Former Newcastle United forward Micky Quinn has urged Marcus Rashford to quit Manchester United and join Arsenal at the end of the season.
Rashford is believed to be considering his future at Old Trafford amid suggestions that the 20-year-old is frustrated with his lack of starts at the Theatre of Dreams.
The England international has made 44 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils this season, but has struggled for a starting spot since Alexis Sanchez’s January arrival.
A number of Premier League clubs are said to be closely monitoring the situation surrounding the attacker, who has 12 goals to his name this season.
Quinn has insisted that Rashford will never be first choice under Jose Mourinho at United due to the presence of Romelu Lukaku, and has told the youngster to seek a move to Arsenal at the end of the season.
Quinn told talkSPORT:
“I think he’s got to go. He’s not a first choice for Jose Mourinho. He is not first choice. The kid is one of the most exciting players we’ve seen in a Manchester United shirt – I’ve got to say that.
“If he wants to be a regular, I don’t think it’s with Jose Mourinho. Lukaku is the first choice on the pitch. Arsenal, he’d walk in there.”
Rashford, who is valued at £45m by transfermarkt.co.uk, played the final eight minutes of United’s 3-2 win over Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
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Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp has previously urged the Englishman to leave Old Trafford in this summer’s transfer window.
“He (Memphis Depay) has the option to leave after this season.” PSV director Toon Gerbrands.
Well, it looks like Manchester United could secure the attacking addition Louis van Gaal is craving, after his weekend comments suggested that, despite spending £150m last summer, he wants to add more goals to his side.
Although to get the ball hitting the back of the net with greater regularity makes an orthodox striker a more tempting option, a move for Depay may remedy the issues at Old Trafford right now… and here are FIVE reasons why…
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Goals, goals, goals
Okay, goals in the Netherlands don’t always travel across the North Sea to England – just ask Middlesbrough and Chelsea who still regret Alfonso Alves and Mateja Kezman’s arrivals – but Depay has been impressive. Despite playing, primarily, from a wide position, the ‘Dutch Ronaldo’ has smashed 18 goals in the Eredvisie and Europa League, showing that he has what it takes when it comes to dispatching the ball, despite being in a position which limits his chances to drive at the net.
LVG knows him well
Few English fans – well, non-FIFA/Football manager playing supporters – knew much about Depay before last summer’s World Cup. But after the group stage had passed he was really attracting attention from Premier League supporters, who had been wowed by his showings for the Oranje. Despite being a bench player under LVG in Brazil, the wide-man notched two goals, and showed that he fits well in the now United gaffer’s set-up. Match made in heaven? Maybe…
Pace!
It seems a little silly to say problems are plentiful at Old Trafford – after all the club are in the top four at the time of writing – but despite their position, the Red Devils haven’t been convincing and are often not much fun to watch. Angel di Maria aside, United seem to lack pace, which can lead to a ponderous way of playing, with Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao not exactly speed demons.
Many supporters of the club will not want to look at Liverpool as a source of inspiration, but since Christmas the Reds have switched from a slow 4-2-3-1 with a static Mario Balotelli or Rickie Lambert up top to a fluid, pacey 3-4-2-1 led by Raheem Sterling, which has coincided with a record of eight wins, three draws and now losses.
Greater balance to the starting XI
From the funny tweets and mock-ups of United’s XI last summer upon Van Gaal’s numerous additions, it became apparent that the Dutchman’s set-up was lacking balance. Numerous left-sided players and attackers were signed, and this lack of depth and options has made the club’s system a little top-heavy, to the extent that Wayne Rooney now often plays in central midfield.
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The above XI shows how much more balanced United could be with Depay in a 4-3-3.
Won’t break the bank
Although he signed a new contract late last year, the fact that a move for Depay is already being talked up suggests that PSV Eindhoven will be open to business. The Eredivisie is now no longer completive with the likes of the Premier League in terms of finances, making attractive bids to a side like the Philips Stadion outfit tempting. After all, they have sold key men such as Kevin Strootman in recent times.
Southampton dealt a major blow to Chelsea’s hopes of Champions League qualification with a stunning victory at St Mary’s that relieved their relegation worries. The win meant Mauricio Pochettino has now led the Saints to wins over Premier League giants with Manchester City and Liverpool also leaving the South Coast empty handed. With the FA Cup tie with Manchester United on Easter Monday there were seven changes made by Rafael Benitez to the side that beat West Ham a fortnight ago. And it showed as the home side began brightly and snatched the lead after 23 minutes when Jay Rodriguez beat Petr Cech with a composed finish following a slick build-up involving Steven Davis and Rickie Lambert. Their advantage didn’t last long as John Terry escaped his marker to meet Marko Marin’s corner and plant a firm header past Artur Boruc 10 minutes later before Lambert’s decisive intervention. The 31-year-old striker curled a fabulous free kick past Cech to mark his 500th league appearance in appropriate style and earn the Saints a crucial three points.
