Last week, Everton signed 26-year-old striker Cenk Tosun from Besiktas, after netting 64 goals in 142 appearances for the Turkish side, and Toffees fans will be hoping he can transition that goalscoring prowess to the Premier League.
Yet, it might still be a little too soon for the 6 foot front-man. Yes, Everton need another focal point in attack, but midseason signings struggling to settle certainly isn’t unheard of – especially when they don’t have any experience in the Premier League.
And although Everton signed Tosun – who Transfermarkt value at £20.7million – to provide more experience up front, exciting youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin certainly hasn’t let the Merseysiders down this season, leading the line with real enthusiasm to find three goals and four assists in the Premier League.
So with a difficult trip to Wembley on the horizon, which striker would you start against Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday Everton fans? Let us know by voting below…
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
If Tottenham have suffered from one intrinsic weakness this season, it’s been a lack of efficiency in front of goal.
So far this year, the Lilywhites have averaged less than a goal a game, with just six in their first seven Premier League fixtures, despite the fact the White Hart Lane outfit forked out a whopping £74million on attacking talent over the summer, in the form of new signings Erik Lamela, Christian Eriksen, Roberto Soldado and Nacer Chadli.
The Spaniard in particular has been rather disappointing, considering his preceding reputation from his feats with Valencia and his £26million price-tag, which until Lamela arrived in North London a few weeks later, was Tottenham’s record-breaking inward transfer fee.
Players from abroad often take a while to settle in the English top flight, especially if like Soldado they bear no particular physical advantage in terms of pace, height or power, but his performances so far this season have hardly been inspiring or suggesting of greater times ahead.
Barring two successful spot kicks, the 28 year-old has failed to find the score sheet, and averaged just 2.1 shots per game – some way behind his Premier League counterparts, such as Olivier Giroud, 3.9, Rickie Lambert, 3.7, Edin Dzeko, 3.4, Romelu Lukaku, 3.3 Loic Remy, 3.2, Daniel Sturridge and Michu, 3.1 , and Alvaro Negredo, 2.3, to name a few.
[cat_link cat=”Tottenham” type=”tower”]
You’d argue Soldado’s limited efficiency in the final third was a symptom of Tottenham’s lukewarm start to the campaign in which they’ve hardly been a dominant and imposing force going forward, but despite the fact the Lilywhites have claimed almost as many victories as goals this season, they’ve averaged 19 shots per game, six on target, and 33% of their possession has been in the attacking third. It seems Soldado has been rather absent whilst all this attacking play has been going on.
The Spain international was even dropped by Andre Villas-Boas at the weekend against West Ham to be replaced by Jermain Defoe. Admittedly, the England international has been in hot form in the auxiliary tournaments this season, with seven goals for the League cup and Europa League combined, and also has a knack for scoring against his former clubs, but it hardly bodes confidence on the Portuguese’s part to bench a £26million summer signing during a fixture in which the game plan was to let Tottenham’s greater quality on the ball tell.
It begs the question – Was Soldado the right choice of striker for Spurs in the summer?
Of course, as previously stated, the 28 year-old has only been at White Hart Lane a matter of months, and it can take even the most talented players time to settle in a new country. That process will be made even harder by the fact he’s not the only new face in North London; overall, the Lilywhites have brought in seven new players this summer, whilst the first team as a whole tries to re-invent itself without the talismanic influence of Gareth Bale.
The new creative hub at the tip of Tottenham’s midfield is still in development – Erik Lamela is yet to play a full half of Premier League football, Christian Eriksen has showed glimpses of brilliance but hasn’t controlled a match from the offset to the final whistle as many would like him to, and Lewis Holtby is still recovering from a summer injury – and perhaps when Tottenham’s midfield start to flex their creative might in a more imposing manner, providing greater support to Soldado in the final third, the Spaniard will find it easier to get on the score sheet in open play. There’s no doubt he’s been an isolated element for prolonged periods of matches during the Lilywhites’ opening fixtures so far this season.
