Transfer Talk : Why Auba Might Be A Barca Misfit

 

We are 10 days away from the end of this Summer's transfer window. There has been a lot of big monet moves, eye catching free transfers and exodus from clubs. However transfer rumours don't ever go away even when the door is slammed shut. Such rumour has followed Arsenal captain ever since last season. A poor 2020/21 campaign by his standars amid reports of a rift with manager Mikel Arteta doesn't bode well for the Gabonese in North London right now. Barcelona have been the latest club mentioned in a long list of suitors. 

Messi's move to PSG has created a huge void in their attack, one which manager  Ronald Koeman is desperate to fill. The Aubameyang pursuit comes on the back of having signed forwards Depay and Aguero, Dembele, Fati and Braithwaite also remain in the squad while Coutinho and Segi Roberto also have attacking acumen. Aubameyang May not necessarily fit into a team that has revolved around La Pulga for a little above 12 years. Messi burst onto the scene as a teen whose talent was evident but it wasn't until he took the no.10 shirt that the balon d' ors started flowing, 7 managers later Barca have a problem Aubameyang can't solve and Koeman should know this. Aubameyang's style of play is in contrast with the cules set up. The former Borussia Dortmund man plays as a point striker but enjoys flexibilty to roam around the front three, cutting in from left or right which he is actually  also good at.

The question is - Will Ronald Koeman be willing to give Aubameyang this freedom and notwithstanding the presence of the aforementioned forwards?? OR Will Arsenal's no.14 join a long list of Barcelona flops?? 

Ronald Koeman has a 65.45% win rate at Barcelona

The Barcelona's financial situation suggests that adding a player who won't be a fantastic investment or commercial success due to differences in playing styles of club and player will be woeful for business. 

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THE SON SHINES : 3 Talking Points From The EPL Opening Weekend

 

The EPL sneaked into our thoughts of Friday August 13 as Brentford FC reminded fans of what magic this league is all about as the stunned Arsenal 2-0 in front of a delighted home support. It was their first top flight appearance in 74 years, with 10 games gone and 370 to go Ziccifoot looks at these talking points from the first weekend.

No Kane No Problem?

  The manner in which Nuno Espirito Santo's Tottenham cherry picked defending Champions Man City was really one for the cameras as Heung-Min Son's customary celebration suggested. However, when we scratch a little deeper we a team playing with tactical discipline and in such manner as to make lightof Harry Kane's absence. Bergwijn has a telepathic understanding with Son a Tottenham's defence was pretty resolute.  The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly Son's brave strike from the edge of the box just enough for his side to edge the Cityzens. The road is surely long with this being the 1st out of 38 for the lily whites, last season Kane and Son combined goal contributions reached 34 goals just 2 behind Drogba/Lampard. It is yet unknown whether the duo will surpass the record as Kane's future hangs in the balance. If Kane does leave Nuno will need to galvanise and motivate his team many more times but he has the team to live without the lethal England captain.

BRUGBA!!!

A lot, a whole lot has the said about the ability of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Paul Pogba's partnership in midfield. These questions have been asked and with good reason because while fernandes' career at United has been explosive and exceeded many expectations  that of Pogba has been plagued with inconsistencies, flashes of brilliance that are few and far between. While Pogba's talent isn't in doubt , the ability to produce every week has raised questions about the two playing together. Saturday's early kick off however did prove us wrong as pogba bagged 4 assists (2 for Bruno) eclipsing his tally of of last season and Bruno scoring an opening day hat trick United's 2nd in the league post Ferguson. BRUGBA 's latest showing will leave fans drooling for more and critics staying tuned.

