What’s best for him? Liverpool fans discuss Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future position

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Liverpool fans on Twitter have been busy discussing what position would be best for Trent Alexander-Arnold going forward.

The Reds’ first choice right-back has impressed hugely this season with his technical ability and end product, recording one goal and an eye-catching six assists from defence in the Premier League this season.

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At just 20 years of age, Alexander-Arnold has a wonderful range of passing and the confidence to attempt even the most outrageous of cross-field pings, whilst his one and only goal this term came via an excellent free-kick against Watford.

However, he does tend to get caught out defensively, most noticeably at the Etihad Stadium a few months ago, where Leroy Sane tore him to shreds and scored the winner down the young England international’s side.

As a result of that, some Liverpool supporters on Twitter have suggested that the academy graduate would be better served playing in central midfield, where he wouldn’t have as much responsibility from a defensive aspect.

Many, however, disagree on a matter that seems to have divided the fanbase…

The Verdict: How much is Salomon Rondon really worth?

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Earlier this week, Tony Cascarino caused something of a stir with claims that Newcastle’s on-loan striker Salomon Rondon could be worth £50million should his impressive form for the Tyneside club continue.

The Venezuelan has certainly been a key part of Newcastle’s season, bagging nine goals and five assists in the Premier League while providing the physical focal point needed to make Rafa Benitez’s tactics work effectively.

Of course, Rondon’s potential value will be a hot topic amongst Magpies fans in the coming months. There is no agreed fee in place to make his move permanent, and this season will only give parent club West Brom more license to ramp up his price-tag.

So, how much is Rondon really worth? Football FanCast’s writers give their verdicts below…

Billy Meyers

“The Venezuelan has had a remarkable season for Newcastle – his nine league strikes and five assists have already bettered any of his total goal involvement stats for a single league season with the Baggies. However, at 29 years of age, Rondon is fairly old for a striker. Couple that with the fact that West Brom spent £12m on him, one would assume that they’d be looking to at least break even – as a result of that, Rondon is worth around the same fee, as, whilst he has improved, it could be too little too late for him at his age.”

James Beavis

“Worth more to Newcastle than to other clubs. The soon-to-be 30-year-old is vital to the way the Magpies play now, and in many ways having a striker like him who is committed to the cause is priceless. The Venezuela front-man can hold the ball up, is strong in the air, has good link-up with Ayoze Perez and Miguel Almiron and has shown that he can find the back of the net with nine Premier League goals thus far this term. Considering his age and the fact that he will only have 12 months remaining on his West Brom contract by the summer, Benitez should splash out £15m maximum on him.”

Jack Saville

“I’ve never been Rondon’s biggest fan, but there’s no doubt that Benitez is getting the best from him. With it looking likely he’ll hit double-figures in the Premier League this season, West Brom should be hoping to pocket £15m at the very least. A swap deal with Dwight Gayle could be a masterstroke which suits both parties, especially if the Baggies fail to win promotion.”

Christy Malyan

“For a club like Newcastle, Rondon’s worth his weight in gold. Relegation shouldn’t be a problem provided there’s ample service to him, and in terms of holding up the ball – which Benitez’s style of play requires – you’ll find few better in the Premier League. His age is a factor, but pace isn’t a huge part of the South American’s game anyway. I think any club outside the top six could do a lot worse than spending around £25m on him this summer – you know exactly what you’re getting, and this season has shown how effective Rondon can be when he’s utilised properly. Even as a backup option for the Premier League’s elite, he’d do a decent job.”

The Chalkboard: Could Oleksandr Zinchenko be Fernandinho’s replacement at Manchester City?