That being said however, it’s my speculation that Soldado is quite simply not the right type of striker for Tottenham at this moment in time. Last season, the Lilywhites were a counter-attacking outfit, so it’s hard to tell quite where a 5 foot 10 striker, bearing no particular strength or pace, fits in to the Tottenham game plan going forward. He’s already shown in his seven Premier League outings to date that he’s not the most capable when it comes to holding up the ball or bringing supporting midfielders into the game.
Things are slightly different this season without the counter-attacking machine that is Gareth Bale, as the Lilywhites look to adopt a more possession-based style of football, and although I’ve criticised Soldado’s physique, he comfortably fulfilled the lone striker role at Valencia, netting 30 times in all competitions during his final season in Spain.
It’s that level of prolific goalscoring Daniel Levy willingly paid £26million for, despite the precarious financial position of the Spaniard’s former club. But the Premier League is incredibly different in style to La Liga, especially in terms of quality on the ball, and I have my doubts regarding Soldado’s effectiveness for a team that regularly fields two holding midfielders in the starting line-up and the majority of their attacking play is sourced from the flanks.
Does the Spurs striker offer anything particularly different in the final third to his team-mate Jermain Defoe? Both fit the light-weight poacher category, both are incredibly limited in their contributions to build-up play – Soldado has averaged just 20 passes per game this season – and both would most likely finish up with somewhere between 12 and 18 goals this year if they made around 30 Premier League starts.
Surely a 4-2-3-1 counter-attacking system, based around three attacking midfielders as the integral cogs going forward, would be better off with a more commanding and physical presence to provide a platform to build from in the final third, or a speedy striker who can get in behind the line of defence to stretch play and create space for the midfield three. Andre Villas-Boas’s more technical approach, centred around the striker and three supporting midfielders linking up in a tica-taca style, is understandable, but as West Ham proved on Sunday, there’s no guarantee of its success against the ever-disciplined, ten-man defensive displays you often get in the Premier League.
But if not Soldado, then who? Who could Tottenham have brought in instead during the summer to lead the line for them this season and provide that vital prolificness in front of goal to push them a step closer to Champions League qualification? With the vast majority of Europe’s top strikers jumping ship early in the transfer window, by the time Daniel Levy had secured his £26million purchase of Soldado, other options were few and far between.
But Christian Benteke was undoubtedly the leading alternative, having made himself available to other Premier League clubs in the summer after handing in a transfer request at Villa Park, and in my humble opinion, the Aston Villa forward would have made a far better signing than Tottenham’s £27million man.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The 6 foot 3 Belgian would have been the perfect fit for Spurs’ counter-attacking brand of football, whilst he’s already shaken off claims of being a one-season wonder by netting four times in five appearances so far this year, bringing his Premier League total to 23 goals in 39 games.
Perhaps most importantly however, the 22 year-old, who is not only younger than Soldado but could have arrived at White Hart Lane for considerably less, is a big game player, recording a brace against Arsenal and netting against Chelsea in the first two weeks of the season, which could have been a vital influence in Tottenham’s Champions League hopes this year.
Even if Benteke didn’t tickle AVB’s fancy, Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez was reportedly a £15million option for Spurs, Swansea’s Michu would be an excellent fit for Tottenham’s new, more technical style, and Loic Remy was always available to the highest bidder following QPR’s relegation.
That’s not to say Roberto Soldado can’t or won’t be a success at White Hart Lane – his record in La Liga alone is enough to suggest he can easily achieve double figures this season if he begins to find his form. But considering the Lilywhites broke their record transfer fee and splashed out a whopping £26million on the Spain striker, a quarter of their total summer spend, has he actually significantly improved the Tottenham first team to a justifiable level? For a chairman of Daniel Levy’s transfer-saviness, you get the feeling there must have been better-fitting, cheaper and younger alternatives available to the Lilywhites over the summer.
