Southampton fans use throwback vid to show how far club has fallen

Whenever a club posts an old video of a wonder goal or celebratory moment, it tends to be warmly-received by fans.

On this occasion, Southampton seemed to make some supporters yearn for the past rather than reflect in a positive way.

Earlier today, the coastal club posted a video on Twitter of Shane Long’s goal against Liverpool that sent the Saints to the EFL Cup final.

The moment came from a swift and impressive counter-attack, which left the Reds licking their wounds.

Southampton took on Manchester United in the final at Wembley, but they ended up on the losing side.

Getting to the showdown was an achievement, though, and those heroics seem a long time ago given the team’s current situation.

Under manager Mauricio Pellegrino, who was hired in the summer, the Saints sit in the relegation zone of the Premier League, one point from safety after 24 games.

Long has been lacking goalscoring form this season having netted just once in 17 top-flight outings.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Today’s throwback made some Southampton fans realise how far the club has fallen.

In Focus: Juventus scout Tottenham attacker Eriksen

According to II Bianco Nero, Juventus sent scouts to watch Tottenham Hotspur attacker Christian Eriksen in action against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon.

What’s the story?

In terms of value for money, Tottenham’s acquisition of Eriksen must be up there when it comes to Premier League bargains.

Spurs only paid Ajax £11m for the attacker in the summer of 2013, and he has scored 50 goals in 209 appearances for the London club in all competitions.

This term, Eriksen has managed eight goals in 28 appearances, and according to II Bianco Nero, Juventus watched the Denmark international in action against Liverpool.

It was not Eriksen’s finest performance of the season, but his use of the ball – particularly in the second period – was impressive, and Juventus would have been impressed with the calmness that the attacker showed in possession.

Can Tottenham keep hold of him?

Whether or not Tottenham can keep hold of their star players has been the topic of debate over the last couple of years.

Harry Kane and Dele Alli continue to be linked with the biggest clubs in world football, but Eriksen deserves to be placed alongside those two when it comes to importance to Spurs.

Eight goals and eight assists in 30 appearances this season show Eriksen’s excellent form, and he scored a super early goal against Manchester United at Wembley last week.

There is no question that Tottenham will do everything they can to keep hold of the Dane, but it would not be a surprise if Eriksen had his head turned by Juventus.

Indeed, the attacker, who is valued at £63m by transfermarkt.co.uk, might well have to assess whether he has a realistic chance of winning trophies at Tottenham.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Juventus would be able to offer Eriksen the opportunity to win titles on a regular basis, and he might well fancy trying his hand in Italy at this stage of his career.

The 25-year-old is a wonderful footballer, and it would not be a surprise to see the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona join Juventus in the hunt.

In Focus: Southampton need to replace Florin Gardos

Southampton have confirmed that their defender, Florin Gardos, has completed a return to Romania on loan.

What’s the story?

The Saints have confirmed that Florin Gardos has joined Clubul Sportiv Universitatea Craiova on loan for the remainder of the season. The defender has had a particularly difficult time during his Southampton career.

The 29-year-old’s new club are currently situated in the third position in Liga 1, Romania’s premier division.

What are his qualities?

There’s no doubting that injuries have had a severe impact on Gardos’ career, however during the pinnacle of his physical condition he was regarded as a good defender who is especially skilled at tackling and dominant when competing in aerial duels. He could have been a terrific option for the Saints had he remained fit.

Why is he leaving?

Gardos joined Southampton from Steaua București in the summer of 2014. Despite making 17 appearances during his first season with the club, the Romanian international has had his Saints career hindered by injury.

Over the duration of the past three seasons, the defender has only made a single appearance for the Saints. As per transfermarkt, the Romanian has been absent for 378 days through injury as a Southampton player, and he’s failed to recover from the setbacks that he’s faced.

Should Southampton replace him?

In light of Virgil Van Dijk’s highly-discussed departure to Liverpool in the January transfer window, further defensive reinforcement could prove to be exceedingly beneficial for the Saints.

Southampton are currently situated in 18th place in the Premier League, and their tendency to concede goals has been a severe issue this season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

In 27 league games, the Saints have conceded 40 goals, averaging a ratio far higher than a goal conceded per game.

