WHU: Fans react to footage of Harewood

Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter which featured “brilliant” footage of former Irons striker Marlon Harewood going through the motions while commentating on the Hammers’ weekend thriller against Leicester City.

In the footage, Harewood was commentating on West Ham’s 3-2 victory over Leicester for Sky Sports and appeared to be extremely stressed during the final moments of the fixture, pleading for the referee to “blow the whistle” for the end of the game.

Indeed, this must have been a similar reaction to many other West Ham fans had around the country, as the Foxes missed a golden opportunity to equalise with what was the last action of the game when an unmarked Wesley Fofana headed wide.

After one West Ham fan shared the footage of Harewood on Twitter, many more flocked to have their say on the clip, with plenty suggesting that their ex-striker’s reaction sums up what it is like to be a West Ham fan.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Marlon Harewood?

“We’ve got the best ex-players of any club! Love this!”

@DEPtones

“That is brilliant.”

@Blowmonkey1

“Pretty much every West Ham fan today.”

@DaveJBurgess

“That’s what it means.”

@bmoorewhu82

“Absolutely love this. His face was all of us in the last 5 minutes, and a West Ham legend as well.”

@jeffers4045

“If anything typifies being a Hammer this is it.”

@JimmyReg10

In other news: West Ham make approach for £12.6m-rated ace; GSB could get him for nothing this summer – find out more here!

Keane fears he’s been overlooked by Celtic

Roy Keane held talks with the Celtic board over becoming the club’s new manager but he now fears he has been overlooked.

That’s according to a report from The Scottish Sun, who claimed that the former Hoops midfielder’s chances of returning to Parkhead are fading following Eddie Howe’s interview.

Keane even ‘told mates he feels the chance has gone’. The 49-year-old reportedly split opinion with the Hoops hierarchy, with some board members wanting a more modern coach.

Howe also held talks with Celtic and even reached a verbal agreement with the club, but he has now had second thoughts and has since spoken to Crystal Palace about potentially succeeding Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park.

Transfer Tavern take

To us, the Hoops should stay well clear of bringing Keane back to Celtic Park. He has been out of management for more than 10 years and has fewer than 200 games experience as a first team manager.

Some of the Celtic board liked his passion, but with a lengthy period out of the game as the main man, we feel it could prove to be a huge risk. The Irishman also comes with a reputation for high-profile fallouts with players due to his blunt demenaour.

Someone like Howe, who has more than 500 games as manager under his belt, has worked in a number of leagues under various restrictions and could be the better call for Celtic to make. However, with the 43-year-old having second thoughts over a Parkhead move, the Hoops may have to look elsewhere.

In other news: Premier League club having second thoughts over Odsonne Edouard deal, it could be bad news for Celtic, find out more here. 

Lee claims it’s a good time to play WHU

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made a combined total of 351 appearances for both West Ham and Newcastle United, has claimed it could be a good time for the Magpies to face the Hammers because of their long list of injuries.

By the end of West Ham’s 3-2 win against Leicester City, David Moyes had an injury list containing Declan Rice, Aaron Cresswell, Michail Antonio and Mark Noble, with the latter getting injured on his 400th appearance for the club.

After their 3-0 defeat against relegation rivals Brighton, Newcastle have reverted to a back three, something they have played frequently since returning back to the Premier League in 2017 and they are unbeaten since ditching the split striker system.

Speaking on why this could be a good time for Newcastle to face West Ham and how the Hammers still have players that can cause Newcastle problems, Lee told FFC:

“You would say it is a good time but it’s all momentum and confidence which West Ham seem to have at the moment and Jesse Lingard is on fire, but they have got players missing.

“They’ve got players that can come in and do well so it’s going to be a tough game. You can take it one way as they’ve got a few injuries so it’s a good time to play them, but don’t forget they’re going for the Champions League.”

Both sides will see it as a chance to move closer to their respective targets – a win could move Newcastle nine points clear of the relegation zone whereas a win for the Hammers would confirm their place in the top four for another week.

Steve Bruce has a big decision to make over whether or not both Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin are fit enough to start, or if they will be given another cameo from the bench.