After the international break Cardiff City returned refreshed for their assault on the Championship title. Malky Mackay named an unchanged starting line-up from their last game against Wolves. He made only one squad change – bringing back Craig Bellamy who had missed the games against Brighton and Wolves and two Welsh internationals due to a calf strain and nothing to do with his well-documented troubles Cardiff City manager Malky MacKay insists.
From the first whistle it was clear The Bluebirds were well up for the defence of their hundred per cent record at home this season and were buoyed further by the knowledge Leeds United had last beaten the Bluebirds in 1982 at the old Ninian Park ground.
The game got off to a furious start tackles flying in from both sides, the feisty atmosphere on the pitch echoed throughout the ground as both sets of fans also renewed the unofficial derby day-rivalry that has arisen between the two sides in recent years – it was heightened for this particular meeting by the fact Leeds United had turned out in an all blue strip.
Former Bluebirds striker Ross McCormack, was earmarked by many City fans as the main Leeds threat before the game however with just five minutes of play on the clock he came off the worse in a crunching fifty-fifty tackle and despite several brave attempts to solider on left he the field on a stretcher to rapturous applause from both sets of supporters, and appeasing the home crowd with the tradition Ayatollah. Luke Varney was his replacement.
Craig Noone, who had been a constant thorn in Wolves’ side picked up where he had left off and in the tenth-minute he curled in a cross which Leeds defender Tom Lees headed out for a corner, saving the bushes of the scrambling Leeds ‘keeper Kenny. The resulting corner was wasted and Leeds came down the pitch with gusto panic ensued in the City area at the Leeds counter-attack, with substitute Varney being denied by McNaughton, but his clearance fell to Sam Byram who’s shot brought about a sprawling save by David Marshall.
It has to be said the first half was a raucous affair, punctuated by the occasional outburst of skilful football, City found themselves frustrated by the bitty play caused by the constant and at time cynical fouling as did the Bluebird supporters who started to chant “shoot, shoot” at every opportunity – hoping one of the shots would test Kenny’s resolve in the Leeds goal. Several long range attempts on goal ensued, the best being by Jordon Mutch whose shot flashed just shy of the left-hand post.
The game appeared to be getting away from the referee, who seemed only too happy to simply lecture and scold the players and the game was suffering badly for it. He finally took charge and booked Leeds’ Jamaican international Rodolph Austin after he had cynically hacked down Maynard for the umpteenth time. The ensuing free kick failed to find its intended target Tommy Smith who, in frustration, lunged in with a scything challenge right through and from behind on Leeds winger Byram, he can count himself lucky he was only booked – had the tackle been a bit further up the pitch or committed by a defensive player it would undoubtedly have been a straight red.
Unfortunately the bookings didn’t stop the tactical and at times agricultural tackles by both sides, with Leeds making the lion share. It was a poor, ugly half really for the most part, from a Bluebirds supporters’ point of view it was salvaged by a flurry of good attacking play In the last ten minutes. Maynard turned in the box and fired at goal, his shot was deflected away, by what looked from the stands to be a flailing arm of one of the Leeds’ defenders, but the protests from the Bluebirds players were muted and no penalty was awarded.
None of the City fans, hand on heart, really want to watch their team play in red, but the choice as it stands is you do just that or walk away – and that’s not easy – football is emotive and gets into the blood stream most of us have turned up to watch our team when doctors orders would have confined us to a duvet on the sofa! Personally I attended the 2008 FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium against Barnsley suffering from severe concussion, despite the nausea, ringing in the ears, dizziness, crippling headache and not knowing too much about what was going on at the time, I can honestly say I had a fantastic time and would do it again in a heartbeat!
Tommy Smith then fluffed yet another magnificent chance to open the scoring on 63 minutes as a McNaughton cross sailed over the Leeds defence, but Smith’s left-footed effort went agonisingly over. The 36 year old striker is a tireless workhorse, but as of yet his final touch in front of goal is lacking and he is yet to score for City in fact no striker as scored for Cardiff City this season.
Since the start of the half Craig Bellamy had been warming up to the Bluebirds supporters in fine voice chanting his name – on 64 minutes the Bluebirds wish was granted and Bellamy replaced Craig Noone.
