Leeds United have been linked with a move for their former striker Ross McCormack, according to The Sun’s printed edition on Tuesday [Page 55].
The 31-year-old is currently on loan at Melbourne City in the A-League having experienced a difficult time as an Aston Villa. He has scored 14 goals while on loan with the Australian club.
The Scotsman was signed by the Villains in the summer transfer window of 2016 for a fee of £12m from divisional rivals, Fulham. Much to their dismay, McCormack was unable to emulate the heights he achieved during his time in West London with the midlands club.
In 24 appearances for Villa, the former Cardiff striker scored three goals, each one costing Villa a fee of £4m. Recent reports have linked the Scottish forward with a return to Leeds United, a club in which he spent four seasons at.
During his time with the Peacocks, the striker amassed 158 appearances scoring a decent total of 58 goals.
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Here’s how Leeds supporters reacted to the rumours on Twitter…
For such a proud footballing institution, Newcastle haven’t half become a laughing stock over the last few seasons. After suffering the ignominy of relegation from the Premier League back in 2009, Mike Ashley has seemingly done everything in his power to bring farce and controversy to the North East.
From renaming the stadium, to selling off their best players; nothing it would seem could come close to the shock appointment of Joe Kinnear as Director of Football last year.
The former Republic of Ireland international was to answer only to Mike Ashley on all things football Kinnear reacted to the appointment by claiming he “could open the door to any manager in the world” and asked fans to judge him on the signings he made.
Since then we have seen just a couple of loan signings in Loic Remy and Luuk de Jong, and an inability to find a suitable replacement for the outgoing Yohan Cabaye. The amateurish nature of his work doesn’t stop there, the man that professes to being a master of the game somehow managed to recommend one of Newcastle’s own players in Shane Ferguson while the youngster was out on loan at Birmingham. Add to this his inability to pronounce any vaguely foreign sounding name and you begin to wonder whether this man is just a complete fraud?
After Saturday’s loss to Sunderland, Pardew made it clear he was unhappy at the club’s lack of transfer activity:
“If I was in charge, solely, of transfers, things might be different but I’m not,” he said.
“I think I’ve made my opinions very clear this week and all the rest of it is confidential.”
The conspiracy theorists have always surmised that Kinnear has something on Ashley, because to the face of it his involvement is nothing short of a joke. Ever since the resignation of Derek Llambias the club has been run, at least in footballing terms, by a clown.
The most bitter of pills to swallow for Newcastle fans was the departure of Yohan Cabaye at the back end of the January window. Newcastle shouldn’t though be castigated for such a move, in the end the lure of PSG was too great and the money on offer huge for a club of their current size. The actual lunacy here was in the inability to line up a replacement, with moves for Lyon’s Clement Grenier ending in failure.
Newcastle legend Alan Sheared summed up his feelings for Match of the Day 2:
“It was a strange appointment in the first place. When you sell your best player three days before the transfer deadline you have to have a plan.
“Maybe him resigning is a way of saying he didn’t do his job, but I’m not sure what his job was anyway. Saturday’s defeat against Sunderland was as poor a performance as I’ve seen for a long time. They were lucky it was only 3-0.”
Even Kinnear’s departure was scattered with controversy, with Newcastle clearly left in the lurch. The failure of the January window could well have spelled the end for the Irishman, but to leave his club without a replacement or indeed contingency plan is borderline cowardly for a man that supposedly cares so much.
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Newcastle fans will be glad to finally be rid of the man that has brought them so much ridicule. A tenure that will be remembered for his media gaffes and transfer window hash ups above anything else, you would hope his departure would now open the door for someone that will actually take the role seriously.
Fans will be praying it’s an end to the comedy sideshow at St James’.
Manchester United’s Anderson has told the Daily Star that his club will lose out when Sir Alex Ferguson eventually retires.
The 24-year-old Brazilian reiterated that Sir Alex would be missed in the world of football, and particularly by United.
“Manchester United is Alex Ferguson. When he leaves, the club will lose 30 to 40 per cent. So much depends on him.
“He’s a father to all the players, a very respected person and when he retires, the football world will really feel his loss.
“He always helped me, and I have a great affection for him. He lives for training and always wants to know how his players and their families are,” he said.