Sigurdsson let Everton down at Arsenal

Everton registered a historic win at Arsenal on Friday night thanks to a blunder from Bernd Leno, which allowed Gylfi Sigurdsson off the hook after letting boss Carlo Ancelotti down.

The Toffees had failed to win on their travels to the red side of north London in 25 years and were out of form after going winless in their last six games across all competitions, but were gifted the win when Leno fumbled the ball into his own net.

Richarlison’s tame delivery from the right-hand of the six-yard box posed little threat to the Gunners and appeared easy for Leno to collect, yet caught the German out and calamitously rolled through his legs to break the deadlock.

Everton had struggled to create chances to find a way past Leno and may have fallen behind had a VAR review not deemed Nicolas Pepe to have been marginally offside in the build-up to a possible penalty, when Dani Ceballos went to ground after a tackle by Richarlison.

The Toffees were given a reprieve and surged on in hopes of opening the scoring, and earned the rewards with 14 minutes left on the clock to move one point behind sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur – who have played a game more – and Liverpool.

Ancelotti was delighted to see his side claim their first win in any competition since beating West Bromwich Albion 1-0 on March 4, and feels his side are now back in the race for a European berth.

“It was really important to stay attached to the top of the table,” he told BBC Sport. “The performance was good. It’s all good news tonight and this gives us confidence for the next games. Finally, I can say we are back.”

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The Toffees boss would have felt differently had it not been for Leno’s howler, as Sigurdsson had let Ancelotti down with his efforts at the Emirates after the Iceland maestro retained his place on the left-wing following a brace over Tottenham last time out.

Ancelotti was full of praise for Sigurdsson for his role in the 2-2 Spurs draw, noting via quotes by the Liverpool Echo: “The performance and decisions of Gylfi were really good.”

Sigurdsson came closest to scoring for Everton at Arsenal when his 30-yard free-kick rattled the top of the crossbar six minutes before the break, but his involvement beyond that left much to the imagination.

The £13.5m-rated midfielder – who Alex McLeish calls a “dangerous customer” and Danny Mills believes has “untold ability” – only attempted one other effort on Leno’s goal, when his shot two minutes into the second period was turned out for a corner by Rob Holding.

No Everton player took more shots on goal at the Emirates than Sigurdsson with Lucas Digne joining the former Spurs maestro on two attempts, per WhoScored, but unlike the French full-back – who also created one chance – he failed to register a single key pass.

Sigurdsson also struggled to get on the ball and ended the night having played fewer accurate passes (27) than Jordan Pickford (33), after attempting the least passes (32) of his last three appearances while never attempting a cross or playing a through ball – in fact, he even had less touches than his goalkeeper too (45 to 57).

The 31-year-old will have been relieved to have left north London with all three points knowing he should have done more to influence the game, and get Everton back on track in the race for European football.

AND in other news, Everton have been urged to sign a £30m star who “doesn’t have limits” despite Carlo Ancelotti’s concerns…

Aston Villa: Club face competition to keep Chukwuemeka

Aston Villa are reportedly facing a fight to keep 17 year-old Carney Chukwuemeka at the club.

The midfield sensation Chukwuemeka is seemingly edging closer to the senior squad at Villa Park, but he is now attracting the attention of clubs who are willing to offer him a fast-track into their setup.

Manchester clubs after the 17 y/o

The Athletic have reported about the situation of the youngster, saying that Monaco are interested and the two Manchester giants also rate him highly. Before he signed a professional deal back in October 2020, Chukwuemeka had attracted attention from clubs in Germany, France and Italy too.

The report states that the midfielder is developing quicker than expected and it is believed that if he can be handed the right sort of atmosphere, he can walk the same path as Jude Bellingham.

Chukwuemeka has been described as a quiet and humble talent who is keen to keep developing. He is believed to be head and shoulders above the rest of the Villa youth players and the club are desperate to hold onto him.

Villa must keep Chukwuemeka

The 17-year-old midfielder has made 21 appearances at different levels for Villa this season. He has found the back of the net four times, picking up four assists as well. Despite being so young, he has already played 16 times in Premier League Two, scoring once and getting two assists (As per Transfermarkt).

Going by the report, he does seem like a highly rated talent, especially considering the interest from the Manchester clubs and throughout Europe. With that in mind, it would be downright foolish for the club to allow him to leave in the near future, even if that means offering him first-team opportunities sooner than planned.