Bellamy had an immediate impact, he picked the ball up and passed it to Smith who crossed the ball to the right-hand side of the box, Mark Hudson launched himself at it and his diving header was palmed away at full stretch by Kenny.
New Leeds loan signing Michael Tonge was shown a yellow just after the hour for bringing down Nicky Maynard on the edge of the box. Whittingham and Bellamy stood over the set-piece, with most expecting Whittingham to take one of his signature free kicks at goal, but not the Leeds defence who didn’t bother to form anything close to a proper wall, not that it would have mattered as the Welsh captain Bellamy charged at the ball the Cardiff City supporters got just what they craved and hoped for, a sublime goal reminiscent of Bellamy’s first goal in a City shirt at home to Doncaster two seasons ago. A hammered, but well placed curving strike high beyond Kenny into the right-hand corner of the net. The goal was unstoppable and few could be sweeter – Our Boy was home!
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
A mere four minutes later, Maynard, who was causing the Leeds defence all sorts of problems with his pace and silky skills, was brought down yet again. This time it was in the box, bringing referee Tierney to point to the penalty spot. Peter Whittingham stepped up and slotted the ball home sending Kenny the wrong way.
Malky Mackay sent on Aron Gunnarsson in replacement for Jordon Mutch to bolster things at the back however within a minutes of coming on Gunnarsson gave away a free kick for a foul on Luke Varney, Roldolph Austin’s effort sailed thought a gaping hole Cardiff had left in their wall after several players drifted off from where the City ‘keeper had positioned them leaving David Marshall completely wrong-footed and livid at the outfield players as he picked the ball from bottom corner of his goal.
A flurry of activity from the dugouts ensued Don Cowie came on for Nicky Maynard for the Bluebirds while Leeds substituted Luke Varney bringing on Dominic Poleon.
Leeds almost managed an equaliser their captain Lee Peltier heading just over from a right-sided cross. The five minutes of injury time were a period of concentrated defensive work by the Bluebirds as they sought to make it three league wins on the bounce at home. They held on to put their league points tally for the season to ten, placing them joint second in the league.
To say Manchester City won the Premier League title with a canter would be a bit of an understatement. In terms of goals scored and average possession, Pep Guardiola’s side are the most dominant title winners in Premier League history – setting new records on both fronts.
Due to finance, resources and final league position, bitter rivals Manchester United remain their closest competitors and likeliest foes in the title race next season. But there’s been such a big disparity between the two Manchester giants in 2017/18, not only in points but also style of play, that it feels as if this current United incarnation may never catch up with the noisy neighbours.
With that in mind, we have one simple question for our expert writers – can Jose Mourinho really get United to the same level as the Citizens? Read their verdicts below…
Chris McMullan
“I think he can. The points gap between the Manchester clubs this season has been a little bit embarrassing – not just for Mourinho and United, but for the league, too. That said, City won’t hit the same heights in terms of league points again (they can put more focus onto cup competitions and winning more silverware). United were defeated by Huddersfield, Newcastle, Brighton, that’s all three promoted teams, and West Brom, who were relegated.
That might be embarrassing for the Red Devils, but cutting that out next year could give them 12 more points. It wouldn’t be enough to catch City if they repeated the trick, but if Guardiola’s side falter even a little bit, that certainly means United can challenge – and we’ve seen in the Champions League that City aren’t always the same team under a bit of extra pressure.”
Ben Goodwin
“No. Mourinho’s usual second season trophy haul hasn’t arrived, and it’s starting to look increasingly likely that his usual third season implosion will arrive. Mourinho’s style just simply cannot amass the amount of points that City have put up this season, and Pep is clearly planning for the long haul when you look at the average age of his signings since taking over. There’s more chance of United falling further behind City next season than catching up to them.”