[ad_pod ]Frenkie de Jong,ÂJorginho,ÂFred, and so on. A number of marquee names have been thrown around regarding who will eventually be the heir to Fernandinho’s defensive midfield throne at Manchester City.The three aforementioned names sold to their eventual buyers for a combined £162m, but Pep Guardiola could have the Brazilian’s replacement without spending a single penny.442oons have charted the entire career of Man City’s main man Sergio Aguero through song in the hilarious video below…Oleksandr Zinchenko. A man who is quickly becoming a fan favourite at the Etihad Stadium, not just for his excellent performances, but for his desire to stay and fight for his place despite Wolves having a £16m bid accepted for his services back in the summer.The Ukrainian international is extremely versatile. Having started his career as an attacking midfielder, Zinchenko became a left-back in the absence of Benjamin Mendy last season and hasn’t looked back.It will be very, very tough to leave such an impressive performer such as Mendy on the bench when he eventually returns to full fitness, so Guardiola may be able to kill two birds with one stone by moving Zinchenko into the middle and drafting the World Cup winner back into the side.

Yet another serious injury to the Frenchman has seen 22-year-old Zinchenko earn a lot more game time in the current campaign than he perhaps would’ve anticipated, and he very rarely lets the Citizens down – Guardiola has even pointed to the youngster as a player that the likes of Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez can ‘learn from’.

In his first outing whilst on international duty against Portugal, Zinchenko was deployed in an unfamiliar defensive midfield role, where he performed admirably against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, club-mate Bernardo Silva and Andre Silva.

The video above shows Zinchenko getting stuck in on a number of occasions with some vital blocks, but also mirroring Fernandinho’s impact in sky blue by staying composed once the ball has been won and being able to use the ball efficiently and effectively.

Guardiola has tried and tried to sign a replacement for the soon-to-be 34-year-old Fernandinho, but all the time, the answer could have been right under his nose.

Pundit View: Hargreaves does not believe Arsenal will finish in top four

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Owen Hargreaves believes Arsenal will miss out on the top four this season, per Premier League Productions via Metro.

The ex-Manchester United midfielder saw his former side lose to Wolves on Monday, missing the opportunity to leapfrog the Gunners and Tottenham Hotspur into third.

What’s he said?

After United’s defeat, Arsenal sit two points clear of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men and have a game in hand.

Hargreaves, though, believes that United will catch the Gunners, and has backed Spurs to remain in the reckoning between now and May.

Indeed, the former Bayern Munich midfielder believes that Unai Emery’s men may well be tripped up by their form on the road. Since the turn of the year, Arsenal have won just once away from home, against already-relegated Huddersfield Town.

Speaking to Premier League Productions, per Metro, Hargreaves said: “Before Manchester United’s loss to Wolves I would have said they would be in the top four for sure but that result changes everything.

“Tottenham I think will be alright but Arsenal I think will miss out. Their home form is exceptional but away from home they are poor.

“I still think United will sneak in with Spurs and Arsenal and Chelsea will miss out.”

A stiff test

Hargreaves has made a bold call but he is right to call attention to Arsenal’s genuinely dire away form.

They have seven games of the season remaining and five of those are away from home – against Everton, Watford, Wolves, Leicester City and Burnley.

It is a challenge for Emery to solve but he may well be confident of leaving Hargreaves with egg on his face.

Indeed, Arsenal have beaten Everton, Watford, Leicester and Burnley already this season by an aggregate score of 10-2. A 1-1 draw with Wolves is the only outlier.

If they repeat that record on the road the Gunners will be mightily confident of finishing in the top four and proving Hargreaves wrong.

Absolute disgrace: West Brom fans react angrily to latest managerial update

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After James Shan had won his opening three games in temporary charge of West Brom, the Hawthorns seemed a more positive place compared to when they sacked Darren Moore.

However, all it has taken for negativity to seep back in was one defeat.

The Baggies suffered a big setback against Millwall last weekend but despite the loss, Shan will remain in charge for West Brom’s match with Bristol City on Tuesday.

Reacting on Twitter, the fans aren’t too pleased with the decision as it was also revealed the appointment of a new interim boss would not be ruled out.

Supports launched a scathing attack on their own club, with one fan labelling them a joke and another calling West Brom an utter shambles.

Other reaction included someone calling the club a laughing stock whilst one also branded the situation as tinpot management.