Result of the Weekend: Wigan Athletic 1-0 Norwich City
Wigan moved a step closer to Premier League safety after Arouna Kone’s late winner against Norwich lifted them out of the bottom three. Yet another great escape looks to be on the cards for Roberto Martinez and his side as they followed up the home win against Newcastle two weeks ago with a resilient display at the DW Stadium. One win in their last 14 has left Chris Hughton’s side dangling just four points above the relegation zone as their profligate attack was punished once again. The home side, on the other hand, have taken nine points from 12 but lead a charmed life and should have been dead and buried if it wasn’t for the Canaries’ wasteful finishing. The Latics came to life in the latter stages and, after Antonin Alcaraz saw a header cleared off the line and Jordi Gomez fired over, snatched the lead with 10 minutes left. Referee Howard Webb played a great advantage in the centre circle allowing Gomez to thread the ball through for Kone to run on to and fire past Lee Camp at the near post.
Rounding up the rest….
Manchester United strengthened their grip on the Premier League title with a narrow win over Sunderland at the Stadium Light. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men returned to the scene in which they ultimately lost the top-flight crown on last seasons dramatic final day. However this time the scenario was much changed and the league leaders left the North East having taken a major stride in their bid to regain the trophy from neighbours Manchester City. The game was settled just before the half hour mark when Robin Van Persie’s cross-shot deflected off Titus Bramble and looped over goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. The Black Cats barely threatened an equaliser as under-pressure Martin O’Neill watched slipped to within a point of the relegation zone.
Arsenal entertained four different goal scorers as they maintained their top-four pursuit with a resounding win against struggling Reading at the Emirates Stadium. The game marked Nigel Adkins’ first as Royals manager and its one he will be quick to move on from as the home side demonstrated their budding late season confidence. Gervinho, much maligned by sections of the Gunners support, broke the deadlock on 11 minutes with a close range finish from Santi Cazorla’s cross before the Spaniard found the net himself with a curling strike. Oliver Giroud made it three after the break as he drilled a low shot past former Arsenal keeper Stuart Taylor. The visitors did manage a consolation in the 68th minute through Hal Robson-Kanu’s header but Mikel Arteta restored the three goal lead from the penalty spot after Adrian Marriapa fouled substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Gareth Bale was the match winner again for Tottenham as they moved up to third after beating Swansea at the Liberty Stadium. Andre Villas-Boas’ side recovered from defeats in their previous two games to secure all three points in South Wales and put themselves into a commanding position in the race for automatic Champions League qualification. They needed only seven minutes to grab the lead with Jan Vertonghen playing a neat one-two with Bale before brilliantly controlling the floated return pass and poking the ball past Michel with the ice cool composure of a world class striker. And the Belgian repaid the compliment 14 minutes later. His clever pass found Bale on the edge of the area and that the Spurs winger expertly controlled with his right foot before driving the ball into the top corner with his left. The hosts rallied after the break and halved the deficit with 20 minutes to go courtesy of Michu glancing in Sung-Yeung Ki’s corner to score his first goal since their Capital One Cup win last month.
In a week where Roberto Mancini conceded defeat in the title race Manchester City produced a champions performance to sweep past Newcastle. Mancini’s men struggled to break down the resilient Magpies for much of the first half until Carlos Tevez slid in to convert Gael Clichy’s low cross four minutes before the break. The advantage was doubled on the stroke of half time as David Silva fired home from inside the box after Rob Elliot pushed Edin Dzeko’s effort into his path. Alan Pardew’s side barely threatened Joe Hart’s goal and found themselves further behind just after the break. Gareth Barry’s strike looked to be heading wide only for Vincent Kompany to divert the ball into the net to mark his return in style after a two-month absence. Yaya Toure completed the rout with 20 minutes left as his ball in from the right flicked off James Perch and squirmed past Elliot at the near post. Defeat leaves Newcastle in a precarious position with only three points worth of breathing space above the drop zone.