James Beavis
“It will be difficult. Mourinho’s transfer policy generally appears to rely on short-term results, and that is shown by his supposed interest in Chelsea attacker Willian. Meanwhile, Guardiola has a model where he has players that can make an impact now and in the future, and that makes a huge difference. Additionally, Guardiola is clearly adored and respected by his Man City players, but the same can’t be said for his Portuguese rival who has alienated too many of his stars because of his comments in the public eye.”
Sam Preston
“In a word, no. Mourinho and Man United won’t win the Premier League for as long as Guardiola is across the city. City are miles ahead on the pitch, in terms of style of play and results but also off the pitch in terms of their transfer record, the feeling of the fans towards the club, their youth teams – the list goes on. Guardiola’s new three-year deal is a body blow to United.”
Christy Malyan
“It’s easy to get carried away and think the Premier League’s current status quo will remain indefinitely, but fortunes in football can change with the blink of an eye. Let’s not forget that Mourinho was in precisely the same situation at Real Madrid, facing a Barcelona team superior to this City side, and still found a way to beat Guardiola. It wasn’t pretty, Mourinho making it a personal battle between himself and his old nemesis, but perhaps that’s the level United will have to stoop to as well. The other thing working in United’s favour is that it won’t just be them looking to step up a gear and compete with City next term; every club in the top six will want and expect to do a much better job of it in 2018/19.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
As reported by The Daily Mail, English Championship clubs Sunderland and Reading are both interested in signing Rangers full-back James Tavernier this January.
The right-back has been one of the club’s better performers over the last couple of years. While his defensive positioning has been called into question on multiple occasions, it’s his attacking threat on the right flank that has thrilled supporters and made him a favourite at Ibrox.
Losing him would be a blow to new manager Graeme Murty and reports of his big perfomers interested in a move away just days before a crucial match with Celtic aren’t likely to help either.
Rangers need to keep their best players and arguably need to strengthen further in January if they’re to keep pace with their city rivals and fans are fearful of losing a key performer.
They’ve taken to Twitter to plead with the 26-year-old to stay.
Tottenham’s recent £26million acquisition of Roberto Soldado smashed the club’s record transfer fee by £9million, set earlier in the summer with Paulinho’s £17million transfer from Corinthians.
But as well as breaking the Lilywhites’ inward signing record, Daniel Levy has broken every decree in his transfer rulebook in order to bring the Spain international to White Hart Lane. Ever since the Tottenham chief’s ill-fated attempt to sign Brazil icon Rivaldo in summer 2002, that ended in the rather humiliating ‘Dear Daniel’ letter fiasco, Levy, barring a few exceptions, has administered his transfer duties with the utmost discipline, constantly keeping one eye on the future and anticipating the resale value of every purchase a few years down the line.
Soldado bucks that trend in its entirety. Previously, the Spurs chairman saved his hefty investments on young talents, or those that could be sold on to a higher calling a few years down the line. Squad players, or those already at optimum age, would be sourced at budgetary amounts, such as Clint Dempsey, signed from Fulham last summer for £6million and sold to MLS outfit Seattle Sounders for an almost identical amount ten days ago.
But now the Spaniard has arrived at White Hart Lane for his whopping £26million fee, despite being already 28 years of age and the chances of Levy recovering any of his record-breaking investment remaining incredibly slim. It’s a deviation from Tottenham’s typical transfer policy in the biggest way possible, so it’s time to ask – Is Soldado worth bending the Tottenham transfer code for?
[cat_link cat=”tottenham” type=”tower”]
The Spain international, who recently gave an uneventful account of himself at the Confederations Cup, comes with a preceding reputation from La Liga. A product of the Real Madrid academy, Soldado failed to make a name for himself at the Bernabeu – although that can hardly be held against him considering the wealth of competition – despite recording 63 goals in 120 appearances during his four years with the Los Blancos second string.
Upon joining Osasuna on loan in 2006 however, Soldado’s career began to hit full swing. Since, spells with Osasuna, Real Madrid, Getafe and Valencia has generated an impressive record of 101 goals in 207 appearances, throughout nine years in the Spanish top flight. A one-in-two ratio is always difficult to argue with in terms of quality and consistency, and for those unconvinced of the 28 year old’s pedigree, Youtube is filled with Soldado compilations jam-packed with aesthetic efforts on goal.
