The majority of Wolves fans that voted in our poll are now backing Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to qualify for the Europa League after their fantastic start to the season.
Wolves took the Championship by storm last season, picking up 99 points on their way to the Championship title, but it would still be a huge task to finish in seventh place in the league, and this would still mean two of the top six would have to win the domestic cups.
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In the summer though Wolves spent big, forking out over £60m in transfer fees for a total of 11 new players, many of which were seasoned internationals such as Portugal stars Joao Moutinho and goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
The boys in old gold currently sit 10th in the table, despite having had a difficult start to the season in terms of fixtures, and look in good shape on their first season back in the Premier League. Check out the full results of the poll below.
Jose Mourinho’s regime at Man Utd has been a fraught one, and that doesn’t look set to change any time soon. Wherever the manager goes, controversy is always likely to follow, and that’s largely down to his very divisive and hard management style.
One repercussion of his style comes in the players that he selects. Generally speaking, Mourinho has a core group of individuals that he trusts to the hilt, and they’re usually the ones that start most games.
That, unfortunately, means that some players are rarely given a chance to impress, and that’s no different at Man Utd.
In truth, there are a few players at Old Trafford that, if they’re honest with themselves, would be better served by leaving the club, because they just don’t seem to be rated very highly by their boss at Man Utd. In truth, a departure would probably be best in the eyes of Mourinho, too.
With that said, the writing should be on the wall for these two Man Utd players…
Juan Mata
Soccer Football – Carabao Cup – Third Round – Manchester United v Derby County – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – September 25, 2018 Manchester United’s Juan Mata celebrates scoring their first goal Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Pleas
Juan Mata seemed a likely candidate to leave Man Utd as soon as Jose Mourinho came in, given that the boss sold him when he was at Chelsea a few years prior.
However, he chose to stick it out, and that’s delivered mixed success. He’s played a fair amount of football, but much like at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho hasn’t regularly chosen to rely on Mata. He’s never been the main man at Old Trafford like he was at Chelsea.
That’s a shame, given that on his day, nobody is as good as Mata with the ball at their feet. His range of passing is sublime, and he’d no doubt be a valuable asset for any number of clubs elsewhere.
He’s started just 2 league games this season, and that’s not enough.
Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial came to Man Utd as one of Europe’ best young players, but he’s quickly lost that title since the arrival of Jose Mourinho. Though he’s earned minutes, rarely has he been at his best, and there are a few reasons for that.
Undeniably, the main one comes in the form of Mourinho himself. The Portuguese has never seemed to rate Martial, and whilst most managers would likely be glad to have a player of his quality, he’s seen fit to put Martial down and prevent him from earning game time on a regular basis.
Despite the struggles of players like Alexis Sanchez, Martial has continued to play a backseat role, and that’s not good enough.
He’s going to be an unbelievable player in the future, but it’s hard to see him excelling at Man Utd.
Crystal Palace fans who made the trip to Imperial Fields last night were treated to a dominant display over South London neighbours, Dulwich Hamlet.
The Eagles ran out 5-0 victors in a fundraising match which gave fans the opportunity to see youth players and a handful of first-team faces in action during the lull of the international break. Given that it was a friendly, the result will mean little to the 1226 in attendance but Palace fans were pleased to see Scott Dann and Connor Wickham’s names on the team-sheet, whose injuries have seen them sidelined for a long time.
Summer signing Max Meyer grabbed both his first goal for the club and the away side’s first of the game with a composed, curling finish into the corner, followed by an excellent drive from Sullay Kaikai to give Roy Hodgson’s side a two-goal advantage going into the break.
The returning Wickham was brought on for the second half and netted his first goal for the SE25 outfit since November 2016 with an emphatic header that cannoned in off the bar, before academy prospects James Daly and Kian Flanagan finished off their National League opposition by turning in a rebound and finding the top corner from 25 yards respectively.
Here’s how Palace fans reacted to the action.