Now aged 70, Fergie has managed United for a period of 26 years, and has been invaluable to the club, leading United to massive success with numerous titles including five FA Cups, 12 Premier League trophies and two Champions League titles.
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However, rumour is growing that he is getting nearer to making the decision to retire from the game.
Manchester United fans were forced to watch on as their bitterest rivals Liverpool fought Real Madrid for the biggest prize in European football on Saturday and then again as the Reds secured the signing of highly-rated midfielder Fabinho from Monaco.
In a World Cup summer, where all of England’s elite clubs will be spending big; Manchester City in pursuit of European glory and the rest trying to bridge the points chasm, doing smart business early is the key and Jurgen Klopp has done exactly that with his sudden swoop for the Brazilian who can play at right-back and in central midfield.
That is what United fans are hoping their club can provide after a season in which they failed to win a trophy despite it being Jose Mourinho’s fabled second campaign, where he is supposed to win the league.
They didn’t do that and as Liverpool impressed with their blistering football on the pitch, some United fans are becoming worried by the speed they’re doing business off it; especially compared with United…
It has been some season for West Ham United’s Declan Rice, with the teenager already making 17 appearances in all competitions for the Hammers during the 2017-18 campaign.
Rice, who is valued at £1.8m by transfermarkt.co.uk, only turned 19 on January 14, but is now regarded as a very important part of West Ham’s future.
He has been involved in West Ham’s last four Premier League matches, and when considering that 12 of his 17 appearances this season have come in the league; it has been a very impressive season for the highly-rated centre-back.
On Sunday, West Ham’s official Twitter account wished a happy birthday to Rice, and it was not a surprise when the message brought a host of responses from the club’s supporters.
Many simply offered a birthday message of their own, but plenty also offered words of praise for the teenage defender, who looks to have a very bright future in the game.
A selection of the best Twitter reaction can be found below:
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville was forced to explain his commentary from last night’s Champions League fixture after he implied that Mesut Ozil has some work to do.The Sky Sports man was brutally honest as he set the record straight as to the work needed in order for Ozil to reflect his efforts for Germany in the 2010 World Cup.As is typical with the pundit, he linked current events to his experiences at the Old Trafford club and openly used Ji Sung Park as an example of the work-rate Ozil must mirror.It seems Mesut cannot sit back and ‘Park’ the bus anymore!
David Meyler says skipper Lee Cattermole doesn’t need to change his ways, despite a fifth red card for Sunderland.
Cattermole’s status as Black Cats captain is under threat after a moment of idiocy saw the 24 year old see red for a reckless two-footed lunge on Adam Chicksen, in the Wearsiders 2-0 win over MK Dons.
A divisive figure among fans, Meyler claims Cattermole doesn’t need to radically change his game, he told The Journal: “Everyone who knows Lee Cattermole knows he plays with his heart on his sleeve.
“It was just a ball that he went for and thought he could win. The referee decided it was a red card and I’m sure the club will look back on it and see what they think. But Lee is gutted himself because he always wants to do everything he can to help the team.
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“It’s done now there’s nothing anyone can do. It’s not something we’ll not spend too long thinking about as players.”
Tottenham Hotspur are certainly on the right path, despite the fact that they have not won a trophy in a decade.
Mauricio Pochettino has shaped a young, vibrant and title-challenging team over the last few years, but they need to take that next step.
Moving into a brand new state-of-the-art stadium will certainly push the club in the right direction, but they need reinforcements in order to compete once again with the Premier League elite.
Pochettino has proven that he can help young players thrive, so it is worth suggesting that the club swoop for Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic this summer.
The 19-year-old – valued at £40.5m by Transfermarkt – has been linked to numerous top-level clubs due to his performances in Germany over the past two seasons.
The USA international, who scored four goals and created five assists in the Bundesliga during the 2017-18 campaign, is versatile in that he can play across the midfield in an attacking position.
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The majority of Pulisic’s playing time has been on the right side of attack, which would give Tottenham another option.
We asked you if the North London club should swoop for the teenager, and the outcome was overwhelmingly in favour of a transfer.
Manchester United are considering a summer swoop for Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane, according to Tuttomercatoweb.