Even if Villa do want to cash in, they could get a whole lot more for any potential sale if he is already an established first team star when that happens.

In other news, Report reveals huge Aston Villa decision Christian Purslow came close to making in 2019

Newcastle want Celtic ace Ajer

Newcastle United are reportedly pressing to sign Kristoffer Ajer from Celtic, according to the Daily Mail.

As per the news outlet, there is also interest from Norwich City for his signature, but a move to St. James’ Park in the summer transfer window appeals to him.

Ajer is currently valued at around £25m by the Hoops, but he could leave for free next summer and sign a pre-contract agreement with another club in the January window, as he only has one year left on his deal at Parkhead.

With that in mind, Steve Bruce’s team want to take him to the North East at the end of the 2020/21 term and will offer the Celts around £8m for his services.

AC Milan have also expressed an interest in signing the Norway international, but he thinks that playing more regular football at the Tyneside club would be an ideal next step in his footballing career.

Newcastle should sign Ajer

The Magpies should definitely look at trying to secure a potentially cut-price deal for Ajer in the summer, given that he only has one year left on his contract with the Bhoys.

Standing at a mammoth six-feet-six-inches tall, the central defender is a giant, and so he should have no problems whatsoever in adapting to the physical demands of the Premier League, assuming that the Toon avoid being relegated down to the Championship come the end of the season of course.

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Former NUFC ace Lee Clark, who managed Ajer during a loan spell at Kilmarnock, branded him as an ‘outstanding’ player back in March, which is very high praise, and the last centre-back to arrive in the Premier League from Celtic didn’t exactly do too badly – just ask Liverpool fans.

Nonetheless, Newcastle should do all that they can to sign the 23-year-old in the summer if a cut-price deal is a possibility due to his contract situation.

In other news, find out what promising insight Lee Ryder has dropped on the takeover consortium here!

West Ham now eyeing Hwang Hee-chan

According to a report by reliable journalist Mike McGrath, writing in his transfer notebook for the Telegraph, West Ham United and David Moyes are now eyeing RB Leipzig striker Hwang Hee-chan alongside London rivals Crystal Palace. 

West Ham now eyeing Hee-chan

The South Korean ace, who was targeted by West Ham in January during their failed hunt for a Sebastien Haller replacement, is now back on the radar as Moyes seeks to add new forward additions this summer.

As well as a permanent deal for star loanee midfielder Jesse Lingard, the Hammers are said to be prioritising a new forward to find alternative options for main man Michail Antonio (Claret & Hugh), and it seems Hwang could be the man.

Moyes, speaking to the press recently, ruled West Ham out of the race for Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham if his price tag is indeed £40 million – with Hwang coming as a much cheaper alternative.

Transfer Tavern take

It is said that GSB could even secure the 25-year-old for as little as £10m, and despite the fact he has failed to score this season, his exploits over 2019/2020 still mark him out as a potentially bargain acquisition.

Indeed, the 32-cap ace bagged 11 goals and 12 assists in the league for RB Salzburg before securing a move to the Bundesliga (Transfermarkt) – with former teammate and superstar Erling Haaland even calling him ‘absolutely crazy’ (Bundesliga).

Former Salzburg head coach Peter Zeidler also subbed the rising starlet ‘exceptional’ with ‘brutal dynamism’ (Bundesliga) – and descriptions like this possibly point to the forward West Ham need for an much more meagre price than the one quoted above for Abraham.

In other news: ExWHUemployee lifts lid on injury blow, find out more here.

Villa given big boost after Bodymoor Heath update

Aston Villa have confirmed that the club’s new High Performance Centre at the Bodymoor Heath training ground has officially been opened.

What’s the story?

Speaking at the official opening, Villa CEO Christian Purslow said: “Creating a high-performance culture needs the right facilities. The mission of the Aston Villa Board since the summer of 2018 has been to bring our performance, strength, conditioning, rehabilitation and sports therapy functions up to 21st century standards.

“We have created a new High Performance Centre; an environment suited to 21st-century elite sports. This training complex is now one of the finest in UK sport.  Work is continuing, the creation of multi-media analysis facilities, a mini auditorium, individual player coaching and meeting areas – all these final phases will be complete in time for pre-season training in July 2021.