Affairs at the club have become somewhat of a circus in recent weeks with the Albion board clearly unsure of what action to take after sacking Moore.

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With the team’s promotion on the line and no plan of action, the decision becomes more bizarre as the weeks go by.

Here is the best of the reaction from supporters.

Smith must replace Scott Hogan with Neal Maupay

Aston Villa fans are starting to believe that this could be their year as Dean Smith continues to get the very best out of his side, with today’s win extending their winning streak to eight games.

The return of Jack Grealish has changed the Villans’ season for the better as they look a completely different side with him back and thriving on the field. But, Aston Villa fans will be well aware that they may have to wave goodbye to the midfielder if promotion isn’t secured in the current campaign.

Interestingly, another player who could be on his way out of Villa Park in the summer transfer window is Scott Hogan, as according to the Bristol Post, the forward is a target for Bristol City.

Hogan has spent the second half of the current campaign on loan at Sheffield United but he’s failed to make any kind of positive impact having scored just one goal in five appearances.

Of course, Aston Villa may need to find a new striker regardless of whether Scott Hogan leaves as Tammy Abraham is set to return to his parent club once his loan deal expires.

One man who could replace both Hogan and Abraham is Brentford’s Neal Maupay. Birmingham Live reported last month that Maupay has refused to rule out leaving Griffin Park amid interest from Aston Villa.

Maupay, who is valued at £9 million (by Transfermarkt), has established himself as arguably one of the best strikers in the Championship this season and he’s produced a whopping 26 goals and eight assists in all competitions. He would be a major upgrade on Scott Hogan as he’s shown just how prolific he can be in the Championship and he still has his best years ahead of him at the age of 22, so he could be develop into a future star at a top level.

Aston Villa fans, would you like to see Maupay at Villa Park? Join the discussion by commenting down below! 

Joao Felix to Wednesday? Fans left in amazement as Yorkshire club scout Benfica game

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It’s not often you’ll hear Sheffield Wednesday and £105m valued player uttered in the same sentence, but after the club emerged on a list of names that had sent scouts to watch Benfica take on Frankfurt in the Europa League, fans on Twitter amusingly speculated they were about to sign Joao Felix.

The Portuguese wonderkid scored a hat-trick on the night and is one of the most sought after players in Europe, but he has a huge release clause in his contract.

Of course, Wednesday could have been there to watch any one of the 22 players on show, but Felix is the main name to catch the eye over the course of the night.

After seeing the news, one fan simply wished them good luck, whilst another said they’d have to sell the club to have any remote chance of bringing the hot talent to Hillsborough.

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The reaction from football fans just about summed up how ridiculous individuals can be on Twitter but would have provided amusement for Wednesday fans nonetheless.

They currently sit tenth in the Championship but are six points behind Bristol City in the race for a play-off place.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

Pundit View: Mourinho slams Solskjaer’s plan against Barcelona

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Jose Mourinho has slammed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tactics away at Barcelona.

Manchester United were not only beaten at the Camp Nou on Tuesday, they were swatted aside like an insect on a hot summer’s day.

The Red Devils surrendered an early 2-0 lead after Lionel Messi caught them napping twice, and Philippe Coutinho was afforded way too much space to smash home the third in the second half.

And Mourinho, who was fired by the Old Trafford outfit in December, is not impressed by the way Solskjaer set his team up.

What did he say?

“I think the United approach was different (in the second leg),” he told Russia Today.

“Man Utd in the first match, zonally, they occupied that central zone very well. So when he (Messi) was coming inside he was finding Fred, McTominay coming to the inside all the time.

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“In this match, maybe because Man Utd was losing 1-0 from the first match, they tried to start with a different perspective.

“Then it was Pogba wide on the left, McTominay much more on the right, Jesse Lingard playing as a 10 behind the striker.

“In front of the defensive line was only Fred. That’s the area when Messi comes, where Messi gets the ball.

