All posts by h716a5.icu

Arsenal have had a number of legendary figures as their captain over the years.

The likes of Patrick Vieira, Tony Adams, Thierry Henry, Mikel Arteta have all had the armband and did extremely well in their capacity as the list continues to go on and on.

However, in recent years the Gunners have been crying out for an individual to lead the pack and get things back to how they used to be in north London – on top of the pile and getting their hands on silverware.

Leadership has been a real issue for Arsenal over the years and instead of going down the route of picking one individual to carry the responsibility, Unai Emery decided to give the armband duties to five members of the squad he inherited (Telegraph).

Petr Cech, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscielny and Granit Xhaka were all picked as players who could carry out the leadership tasks required – but 12 months down the line and the Spaniard needs to have a re-think.

The first two men have since left the club and the following three have all been linked with moves away from the club this summer.

Koscielny has been linked with a switch to Olympique de Lyonnais and reportedly has a two-year deal on the table according to Get French Football News. Ozil’s future is hardly secure after the publicised criticism he has received whilst Xhaka had been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, although it is suggested they could appoint him as the main man to fend that interest off from the Spanish side.

And, in regards to the final man in the trio, the Switerzland international is probably in the best position to become Emery’s main captain next season.

Xhaka has already openly spoken about being handed the role and what it would mean to him by telling Blick (via Metro): “Would I be incredibly proud & like to lead the team as captain? Absolutely, but I try, even without the armband, to be a leader & take responsibility.”

Now, it seems the 26-year-old is already saying the same things, but would he be suited to the role on the pitch when it matters? You bet he would.

Firstly, he has the personality and characteristics necessary to be a captain and the type of leader Arsenal are desperate to have. Never shy, he has a no-nonsense attitude and will tell his team-mates exactly what he needs to in order to make them better and is always seen shouting at them on the pitch. Xhaka has the experience of leading his national side as well, so that should play right into his hands.

Note, we are not comparing their ability here, but he and Vieira are very similar in a positional sense and in regards to their ability to read the game. The Swiss star, who is valued at £40.5million by Transfermarkt, can sit in front of the defence or play slightly further up, putting him in a position of the field where his whole team will be able to hear what he has to say. He also appears to have matured as the years have gone by, although his aggression can let him down at times, which would make him better suited to the role than perhaps others could be.

According to Squawka, Xhaka had some of the better stats in the side with his all-around play as he made the most successful passes (1916) and had the most touches of the ball (2784), whilst he also shone with his defensive duties when required – he was third in the whole squad for making tackles (52) and interceptions (36).

Admittedly, he is error-prone and does have a bit of a hot-head at times, however, with the options that Emery currently has at his disposal, perhaps there are not many better than Xhaka at the club at the present moment.

Arsenal fans, do you think Xhaka could be the next main captain for the club? Let us know your thoughts below!

[ad_pod ]The future of Brazilian defender Danilo remains unclear with some reports linking the Manchester City star to Juventus, while elsewhere it has been suggested that a £13.25m bid by Inter Milan has been declined.More recently, Italian media outlet Calciomercato claimed that City have offered the fringe full-back in a part-exchange deal for Joao Cancelo.What we can state with some degree of certainty is that there’s a distinct likelihood the 27-year-old will bid farewell to the Premier League this summer after two seasons of residency, and should he indeed leave City, supporters are likely to be somewhat nonplussed given his standing at the Etihad Stadium.

As a Blue myself I believe the tweet above to be a touch harsh but it does lean closer to the truth than falsehood.

After signing Danilo for £26.5m in 2017 the optimists among the City fan-base thought back to the player’s halcyon days at Porto, where it was commonplace to see him rampaging down the Dragoes’ right flank, executing step-overs for the sheer hell of it.

Pessimists, however, considered his prolonged struggle to make any sort of positive impact at Real Madrid. There he was a peripheral figure who lost his mojo to such an extent that his performances were often greeted by boos by the Madridistas.

