As reported by The Sun, Manchester United are interested in signing West Bromwich Albion defender Jonny Evans this summer.
What’s the story?
Evans of course has already played at Old Trafford, making close to 200 appearances for the club before eventually moving to his current club.
It now seems he could be set for a return to his former club.
That’s according to The Sun, who say United are eyeing a bargain £3m move for the player this summer.
The paper say he has a release clause in his contract at the Baggies for that price upon their relegation, sparking interest in his signature.
Is he a player that the Red Devils should be targeting?
Should they sign him?
Although Evans is clearly a competent defender and would likely add depth to Jose Mourinho’s defensive line, he isn’t of the quality that would improve the first team at Old Trafford, making signing him fairly pointless.
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They need to make signings that can take them to the next level in terms of competing for Premier League titles and Champions League honours and Evans isn’t that, even if he is available for a £3m fee.
Ultimately it would feel like a step backward signing a player that was surplus to requirements years ago and they should look at other defensive targets when the transfer window opens.
It’s been an odd season at the Boleyn Ground. The Hammers fans have never warmed to Sam Allardyce as boss, they’ve been less than seduced by his direct tactics and what they perceive as unsophisticated, maybe even flat-out boring football.
But right up until around Christmas time, they looked on course for a run at the Champions League spots or at least a European fight. They were playing some fairly decent football with Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia up front, and Stewart Downing even earned an England call-up for his efforts at the tip of the diamond. The fans may not like to admit it, but that was a tactical master-stroke from Big Sam.
And then Andy Carroll came back and Sam reverted to type – the big man up front leading the line. The diamond was dead and West Ham hit a slump in form that they can’t get out of.
Yet they might still make Europe. A Big Sam team with Kevin Nolan in it might make it into Europe via the fair play table – odd isn’t it? Even odder is that their competitors for this European post are an Everton side including Gareth Barry, the player who has the most yellow cards in Premier League history.
So it’s been a strange season, but with West Ham failing to challenge for Europe via their league position, some things never change.
The change in system, along with the injuries that Allardyce has had to put up with this season have probably been the major factors for the drop off in form. Carroll came back and he scored four goals in 10 games, which isn’t terrible, though it’s hardly setting the world on fire given that he’s a striker who’s amassed more than £50million in transfer fees.
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Still, to have to keep changing your squad isn’t ideal. Yet the system can only do so much. At some point you have to stop talking tactics and start talking about the heart and passion of the players.
That’s something Big Sam teams have been known for – what Bolton lacked in quality and sophistication, they made up for in heart.
Yet this West Ham team haven’t really done that this season. If you’re playing as well as they did at the start of the season it doesn’t really matter, but when you start to lose games and when you start to find yourself off form, that’s when you really need to dig in.
West Ham fans don’t particularly like Big Sam, but everyone would agree that you can’t go through an entire season just playing beautiful football. Sometimes you need to man the trenches and defend, you need to get stuck in and grind out results. And that’s something West Ham haven’t actually done this year.
And the proof is the fact that they’re anywhere near the top of the fair play league.
I’m not saying that teams should be dirty. Or that you can’t have a good season without being prone to the odd dirty tackle or professional foul. But there will probably come a point in every season where you need to take a yellow to stop a break for example. And sometimes it just shows that you’re up for it if you fly into a tackle.
Everton and West Ham, two teams who have had poor seasons and two teams who are high in the fair play table. That’s not a complete coincidence.
There are several reasons for a slump in form. One is tiredness, Everton have had lots of games and lots of travel. That might be a reason for their slump, and when you’re tired, perhaps the will to be competitive in every game fades.
Another is upset in the dressing room, maybe the players aren’t playing for the team or the manager any more. Things can get into the heads of the players, and perhaps they’ll lose a competitive edge as a result of that. That sort of psychology shouldn’t come into play, but it often does.
Perhaps another still is when systems change. Carroll came back into the team and played in a different manner to Sakho and Valencia. Maybe that’s one reason for West Ham’s dip in form. And when there’s any sort of slump, perhaps it’s almost like a depression hanging over the club, where the players just can’t get up for games any more.