“And when Messi has the ball one on one, you are dead. That’s why I never I like the individual man to man against Messi. Messi is a cage, you have to create a cage.”

Nailed it

While Ashley Young’s ridiculous excuse for defending didn’t help, Mourinho has correctly exposed a flaw in the way Solskjaer set up in Catalonia.

Messi scored twice from the area between midfield and defence at the edge of the box, the exact area Mourinho says you must not let the little Argentine into.

In truth, this was an avoidable mistake for Solskjaer as well, as Fred and McTominay were arguably his best players in the first leg.

Therefore, it makes absolutely no sense to switch things up and move them into positions in which they are uncomfortable.

Putting personal feelings aside, Mourinho has absolutely nailed it on this occasion.

Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp must secure future of wonderkid Rafael Camacho

Among his varied specialities, something Jurgen Klopp really excels at is deriving the absolute best from talented youngsters.

Indeed, he’s done as such with Trent Alexander-Arnold recently, asserting him as Liverpool’s prominent right-back. However, he has more options ahead to carve world-class players for the Reds.

Liverpool’s esteemed youth academy has produced some real gems recently, but Rafael Camacho’s a special player. Only 18, he’s done a fabulous job for their reserve team and put in some stunning performances in the UEFA Youth League. It’s no surprise Klopp wants to hand him a six-year deal as a reward, according to Record late last week.

Camacho possesses all the right ingredients to become a devastating attacking player. The Portuguese is an electric player, showcasing excellent skill on the ball to create some stunning moments. His impressive creativity’s also been shown with some sublime assists this season, while he can wander into the middle to score beautiful goals.

Racking up some impressive stats in Premier League 2 competition this season (as per Transfermarkt), 12 goals and 8 assists across all competitions is certainly good going.

The Portuguese is the complete package for Klopp. He’ll really relish managing such a multi-talented player, who can also operate as a right wing-back. If Alexander-Arnold’s inspired development under the German proved anything, Camacho’s devastating work can be taken to another level in the senior team.

Despite his age, Camacho possesses the talent to make his mark in the senior team. He can compete with Alexander-Arnold for the wing-back place, or just learn under Mohamed Salah and be his backup for now. Simply put, primed for a bright future and there’s no better road to achieving it than under Klopp’s guidance, which can take him to new heights very soon.

Liverpool fans, do you think Camacho can shine through at senior level? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Embarrassing stuff: The one stat that shows just how vulnerable Man United are

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It would be stating the obvious to say that Manchester United are not in the best shape they’ve ever been in right now.

They have just seen their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League vanish after a humiliating 1-1 draw with bottom placed Huddersfield, and are in free fall with a number of players either wanting to leave or just simply not good enough anymore.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a lot on his mind right now; what should he do with Paul Pogba? Who does he need to sign this summer? Will David de Gea sign a new contract? To name just a few examples.

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Another example would be the United backline. It has become powder-puff. Phil Jones is bottom-half standard. Marcos Rojo is barely available. Ashley Young is well past it. I could go on.

However, if you scratch beneath the surface a bit more, you’ll find one stat that shows just how vulnerable United are right now, and just how open De Gea is with little protection.

The Red Devils stopper, who has played all 37 of United’s Premier League games, has faced the third most shots in the top-flight this season behind relegated Cardiff’s Neil Etheridge, and 11th-placed West Ham’s Lukasz Fabianski – that is not the company the Spaniard should be finding himself surrounded by, especially with the ambitions United have for themselves.

To further reinforce the point, just below the former Atletico Madrid man is Watford’s Ben Foster, and 19th-placed Fulham glovesman Sergio Rico, along with a few other bottom-half keepers.

This is Manchester United we’re talking about. Liverpool and Manchester City’s Alisson and Ederson find themselves 18th and 21st on this very same list, having had to face a whole 82 and 101 less shots respectively.

Yes, he has come under fire for some sloppy errors recently, but United’s backline, and the team as a whole, aren’t doing enough to protect their No.1 and keep the opposition at bay like the teams they are aspiring to match.

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