Andy Carroll scored a rare brace to ease West Ham’s relegation fears and dent 10-man West Brom’s hopes of European qualification. In a week where the Hammers announced they’ll be moving to the Olympic Stadium their current home provided the ideal setting to more or less guarantee they’ll be a Premier League club next season. A spell of early pressure from the Baggies failed to pay dividends and Carroll calmed the home crowds growing nerves with a thumping header from Gary O’Neil’s corner in the 16th minute. O’Neil doubled the lead just before the half hour mark when Ricardo Vaz Te teed him up outside the penalty area to curl the ball over a stranded Ben Foster. Carroll wrapped the game up with 10 minutes remaining, watching James Collins’ free kick dip over his shoulder before executing a brilliant first time volley that flew past Foster. Graeme Dorrans nabbed a consolation from the penalty spot with two minutes to go before Youssuf Mulumbu compounded a miserable afternoon for Albion when he was sent off for kicking the ball at O’Neil after he was fouled by the West Ham midfielder.
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Everton’s boosted their chances of qualifying for Europe next season with a slender victory over Stoke at Goodison Park. Kevin Mirallas’ strike just before the half was all the Toffees required to send Tony Pulis’ struggling side pacing and leave them just four points clear of the drop zone. The goal itself was fit to win any game as Mirallas shrugged off the challenge of Steven N’Zonzi in the centre circle and ran at the visiting defence, bamboozling Geoff Cameron with a rapid change of direction before burying the ball past Asmir Begovic. The Potters missed a host of chances to snatch a point in the second half with Ryan Shotton’s heading wide from close range and highlighting their current predicament.
Sunday
Liverpool came from behind to beat Aston Villa and deny them the chance to pull out of the relegation zone. Paul Lambert’s side were seeking a third straight victory that would boost their chances of remaining in the Premier League next season. And they looked on course to achieve that when top scorer Christian Benteke fired home from Gabriel Agbonlahor’s lay-off on the half hour mark. But just two minutes after the break the visitors levelled when Phillipe Coutinho split the Villa defence in half to pick out the run of Jordan Henderson who calmly clipped the ball over the onrushing Brad Guzan. Steven Gerrard converted from the penalty spot on the hour after Luis Suarez was fouled by Nathan Baker to complete the turnaround. Victory leaves Brendan Rodgers’ troops just three points shy of sixth spot which is currently occupied by Merseyside neighbours Liverpool.
West Ham United are expected to miss out on the signing of Galatasaray winger Garry Rodrigues, according to Turkish-Football.com.
What’s the story?
The news outlet claims that the Hammers had a £10m bid rejected by Galatasaray earlier this month as the club are looking for a figure in the region of £15m.
It is believed that Newcastle United were also interested in signing the 27-year-old, but Turkish-Football.com reports that Rodrigues is happy at his current club.
The Cape Verde international reportedly has no intention of leaving Galatasaray at the end of the season, but it seems that the Hammers have failed to meet the price valuation anyway.
This season, Rodrigues has made 25 appearances in the Super Lig, scoring six goals and creating eight assists.
Should West Ham try harder to get him?
In all honesty, bringing Rodrigues to the London Stadium would present a risk for the Hammers, mainly due to his lack of experience in English football.
The winger has played in the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Spain, Greece and now Turkey, therefore it would be a big ask to throw him into action at West Ham, particularly if they keep their place in the Premier League.
In addition, while Rodrigues’s figures are positive, they are not outstanding, and if he was seen as the answer to David Moyes’s problems, then they should have a rethink.
The East London outfit should target attack-minded players who have proven themselves in English football.
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The board also need to loosen the pursestrings slightly as they will end up being blown out of the water by clubs willing to spend more.
Roy Hodgson’s initial England squad for the current international fixtures has faced some changes since his initial announcement. Injuries have plagued his team already, and with players withdrawing you have to ask; has he made the right choices?
One comment that has been flagged is that Hodgson seems to pick his sides based on the teams they play for – the bigger the team, the more likely you are to be chosen. Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all have had players chosen for England. But the argument has been, is it the name of the club that is the influence rather than the quality of the player?
Ryan Mason’s belated call up has sparked some debate in itself. Mason looked somewhat of a ‘last resort’ when he was included in the squad, as Adam Lallana had to withdraw his services due to injury. Although Mason is elated to be included in the England squad, as it is a dream to play for his country, is it not a bit of a kick in the teeth to be only a back up option?
Finally, Roy Hodgson has seen sense and included Michael Carrick in his squad. The midfielder is definitely on form for his club, and his inclusion is justified. Carrick has been massively overlooked in recent years which even Paul Scholes has shed light on. Carrick will show the England side exactly what they have been missing with his exclusion in international competitions.
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Leaving out Charlie Austin and Danny Ings is tricky. There is plenty of competition up front, but look at the season all three are having. Without any disrespect, Harry Kane does deserve to be in the squad ahead of all three. But being overlooked for England selection does not retract from the form they are currently in.