So which Danilo has it been at the Etihad during two incredible years that have heralded back-to-back titles? The prince or the pauper?

It first needs reiterating that the versatile full-back was primarily bought as a back-up to Kyle Walker. During a transfer window that demanded a defensive over-haul, Pep Guardiola invested just shy of £100m on Benjamin Mendy and Walker, with Danilo brought in as cover for the pair.

With that in mind, my personal interpretation is that he did okay. He rarely let City down when called upon in his 22 league starts but he rarely excelled either.

A long-range strike against Burnley was a highlight. Elsewhere groans were not unknown for a series of misplaced passes and overall it would be fair to rate his stint as a mediocre 6/10.

What this means is that, should Danilo depart our shores in the weeks to come, he will do so to a tepid farewell. He will also do so as a two-time Premier League champion.

Which brings us to the remarkable thing about this unremarkable player. Aside from a breakthrough season with Santos and three successful years in Portugal, Danilo has carved out a career as the man who fills a hole and does so adequately.

He’s the name who prompts a shrug at best when it’s read out by the stadium announcer pre-match, sometimes even a tut. Yet his medals haul during a decade as a professional is little short of staggering.

At Santos he helped the Brazilian giantsÂwin the Copa Libertadores in 2011. In Porto he won the Primeira Liga two years running. He has won his league for the past three years running, twice with City and in his final campaign in Spain. Also at Madrid he was a Champions League winner for two consecutive years in addition to bringing home a FIFA Club World Cup.

Since 2016 Danilo has played a part in winning ten – count them, ten – major club honours.

This begs the question: has there ever been a more under-estimated talented who boasts a better C.V?

Surely somebody from Manchester United’s recent heyday is a contender and if so please let us know on Twitter.

If not, Danilo might just walk away with that crown.

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Manchester United have now made two signings during this transfer window, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s confirmed move to Old Trafford following the capture of Dan James. Today’s Red Devils transfer roundup includes updates in regards to the pursuit of a La Liga striker, the potential exit of a defender and a new contract for a star player.

Ben Yedder personal terms agreed

According to Spanish outlet La Colina de Nervion, Manchester United have agreed terms with Sevilla striker Wissam Ben Yedder. As of yet, however, no transfer fee has been agreed between the two clubs and sporting director Monchi wants him to stay after netting 30 times in all competitions last season.

Darmian can leave

The Evening Standard is reporting that United have told Matteo Darmian that he can leave the club this summer. The 36-cap Italian international was signed from Serie A club Torino in 2015 and has made 92 appearances for the Old Trafford outfit in his four seasons there.

Rashford’s new contract

Marcus Rashford has signed a new contract with Manchester United, it has been confirmed. The 21-year-old has signed a four-year deal, with the option for an extra year on top. The contract could be worth in excess of £250,000 a week with the incentives it includes.

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Crystal Palace fans have praised former chairman Simon Jordan after he gave his view on how to deal with Arsenal’s interest in Wilfried Zaha on Twitter.

The Eagles received a £40million offer from the Gunners and were quick to reject, leaving those at the Emirates needing to submit an improved fee.

But according to the Evening Standard, the north London side will have to double their original bid if they are to match Palace’s asking price.

Are Crystal Palace right to slap a £100m valuation on Wilfried Zaha’s head? Check out the video below to see why they are…

And the man who was the chairman at Selhurst Park for 10 years between 2000 and 2010 was quick to suggest Arsenal have ‘champagne taste’, but are only working with ‘beer money’.

The 51-year-old’s former club are able to play hardball with Arsenal given they do not need to sell following the money accumulated from the sale of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Manchester United for £50m.

Watch Crystal Palace Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

So, in Jordan’s words, Arsenal may not be able to have what they can’t afford, especially if Palace do not budge from their £80m valuation.

After the tweet, fans of Roy Hodgson’s side took to social media to largely agree with Jordan in the hope that they keep the 26-year-old.