But in La Liga, it’s easy to look good, especially if you’re a club’s star striker, and I have my concerns whether Soldado can successfully transition last season’s form of 24 goals in 35 league appearances to England. The striker comes with great energy and tenacity, but could struggle in the Premier League due to his lack of physicality, with his 5 foot 10 frame bearing no particular height, pace or power to Soldado’s advantage.
Fair enough, Soldado lets his feet do the talking, but will he be provided with such an accessible platform to do his bidding at White Hart Lane? A fair share of the Spaniard’s successful strikes come from crosses converted into glamorous volleys. It’s a unique skill that’s hard to master, but in England, despite crosses being aplenty, defenders are far more naturally inclined to deal with them in comparison to their Spanish counterparts. Similarly, regarding Tottenham in particular, Aaron Lennon on the right, and new signing Nacer Chadli on the left, are hardly known for the ability to provide accurate deliveries on the flanks on a consistent basis.
That being said, there’s far more in Soldado’s arsenal than putting away a few crosses. His ability to find the net from a variety of chances and a variety of ranges is undeniable, and if he’s given space and a clear sight of goal, he’ll easily punish opposing defenders with near perfect technique when it comes to striking the ball. But overall, I can’t see Soldado breaking the twenty goal barrier in England, considering last season it was only breached by Robin Van Persie, Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale, and it will be his first season in the Premier League.
But even so, it’s understandable why Daniel Levy has taken such an uncharacteristic risk this summer. With Leandro Damiao turning the opportunity down to sign for Tottenham the last two transfer windows, rumoured target Klaas Jan Huntelaar signing a new contract with Schalke in January and David Villa rejecting both sides of North London to join up with Atletico Madrid, by the time of Soldado’s signing, there weren’t too many options on the horizon for the Lilywhites, who desperately needed to bolster their attack after Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor managed just 16 top flight goals between them last term.
At the same time, Levy has been desperate this summer to fill his roster with as much quality as possible, preferably with continental experience, firstly to make Tottenham’s strongest bid to date for Champions League football, and secondly, to surround Gareth Bale with talented players that not only possess great pedigree but also strong reputations, that could convince him to stay at White Hart Lane for at least another year.
And with Europe’s top strikers already jumping ship this summer for unprecedented fees, and even the next crop of the continent’s leading forwards, the likes of Carlos Tevez and Mario Gomez, making their moves relatively early in the off-season, there was little chance of Valencia backing down from Soldado’s £26million release clause.
There’s little doubt however, that Soldado’s record-breaking move is still a sizeable risk on Daniel Levy’s part. He’s the only player of considerable value the Lilywhites have purchased in recent years that won’t come with a guaranteed contingency plan to move on for profit, or at least to cover costs, and there are no assurances that he’ll acclimatise to life in North London quickly or with ease, on and off the pitch.
None the less, why the Tottenham chairman decided to go all in for Soldado is more than understandable; the Spaniard is a player of great quality, and if his move had come two years ago, it would have been immediately viewed as a fantastic coup, rather than a transfer with the potential to backfire.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The proof remains in the pudding however in regards to whether the Lilywhites’ record-breaking investment will be historically viewed as a success or failure – being Tottenham’s top scorer next season will be automatically assumed from the Spain international should Gareth Bale depart for Real Madrid this summer, but the ultimate litmus test will of course be whether or not Soldado can push his new club into Champions League qualification. If not, Daniel Levy has an unsellable £26million striker on his hands, who can’t make a difference to Tottenham’s final league standings.
Is Soldado a worthy exception of Tottenham’s traditional transfer policy?
Danny Guthrie is confident of a bold showing from Reading when they welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Madejski Stadium on Sunday.