No Blinking

There were no draws in the EPL opening weekend. This stat has a loud message for all 20 clubs.. Since taking over at Stamford Bridge Thomas Tuchel has made Chelsea look like a team reborn. The 3-0 victory over Patrick Vieira's Palace seemed a routine victory but that hasn't been the case in recent years.  Chelsea will be looking to go one better I think by winning the EPL and the re-signing of old boy Romelu Lukaku is a bold writing on the wall. Manchester United's big margin victory has put them in pole position after GW1 and Varane has been recruited to sure up a somewhat shaky defence. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a lot of attacking options to spick from and now he has a good problem to deal with. The only lacking ingredient could be right mentality and motivation. That's you're the manager Ole.. 

No City Blues

In the absence of a recognised striker Man City got of to a very wrong foot losing at White hart lane. However, we all know better than writing of a Pep Guardiola side. Well no just yet put into consideration the beginning of life without record goal scorer Sergio Aguero and the 'hunger' of their opponents Tottenham. Two goals conceded and none scored in their last two games doesn't sound very Man city to anyone but stats don't lie, they still have their possession football going for them and it's a question of when and not if..  

Tottenham on the other hand have a manger who has seemingly craved this kind of challenge all his career, his exploits with Wolves and Spurs showing against the champions makes it clear that Nuno is on a mission.

now let's talk about 

... Leicester City . The 2015/16 defending champions have normalised being in the top 6 in recent seasons. This is down to a shift in mentality (I think). Seeing themselves as a big team (well they are) under Brendan Rodgers has catapulted  the foxes to winning the FA Cup against Chelsea last season and the Community Shield against Man City . These wins are no fluke my friends, make no mistake about it. An Ageless Vardy and A rejuvenated Iheanachò can be crucial to this team. Since arriving the King Power Stadium Rodgers has forged a team capable of grinding out narrow wins and/or draws, now this is what Champions do right?

Liverpool

Had a comfortable victory over Norwich on Saturday evening. On the back of an indifferent season no one knows what to expect from Liverpool. However  Salah is still out here breaking records for fun. Liverpool's ability to sneak into the top3 on the final day of last season is still a mystery. Their attack remains as sharp as ever and with Virgil Vantastic back at the back this title race needs no blinking from any contender..

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England v Germany : 2 reasons why another thriller might be on the cards.

  

Germany ’s failure to top Group F in the latest version of the Euros earned them a date with perennial rivals England. While this is a mouthwatering fixture, it still lacks the vintage names and both teams have not played with any visible intensity all tournament. However, this fixture has all the potentials to be a classic. Here is why.

Southgate’s Boys Have A Point To Prove

England has underachieved in major tournaments ever since their only  World Cup victory in 1966, Even failing to qualify for some major tournaments, most notably in 1994 and 2008. Generations come and go. The golden generation of England between 2002 and 2008 failed to deliver the goods. having gotten to the semifnals of the World Cup 3 years ago the set of players would be looking to go one better. While the squad is a bit changed the bulk of the players remain and of course the manager too. Pressure and expectation has been one downfall of the English side for quite a while but with an average age of 24 there is youth and exuberance and the players will surely feel they stand a decent chance which is why they will look to go for broke with Germany looking to have lost their fear factor.

Pride And Hate

These two teams have history between them which is why form may not tell the full story. Majority of the results in their fixtures have been controversial. One thing for sure is that the loser leaves and lives with the undesirable taste of defeat from this kind of rival.

                 Michael Owen Scored a hattrick as England beat Germany 5-1 in 2001

The history both countries share is already an appetizer for an epic encounter.

Did you know? 

When England won the 1966 World Cup on home soil Germany had a goal that crossed the line disallowed. They ended up losing 4-2.

In 2010 second round World Cup game, England had a goal that crossed the line disallowed. They ended the game 4-1 losers.

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Arsenal Have Decided To Axe Wenger.. . You Won't Believe His Replacement Though

Arsenal fans and faithful have good news coming as Arsenal are considering sacking their long-serving and longsuffering manager at the end of the season. This consideration comes after the gunners were thoroughly humiliated at the hands of the cityzens in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday evening.

The Frenchman renewed his contract at the end of last season after Arsenal picked up the FA Cup at the expense of Premier League winners Chelsea, but while the 68 year old is willing to see out his contract in North London, Arsenal have other ideas.