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Arsenal have made an €80m (£71.83m) bid for Lille winger Nicolas Pepe, according to French media outlet Telefoot.

The report states that the player has yet to decide where he wants to be playing his football, but that Paris Saint-Germain remains a priority destination if they get rid of Brazilian international Neymar.

Pepe was one of the stand-out players in Ligue 1 last term, scoring a superb 22 goals as well as assisting 11 times.

Check out 5 reasons why Arsenal need Wilfried Zaha in the video below…

It’s the kind of attacking contribution that would go down a treat at the Emirates if it could be replicated, but is there really a chance of him arriving in London?

The club have already struggled to get a deal for Wilfried Zaha done this summer, while the transfer saga involving Kieran Tierney rumbles on.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Arsenal fans aren’t convinced that they have the funds available to secure a signing like Pepe, with many taking to Twitter to laugh off or dismiss the reported bid…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Daily Mirror, Arsenal have reached a deadlock in their talks to sign Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney, and are now considering turning to alternative options this summer.

What’s the word?

The report claims that the Gunners have hit a wall with their Scottish counterparts over the structure of their bid and Unai Emery’s side are reluctant on committing a large sum of money up front.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

It adds that as a result of the stand-off, the north London side have begun to turn their attentions elsewhere as the transfer deadline approaches in less than a month’s time.

Same old Arsenal

One of the biggest criticisms of Arsene Wenger’s reign – particularly in the latter years – was an apparent dithering when it came to the transfer market. It was claimed that the Frenchman lacked “conviction” when it came to getting deals done and that was most clearly seen when the Gunners missed out on signing Gonzalo Higuain because they felt they had a chance to get Luis Suarez from Liverpool.

Fast forward a year after Wenger’s departure, and it appears the Gunners are still suffering from the same problems, lacking a certain decisiveness in the market. The problems with the club’s reported limited budget are well-known and to a certain extent it is understandable that the Arsenal hierarchy would look to save money wherever they can.

But with Tierney, the 22-year-old has quite evidently been their number one target at left-back, considering they have made three bids, and even with limited funds, £25m is hardly a ridiculous amount to pay for someone who could start in your side for the next decade.

Landing Tierney would give Emery his first-choice option to replace both Nacho Monreal and Sead Kolasinac on the left-hand side. Instead, the Gunners head into the final few weeks of the window dithering in typical fashion, and could potentially end up with a far inferior player, or even no-one at all.

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Lots of Rangers fans have been reacting to some transfer news, as Ryan Hardie has left the club on a permanent basis.

The 22 year-old striker has joined Blackpool for an undisclosed fee, as announced on the Gers’ official website.

Hardie came through the youth ranks at Ibrox, making his first-team debut in 2014 at the age of just 17, playing the final stages of a League Cup win over Falkirk.

He has since gone on four different loan spells with three clubs, bagging 14 goals in 34 games for Raith Rovers, three in 17 for St. Mirren and most recently an impressive 15 strikes in 39 Livingston appearances, per Transfermarkt.

The youngster has had very limited chances to strut his stuff at Ibrox, playing just 17 times for the first-team and scoring twice.

Watch Rangers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He will now join Blackpool on an initial two-year deal. The Seasiders finished tenth in League One last season.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where plenty of Gers fans feel the youngster had more to offer, while some are just praying there’s a sell-on clause…

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It would be fair to say that the Aston Villa fans are absolutely loving Tyrone Mings ahead of the 2019-20 campaign, with the centre-back impressing during pre-season.

Mings starred for Villa in the second half of last season after moving to the club on loan from Bournemouth, helping the team earn promotion via the Championship playoffs.

Dean Smith’s side then managed to secure a permanent deal for the 26-year-old earlier this month, paying the Cherries around £20m for his services.

On Sunday, Mings took to social media in the aftermath of Villa’s pre-season clash with Charlton Athletic.

And as expected, the club’s fans were out in force to hail the defender.

