USMNT midfielder Johnny Cardoso launched a stunning long-range effort into the back of the net for Real Betis at the weekend.
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Inter Miami manager Tata Martino has offered fitness updates on his superstars ahead of the first game of the new MLS season.
West Brom face a mammoth battle to remain in the Premier League this season, and Sam Allardyce’s task isn’t getting any easier as they welcome Manchester United to the Hawthorns this afternoon.
Heading into the encounter, the Baggies are 11 points adrift of safety and have won just once under the 66-year-old since he took over from Slaven Bilic in mid-December.
Albion also hold the unwanted record of being Europe’s leakiest defence while in the English top-flight alone, they have leaked 15 more goals than any other team – 54 goals.
So, what sort of side could we see today? Here’s our predicted XI as well as the latest team and injury news…
There could be as many as four changes from the side that was defeated by Spurs last weekend, including a debut for January arrival, Celta Vigo loanee Okay Yokuslu.
The 26-year-old could sit at the base of midfield alongside fellow winter signing Ainsley Maitland-Niles with Matheus Pereira returning to the starting fold in a slightly more advanced role.
It means Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea loan starlet Conor Gallagher are in line to face the chop, as a result.
Back in defence, Allardyce could bring Darnell Furlong back into the mix over Lee Peltier at right-back.
However, the rest of the back four, namely Semi Ajayi, Kyle Bartley and Conor Townsend should remain untouched in front of impressive goalkeeper and arguably the only shining light this season, Sam Johnstone.
Robert Snodgrass, another Allardyce addition, should keep his place on the flank but we may see Callum Robinson replace Karlan Grant.
The £9m-rated forward has seen his position put at risk following the signing of Mbaye Diagne, who will once again start up top for the Baggies.
It means club captain Jake Livermore will have to settle for a place on the bench for the second successive league outing, whilst Matty Phillips and Hal Robson-Kanu are too substitute options.
AND in other news, Waste of money: West Brom’s “competitive animal” proving to be a big Dowling disaster…
Managers are lobbying for a rule change that would introduce a 'transfer window' for bosses, protecting them from sackings during the season.
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David Moyes is right to try and sell Andriy Yarmolenko this summer amid claims that West Ham United are in talks with Dynamo Kyiv over such a move.
According to Pedro Almeida, Dynamo Kyiv are keen to be reunited with the 31-year-old and want to welcome the forward back to the Ukrainian Premier League at the end of the season.
Yarmolenko played 340 games for the Ukrainian club between 2007 and 2017, before joining Borussia Dortmund, where he only lasted one year. West Ham bought him one season after his arrival at Signal Iduna Park for £17.5m and awarded the winger a four-year contract, which is set to enter its final 12 months this June.
The 31-year-old could now make a return to the club where he made a name for himself, with West Ham claimed to be in active negotiations with Dynamo Kyiv over a potential deal. Yarmolenko has seen his future in claret and blue be cast into doubt over recent months, with reports earlier in the year suggesting that bids of between £5m and £6m would be considered.
The Hammers are thought to have accepted that a sizable hit on the fee paid to Borussia Dortmund will need to be taken in order to move Yarmolenko on at the end of the season.
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It remains to be seen what terms Dynamo Kyiv are able to offer West Ham for Yarmolenko’s services, but Moyes is absolutely right to make the winger available for a transfer ahead of the Ukraine international entering the final year of his Irons contract.
Yarmolenko has been a consistent injury risk for the Hammers since his arrival in 2018, having missed 57 games and counting across all competitions due to various issues including Achilles, back, abductor and knee ligament damage.
The forward returned to training prior to the March international break but is yet to feature in one of Moyes’ matchday squads since, and he has only started eight first team fixtures – one in the Premier League – over 21 appearances thus far this term.
Those eight starts still account for more than a third of Yarmolenko’s career opening calls in claret and blue, having started just 23 matches in all competitions across his 53 appearances over the past three seasons.
