All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Hector Bellerin has publicly backed his manager amid recent bad results but some fans think that his comments won’t have much of an effect.

The Spaniard stated that the squad is together under Emery and believes the team has “evolved” since he came to the club, adding that he has the trust of every one of his players due to his success at previous clubs.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Such a statement has surprised some fans, who have pointed out his poor away record at Sevilla – in which he went an entire league season without an away win – as evidence to suggest he is not the right man to take Arsenal forward.

Considering how results are panning out this season, there are a few supporters who feel that he is running out of time to turn things around, and therefore he could face the sack even if he does have the backing of his players.

As a result, some haven’t responded too kindly to the right-back’s comments, as they fail to see the improvements that have supposedly been made.

Here are some of the reactions to Bellerin’s comments…

Some Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to deliver their verdicts on Angus Gunn, after a concerning stat about the goalkeeper was brought to light.

The England Under-21 international has conceded the second-most goals out of any glovesman in the Premier League so far this season, allowing 15 strikes to go beyond him – the only keeper to concede more is Watford’s Ben Foster, who was in between the sticks for Watford when Manchester City beat the Hornets 8-0.

Gunn – who we recently identified as one of two players who needs to step up – has made a mistake in each of the Saints’ last three games.

The 23-year-old came charging out of his goal for no reason against Bournemouth, allowing Callum Wilson to nip in and score, before letting Tanguy Ndombele’s shot to go straight past him in Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Southampton.

Gunn then came rushing off his line again against Chelsea, allowing Tammy Abraham to lob him and open the scoring for Chelsea in the 4-1 rout over Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men.

As a result of his poor form, some Southampton fans on Twitter have shared their thoughts on the former Norwich man…

A report has emerged from A Bola which suggests Tottenham are still interested in Bruno Fernandes, and fans certainly haven’t give up hope that the Portugal international may arrive in January after The Last Word on Spurs Twitter account looked at his stats this seasson.

The midfielder was heavily linked with a move to North London over the summer before Spurs eventually landed an attacking midfielder in Lo Celso.

However, with Christian Eriksen seemingly on the way out and Mauricio Pochettino’s side in need of a lift, some supporters want further additions to be made.

The 25-year-old would likely have a key impact too, having scored seven goals and assisted five in ten appearances this campaign.

Signing him could, therefore, allow Pochettino to replace the creativity that could be lost through the departure of the Denmark international, with Fernandes averaging 3.2 key passes per league game last season.

Whether it is a realistic target for Tottenham is a different matter, as his asking price is a reported £64m. Despite that, Spurs fans remain keen, and their reactions show they are keen for him to be brought in.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

If you’re a fan of QPR, or you hold the London-based club close to your heart, you may have heard that the exciting, young midfielder Ilias Chair recently signed a new three-year contract.

The Morocco Under-23 international has enjoyed an excellent season under Mark Warburton so far, scoring one goal and recording two assists in all competitions as the R’s sit seventh in the Championship.

However, it hasn’t always been like this.

The 21-year-old wasn’t even at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium last term, instead joining League Two side Stevenage on a season-long loan deal – it was with them where Chair thrived, and proved just how effective the loan system can be.

Chair signed for the R’s as a trialist following a successful audition in front of the Londoners, having previously played for Belgian side Lierse SK.

Given his relative unknown status, there was little chance of him immediately breaking into the first-team, so a sensible loan move to a side where he was presumably going to get regular football under his belt was a no brainer.

As well as getting a solid amount of game-time with 16 appearances, Chair managed to score six goals and also record six assists in League Two while wearing a Stevenage shirt.

Instead of dipping into the market for another midfielder – which would have been ignoring Chair’s bright progress – the R’s took heed of the Moroccan’s development and found him a place in the first-team, obtaining an impressive performer as well as saving themselves a bit of cash in the process.

In a time where players can sometimes find themselves even further down the pecking order after returning from a temporary move, QPR have used the loan system in an exemplary fashion and are currently reaping the rewards.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Even though Real Madrid made a number of purchases last summer, they still haven’t addressed one key gap in their squad: Casemiro’s understudy.