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So the form of West Ham and Everton might have to do with many reasons. But one symptom of poor form is a lack of a competitive edge on the pitch. The good disciplinary record is not a reason for poor form, it’s a symptom of it. But it’s still worrying.
It’s too late to do anything about it, though. If they start now, they’ll perhaps lose a place in next season’s Europa League. But it’s almost like a pity prize.
They’ve lost their form, lost their competitiveness and somehow they could be rewarded with a place in Europe.
Could you imagine just how angry Roy Keane would be if he were a West Ham player? The phrase ‘a little bit soft’ springs to mind. That doesn’t sound particularly East London to me.
We’re in to the business end of the season and both Aston Villa and QPR appear to finally be doing the business in the Premier League having won their respective fixtures last weekend.
It’s a real relegation six-pointer at Villa Park this afternoon, though, and nothing less than three points is a must for both sides as relegation looms dangerously over them.
The last three top-flight meetings between them have ended in score draws, while QPR go in search of a third consecutive win in the Premier League for the first time since March 1995 and Villa haven’t won consecutive league matches for 67 outings.
QPR: Cesar, Samba, Hill, Park, Jenas, Remy, Bosingwa, Fabio, Zamora, Townsend, Mbia
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Manchester United’s shock defeat on Sunday handed the title to Manchester City, and City fans are absolutely loving their players’ social media celebrations.
It’s been a long season, but for a long time now we’ve all known who is going to lift the Premier League title – Pep Guardiola’s incredible Manchester City.
Whether it’s Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling’s electrifying pace, Kevin de Bruyne and David Silva’s beautiful passing, or Fernandinho’s incredible industry, City have strolled their way to the Premier League title.
Fans will be doing plenty of celebrating this week, and they’re loving their heroes’ Twitter reactions, particularly a tweet from Kyle Walker.
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Walker was one of several big money signings Guardiola used to buff up the defence, and has been fabulous flying down the right wing all season.
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The 27 year-old took plenty of stick off Tottenham fans when he moved to Manchester, but he’s certainly having the last laugh, and fans have been showing the love for their full backs after the Englishman shared some tweets with Benjamin Mendy.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Since the days when Patrick Vieira ruled the roost, Arsenal have struggled to find a central midfield combination good enough to lead the side to consistent Premier League title challenges and silverware. Alex Song has come and gone, Mathieu Flamini has aged while Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby have been on the treatment table more often than on the pitch.
However, the signs are there that Arsene Wenger may well now have a double act with the range of positive attributes to help the Emirates Stadium side reach its potential. Although the Arsenal manager has experimented with Santi Cazorla in a deeper role at times this term, the partnership between Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey looks to have the hallmarks of a top-class central midfield pairing.
The Frenchman has been mightily impressive since the turn of the year, with the 23-year-old taking his chance in the first team with aplomb and proving himself as a top-drawer and diligent enforcer. The Gunners have been crying out for a physical presence in the ‘boiler room’ that has the necessary discipline and the ability to win the ball back when the side does not have possession.
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The signs are that Coquelin can fill this role in the long-run with the former Charlton loanee also signing a new long-term contract with the club. Ramsey has had his injury problems throughout his career, with this season proving no different. Due to an inability to consistently play and string together a run of games, the Wales international has not been at his blistering best this season but there have been recent reminders of his calibre.
In the first half of last season the former Cardiff box-to-box man was arguably the form player in the Premier League, showing a seemingly never-ending willingness to run, while adding an abundance of goals from the middle of the pitch. Injury blighted his purple patch last term and played its part in Arsenal’s season derailing, while the Welshman has had to deal with further setbacks since.
The signs in recent weeks are that Ramsey is starting to reenact last season’s stellar performances, with a couple of important goals by the 24-year-old. In Coquelin, Ramsey has the ideal midfield partner to anchor the ship and allow him to go forward at will, knowing that Arsenal will not be overrun as a result.
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Keeping the Welshman fit and increasing his time on the pitch will be crucial in the North London club becoming consistent title challengers, as on his day he is one of the most complete central midfielders in the Premier League. With Coquelin an effective and no-nonsense partner for him, it appears that Wenger finally has a youthful, exuberant and functional central midfield duo to compete with the division’s best.