“Today, Aston Villa has a training ground it can truly be proud of.”

Dean Smith will be buzzing

While it may not be news of a big-money signing or that Jack Grealish will be staying at Villa Park for the rest of his footballing career, the club’s state of the art High Performance Centre will have a major impact over the coming years.

Having a training complex built to ensure the likes of the first-team and academy have got all the tools available to them to progress and simply get better is what should ensure that the club’s future remains bright.

It’s a statement of ambition from the club’s owners and hierarchy that they are keen to invest in matters not just on the pitch, but also in improving the club as a whole.

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It’s exactly why Dean Smith should be absolutely buzzing at the news. He now has a facility that is up to top-level standards, one that can help his players improve and perhaps attract new players to the club.

That is why the new centre appears to be the latest big step in Villa’s project to become a real Premier League force again.

Meanwhile, Villa must avoid selling this “magnificent” star…

Rangers fans on Steven Gerrard update

Many Rangers fans have been left to buzz as the Glasgow club shared an update on their official Twitter page involving Steven Gerrard.

As per a tweet from the Ibrox faithful, the Liverpool and England international legend has been named as the Scottish Football Writers’ Association Manager of the Year for the 2020/21 season.

It was a very successful campaign for the Gers manager, who guided his team to the SPFL title and truly wrestled it off of the hands of their bitter rivals Celtic in quite dominant fashion.

They also managed a relatively successful campaign in the UEFA Europa League, going through in the group stages before eventually being knocked out by quarter-finalists Slavia Prague over two legs.

Nonetheless, to take the title away from the Hoops after so many years was a big achievement, and thus the accolade that Gerrard has received is richly deserved.

Rangers fans on Gerrard update

These RFC supporters buzzed as the update was shared on Twitter, with one fan going as far as to say that they were ‘delighted’:

“A tremendous season led by a fantastic manager”

Credit: @Davso23

“Class. Well deserved for the best manager in Scotland.”

Credit: @CemetryGates89

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @menzies999

“Delighted for the gaffer and the management team thoroughly deserve it @RangersFC”

Credit: @g99_ben

“Totally emotional over this…in a Champions way. Thank you”

Credit: @stemccook1872

“What a start to the day”

Credit: @darin1872

In other news, find out what Ross Wilson update has left Gers buzzing here!

Southampton seriously missed out on Watkins

Southampton must rue not signing Ollie Watkins last summer after the striker’s impressive debut campaign in the Premier League with Aston Villa, as the England international could have been a superb addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad.

The 25-year-old was heavily linked with a move to St Mary’s last summer but opted to join Aston Villa, with the Midlands side shelling out a club record £28m to bring him in from Brentford.

The former Exeter City man enjoyed a superb 2019/20 campaign, contributing 26 goals and three assists in 49 Championship appearances for the Bees as they failed to win promotion at the final hurdle, losing 2-1 to Fulham in the play-off final.

A move to the Premier League was always likely to be on the cards after Thomas Frank’s side were consigned to another season in the second tier and Watkins made the switch to Villa Park, where he has been a fixture in Dean Smith’s side.

Watkins has contributed 21 goals and assists in all competitions this term, with 13 goals and five assists in the Premier League, which has helped him average an impressive 7.17 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

If we compare the Englishman’s stats with the players at Southampton, he would be the top scorer and top-rated performer this season had he posted the same figures at St Mary’s, so it seems clear that he would have been a stellar addition to the Austrian’s squad.

The Aston Villa ace also earned his first call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad in recent weeks and marked his debut with a goal in the 5-0 win against San Marino, which will surely have increased his value further.

Whilst he would have been an expensive signing for Southampton to make, he looks to have been a great investment for the future by Villa, as his value on Transfermarkt has increased to £28.8m. Robbie Fowler also tipped him for a move to Liverpool recently, suggesting that the Midlanders could be in line to make a profit in the near future.

Therefore, it was definitely a mistake by Southampton chief Martin Semmens to not push harder to sign the “outstanding” Watkins last summer, as he could have been a superb addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad.

In other news… Hasenhuttl handed golden chance to axe £13.5m Saints flop, Gao surely buzzing

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