The 2004 English Champions have been blown off course in the league table and will need a miracle to make the top four and failure to win the Europa league could bring an end to Mr.Wenger's 22 year reign.

Arsenal have spent the past 12 months planning for Wenger's replacement and have significantly   reduced the Frenchman's influence by appointing a new technical director. Joachim Low, Leonardo Jardim and former captain Mikel Arteta have all been touted as possible replacements but it's former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers who is in the leading to replace Mr.Wenger.

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Rodgers Spent Three Full Seasons At Anfield

Arsenal and Wenger host Manchester City on Thursday, an opportunity for them to make up for their inexplicable  implosion on Sunday.

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Jose Mourinho's Triumph Against Chelsea Spoke Volumes, But His Struggles Continue

Manchester United on Sunday evening recorded a second home victory over Chelsea (Mou's off and on ex) in less than a year. It was typical of the Blues who were champions of England to take the game to United and they didn't disappoint as Alvaro Morata rattled the woodwork in the 5th minute. Willian then started and finished off a sweeping counter attack in the 32nd minute.

Mourinho's red devils actually looked toothless in the first thirty minutes of the encounter with much credits going Alexis Sanchez for that. During the opening exchanges against a big rival United were anything but threatening.

The Comeback

Manchester United's big Belgian Romelu Lukaku managed to get behind Marcos Alonso and Andreas Christensen for a typical no.9 finish after a beautiful interplay between Martial six minutes before the break. Lukaku had clearly moved on from the reverse tie in November where he failed to have a touch of the ball in the opposition half. The former Everton marksman could have added more gloss to his performance on the day with a half volley but Thibaut Courtois'  fingertip save made sure the scores remained even.

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JLings came on for Anthony Martial in the 64th minute to help United complete a rare comeback

Scorer Lukaku turned provider in the 75th minute when he 'danced' two Chelsea defenders to provide a cross which Messi Jesse Lingard nodded home from close range. The red devils held on to seal the victory with an improved second half, but that victory came with more questions than answers for Manchester United.. .

A Misfiring Sanchez

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Sanchez had no impact against Chelsea

Aside Sanchez's cross for Lukaku's half-volley in the second half, the Chilean was largely anonymous in a game that was his biggest yet as a Manchester United player. Mourinho might be questioning his own decision to sign the two-time South American champion. Sanchez's arrival was supposed to herald 'a new beginning' for the 2013 Champions however the Manchester club have seen their form drop in the league. Sanchez's impact has been close to nothing and once again the signing has not gone Manchester United's way.

No Attacking Appetite

It is very clear that Jose Mourinho has fashioned his team for predominantly defensive approaches and it is saddening for the football world to see Manchester United play with such lack of belief. Anthony Martial before his substitution was not a threat though he assisted Lukaku in bagging the equalizer. A club like Manchester United should approach games with pride and with attacking mindset which was missing for large parts of the game.

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10 Interesting Facts You Should Know About Chelsea

Chelsea is one of the best England clubs who has gone through so much in their history.
Since the founding in 1905, Chelsea has changed the name, a couple of owners and many players.
The club has become a theme for many songs and movies.
Today, we will share with you 10 amazing facts about Chelsea.

1.       The Chelsea adventure began on March the 10th in 1095 at the Rising Pub.
Those days they were called the Pensioners because of the pensioner's crest and the nickname stuck for years.
The first man who removed the crest was Ted Drake,
who became the manager in 1952 changed the crest and introduces the nickname “The Blues”.
Chelsea was born again as a completely new club under his wing.

2.       But, not everything was great for Chelsea after Ted Drake. In 1982,
Chelsea was on the verge of bankruptcy and Ken Bates bought the club for only £1 and started
investing.
Eventually, he sold Chelsea to Roman Abramovich for £140 million in 2003.