Reading are still waiting for a first win since returning to the Premier League after following up an opening day draw against Stoke City with an entertaining defeat at Chelsea. A trip to Sunderland was postponed and it will be over three weeks since the Royals have played in the top flight by the time Brian McDermott’s side meet Spurs.
The 25-year-old midfielder told the Slough & South Bucks Observer:
“We gave a great account of ourselves at Chelsea and, from day one, we’ve said it doesn’t matter who we are playing, we want to win the game. We tried doing that at Stamford Bridge and we’ll be trying again on Sunday. We’re at home, it’s our first game on the telly and I’m sure it will be a great occasion for everyone involved. It’s been a long break after missing the Sunderland game and then the international break, but it is what it is. I don’t really know if it will affect us but at least we’ve got time to prepare for the Spurs game.”
Guthie joined the Royals from Newcastle on a free transfer in June 2012, and he, along with his Reading teammates, will be desperate to record a first win in the 2012/13 Premier League season.
Southampton preserved their Premier League status for another year despite their last-gasp 1-0 defeat at home to Manchester City on the final day of the Premier League season at St Mary’s on Sunday.
Following their crucial 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium last week, the south coast outfit knew that even if they lost against the champions and the Welsh club beat already-relegated Stoke City at home, there would also have to be a 10-goal swing to see go down.
Carlos Carvalhal’s men’s 2-1 loss against the Potters meant that a narrow reverse for Mark Hughes’ men didn’t matter in the end, but the Saints board certainly have the 54-year-old to thank for turning their fortunes around in recent weeks.
The Welshman was handed eight top flight matches to turn things around for Southampton, who were well on their way to relegation under previous boss Mauricio Pellegrino.
He got them organised and gave the players a real belief and fight to stay up, and seven points from nine available coming into the clash against Pep Guardiola’s men proved to be enough.
Now talks can begin to see if he will remain at St Mary’s with his short-term contract expiring, and as well as making sure he gets a new deal, chairman Ralph Krueger and vice-chairman Les Reed must deliver three marquee signings for Hughes this summer to ensure they don’t find themselves in a similar position next year.
Without further ado, here are the three players in question…
One of the priorities for Southampton this summer must be to bring in a more dominant centre-back to play alongside the likes of Wesley Hoedt and Jack Stephens next summer – Saints fans on Twitter are certainly hoping that is the case – and while Diop may not be a household name just yet, he certainly looks as though he will be in the future.
The 21-year-old is already a regular with Ligue 1 outfit Toulouse and has been linked with the likes of Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, and isn’t hard to see why when you look at his stats.
According to WhoScored.com, the 6ft 4in defender has won 55 of the 92 aerial duels he has faced in 33 Ligue 1 appearances this season, while he is decent at tackling and in possession, too.
Southampton were heavily linked with a move for the exciting attacker during the January transfer window, and they would have been left frustrated when they were unable to bring him to St Mary’s to aid their battle against relegation.
Now Saints have stayed up, they should look to reignite their interest in the Netherlands international, who carried on his fine form in the first-half of the season to the last couple of months, and currently has 21 goals and 10 assists from 38 appearances in all competitions for Spartak Moscow.
Promes would certainly bring some pace and a goal threat from out wide that the south coast outfit have been desperately lacking since Sadio Mane left in 2016.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Southampton haven’t been the same team without a striker in the mould of Rickie Lambert and Graziano Pelle at their disposal, and while Charlie Austin will get goals if you give him chances, his all-round game isn’t very impressive.
That is something that has affected the south coast outfit when the former QPR man has played as a lone striker, and Saints need someone who can hold up the play and win headers – like Shane Long, but someone who can score goals.
Step forward Gerard Moreno, who has enjoyed a stunning season for Espanyol in La Liga.
The 26-year-old has netted 19 goals in 43 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish club, while he has shown his battling qualities by winning 132 of the 289 aerial duels he has faced despite being less than 6ft tall, as per WhoScored.com.