Roy Hodgson has got it spot on for calling up Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane. Harry Kane has had an exceptional season, and is one of the players filling column inches – and that was proven when he nodded in his first England just 89 seconds after coming on for his debut against Lithuania. Kane is joint top goalscorer this season, with Chelsea’s Diego Costa, and Spurs of course signed him up for a five-and-a-half-year deal. He is only the fourth player to win back to back Player of The Month awards, so it’s a no brainer that Roy called up the 21-year-old, who will be hoping the prolific goalscorer will be as important for his country.
For the most part, Hodgson’s inclusions have been justified. It is unfortunate that Fraser Forster is forced to miss the qualifiers due to injury, as he has 13 clean sheets to his name for Southampton this season. Roy Hodgson has expressed his devastation at Forster’s injury, whilst throwing a sly dig at replacements Rob Green and Jack Butland.
Hodgson must be careful he is not so influenced by the media with his selections: choosing a player based on their club is not always justified. Individual performances must be taken into account. A poor team is not always filled with poor players.
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Wolves have seen the extensive investment in youth academy bear fruit in the past year or so, players like Danny Batth, Jake Cassidy, Antony Forde, Liam McAlinden, Matt Doherty and, most impressively, David Davis have all progressed into mature players fit to throw on the old gold when called upon.
There is one player though who has more mystery around him than an Arthur Conan Doyle novel, he is one of the most highly rated players by academy bosses at the club and fans rave about his ability at such a young age, yet he has never played for the first team, bar a seven minute cameo in the game against Chelsea in the Capital Once Cup at the start of this season. This Albanian born player has already represented England at under sixteen and seventeen level and was the subject of the famous misquote by academy manager Ian Evans who was reported to say that he was the first “100 million pound player”, what he actually said was a little more restrained, Evans could see “a lot of money” being spent on him.
Zeli Ismail joined Wolves at the tender age of ten and was drafted into the academy where his raw talent was to be honed by the academy managers at the time. In 2010 he was given his first professional contract on his seventeenth birthday, what a present, sort of, and had to wait a good long while to make his debut, this came against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on the 25th September in a game that will not live long in the memory of any Wolves fan, we lost six nil and conceded three inside eighteen minutes, Ismail was put on with seven minutes to go and, as you probably guessed, did not have much of an impact on the game and/or the final score. However, the first team experience gained, from just being around the seniors and visiting the European Champions ground will aid his development and experience in the game.
When Wolves limped across the Premier League line in May and were thrown into the Championship at the end of last season, there were quiet whispers that one the club’s best kept secrets would be given a chance to show off his ability to the crowds of Wolverhampton. This whisper was given credence when Wolves appointed Solbakken in the summer, a manager who appreciated the art of tactics and who could, possibly, but ultimately did not, give this young precocious talent a platform. Similar to Brendon Rogers bringing through Raheem Sterling, however the purchase of Sako, Peszko and Razak Boukari were always going to the limit the chances of Ismail, which in hindsight, and given Wolves woeful league position and equally woeful form, is a shame. Maybe he could have been the shot in the arm Wolves needed.
Ismail is predominantly a winger, a very modern forward thinking one at that. He is not a winger that stays out on the wing the whole game and he will not be there to whip balls in for the full ninety minutes, whether that is something Wolves need is another issue. What he is though is a player with a low centre of gravity, the effortless and graceful ability to use both left and right foot and a frighteningly quick acceleration over short distances, that have left many under twenty one fullbacks needing stitches in their shorts, (Click the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLht3JPUqFc Pretty stunning right?). Ironically, this is the very type of player which Wolves find so impossible to defend against, see the Crystal Palace games, both home and away, Blackpool game at home and to a certain extent Brighton at home as prime examples of how Wolves, seem to combust and implode as soon as a technically gifted winger is put on the pitch, it is so utterly predictable. So for the academy to produce one of these very players for their own is something that only our beloved club could do.
The hype and expectation surrounding this player is utterly incredible, made even more so that hardly anyone has seen him play. He is a bit like Wolves’ secret weapons that, at this point in time, have failed to deploy, probably because the season is going so wonderfully to plan, right? I remember first hearing about this guy a few years back, the amount of praise about him from Wolves fans, that plus the misinterpreted quote by the aforementioned Ian Evans, made me Google Ismail to see if he was a) Real and b) A player that Wolves could produce! It turned out he was both, fortunately. Sketchy reports suggest that Chelsea and Arsenal did the very same thing as yours truly, probably a bit more extensively however, as two separate bids, when he was fourteen, from the abovementioned clubs, in the region of two million pounds, were rejected, as the club attempted to keep one of its roughest of rough diamonds.
