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Last summer Fulham untangled themselves from the brambles of a ferociously competitive Championship season and prepared for a triumphant return to the Premier League after a four year absence.

They did so with a highly astute coach in Slavisa Jokanovic and a squad that was perfectly blended with youth and experience with plenty of quality throughout. Most of all they had two facets that are priceless to any ambitious club: momentum and togetherness. Had they kept everything exactly as is and made no signings the suspicion is that the Cottagers would likely remain a Premier League club right now.

Only they didn’t. Insecurities set in, that or impatience to quicker get where they ultimately wanted to be. In the last summer transfer window, Fulham brought in 10 new players at a combined cost of over £100m and that’s when their dream imploded.

The incoming talent – seven of which were from overseas – struggled to settle and the unforgiving top flight doesn’t offer up rehearsals. Jokanovic meanwhile struggled to find his best eleven as momentum halted and any togetherness in the camp dissipated. Their relegation was confirmed in early April but bluntly they were down from the get-go.

The three clubs that have reached the promised land this time out would do well to learn from Fulham’s mistakes and that applies mostly to Aston Villa. Why? Because the respective squads of Sheffield United and Norwich City each contain just a handful of players with Premier League experience and, with the greatest of respect, those players hardly set the division alight.

Take nothing away from how exceptional the Blades and Canaries have been this past year but you still feel they will need to add a bit more established quality to their ranks in order to survive, even thrive at the highest level.

Whereas Villa already have that top flight experience. They already have that quality. Even factoring in the recent releases of Alan Hutton and Mile Jedinak, the Villans still boast a multitude of players who have previously represented themselves well in the top tier and this number includes defensive stalwarts Neil Taylor, captain James Chester, and Ahmed Elmohamady, along with the seasoned Glenn Whelan.

As for the quality Jack Grealish obviously stands out, having easily made the Championship Team of the year through a series of outstanding individual displays. Also in that team was young striker Tammy Abraham whose 26 goals in 40 games last season proved so vital to Villa’s success.

The 21-year-old hotshot is pertinent here because he is, of course, a loanee set to return to his parent club, as too are Tyrone Mings and Axel Tuanzebe in addition to their play-off hero Anwar El Ghazi.

It is the nailing down of these four to permanent deals that should be Aston Villa’s main priority this summer and then, with the sensible recruitment of one or two new faces, the club can retain its momentum and keep the all-for-one mentality that has got them to this point.

Most importantly of all they can learn from the horrible failures of others who sailed in the same boat before them.

All bow for Juan Pablo Angel.

Every club has its cult heroes. Football would be nothing without them; soulless, pointless, passionless and all the other less’s out there. Southampton had Matt Le Tissier, Liverpool had Dirk Kuyt, Manchester United had Diego Forlan, Blackburn had Tugay and, most importantly, Aston Villa had our man in question, Juan Pablo Angel.

The Colombian may not have got off to the best start following a record £9.5million move from River Plate, but surely that makes what follows so utterly special? A comeback tale we can all get behind. Honestly, who doesn’t love that?

Sometimes all it takes is one goal to book yourself a spot in club folklore and Angel’s first and perhaps most memorable goal for the Villans arrived on the final day of the 2000/01 campaign against Midlands rivals Coventry.

The Sky Blues had been competing in the top flight of English football for 34 years before the South American popped up at the back post and half-volleyed home the goal that would ultimately hand the club a sentence of eighteen years (and counting) of football league mediocrity.

Their misery was, and still is, oh so sweet in the morbid kind of way us football fans seem to love.

Villa’s No.9 hit the ground running from thereon. The Premier League bore witness to a man who commanded an absolute talent for heading the ball, as well as the usual generic traits we all love to see in our favourite players; speed, strength, passion and willingness.

While statistics aren’t the be all and end all when it comes to securing cult hero status, it helped that the South American grabbed himself 16 league goals during the 2003/04 season – and 23 in all competitions.