What’s the story?
It is not the first time that the Red Devils have been linked to the England international, and it is understandable why.
The 24-year-0ld has been in scintillating form and even ended 2017 as Europe’s top goalscorer.
Kane surpassed the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo by scoring 56 goals for club and country last year.
The striker’s form will attract the attention of many clubs, and according to Tuttomercatoweb, United are considering launching a bid in the summer.
The publication adds that Real Madrid are also weighing up a move for Kane.
What would this mean for Lukaku?
A few months ago, the thought of the Belgian being second choice at United would seem unfathomable, but if Kane arrives at Old Trafford, then the forward may have to make way.
Lukaku had a blistering start to his career at the Red Devils following a £75m switch from Everton last summer.
The 24-year-0ld scored 10 goals in his first nine games, but he went through a drought of just one in 12.
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Recently, Lukaku has had more joy in attack having found the back of the net four times in nine outings, but the forward is far from his early-season form.
If Kane is on the horizon for United, then their current first-choice striker may have to settle for playing second fiddle.
Olivier Giroud has worked his whole career to defy those who have said he wasn’t up to the task, starting in the lower divisions of French football.
The price tag dictated the general attitude towards him as a player. Giroud, a title winner in France’s Ligue 1 and a scorer of 21 league goals, the most that season, was deemed not good enough when Arsenal spent £10 million on him in July 2012.
The thing is he was being judged against the class and calibre of Robin van Persie – an unfair comparison for almost any striker in English football. Instead of asking what a new-look strike force could do for Arsenal, one which included Lukas Podolski, people were questioning whether Giroud was yet another bargain signing from French football.
It’s nothing new, though. People will question anything. Like whether Neymar is just a YouTube sensation. You have to wonder whether they believe what they’re saying or if they’re just out to ruffle a few feathers.
Nevertheless, Giroud, like most, was owed a period of adaptation to the Premier League. Memories of van Persie would have flashed across most people’s minds in last season’s opening game against Sunderland when Giroud missed a good opportunity for his first league goal. Yet even as the season progressed and he earned himself 17 in total and a place in the hearts of the Arsenal faithful, the overtures towards Luis Suarez and Gonzalo Higuain this past summer were wrongly labelled as indirect attacks on the Frenchman rather than what they were – a club looking to bolster its attacking options.
This season we’ve seen another set of defiant performances from Giroud. He doesn’t have the grace and fluidity of van Persie, Dennis Bergkamp or Thierry Henry, but that doesn’t matter. Giroud has made Arsenal’s Plan A stronger by adding the elements of a different way of attacking. He offers the powerful target man approach without ever compromising the team’s preferred style of play. If there is a doubt about his technical ability, take a look at his involvement in that Jack Wilshere goal against Norwich.
Can he finish? Many good centre-forwards go through scoring droughts, including van Persie; four club games is no cause for alarm. With 10 already in all competitions, there’s no reason why Giroud can’t register 20-plus goals for Arsene Wenger’s side. As a reference, seven of those 10 have been in the league. The league’s top scorer, Sergio Aguero, has 10.
Giroud’s desire to prove that he belongs has forced him onto a long table seating Arsenal’s most improved players. Of course, there was never anything really wrong with the former Montpellier striker. That first season in English football, however, a bridge as I like to think of it, has done wonders for his overall contribution and confidence.
He looks like a player who is enjoying the responsibility, never buckling under its weight. Against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Giroud was one of the few who seemed unfazed and wholly determined to put in a shift, closing down and harassing the backline. He won’t force his way through defences in the way Luis Suarez can – they’re completely different players. Yet his work rate cannot be questioned this season.
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As a player still short of breaking into that category of world-class strikers, there shouldn’t be any lasting concern. A far more fitting comparison for Giroud would be to look at his similarities to Didier Drogba, another alumnus from Ligue 1 who was seen as a late bloomer.
Arsenal’s lack of success in finding another striker in the summer may be seen as something of a positive. They now know what they have in Giroud. The player himself is full of confidence and knows what he’s capable of. There is room for improvement for both club and player, but the trust instilled in Giroud is proving to be invaluable in his transition and further development as a high-end striker.