West Ham are paying out a lot of money for Yarmolenko to frequently occupy a seat on the bench when not in the treatment room, with the forward – who Moyes lauds as “a very talented player” – the Irons’ top earner on a £115,000-a-week contract, per Spotrac.
That salary has seen West Ham hand over £16.4m in wages over Yarmolenko’s 143 weeks at the London Stadium thus far, which – added with the £17.5m paid to Dortmund – equates to £1.5m for each start or £640,000 per appearance.
Yarmolenko has simply been stealing a living at West Ham, who need to call time on his spell at the club this summer. It just remains to be seen how much they can recoup from Dynamo Kyiv, or whether another suitor may be willing to show an interest.
AND in other news, David Moyes eyes a summer reunion with £75k-p/w enforcer who looked “like he’s on roller-skates” in 2020…
Ten-man Bayern Munich suffered a second-straight upset as they were beaten by Lazio in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
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Crystal Palace host West Ham this weekend at Selhurst Park and will be hoping they can burst the Hammers’ post-Liverpool bubble – the east London side were excellent on Monday as they held the Reds to a draw.
Defensive injuries, though, have meant Roy Hodgson will be forced into making some adjustments to the side that were 2-0 victors over Fulham last week. Although one key stat concerning their opponents on Saturday should make the former England boss’ selection decision far easier.
James Tomkins, who has formed a stoic partnership with Mamadou Sakho at the heart of defence, has been ruled unlikely to play this weekend by Hodgson.
Fortunately, the Eagles boss has sufficient defensive cover to provide a natural replacement for Tomkins in Martin Kelly – the former Liverpool man was called upon for the Leicester clash in December and excelled, despite cutting an uncertain figure in previous seasons.
However, his 71-year-old manager should take a gamble by going with his fourth-choice centre-back if it means he can exploit a little-known Irons weakness.
West Ham splashed the cash in the summer as Manuel Pellegrini took the helm in a bit to rebrand the team; the signings of Felipe Anderson and Issa Diop have been impressive but the latter, a £22m signing from Toulouse, has been unable to plug all the deficiencies in defence.
Surprisingly, the London Stadium outfit are level with Everton, who have conceded the most goals from set-pieces this season, on expected goals (xGA) from set-pieces, with 4.6%.
Palace should look to trouble their opponents in that aspect by flooding the box with big men. Christian Benteke’s availability will be crucial, but starting Scott Dann will significantly boost their chances of capitalising on a dead-ball situation.
The 31-year-old is an excellent header of the ball and has scored some vital goals for Palace over the years, although he hasn’t made a start in the Premier League this season. Hodgson should take a gamble by starting the former Blackburn man, even if he may be more vulnerable when West Ham look to use their pace on the counter.
Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…
Manchester United have been linked with a move for Raphael Varane, and the Real Madrid defender could prove to be Rio Ferdinand’s long-awaited heir if he joins the English giants this summer.
According to Tribal Football, the Red Devils are preparing an opening offer for the 28-year-old centre-back after reports revealed the France international is unlikely to put pen to paper on a new contract with Los Blancos.
Varane’s current deal is set to expire in 2022, meaning the £63m-rated ace could be available for a cut-price fee ahead of the upcoming transfer window, hence why he is attracting the attention of some of the continent’s top clubs.
The 6 ft 2 powerhouse has played a pivotal part in Madrid’s success both domestically and in European competition since arriving at the Bernabeu back in 2011.
During his 10-year stay in the Spanish capital, Varane has collected four Champions League crowns, three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey and four Club World Cup trophies, but it appears as though he’s ready to start a new chapter in his illustrious career.
Despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side making clear progress this season, having reached the Europa League final and second place in the Premier League table, their defensive fragilities have often been exposed throughout the current campaign.
A pacey partner for Harry Maguire is often outlined as one of the Old Trafford outfit’s biggest priorities by pundits, and it’s an attribute that has been absent from several United centre-halves since Ferdinand’s exit.
The retired England defender was renowned for his ability with the ball at his feet and his incredible turn of pace, two key features that Varane has also built his game around.