This further embeds how much of a prospect he is and how very long it has been that we have been discussing and salivating over some of the ability he possesses. It begs the question, will he ever break through? Obviously he is still incredibly young and developing away from the media and honing his game in private is probably the best option for him. On the other hand, it seems baffling that this clearly talented player who reflects the modern attacking football has not been given a chance, especially in the Championship, to show what he can do against some experienced fullbacks. The changing of the guard at Molineux recently and the fact Wolves are more likely to go down than go up may finally give him his chance. Furthermore Bakary Sako may be on his way to the Premier League in the summer, especially if Wolves, God forbid, get relegated again.
Ismail was loaned out on the 22nd November to join up with MK Dons, a move made to kick start the young man’s career and give him the invaluable experience of first team football. That added to the fact he was to be managed by a very highly rated manager in Karl Robinson a man only thirteen years Ismail’s senior. He would slot in at a club where the pressure on Ismail would not be sky high, we could see this as another organic step in his career maybe, a way that would give him first team football but not to the extent that pressure would ruin him as a player. In a world where every single thing a footballer does is analysed (supposedly) and if he happens to have a bad game the knee jerk culture that exists within football and the media dictates that he is now not a good player, until next week when he is good again. Ismail would get none of that, he could concentrate on playing first team football under the youngest manager in the Football League. He made nine appearances for the MK Dons, mostly substitute ones at that, and he returned to Wolves around a week ago. A pity that he did not show the ability he clearly has, however, having that first team experience week in week out, going to games, being part of a team, being selected, little things like that are priceless for a rough diamond like Ismail.
I discussed Zeli Ismail with MK Dons writer, Greg Trumper, after seeing Ismail at more depth than most Wolves’ fans he said that he “spoke to the manager Karl Robinson when he first arrived and he told me he was rated as the next 40 million pound player” and that he “was taken off as he had been booked and his tackles were late and it was to save him getting sent off and he was not being undisciplined as I thought but more clumsy I’m told and I found Zeli to be nice quiet mellow type”. Greg spoke about his sadness at Ismail leaving, “sad to see him go and can not understand why he did not start more games so we could get a decent look at him”
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Maybe this return will see him drafted into the first team at some point, Saunders clearly sees something in him, hence the return from MK Dons, it is clear that Saunders is assembling, with varying degrees of success, a team of hard working players who are prepared to give one hundred percent every game, a team that is hungry for success and, unlike several Wolves teams, knows how to win. We have seen him give young players a chance since he took over, Jake Cassidy for instance, he had an impressive debut against Blackburn and showed a lot of promise for the future.
In conclusion, Wolves have a new manager who could finally give him a chance, this is all speculation whether he will or not, but I am sure each and every Wolves fan who has seen him whether it be on social media or at Compton will want to see him have a run out for the first team. The flip side of this argument is, is he overrated? His only professional run outs have been against League one opposition and players that are still under the age of twenty one, he has had/been given the opportunity to play against better teams. In fairness it is hard to agree with that, Ismail posses a lot of ability, a breathless gift to swagger past defenders using both feet with ease and an eagle eye for the back of the net. The amount of hype around the young man makes us think he is older than he is, he is still only nineteen years of age, Ismail has a brilliantly bright future ahead, he is maturing and developing away from the critics, and his transition to the first team should be seamless. Given time, I am sure we will be singing “There’s only one Zeli Ismail!” in the near future, because, by the looks of it, there really is only one.
(Huge thanks to Gregg Trumper for the insight on Zeli Ismail, really great to have another insight, follow him on Twitter @Gunnerdon)
Danny Ings was hot property when he moved to Anfield from Burnley in 2015, and Newcastle fans would love to bring the striker to Tyneside.
Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle have been extremely short of goals this season, and fans are desperate for a summer signing to fix that.
Dwight Gayle is a fan favourite, but hasn’t really managed to convert his fantastic Championship form into Premier League goals. Joselu has failed to make the impact Rafa would have wanted, and Aleksandar Mitrović was shipped to Fulham in January.
People often forget just how good Danny Ings was at Burnley, scoring 38 league goals for the Clarets including 11 in his final season at Turf Moor.
Knee injuries have destroyed his career at Anfield, and Liverpool fans expect another striker to be signed to support Roberto Firmino.
With Ings looking to restart his Premier League career and Newcastle in desperate need of some goals, could it be a match made in heaven? 65 per cent of Newcastle fans think so.
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If Benitez went into next season with Ings, Gayle and Mitrovic being supplied by a new signing at the number ten position, Newcastle could certainly push on for a place in the top ten.