Manchester City and Chelsea are set to miss out on Neymar, with Bayern Munich preparing an £86m move for the Brazilian sensation, according to reports from The Metro.
The Premier League duo have been tracking the 21-year-old from some time, and were believed to be readying summer bids for his signature.
City reportedly spoke to Neymar after England’s recent friendly against Brazil, whilst Chelsea are rumoured to be highly interested in the attacker as they look to usher a new generation of top talent into Stamford Bridge.
But, they both appear to be set to miss out on the Santos star, with Bayern readying a ginormous £86m offer.
The Bundesliga giants are said to have vast sums available to spend this summer as they look to support Pep Guardiola, who will take control of the club later this year, in the transfer market.
Although both City and Chelsea are heavily backed, they are unlikely to be able to match the Bavarian side.
It has been widely speculated that Neymar would remain in South America until after the 2014 World Cup, but such a large offer would tempt both the youngster and his employers to alter their stance.
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Bayern are also said to be interested in Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, but any move for the Brazilian international would, likely, end their pursuit.
While Jurgen Klopp will only be interested in progression to the next round, Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Manchester City serves a dual purpose. Indeed, the biggest question in the Premier League right now isn’t who will win the title or even deserves to finish second; it’s who, if anybody, is capable of truly competing with Pep Guardiola’s stunning side next season.
Currently, Manchester United and Liverpool are the leading candidates. While the Red Devils are second in the table, the Merseysiders are still the only team to beat City in the Premier League this term – that emphatic 4-3 victory at Anfield back in January when they proved they can press and attack with the same velocity, incisiveness and ferociousness as their Wednesday night opponents.
But whether that was a freak result, a rare bad day for City amid the absence of their metronome David Silva and upon a frustrating night for Raheem Sterling who appeared overawed upon his return to Anfield, remains to be seen. Those two players have been at the heart of City’s most dominant displays this season and will be back on Wednesday night, as will captain Vincent Kompany who wasn’t even fit enough for a spot on the bench last time.
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Indeed, while nothing can be taken away from Liverpool’s performance and result in January, City will be at greater, practically full strength this time around, Sergio Aguero being the only exception. Add to the equation the sheer gravity of the situation, and this is a much bigger test than Liverpool’s last meeting with City – a win wouldn’t be so much a repeat result, more an improvement on their previous grade.
Of course, the Premier League title doesn’t rest on who performs best in the six-point contests alone. The teams outside of the top six have hardly left a mark on City this season – Everton, Crystal Palace and Burnley are the only sides to take points from them – and Liverpool will have to find a way of being as consistent against that level of opposition too.
The Reds have notably improved in that regard compared to the soft-underbelly-criticisms of previous campaigns and in Mohamed Salah they boast a dependable match-winner as he proved against Crystal Palace at the weekend, but there have still been too many draws this term; overall, Liverpool have dropped 13 points to non-top-six sides, more than twice as much as City.
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The other factor is, of course, the fact every major club in the Premier League will recognise the need to seriously strengthen this summer – starting with United. Should City beat United to clinch the title this Saturday, the humbling experience will only improve Jose Mourinho’s hand as he demands a blank cheque from Ed Woodward. Likewise, Chelsea appear due a real shakeup starting with the dugout – who knows quite what they’ll look like next season – and Tottenham’s young side will naturally improve once again, but could be further boosted by a few smart signings.
Nonetheless, when there’s so much talent available to the Premier League’s flagship clubs, the psychological edge can often be the difference and more than anything else, that’s what Wednesday’s showdown represents for Liverpool – the chance to prove they can consistently get the better of City, to chip away at that aura of invincibility, to claim the upper hand in the ongoing mental battle. While that’s obviously a long-term factor in deciding silverware, it can have an impact in the short-term next season too; although it didn’t quite happen this year, beating City upon their every trip to Anfield could send Guardiola’s team into something of a tailspin.
No doubt, plenty will change between now and the start of next season. But whereas United started the campaign in top gear and have since reduced to something of a quick-paced jog, Liverpool have grown in strength as the season’s gone on – particularly since the arrival of Virgil van Dijk, they now look more like a title-winning side than they ever have under Klopp.