Wesley Hoedt and Jack Stephens are the only recognised centre-backs that Mauricio Pellegrino has at his disposal. Accordingly, the need for defensive reinforcement is apparent.

Newcastle fans react to news Andre Marrier will referee huge Southampton clash

Andre Marriner has been confirmed as the referee that will take charge of Newcastle United’s huge Premier League clash against Southampton at St James’ Park on Saturday, and Magpies fans have all been saying the same thing about the big announcement.

The Tyneside outfit currently lie in 16th position in the standings, one point above Saints and two points above the relegation zone going into their match against the south coast outfit.

The fixture looks to be a must-win one for Rafa Benitez’s men in their bid to avoid the drop, and with Crystal Palace playing Chelsea and Stoke City facing Manchester City over the weekend, it looks to be the ideal opportunity to put some space between them, Southampton and the bottom three.

Marriner isn’t a popular figure among the St James’ Park faithful though, and he sent off Jonjo Shelvey on the opening day of the season for a stamp on Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli.

Newcastle supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the appointment, and while one said “we are doomed”, another said “that’s no points then”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]

Sunderland fans aren’t impressed by Ejaria after interview

Sunderland fans have been voicing their displeasure with Liverpool loanee Ovie Ejaria this morning after the midfielder said the Black Cats can turn it around.

It’s been a miserable year for Sunderland fans, and their home form in particular has been really poor. The Black Cats welcome Preston North End to the Stadium of Light this weekend knowing a win could put them within two points of safety.

Chris Coleman’s side have not won a match since January and with difficult trips to Leeds and Derby to come, their home form will have to pick up for any chance of survival. They will be absolutely desperate for just a third win at home all season when Preston arrive on Saturday.

Liverpool youngster Ovie Ejaria has hardly played during his loan spell with the Black Cats, but has vowed to help the side turn their fortunes around.

“It’s a test mentally for anyone, definitely, particularly when you are young. Hopefully we can turn it round because there are games left to achieve what we need to,” the 20-year-old told the Northern Echo.

“Possibly it can still have a happy ending here for me. If we can get the wins until the end of the season then it will be one to look back on as a good experience. Even if it doesn’t go well between now and then it will still have been a big learning curve.”

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Ejaria has started just five games at Sunderland, and hasn’t exactly left a good impression on the fans. Some of the best Twitter reactions to Ejaria’s interview can be found below…

[ad_pod ]

Wolves fans couldn’t believe how good Helder Costa was on Tuesday night

Wolverhampton Wanderers took a massive step towards automatic promotion from the English Championship on Tuesday night, beating Reading 3-0 on a night that Aston Villa lost.

The Villans managed to put a little bit of pressure on Wolves at the weekend with a thumping win when the pair met, however, Nuno Espirito Santo’s bounced back magnificently to go ten points clear of third place with just nine games remaining.

Matt Doherty was the hero of the evening, scoring a superb double, which sandwich an effort from Benik Afobe.

While they stole the headlines, it was another player that caught the eye of Wolves fans – Helder Costa.

[ad_pod ]

Last season’s double-figure goalscorer has failed to replicate that kind of form for large chunks of this term, but looked superb on Tuesday night, assisting Afobe for their second of the evening.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Supporters believe it was the kind of performance that signifies he is getting back to his best and they can’t wait to see he can do in the closing stages of the season.

They took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

Revealed: The Four players who impressed England fans most vs Italy

Had it not been for an incredibly controversial VAR decision, England would have ended the international break with a perfect record of two goals, two clean sheets and two wins from two games.

Of course, it’s important not to get too excited about the Three Lions’ World Cup hopes, but positive performances against the Netherlands and Italy suggest Gareth Southgate’s side will give a decent account of themselves in Russia – especially compared to the last two international tournaments.

Following the 1-1 draw with Azzurri at Wembley, we asked England fans to issue each of the eleven starters individual performance ratings out of ten. And we can now reveal the four players who impressed Three Lions fans most from Tuesday night’s performance…

Soccer Football – International Friendly – England vs Italy – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – March 27, 2018 Italy’s Lorenzo Pellegrini and England’s Jesse Lingard Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Jesse Lingard – 6.6: The versatile Manchester United star added to his winning goal against the Netherlands with an assist for Jamie Vardy’s opening strike and impressed in his dual role in the engine room, partnering Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain but regularly breaking through from the midfield to become part of the attack. Wasn’t quite as lively as he could have been though, and was given a rest after 71 minutes.