But looking at their bench, there just might be a solution sitting right there in front of their noses.

On the chalkboard

Currently, there are five central midfielders in Real Madrid’s squad. Casemiro, though, is the only natural defensive midfielder in their ranks.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Of course, Los Blancos have multiple other players that can slot into the attacking-midfielder role – the likes of Isco, Luka Modric, James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos – but no one else who can effectively serve as the Brazilian’s substitute and still play in his natural position.

This poses a huge problem for Zinedine Zidane’s squad.

But even though they might be inclined to dip their toes into the transfer market in order to solve this conundrum in January, there is actually a solution already present at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And his name? Federico Valverde.

Trust in the youth

Valverde is the product of Real Madrid’s academy.

Born and raised in Castilla, the 21-year-old midfielder hasn’t really seen much game time since his promotion to the senior squad just in the summer of 2018.

So far, he has played a total of 29 games for Los Blancos and has no goals or assists to his name. And this is still one game less than he played for Real Madrid Castilla back in the day.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

But his fortunes just might be changing as he has already registered four appearances in the ongoing 2019/20 campaign. And looking at his skill set, maybe Zidane could transform the young midfielder into an effective pivot that could relieve Casemiro when needed.

So far, he has registered 172 minutes in La Liga and has maintained 86.4% passing accuracy with one key pass per game on average. He’s also tallied 2.1 tackles per ninety minutes, which suggests that the potential for him to play deeper is there.

He is strong and confident on the ball, contributes to the defensive phases of the game and is still young enough to be trained in a new role.

Not to mention that he is quite versatile too. In the 101 games Transfermarkt has on the books, he has played in a total of six different positions, including centre-back – which again hints at a natural defensive awareness.

With a bit of sculpting and good management, Zidane might get the answer to his squad conundrum in the young Castilla product.

At the very least, it has to be worth a shot.

With Tottenham not able to play any games in their long-awaited new stadium until at least April, surely it’d now be preferable to leave the opening until next season.

It’s been causing fixture rearrangement headaches since August and it’s the butt of everyone’s jokes since then too. The whole situation has been shambolic, but somehow Spurs have still managed to get used to their new surroundings at Wembley, a place where they’re not that used to playing nowadays.

They’re still very much involved in a title race and will be just two points behind current leaders Manchester City if they win their game in hand at Burnley on Saturday. It doesn’t seem like the move from White Hart Lane in 2017 affected them and fair play for that, but imagine what another move could do their rhythm.

After one and three quarter seasons at Wembley, they’re now used to the dressing room, pre-match routine and of course the pitch, so it would seem strange if the club were to interrupt this two months before the end of the campaign and even perhaps reopen it for a Champions League quarter-final 1stleg on April 9 or 10. Footballers are creatures of habit and it’d be interesting to hear what the players would make of the move at this late stage.

Yes, it would save more months of embarrassment, but the stadium looks amazing and when it’s finally open it’ll be the envy of every team in England, so Spurs fans will have their chance to gloat then. An opening at the start of next season would give the crowd fresh optimism too because mentally it’ll feel like a new chapter, whereas if it was to open this season and Liverpool and City are further ahead in the title race than they are now, it’ll seem like ‘same old Spurs’.

They may be pressured into opening the stadium anyway given the events coming up at Wembley, not least the FA Cup semi-final and final, but if the club were to have the option, it seems it would be more sensible to save it until the excitement of a season opener. They should prefer to let the team continue with how they’re playing this season rather than shake up the pack.

Do you think opening Tottenham’s new stadium will have a positive or negative impact on performance?

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on Monday Night Football, Gary Neville has admitted Manchester United have taken a “step backwards” in order to move forward with their new era.

What did he say?

The Red Devils have failed to win the Premier League since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, and a miserable campaign last season ended with them finishing in sixth and thus missing out on Champions League football.