He’s back. In typical fashion, scouring the touchline like an agitated terrier in his baseball cap, Tony Pulis looks set to implement his famous rugged approach upon West Brom.
Since the heights of Steve Clarke’s first season, where the Baggies were comfortably in the top half, there’s been a very apparent decline. Pepe Mel, Clarke’s successor, had a system and style that was not conducive to ‘the counter attacking’ principles that were embedded within the team, and he departed on neutral terms when he kept them up.
Alan Irvine, handpicked to be a head coach of the highest calibre, was deemed inept at progressing the West Brom project last month (perhaps unfairly), and Pulis has been granted a greater authority to insert his philosophies on this West Brom squad.
Pulis’ teams play in a very distinctive manner. It’s become a cliche to talk of how Lionel Messi would fair on wet, cold, Tuesday evening at the Britannia purely because of the way Pulis set up his Stoke side. Dogged, physical, organised, hardworking and aggressive. Anti-football.
They press relentlessly without the ball while maintaining a very compact and organised midfield shape. Their front men lead that press on the front foot, working themselves to the limit to give the side a ferocious edge. Due to the lack of creative freedom that he affords of his hardworking players, set pieces become an integral method of scoring, as shown by Saido Berahino’s winner at the weekend.
Expect a return to a 4-4-2-ish shape, with Chris Brunt and Graham Dorrans, their usual attacking wingers, pulled back alongside a midfield pair. Youssouf Mulumbu and Claudio Yacob, loyal servants in the West Brom machine, will prosper in the middle with their rugged styles.
The midfield will be the key. How they screen their defence, which will become narrow and compact, will define how difficult to break down they are. Be it Mulumbu and Yacob or the preferred Craig Gardner and James Morrision, that midfield four will slide across the pitch laterally in unison, preventing any form of penetration into danger areas.
That commitment will owe much to Pulis’ training ground warm up exercise, which he outlined in an issue of the Elite Soccer coaching magazine last year. In a relatively simple drill that takes place in 20x15m area, there’s essentially (in no uncertain terms) a glorified game of ‘piggy in the middle.’ Imagine a tri-colour flag with a quartet of players operating each colour. The outside quartets have to get the ball to the other side, penetrating the middle four, who are drilled relentlessly, covering gaps, screening space.
If the defensive team carries out the drill successfully, Pulis explains, then opposition attackers only have one way through, and that’s to play the ball out wide and attack the flanks. Pulis clearly wants that to translate on the pitch, to channel attacking streams out wide, and then rely on his centre backs to deal with any crosses into the box. In this case the reliable Craig Dawson and Joleon Lescott will be expected to form a solid relationship, although Gareth McAuley was preferred at the weekend.
Many coaches probably use similar approaches, but Pulis’ skill as a manager relays in his ability to make his players adhere to it religiously. Mile Jedinak had an outstanding season conforming to that formula at Palace last season.
The only variations that you’ll really expect to see is up front, that’s where there’s some room for variations. At Stoke and Palace, Cameron Jerome (now at Norwich) has led from the front, an indefatigable unit who’s off the ball work rate and hold up player has been perfect for Pulis’ ideals.
The interesting facet at Palace was the use of Marouane Chamakh in a supporting role. He would sit on opposition midfield playmakers, and act as a target man for long balls. How Berahino and Stephane Sessegnon will cope with those changes is difficult to know.
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On the surface, neither are really Pulis players. Whether they could be ostracised in favour of a more physical and dynamic type remains to be seen. But with continuous rumours that Berahino could depart for around £24m, there could be a convenient out option for Pulis to trade pace for power.
“I think we need to add in that position (up front),” Pulis stated after the Hull game.
Overall, expect a profound strategic change in defence and midfield along with a change of personnel up front. They’re the parameters relevant for Pulis to make the changes that he so zealously believes in.
While not all in the footballing fraternity will necessarily be too sad to see the back of 2012, if you’re Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, you’ll probably be wondering how the year ahead could possibly come close to the one he’s just experienced.
Indeed, after a year in which he made his first Premier League start for Arsenal, scored his first Premier League goals for the club as well as becoming their youngest Englishmen to score in the Uefa Champions League, the man nicknamed the Ox achieved more in the first six months of last year than many of his younger compatriots may in an entire career. But it didn’t stop there.
Throw in a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year, a call up to Roy Hodgson’s Euro 2012 squad as well as amassing nine caps and a goal for his country, such has been the unrelenting speed of the ex-Southampton man’s rise in English football, there’s hardly been a chance to take stock of the outstanding 12 months he’s just enjoyed.