Raheem Sterling – 6.6: The first half witnessed arguably Sterling’s best performance yet in an England jersey as he continually got himself on the ball and created problems for Italy’s notoriously resilient defence.

Eventually finished the match with the most chances created, most dribbles and second-most shots at goal of any England player, but a goal or assist evaded the Manchester City forward.

Soccer Football – International Friendly – England vs Italy – Wembley Stadium, London, Britain – March 27, 2018 England manager Gareth Southgate with Raheem Sterling at the end of the match Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley

Kieran Trippier – 6.7: With Kyle Walker moving to centre-half, Trippier is now the obvious choice for England’s right wing-back role and has looked solid in both games, not letting much go past him defensively while popping up with dangerous deliveries at the other end.

He created two chances with two accurate crosses against Italy and that could be a huge weapon for England when Harry Kane is back in the fold.

Eric Dier – 7: The more adventurous feel to England’s attack wouldn’t be possible without someone anchoring the midfield and the Tottenham utility man did an excellent job on Tuesday night, especially in terms of possession as he controlled the direction of the game with simple but effective passes.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The real question though is whether he’s proved a better option than Jordan Henderson, who impressed as well when England beat the Netherlands at Wembley.

View the poll results in full below…

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham fans are buzzing to end long Chelsea hoodoo

Tottenham travelled to Stamford Bridge in pursuit of their first win at the ground in the Premier League era, a result that would all but guarantee their place in next season’s Champions League at the expense of their London rivals.

They duly delivered as goals from Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen ensured that the gap between the two side went to eight points following a match that was always likely to have a huge impact on the race for the top four.

There was no doubt that the 28-year hoodoo – Gary Lineker scored the winner when Spurs last won a league match at the Bridge – was another psychological hurdle for Mauricio Pochettino to guide his side over prior to kick off.

They were helped by the return of talisman Harry Kane, who was fit enough to return to the bench but Toby Alderweireld was not included in the matchday 18.

We’ve taken a closer look at the reaction of the Spurs fans on a huge afternoon in the race to Europe’s elite club competition…

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham fans would have Janssen back at club

Vicent Janssen arrived at Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2016 with a big reputation after scoring 31 times for Dutch outfit AZ during the 2015-16 campaign.The centre-forward struggled to make his mark in the Premier League, however, managing just two league goals for Spurs before joining Fenerbahce on loan last summer.Janssen, who is valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, made a decent start to life in Turkey, but has actually been on the sidelines for the entirety of 2018 after picking up an ankle injury.[ad_pod ]As it stands, the 23-year-old will return to Tottenham this summer, and it is unclear whether he will be used by Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino or sold on.Fernando Llorente is currently Harry Kane’s back-up at Tottenham, but it seems that a number of the club’s supporters would rather have Janssen despite his struggles at the club last season.A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Spurs fans, who have also been commenting on the loan spell of another of their players, can be seen below:

Liverpool fans desperately want club to swoop for Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak

After Loris Karius was promoted as Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper at the start of 2018, questions were raised about whether or not the club will strengthen in that area in the summer.

Simon Mignolet has failed to convince every fan that he is worthy of the position, and it seems that manager Jurgen Klopp feels the same way as he opted to demote the Belgian earlier in the season.

Numerous names have been banded about in the media about potential new goalkeepers that could arrive at Anfield this summer, and Atletico Madrid stopper Jan Oblak has been one of them.

At the start of the month, a report in Mi Otra Liga claimed that Liverpool and Arsenal are both interested in signing the 25-year-old, who is valued at £63m by Transfermarkt.

After witnessing Oblak’s impressive performance for Atletico in Thursday night’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals, Liverpool fans are even more convinced that their club should swoop for the Slovenien.

Interestingly, our recent poll showed that a large number of Liverpool supporters want to keep faith with Karius next season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.


By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]

Game
Register
Service
Bonus