Now, Neville has revealed the club are “nowhere near” contesting for the league title, and insisted a change from their old transfer policy is needed.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He said: “I actually think United have taken a step backwards but a step in the right direction to go forwards because enough is enough of all these 30-year-old players coming in, not suiting the style. They’ve got to stop that because it’s not worked for the club.

“Top four and winning a trophy would be a successful season. That’s where Manchester United are at. That is unacceptable in terms of where United need to be, but they are incapable – after six or seven years of poor recruitment – of going from seventh, sixth or fifth into first. They are nowhere near that at this moment in time.

“I think being on the right track this season is more important than fifth, fourth or third. People have to start liking the team again.”

United can’t afford to wait

Neville’s long-term vision for the club is admirable. The United legend is saying all the cliche things about how this rebuild is going to take a number of transfer windows and there isn’t a quick fix. And to all intents and purposes, he’s right. But the Red Devils simply cannot afford to just let seasons pass them by as part of their ‘transition’ period.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested Solskjaer’s side are interested in landing Borussia Dortmund starlet Jadon Sancho next summer. Without Champions League football or a realistic marker that the club are contending for the big prizes again, why on earth would the England international want to head to Old Trafford?

As such, United would have to settle for transfer targets who may be second or third on their short-list, and it essentially becomes a vicious cycle.

Neville’s comments are understandable, but they need to be assessed in the cold light of the day. A club of United’s size should never consider a backwards step the right thing to do. Both Solskjaer and the club don’t have the time to simply be on the “right track” to future success. They need it immediately.

Aston Villa could still lose midfielder Douglas Luiz this transfer window ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline day with Tottenham Hotspur reportedly planning a bid for the Brazilian.

What’s the latest?

According to The Daily Mail, Villa’s Premier League rivals Tottenham are preparing a £32m bid for the 23-year-old with the north London club reportedly panicking ahead of the transfer window closing on Monday.

Antonio Conte’s side are still yet to make a signing having missed out on Wolves’ Adama Traore and Porto’s Luis Diaz, but are also looking to add Juventus attacker Dejan Kulusevski to their ranks as well as Luiz.

With 18 months left on his contract, the Aston Villa midfielder will have to make a decision as to whether or not his long-term future still lies in the West Midlands soon, however, Villa boss Steven Gerrard wants to ensure that he will have the services of one of his star players until the end of the season at least.

Villa must keep Luiz

Since the arrival of Gerrard, the Villans’ season has significantly turned around for the better. The Birmingham outfit are 11th in the Premier League and have at least one game in hand on numerous teams near them.

Qualifying for European football this term looks to be a tall task, however, it’s certainly not impossible. If the Englishman and co. are serious about a push to finish the season amongst the top-flight’s elite, then keeping Luiz will certainly be vital.

The Brazilian has made 17 league appearances this term and is an essential cog for Gerrard’s setup. The 41-year-old has often deployed a 4-3-3 formation with Luiz in the heart of midfield alongside John McGinn and the likes of Marvelous Nakamba or Jacob Ramsey.

Nakamba is set to stay on the sidelines until April and therefore the Villa boss cannot afford to lose a midfielder this transfer window, particularly to a Premier League rival. It’s safe to say that doing so would be something of a disaster, especially with the club yet to bid for Rodrigo Bentancur.

They’d ultimately have very few options in midfield, something that could have dire ramifications for their campaign.

Averaging 1.2 interceptions and 1.9 tackles as well as an 84% passing accuracy per game in the top-flight, Luiz’s physicality in midfield is a significant asset, with the 23-year-old often entrusted to be Villa’s engine.

With just over a day left of the window, it would certainly deal Aston Villa a hefty blow if the 23-year-old departed for north London, particularly mid-season with there still so much to play for at Villa Park.

According to Spanish newspaper Sport, as translated and relayed by Sport Witness, a transfer update has emerged concerning Liverpool and Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.

The Lowdown: Reds eye Catalans raid?