Many hailed Mings’ pre-season form whilst others tipped the 6 ft 5 ace to enjoy a strong campaign for Villa as the club prepare to return to the Premier League.

Check out what happened when Thogden mixed with some of Montenegro’s craziest ultras in the video below…

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Villa supporters can be seen below:

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Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to slam Gini Wijnaldum’s performance against Manchester City in the Community Shield, as the Reds lost out to the Citizens on penalties.

Jurgen Klopp’s men went behind after former Liverpool man Raheem Sterling opened the scoring, before Virgil van Dijk set up his centre-back partner Joel Matip for the equaliser.

Both sides fared well in the resulting shootout, but it was Wijnaldum who was the only man to miss his kick.

The 28-year-old topped off a sloppy performance in general by causing his side to lose 5-4 on penalties, and plenty of Liverpool fans on Twitter haven’t held back in their criticism of him.

You would expect them to have held off somewhat with their remarks after the 5 foot 9 midfielder’s double against Barcelona practically got Liverpool into the Champions League final last season, but it seems as if some supporters haven’t taken that into account – the criticism seems harsh given the fact the game was merely a glorified friendly, too.

Let’s see what the Liverpool fans on Twitter have been saying about their No.5…

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It’s worth bearing in mind that when Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl gave Callum Slattery his Premier League debut back in February the Saints were fifth from bottom and only four points clear of the drop-zone.

It’s worth noting too that the teenager wasn’t thrown into the more tepid waters of a home fixture. It was away to Burnley: brusque, bruising Burnley.

This illustrates the degree of trust the Austrian has in his emerging talent, a central midfielder of rare promise who is expected to kick on this campaign after five appearances last term – two of which were in the FA Cup.

Earlier this month the BBC highlighted seven youngsters set to break through to wider prominence and he was duly included among the likes of Phil Foden and Mason Mount. It is pertinent too that Hasenhuttl felt no need to strengthen his midfield this summer. He doesn’t have to.

The latter point ties in directly with the manager’s response to Slattery’s 90 minutes against the Clarets. Such was his ease in possession with intelligent, impactful movement throughout he was viewed as being like a new signing.

Now 20, the 5ft 9 academy product was expected to feature in the Saints’ pre-season venturing to Austria and it was a surprise when he was excluded. But Hasenhuttl dropped his young prodigy back into the under-23 set-up where he won rave reviews for his controlled performances.

Indeed, the words of Winchester City manager Craig Davies are a ringing endorsement of the player’s greatest asset: “Slattery and Hesketh were both excellent. Their movement and the way they found space in tight areas and drove with the ball really stood out.”

Watch Southampton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

From there he was swiftly promoted back into the first team squad for Southampton’s trip to China and this presumably mirrors Hasenhuttl’s strategy of assimilating his young star into his midfield this season; an area already staffed well by established personnel such as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Oriol Romeu.

There will be a start here, a cameo from the bench there. Each minute accruing more experience.

For some time now Slattery has been highly regarded within the environs of St Marys and considered one of the brightest prospects to come through Southampton’s famed academy for a good period of years.

However, the secret leaked out to a wider audience in the summer of 2017 that the south coast club might have once again unearthed a gem when he featured in England’s successful Toulon Tournament.

As part of an exciting group that equally showcased the potential of Bournemouth’s David Brooks and Leicester’s Harvey Barnes, Slattery held his own and caught the eye too when he calmly slotted home the fourth penalty when the final against Ivory Coast went beyond extra-time.

The Southampton players who need to leave the club by Thursday are named in the video below…

Eight months later he was parading his skills on a Premier League pitch and now he stands on the precipice of great things. He will do just fine too given his commendable attitude, saying recently: “When you get this moment, you’ve got to grab it with both hands. I’ve had to work extremely hard to make the chance and now I’ve got to take it.”

The Saints have an outstanding record in the modern era of bringing through youth but where Slattery will ultimately reside among the Bales and Walcotts is too early to call.

To this point, though, he is doing the club’s tradition proud.