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[ad_pod ]According to The Mirror, Arsenal are considering a move for Liverpool full-back Alberto Moreno whose contract expires in the summer meaning he could then be available on a free.Unai Emery’s current first choice full-back Nacho Monreal isn’t getting any younger and the his distrust in Bosnian Sead Kolasinac has seen young midfielder Ainsley Maitland-Niles become a makeshift second-choice.Left-back Andy Robertson’s form at Liverpool has seen Moreno limited to a single EFL Cup appearance so far this season, with Jurgen Klopp even likely to deploy utility man James Milner on the left side of defence ahead of the Spaniard if Robertson is injured.The 26-year-old has made 88 league appearances for the Reds, scoring three goals and assisting five, but his time at Anfield seems to be up with reports suggesting that he has no interest in renewing his contract with the Merseyside club.Emery worked with Moreno at Sevilla in the 2013/14 season but since making the switch to Liverpool the latter has been criticised for his defensive abilities, or lack of, on a couple of occasions. The fact that he might not cost the Gunners a penny in transfer fees is a positive, but not all Arsenal fans are feeling good.Here’s how they reacted on Twitter.
Gunners midfielder Mesut Ozil hails Matteo Guendouzi as a “brilliant” player, as he earmarks the Frenchman as the best young talent at Arsenal. Guendouzi arrived at the Emirates Stadium in the summer from FC Lorient, in a move costing the club £7.2million.
At just 19, the defensive-minded player would not have been expected to make an instant impact under Unai Emery but immediately showed on the club’s pre-season tour what he can bring to the Spaniard’s side, earning seven Premier League appearances since in which he has started five.
The midfielder has regularly demonstrated his determination to win the ball off the opposition as well as his stunning range of passing ability for his young age. These displays have certainly caught the attention of Arsenal’s superstars, with Ozil a big fan.
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In a Q&A session the German international held on Wednesday night via Twitter, the 30-year-old was asked who he believes is the best young talent at Arsenal and opted for the Frenchman over the likes of first team regular Alex Iwobi or Reiss Nelson, who at 18 is starting and scoring in the Bundesliga on loan for Hoffenheim.
The World Cup winner’s answer certainly delighted these fans.
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Bournemouth continued their fantastic start to the Premier League season with a comfortable 3-0 victory against Fulham at the weekend.
Calum Wilson opened the scoring after just 14 minutes, confidently dispatching a penalty after he was fouled by Timothy Fosu-Mensah. Things went from bad to worse for Fulham with Kevin McDonald receiving his marching orders, and David Brooks added insult to injury after the interval with a cool finish. A late second from Wilson ensured the Cherries left with all three points to go just six points behind league leaders Liverpool.
Eddie Howe’s side have been the surprise package of the season so far, delighting their fans with some fantastic performances. The arrival of Brooks, in particular, has been pleasing; the playmaker has made an instant impact since joining from Sheffield United in the summer. Bournemouth should continue their trend of poaching stars from the lower division and move for Leeds United full-back – Tom Pearce.
Valued at just £225k by Transfermarkt, the youngster was tipped for a bright future with the Whites but has failed to make his way into Marcelo Bielsa’s plans so far this season. Pearce has been restricted to just 72 minutes of Championship football under the Argentine’s leadership. Bournemouth should look to take advantage and bring the 20-year-old to the Vitality Stadium in January.
The left-back was in action for England’s U20 side last week and could prove to be an excellent long-term option in the back four. The defender will undoubtedly be tempted to leave the Championship side after watching Brooks develop into a key player for the Premier League side. Howe has a reputation for bringing the best out of young players, as he has done with another former White in the shape of Lewis Cook, and Pearce could flourish under his guidance.
If Leeds are ready to part ways with the academy graduate, Bournemouth should be first in line.
Loads of Rangers fans have been running the rule over Wednesday’s disappointing draw, and they’re not happy with summer signing Lassana Coulibaly.
Steven Gerrard certainly used the loan market to his advantage this summer, and the loan move for Coulibaly looked to be particularly shrewd.
There is very little chance the Gers could have afforded such a highly rated prospect on a permanent deal, and the 22 year-old was dominant earlier in the season.
The young midfielder isn’t the most technically gifted player in the world, but his work rate and drive from midfield is exactly what fans love to see, and he was superb in the Europa League qualifying run.
His form has dipped slightly in recent weeks though, and he was really poor in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock.
The all-action summer signing was his usual self when it came to breaking up play and getting stuck in, but his lack of ability on the ball is starting to hurt the team.
