearances is a spectacular return over a professional career at the very highest level. But even if you only ever remember one, it would have to be his most important, the strike to win the Champions League for an English team for the very first time. That’s not a bad legacy to leave at all.
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