In the past week it has been rare to not find a story in one of the newspapers about a Ghanaian footballer called Jordan Ayew and how he is the man given the difficult role of filling Christian Benteke’s boots at Aston Villa.
Whilst Jordan will no doubt be a decent addition to that Villa squad, it is another member of the Ayew family that is going to take the Premier League by storm next season – his brother Andre.
Andre recently signed for Swansea City on a free transfer after reaching the end of his contract at French side Marseille.
The deal is a massive coup for the Swans. Ayew is highly thought of in European football and was linked to the likes of Liverpool, Roma, Spurs and Borussia Dortmund, before choosing to move to the Liberty Stadium.
The fact he turned some of those sides down should speak volumes about the progress the Welsh side have made in recent years. Only 10 years ago they were playing football in League Two and could only dream of moments like this.
Although only 25 years of age, it seems as if the the Ghana international has been around for forever. He has already amassed 63 caps for his country and will no doubt go on to become the captain of his national side, once Asamoah Gyan calls time on his international career.
Club wise the player is also very experienced, not only has he featured in the French premier division, Marseille have been regular participants of the Champions League and Europa League competitions. Ayew would have played against many of Europe’s top players and this experience will serve him well in English football.
The forward was a focal point of his former side. During his time with Marseille he became a vital part of the first team squad, often one of the first names on the team sheet.
Although considered a midfielder, the Ghanaian is known for his versatility. He possesses the key physical and mental attributes needed to be able to handle a number of different roles on the pitch.
At Marseille he was used in a number of different roles – attacking midfielder, winger, central midfielder and a striker. This is great for Gary Monk as it gives the Swansea boss a number of different options to work with and the ability to change up tactics to suit the flow of a game.
The 25-year-old is a remarkable talent on the pitch, regarded as a tricky speedster that loves to just run at defenders.
Ayew is a very unselfish player who looks to use his creative talents to lay on chances for his team mates, rather than selfishly going for goal himself, which is a rare quality amongst attacking players.
Swansea’s possession and counter attacking style of football suits the African footballers’ technical skills set perfectly, he would certainly ease the pressure on Gylfi Sigurdsson and offer an added creative spark in the midfield.
Similarly to his new Icelandic team mate, Ayew also weighs in with his fair share of the goals. During his career in France he scored 64 goals in 249 games, which is not to be ignored when you consider Ligue 1 is one of the stronger leagues in Europe.
During his time in France he would have come across Swansea striker Bafetemi Gomis. Both players would have learnt a great deal about each other’s style of play, and this will benefit Swansea hugely as the players look to develop a new relationship in the Premier League.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
All the signs point to the player being a massive success in the Premier League. Andre Ayew possesses many of the best attributes needed to succeed in this league, and his past experiences will also play a major role in settling the player in his new surroundings.
Swansea have made one hell of a signing and should go into the new campaign full of confidence.
Liverpool could be willing to grant Luis Suarez a move to Real Madrid this summer, but only if the Spaniards allow Alvaro Morata to move to Anfield as part of the deal, according to reports from The Mirror.
The Uruguayan star has once again reiterated his desire to leave the Premier League in the coming months, declaring that he has always dreamt of playing for the Bernabeu side.
His continued attempts to manufacture a move appear to have forced Liverpool to accept that they may have to sell their talisman to the La Liga giants, but only if Morata is included in a player-plus-cash offer.
The 20-year-old is currently the top scorer at the European U-21 Championships, with his four goals having helped his side reach the final.
The Reds are confident that if Real are willing to sacrifice the starlet, that he could be persuaded to move to Merseyside.
Morata has already confessed that if more big name strikers arrive at Real this summer then he will be forced to consider his future as he searches for regular action.
Even if a deal for Suarez collapses, Edinson Cavani is also on their wish list, which would limit the youngster’s chances of breaking into the first-team.
Real are said to be keen to keep Morata, but could be tempted to throw him into any deal in order to reduce Liverpool’s £40million valuation of Suarez.
Liverpool fans, would Alvaro Morata soften the blow of losing Luis Suarez?
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.