3.       On 25th of August in 1928, Chelsea changed the history of football uniforms (with Arsenal).
Chelsea was one of the first clubs which had numbers on shirts.
It happened during the match against Welsh side Swansea City

4.       Chelsea holds many records and one of them dates back in 1971 when
Chelsea had won the match against Jeunesse Hautcharage in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
The final score was 21-0 and it was enough for the records in European competition.

5.       To prove that it is the best club in England,
Chelsea had the record for the longest streak of unbeaten matches at home.
The streak was 86 matches and it lasted from 20th March 2004 to 26th October 2008.

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6.       The best scorer ever in played in Chelsea was Bobby Tambling,

who scored 202 goals in 370 games, in his 11-year career in Chelsea.

7.     Frank Lampard is Chelsea's most capped international player because it has amazing 86 caps.

8.       What all 2 of UEFA’s major trophies have in common? Chelsea.
Yes, Chelsea is one of the first British clubs to win all 3 titles.

9.        Chelsea as the best English club was the theme to many Football movies, including
“The Great Game” and “The Football Factory”. But, that is not all.

10.   Chelsea club is the theme of many songs like the
“Blue is the color” which was the no5 in the UK charts in 1972 and
later recognized as the club’s song and the song
“We’re gonna win” performed by the famous Bryan Adams and dedicated to Chelsea.

 AUTHOR BIO:

Mark is a football fan and a foosball player who has a blog about foosball called the Foosball zone.
There he writes everything about foosball, from history to the
foosball table rewiews and the reviews of foosball table parts like – the foosball ball.

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OPINION : Three Reasons Why Harry Kane Needs To Quit Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur endured their fifth draw of the season at West Ham on Thursday night. The Lily whites needed an 84th minute stunner from Heung-Min Son to cancel out Pedro Obiang's equally exceptional goal 14 minutes earlier. As much as Tottenham were the bookies favourites going into the game, the hammers had a right to feel two points lost after the final whistle was sounded. A Harry Kane goal could have stolen the points had he managed to score, well he did not neither could any of his teammates find a way past Adrian. Mauricio Pochettino's men now sit 5th in the Premier League table with 16 games left to play. Harry Kane's 18 league goals this season has not been enough to push Tottenham into the top four as we begin a fresh year. It is now due for the England striker to move on and this is why we think so.

1.TROPHIES .. .OBVIOUSLY

The past two seasons have seen Spurs push the league leaders 'hard'. Their rewards for this push has been third place (in the 2015/16 season) and Second (in the 2016/17 season). While Tottenham's flair and team set-up was admirable and indeed enviable in both seasons, they never genuinely looked liked they were going to win anything despite the supply of goals from Harry Kane. The former Leicester City attacker should take a cue from the likes of Robin Van Persie (Arsenal To Manchester United 2012) and Luis Suarez (Liverpool to Barcelona 2014) .

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Van Persie won the league in 2013 after switching from Arsenal to Manchester United

A striker of Kane's age should be in a team of 'stars' where there is collective effort and of course these are the ingredients necessary for lifting trophies.

2. FOR LONGEVITY 

Football is a physical game and its impact begins to tell as each player approaches the twilight of his career. It's been seen over the years that stress on young players begin to tell on their careers as the near their peak. This is why Harry needs to move to a club where his services wouldn't be solely and highly relied upon.

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Michael Owen was heavily relied upon during his Liverpool days

At a club where a young striker is the principal source of goals without any trophies to show simply adds a lot more pressure to the player as he ages.

3. SILENCE THE CRITICS

In the past we have seen players switch clubs and lose their scoring boots in the process. Kane is the focal point of Tottenham's game and it is safe to say most crosses are intended for the no.10. Whether Kane can pull his weight among the 'galacticos' or 'cashiticos' is anybody's guess.

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Luis Suarez helped Barcelona to a Treble in his first season in Catalonia after enduring a painful 2013/14 campaign with Liverpool

However, the former Leicester City loanee can do us football lovers a collective favour by leaving Tottenham to a bigger club and actually winning the a trophy.

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