WhoScored list passing as a key strength in both Ferdinand and Varane’s game, and the physical similarities are also clear for all to see, with both men boasting tall, strong and lean frames.
Although Ferdinand left the 20-time English champions way back in 2014, the likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof have failed to adequately replace the United legend, but that poor record could be about to change with Varane’s potentially imminent arrival.
The 2018 World Cup winner earned praise from his current manager earlier in the campaign, as Zinedine Zidane hailed his compatriot’s leadership qualities, saying:
“He’s won a lot and shown his ability to be a leader, help others and show what he’s capable of doing out on the pitch.”
It could be United who benefits from Varane’s extensive array of impressive attributes from next season, though, and if Ed Woodward and Solskjaer have an opportunity to acquire the experienced defender, it’s an opportunity they can’t afford to miss out on.
And, in other news…former Red Devils’ star slams current United midfielder.
Daniel Farke’s Norwich City are considering a move for Danilho Doekhi ahead of the summer transfer window.
That’s according to a report by De Telegraaf (via Football Oranje), who claimed that the Canaries, along with the likes of Atalanta, Newcastle United, Fulham and Rangers, are keeping tabs on the £1.8m-rated Vitesse Arnhem centre-back ahead of a potential move this summer.
The former Ajax starlet has just one year remaining on his current contract with the Eredivisie club, with reports suggesting that this could tempt Thomas Letsch into cashing in on the 22-year-old in the close season.
So far this season, Doekhi has impressed over his 29 league appearances for Vitesse, with the defender helping his side to keep 10 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.7 interceptions, 2.1 tackles, and three clearances per game, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 7.02 – ranking him as the club’s fifth-best performer in the Eredivisie.
According to SofaScore, the Netherlands under-21 international’s major strengths are both his aerial and ground duels, something which is evident in the centre-back’s average of three aerial duels and 2.6 ground duels won per match, at 77% and 63% success rates respectively.
Interestingly, SofaScore also note that the £2,400-per-week defender has no outstanding weaknesses, with the 22-year-old also seeming comfortable on the ball, averaging 67.9 touches per match, as well as an accurate distributor, completing an average of 47.7 passes every game with an 86% accuracy rate.
Vitesse manager Letsch has dubbed the Dutchman as “fantastic”, as well as calling him “one of the best centre-backs in the Eredivisie”, words which hint at the scale of the talent he possesses.
Farke may seek improvements to his current options at the heart of his defence ahead of the club’s Premier League campaign next season; and with Doekhi bettering Grant Hanley, Norwich’s best-performing centre-back this season, in a number of defensive metrics, a move for the defender should be extremely high on the list of Stuart Webber’s priorities in the summer transfer window.
In other news: Norwich handed blow in pursuit of “unbelievable” £7.2m-rated gem, Farke surely gutted – opinion
Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that West Ham cannot afford another transfer window without signing a striker.
Following the departure of record signing Sebastien Haller to Ajax in January, the Hammers were left with just the injury-prone Michail Antonio as their only recognised senior striker at the club.
But whilst West Ham’s form has improved since Haller left, David Moyes’ team are currently paying the full price for not replacing him, with Antonio now set to miss most of the season with a hamstring problem sustained at Wolves.
Jarrod Bowen has stepped into the role admirably as his deputy, scoring twice and assisting another two since Antonio hobbled off at Molineux, but with the prospect of European football at the London Stadium next season, McAvennie knows the importance of Moyes adding another striker to the Hammers’ ranks.
He told Football FanCast:
“They’re talking about Tammy Abraham – he’s Rice’s pal from what I gather. I think he would be [first-choice striker] unless Antonio was there. Sometimes you can play with two, people forget Antonio was a midfield player – he can go all over the place.
“I don’t think Antonio can last. Sometimes you’re playing two or three games a week now, and if they get into Europe it will be difficult.
“I would love someone to come in and give Antonio a rest. Give him a complete rest. In the summer he needs two months off to get his legs sorted.”