The following campaign wasn’t as fruitful we admit, but he still hit double figures and a fine goal against Chelsea ensured that he will remain a prominent figure in Villa’s history.

Villa fans, what are your standout memories of Juan Pablo Angel? Let us know in the comments below…

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Manchester United have made initial contact with Fulham about signing Ryan Sessegnon, according to a report from Sky Sports on Friday.

The outlet say that the Red Devils are the first interested party to make their move for the teenage prospect, with Tottenham and Juventus also keen on signing him up.

Having made 120 career appearances for the Cottagers at the age of just 19, he is a player with enormous potential who can add serious depth to United’s left flank next season.

With the versatility to feature both as a wing-back or as an attacking winger, he could provide back-up for both Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial.

Fulham are heading back to the Championship and Sky Sports reckon the player is not keen to return to the second-tier, so this looks like the transfer window he will finally be on the move and plenty of United fans are eager to make sure Old Trafford is his destination.

These fans have taken to Twitter recently to discuss the potential deal…

Should Man United make a move for Ryan Sessegnon this summer? Share your thoughts in the comments below…

It has been a hugely frustrating few years for Jordan Rhodes at Sheffield Wednesday, hasn’t it?

Having arrived at Hillsborough in 2017 with a fearsome reputation of being able to score almost at will in the Championship, it was hoped that the forward would be able to fire the Owls to promotion.

However, in what was an extremely underwhelming debut season for Rhodes, he only managed to find the back of the net on seven occasions despite making 35 appearances in all competitions for Wednesday.

With then-boss Jos Luhukay deciding that he had seen enough of the £4.5m-rated ace (via Transfermarkt), he loaned him out to Norwich City last summer.

Although Rhodes would end up winning the second tier title with the Canaries, the fact that he once again failed to produce any sort of consistency during the 2018/19 campaign suggests that the Owls must do all they can to sell him this summer.

According to The Sun on Sunday (as quoted by HITC), Wednesday are reportedly not willing to let Rhodes leave for anything less than £7m, a fee which may put off any potential buyers.

If this is indeed true, Steve Bruce simply has to consider lowering the asking price for the Scotland international as, given his wretched form over the past two seasons, the likelihood of someone paying that much is very low.

Considering the fact that the 58-year-old already has better-attacking options at his disposal at Hillsborough in the form of Steven Fletcher and Fernando Forestieri, it could be argued that he does not even need Rhodes for the 2019/20 campaign and so cashing in on him would be the correct decision.

Even if Bruce only recuperates a fraction of the fee that he values the 29-year-old at, he could use the money to make some much-needed improvements to his squad ahead of next season.

What do you think Owls fans? Should Bruce sell Rhodes this summer? Or does the forward deserve another chance to impress next year? Get in touch below.

أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا” عن أفضل اللاعبين المرشحين للتشكيل المثالي لعام 2020 وعددهم 50 لاعبًا.

وشهدت القائمة تواجد مهاجم وهداف نادي ليفربول، محمد صلاح، في خط الهجوم بجانب الثنائي الأشهر في عالم الساحرة المستديرة، ليونيل ميسي وكريستيانو رونالدو.

ويتواجد مهاجم بايرن ميونخ وهداف دوري أبطال أوروبا السابق وأفضل لاعب في القارة العجوز، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، ضمن المرشحين، بجانب زميله في العملاق الألماني، مانويل نوير، في حراسة المرمى.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كاراجر: جريليش أفضل من محمد صلاح وماني وهازارد!

وجاءت الترشيحات كالتالي:

حراسة المرمى: أليسون (ليفربول)، مانويل نوير (بايرن ميونخ)، كيلور نافاس (باريس سان جيرمان)، أنتوني لوبيز (ليون)، يان أوبلاك (أتلتيكو مدريد).