Which makes it all the more bizarre that as we start the New Year, the 19-year-old seems to be facing his first pockets of criticism since making the move from St. Mary’s in 2011.
While it’s hardly as if Oxlade-Chamberlain has been facing any kind of wicked backlash from supporters, as we pass the half-way mark in the season so far, it’s been suggested that for a player who’s made such stunning strides in recent times, a return of only two goals and two assists in 19 games isn’t quite at the level of output that perhaps it should be.
Perhaps the key word in that last passage is one of expectation. Rightly or wrongly, the performances of Oxlade-Chamberlain and the remarkable progress he’s made from hot prospect to fully fledged England international, have naturally raised the bar in what people perceive to be an acceptable level of output.
And if you consider how prolific the Gunners have been in front of goal this term, perhaps supporters aren’t completely missing the point when it comes to harbouring a little disappointment to Oxlade-Chamberlain’s performances in front of goal.
For all Arsene Wenger’s defensive woes, it’s hardly as if his side have looked anemic when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net. Despite currently sitting sixth in the Premier League table, Arsenal have scored 40 times this season; a tally bettered only by the two Manchester United and Manchester City who sit first and second respectively. And when you consider who else has been scoring this season, it’s no surprise the heat is on Oxlade-Chamberlain to start racking up his contribution a little.
No one expects him to match Theo Walcott and his 14 goals and counting in all competitions, but you would expect him to be perhaps be doing a little better than his solitary two goals; one of which came in the league and the other in the League Cup. To give you a bit of perspective, Arsenal fans have been quick to maul Gervinho at times this season for his poor performances, but he’s found the net five times for the club this season. This isn’t to say supporters haven’t been justified in their critique of the Ivorian, but considering he’s fighting with Oxlade-Chamberlain for a place in the team, it’s hardly an unfair comparison to make.
Yet refreshingly for supporters, it’s not just those frequenting the Emirates who are longing to see a little more from Oxlade-Chamberlain, with the player himself admitting his frustration at his lack of quantifiable output.
Speaking to the Evening Standard last month, while he appeared aware of supporters concerns, he seemed steely in his resolve to keep ‘plugging away’ for the side.
“For me, I want to be getting more goals and more assists so I am always beating myself up when I don’t,” he said.
“I guarantee I will always give 100 per cent and will try to get on the scoresheet a bit more as well. I am never happy with myself. I know I have got quite a good shot so when an opportunity comes about and I don’t hit the target or make the keeper work, I’m not a happy boy.
“I’m just going to keep plugging away, keep working hard in games and in training. But the main thing is that the boys are getting the results.”
While things might not have necessarily gone his way in front of goal this term, most importantly for Oxlade-Chamberlain, it doesn’t appear to be affecting his resolve, which considering his tender 19 year, displays a sense of maturity that some of his more experienced, underperforming teammates could take a long look at. But asides from his age, most importantly for Oxlade-Chamberlain is the fact Wenger now appears happy to give him a solid run of games in the league.
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It’s worth noting that he’s only started a mere eight of Arsenal’s 20 Premier League games, with five of those starts coming in the last four weeks. It’s no surprise that his recent run in the side over Christmas has coincided with a spike in form and now he’s getting starts in this Arsenal side, the youngster has the perfect platform of which to push on into the New Year.
But for whatever his output in front of goal, it’s worth noting that not even a year has passed since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s first Premier League start in an Arsenal shirt. For all the heady progress he’s made for both club and country, there is still a long way to go before he resembles anything nearing the finished product.
It must be hard to retain patient at the moment if you’re an Arsenal fan, but for Oxlade-Chamberlain, the rewards on offer supplant any frustrations that fans may currently be feeling.
With the most league goals of any player involved in Europe’s five leading top flights this season and now just four strikes away from setting a new record for goals scored by a single player in a 38-game Premier League campaign, Mohamed Salah’s incredible potency in attack this term has made the debate over whether he qualifies as world-class an increasingly unavoidable one.
Of course, that term means different things to different people and comes with a wide variety of interpretations. But if we take it as meaning belonging to an elite bracket of the very best around, Salah’s output this season is unquestionably up there. When assists are added to the equation, he’s contributed to more league goals than Cristano Ronaldo, Neymar and Eden Hazard this season and the same number, 37, as Lionel Messi.
However, there is a subtle yet significance difference between a world-class player and a player enjoying world-class form, and at this moment of Salah’s career, not even a full season into his affluent spell at Liverpool, it’s still unclear which category the Egyptian attacker truly belongs to – whether his current levels are sustainable or have been created by a perfect storm of Liverpool’s relentless attacking impetus, the eagerness to impress during his first campaign at a new club and the manner in which he’s caught so many English teams off-guard following an underwhelming previous stint in the Premier League with Chelsea.