You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…
A hamstring injury to veteran Petr Cech saw summer signing Bernd Leno come into the Arsenal starting XI a few weeks ago. Since then the 26-year-old shot-stopper has largely impressed between the sticks.
However, since stepping into the first team at the Emirates Stadium, a major flaw in the 6-cap Germany international’s game has emerged. Leno struggles to deal with crosses delivered into his area, a weakness that opponents will soon begin to target.
Against Liverpool, last time out, his mishandling of a Sadio Mane delivery led to James Milner’s opening goal. A warning had come even before that, though, when he came out to claim a high cross and was caught in no man’s land, leaving Virgil van Dijk to head against the post.
Cech, on the other hand, has no such difficulties in negotiating crosses into the box. However, the 36-year-old has already proven himself to be far less adept with the ball at his feet.
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Considering that Unai Emery is trying to develop a side capable of playing the ball out from the back, the Spanish manager ought to persist with his younger acquisition and hope that his ability to deal with crosses develops with further Premier League experience.
What do you think, Arsenal fans – who ought to be the Gunners’ first choice goalkeeper at this time?
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard should once again raid the Liverpool youth setup in January to secure a loan move for talented midfielder Curtis Jones.
What’s the situation?
The Express recently reported that although Rangers announced losses of £14m recently, there will be funds available for Gerrard to add to his squad in the winter transfer window, and the Liverpool legend is looking for a creative player and a midfielder, of which Jones is both.
The Gers made 15 signings over the summer, but Gerrard was critical of his side after their Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Aberdeen, claiming that they didn’t have enough quality to compete for trophies.
Two of those summer signings were loan deals from the Liverpool youth sides, with Ryan Kent and Ovie Ejaria making the move to Glasgow having worked under Gerrard at Liverpool, as Jones did in his time with the U18 squad.
Injection of creativity
Jones could be the perfect man for Gerrard to bring in then to inject some fresh legs and new ideas into his side after what is sure to be a busy and competitive Christmas period.
The 17-year-old was hugely impressive on Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States in the summer, which led many to speculate whether the Scouser would be given a chance in the first team this year.
The wealth of talent at Anfield though means the creative central midfielder has been limited to appearances for the U23 side and in the UEFA Youth League, where he has scored twice in four matches, but a move north of the border would allow him to experience competitive senior football at a high-level for the first time.
So, Rangers fans, would you like to see Gerrard make a loan move for Jones in the winter transfer window, or should he look away from his former club? Have your say by voting in the poll below.
Mark Hughes may be in the market for a new centre-back as ex-Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen seeks a Premier League return, per reports in Mundo Deportivo.
What’s the word?
The report emerging from Spain suggests that Vermaelen is looking to return to England and has instructed his representatives to sound out potential suitors.
The Catalan newspaper mentions Southampton and Watford but does not confirm whether either have been in direct contact with the defender’s agent yet, although they do note their previous interest in the 33-year-old.
Vermaelen’s contract at the Camp Nou is up in the summer and he no longer has the backing of the board following further injuries – previous technical secretary Robert Fernandez had wanted to extend the deal of the one-time Champions League winner by a further year.
Barcelona signed the 70-cap Belgium international back in 2014 from Arsenal, where he was club captain for two years but spent more than 400 days out injured – a theme that continued in Catalunya and while on loan to Roma.
In the five years since the defender left Arsenal, Vermaelen has amassed just 66 appearances – a season-high of 20 set twice, in 2015-16 and 2017-18.
Playmaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…
The La Liga centre-back who Hughes should target
Instead of bringing an injury prone defender to St Mary’s Stadium, Hughes should inquire into the signing of Deportivo Alaves centre-back Guillermo Maripan.
The 24-year-old Chilean has been an integral part of the Basque club’s rise into the Champions League positions after finishing 14th last year.
In nine games – only once a substitute – the 6ft 4in defender has amassed 19 tackles and 20 interceptions, helping his side to one of the best defensive records in La Liga – conceding fewer goals than Real Madrid and Barcelona.
While Transfermarkt value the Universidad Catolica product at £2.25million, Alaves would likely look to make more given his importance alongside Victor Laguardia.
Vermaelen, even at a cut-price, would not be the answer Southampton needs to turn results around, and the ageing defender’s injury history should set alarm bells ringing at St Mary’s Stadium if the 33-year-old’s agent rings.