Over this past week, Liverpool haven’t just been linked with a move for Araujo as other Barca stars reportedly attract the interest of Fenway Sports Group and manager Jurgen Klopp.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/liverpool-latest-developments/” title=”Liverpool latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

It is believed that the La Liga giants’ latest breakthrough rising star Gavi, who recently become the youngest ever debutant for Spain, is also on the Reds’ wish list.

Sources state they are even willing to trigger his €50 million (£42m) release clause as Klopp seemingly eyes a Catalan raid.

Bringing the latest, Sport (via SW) has some news concerning another target from Barcelona in Araujo.

The Latest: Liverpool make Araujo contact…

According to the newspaper, Araujo has ‘has been approached’ by Liverpool as Klopp eyes his potential signing in the summer amid his contract dispute.

The defender’s current deal expires in 18 months, giving Barca and president Joan Laporta just two transfer windows to either sell for a fee or agree a renewal.

An extension offer has been put forward to Araujo by the club, but it is apparently below expectation as the Reds lurk.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Depending on whether the Uruguay international puts pen to paper on a new deal, Araujo could come as an astute centre-back option for Klopp at Anfield.

Still only 22-years-old, Araujo is versatile enough to play as a right-back as well as in the centre of defence – potentially gifting the Reds some strength in depth behind Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Described as a defender who ‘has everything’ by illustrious Barca legend Gerard Pique, the European giants apparently value Araujo at around €45m (£38m).

As the clock ticks down on the South American’s current deal, you could even assume his club may be forced to accept less depending on contract developments.

La Liga expert and former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell believes he is certainly worth the Liverpool plunge, recently explaining to Football Insider how Araujo would be a ‘great signing’.

Indeed, there are plenty of incentives to move as Klopp and FSG watch his Camp Nou situation curiously ahead of a summer swoop.

In other news: Sky Sports: Liverpool join race to sign £63m star who Hamann called ‘phenomenal’, find out more here.

David Moyes has dropped an update on West Ham United’s business in the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

In recent comments cited by the Evening Standard, the 58-year-old Hammers boss revealed that he is hopeful he can pull off a number of deals for new signings this month, as well as claiming that he and his transfer team at the London Stadium have already submitted some offers for targets in the current market.

Speaking about the Irons’ January transfer plans, Moyes said: “I think sometimes you need things to come, [they] take a bit of time to come to fruition. We’re asking about players and other clubs that are trying to get them are asking about players and it is taking a bit of time for things, the domino effect to really happen.

“We’ve made some offers behind the scenes for players, we’ve tried to look at situations so it’s not as if we’re not doing it at the moment. You just need to look around football and see that there’s not a lot of deals happening at the moment. The general feeling is that it is a bit tougher for whatever reason that may be. I’m hopeful we can pull something off.”

Fans will be buzzing

While West Ham have been linked with a whole host of players this month, the east London outfit are still yet to get a deal over the line for an incoming first-teamer 15 days into the transfer window. That may well worry some of the London Stadium faithful, particularly with the club only having one out-and-out centre-forward in Michail Antonio and seeing first-choice centre-back Angelo Ogbonna being ruled out for the season as a result of injury.

However, following the 58-year-old’s latest update, it would very much seem as if the Hammers are working on a number of deals to bring fresh faces to the club this month, something which will undoubtedly have left fans buzzing.

West Ham currently sit fourth in the Premier League, but if Moyes wishes to give his side the best possible chance of securing qualification for the Champions League next season, it would seem essential that he brings in backup to and competition for the injury-prone Antonio, as well as greater depth in the heart of his defence, before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.

As such, the 58-year-old’s suggestion that there are a number of players West Ham are currently monitoring ahead of a potential swoop this month is sure to come as music to the ears of Irons fans, as qualifying for the Champions League would undoubtedly be an astonishing achievement for the club.

In other news: GSB must seal West Ham swoop for 19 y/o gem who wants to be “competing for the Ballon d’Or”