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While the Champions League title will likely prove beyond Liverpool this season, a win over City on Wednesday will be represent a recognition of their title credentials ahead of United’s, and give them vital momentum to carry into 2018/19.
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers has revealed that he’s ready to wait until the summer to pursue a new goalkeeper following Simon Mignolet’s recent improved performances.
The Merseysiders’ chief admitted earlier this month that a new stopper is on his radar, and there have been subsequent links with Fiorentina’s Norberto Neto and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen of Barcelona.
Mignolet was signed by Rodgers back in 2013 as a replacement for Pepe Reina, but after some initially promising displays, the Belgian’s form tailed off, culminating in some error strewn displays at the back end of last season and his eventual omission from the first-team over the winter.
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However, stand-in goalie Brad Jones – who was equally wobbly between the sticks – suffered an injury away at Burnley, which opened the door for the ex-Sunderland man to return to the XI.
In the eight matches since then, Mignolet has conceded just six goals, and was mightily impressive against Chelsea in the second leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final.
In light of his improved showings, Rodgers has revealed that he’s been impressed by his No. 1, and that securing a new option before the deadline passes is no longer a priority:
“We will see how that evolves over the next few days but I can’t see it happening this month,” he told the Liverpool Echo.
“Simon has been excellent, he’s probably not thinking so much. Sometimes you can over-think as a player. What he’s doing now is instinctive and he’s got back to doing what he does best.
“We brought him in here because he was good on crosses and a great shot-stopper. We knew there were areas we needed to improve with him. Now you see him making those saves, making great blocks, and coming and taking crosses.
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“In his mind he’s more settled in terms of what he’s got to do in the game.”
Arsene Wenger has warned his Arsenal side that they face missing out on Champions League football next season if they continue to drop points, the Guardian reports.
Defeat at the hands of Chelsea on Sunday left the Gunners seven points adrift of North London rivals Tottenham in fourth and the Emirates Stadium boss admits his side need to beat their psychological demons and take the initiative in games if they’re to bridge that gap.
“We have lost two big games in the last week and that’s very damaging for us,” he said. “We cannot afford to drop points any more if we want to be in the top four. This was very similar to last week.
“The team has fantastic quality and spirit but we only come into the game when we’re 2-0 down. At the moment, that’s worrying. In the big games, once you start 2-0 down, it’s very difficult.”
Wenger bemoaned his side’s lack of self belief at Stamford Bridge, conceding they were second best for much of the game and made it easy for the Blues before Theo Walcott’s second half goal.
“Chelsea played well at the start but we were not well positioned on the pitch and were stretched, giving them too much room to play,” he added.
“We didn’t defend tight enough and allowed them to play where they wanted.
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“There’s a psychological part of it, for sure, because we didn’t really go for it at the start again.The team have to believe more in the quality we have.”
Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul was only on the pitch for 45 minutes of Spain’s 1-1 draw against Germany on Friday night.
Despite that, the half-time substitute showed that he has the qualities that Manchester United lack in their engine room, and why they reportedly have an interest in a big money move for him.
Diego Simeone and Jose Mourinho are reasonably similar in their approach to the game; both demand defensive solidity, a strong work ethic and the willingness of their players sacrifice themselves for the team.
Saul has shown he can do that at Atletico but a midfielder doesn’t burst into the Spain setup without the quality on the ball to back it up and the midfielder – valued at £64m by Transfermarkt – certainly has that to his game as well.
In just one half, he had 50 touches and made 45 passes, so it’s clear that he’s largely playing one-touch football on the international stage. How United are crying out for someone who can quicken the tempo of their build-up play by doing just that.
He also hardly gave the ball away, with a 95 per cent passing accuracy. That would also please Mourinho, who doesn’t like his midfield players taking too many risks.
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He also mucked in defensively, showing the traits he has learned at Atletico, with one interception and there is no doubt that he can ably protect the defence as well.
Saul has a rare blend of craft and graft that would be absolutely perfect for Manchester United and he showed that once more on Friday night.