There is another key question at the heart of this debate as well; sometimes strikers are enjoying such a rich vein of confidence and fortune that they simply can’t miss in front of goal, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re world-class goalscorers, let alone world-class players. Then-Sunderland’s Kevin Phillips once won Europe’s Golden Boot award, while back in 1997/98 the Premier League Golden Boot was split between Dion Dublin, Chris Sutton and Michael Owen. Only the latter of those four can claim to have been widely considered a truly world-class player for a substantial period of his career.
And while an analysis of Salah belonging to that bracket shouldn’t hinge on statistics alone, there is certainly something telling about the Liverpool attacker’s returns this season compared to likeminded forwards of world-class calibre – Neymar, Ronaldo, Messi and Hazard. Out of the five, Salah ranks in the bottom two for successful dribbles, chances created and shots per game this season, and the percentages also hint at a worrying inconsistency that has been evident at times too.
Salah ranks bottom for pass completion and dribble success rate while only Ronaldo has hit the target with less frequency this term. That’s not a huge surprise either; particularly at the start of the season, the 25-year-old was needing four or five chances to hit the net, albeit creating the vast majority of them himself. Compare that to someone like Hazard for example, a forward who finds the net less frequently but has performed at least 7% better than Salah on those three fronts.
It could be argued that Hazard is therefore the better player, because he achieves what he attempts on the pitch with a greater consistency.
Goals are, of course, worth invaluably more than any collection of chances created, dribbles and shots combined, but it does force the consideration of whether Salah – who Transfermarkt value at £72million – would be considered such a devastating player if he were finding the net with slightly less regularity this season. Would we be quite as impressed with a forward who doesn’t even rank in the Premier League’s top ten for dribbles per match, and is currently surpassed in terms of chance creation by Pascal Gross and Ben Davies?
Ashley Young’s dominance over Salah a fortnight ago in the Northwest derby too, creates some doubts over his world-class credentials, highlighting a crucial factor.
The England international has been fantastic at left-back for Manchester United all season, but this is still a converted winger we’re talking about, one who has been dribbled past the most times, 19, of any player to feature at No.3 in the Premier League throughout 2017/18.
Salah should’ve had a field day at Old Trafford, especially during a second half Liverpool dominated, but the 56-cap international constantly found his path blocked as he continuously cut inside onto Young’s stronger foot.
And that’s perhaps the key with Salah right now – he’s still enjoying the luxury of opposition defenders not quite yet working him out, the best way to stifle his very specific game.
Using a right-footer at left-back may well be the solution – he also struggled against Serge Aurier in the 4-1 defeat to Tottenham earlier this season – but the wider issue is how every team in the Premier League will have their own ideas for containing him next term. His performances this season have simply been too potent, relentless and frenetic for anybody to work out an obvious antidote.
In some senses though, that’s only testament to how clever, inventive and modern a player Salah actually is. We’ve become well acquainted with wingers drifting inside in the Premier League, but what the Liverpool star does is markedly different – those recurring, penetrative central runs between the centre-backs are certainly unorthodox, and at times give the aura of a ground-breaking ploy that will become commonplace across Europe in the years to come.
Unfortunately, statistical analysis of the beautiful game is yet to reach a point where it adequately acknowledges decisive movement, let alone determine its effectiveness.
And yet, there is still a feeling that Salah’s unique inside runs are just another aspect of his game that elite defenders could soon come to master, a process which could drastically change how the Reds ace is perceived. Right now, there’s no question Salah is scoring goals on reputation as much as ability – the sight of four Watford defenders flailing to the floor last Saturday as the former Roma star squeezed a shot between all of them was testament to that – and so perhaps the ultimate question is what happens when Salah doesn’t have that same fear factor, when defenders have worked out ploys to contain his threat, when everybody in the Premier League knows precisely what to expect from him.
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That is why, for all the incredible performances Salah has put in this season, and for all the goalscoring records he may break come the summer, judgement of his world-class credentials must be reserved for another year, once the ever-problematic follow-up campaign is proven to be a success or failure.
His Liverpool form hasn’t taken place in a vacuum – he was one of the top performers in Serie A for two-and-a-half years before moving to Anfield – but this remains the only season of his career in which he’s scored more than 19 goals across all competitions, and it’s that extra firepower which has pushed the debate to this point.
Right now, he still feels like a player enjoying world-class form, rather than a truly world-class player.