الدفاع: ديفيد ألابا (بايرن ميونخ)، ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد (ليفربول)، أنخلينيو (لايبزيج)، خوان بيرنات (باريس سان جيرمان)، ألفونسو ديفيز (بايرن ميونخ)، ماتياس دي ليخت (يوفنتوس)، ستيفان دي فري (إنتر ميلان)، هانز هاتبوير (أتالانتا)، جوشوا كيميتش (بايرن ميونخ)، برسنيل كيمبيمبي (باريس سان جيرمان)، سيرجيو راموس (ريال مدريد)، أندرو روبرتسون (ليفربول)، تياجو سيلفا (باريس سان جيرمان، تشيلسي)، دايوت أوبامياكانو (لايبزيج)، فيرجيل فان دايك (ليفربول).

خط الوسط: تياجو ألكانتارا (ليفربول، بايرن ميونخ)، إيفر بانيجا (إشبيلية سابقًا)، نيكولو باريلا (إنتر ميلان)، حسام عوار (ليون)، كينجسلي كومان (بايرن ميونخ)، كيفن دي بروين (مانشستر سيتي)، برونو فرنانديز (مانشستر يونايتد)، أليخاندرو جوميز (أتالانتا)، ليون جورتسكا (بايرن ميونخ)، كاي هافيرتز (باير ليفركوزن)، جوردان هندرسون (ليفربول)، جوسيب إيليشيتش (أتالانتا)، ماركينيوس (باريس سان جيرمان)، توماس مولر (بايرن ميونخ)، مارسيال سابيتسر (لايبزيج).

خط الهجوم: إيرلينج هالاند (بوروسيا دورتموند)، آنخل دي ماريا (باريس سان جيرمان)، جواو فيليكس (أتلتيكو مدريد)، سيرجي جنابري (بايرن ميونخ)، شيرو إيموبيلي (لاتسيو)، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي (بايرن ميونخ)، روميلو لوكاكو (إنتر ميلان)، هاري كين (توتنهام)، ساديو ماني (ليفربول)، ليونيل ميسي (برشلونة)، نيمار (باريس سان جيرمان)، كريستيانو رونالدو (يوفنتوس)، كيليان مبابي (باريس سان جيرمان)، محمد صلاح (ليفربول)، رحيم ستيرلينج (مانشستر سيتي).

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Yesterday was quite a special day for Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang, Arsenal’s coveted striker, because he celebrated his 30th birthday.

And if his

/By30QQQnxxo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram post is proof enough, he seemed to celebrate it properly, enjoying some quality time with his family. His friends and the rest of the footballing world were quick to jump on the snap, wishing the speedy striker all the best and sending their regards.

London rival Timeoue Bakayoko was one of the first ones to the scene to congratulate Aubameyang with best wishes and emojis but also did not forget to include the striker’s signature move with #wakanda.

Ousmane Dembele, who played with the Gabonese international at Dortmund, was next up to pass along his best wishes, as were a series of other players.

Aubameyang arrived at Arsenal in January 2018 and has so far played 65 games for the Gunners, scoring 41 and assisting 12. He has very much become a key figure at the Emirates.

News has recently emerged that Marseille (per Sky Sports) have offered Everton the opportunity to sign Netherlands midfielder Kevin Strootman on loan, which would have been welcomed about six years ago.

Strootman, 29, was the talk of the town when he was linked with moves to Manchester United when David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal ruled the roost at Old Trafford, but since then interest in the player has somewhat cooled.

The Dutch midfielder made a big money move to French club Marseille from Roma for £23million last summer and has, in all fairness, featured throughout the season…in a team that fell desperately short of expectations.

Now Marseille need to cut costs after their poor season which has left them sat in sixth place in Ligue 1 with just a single round of fixtures left to play.

Everton boss Marco Silva is reportedly keen to reinforce his attacking options during the summer transfer window, with a central-midfielder among the positions the club are looking to improve.

Which begs the question: what is to become of Andre Gomes?

Well, we don’t expect this sacrificial offering to make much difference. At least we hope it won’t, anyhow, for the sake of the club. The Portuguese midfielder, who’s spent the past season on loan from footballing giants Barcelona has impressed this term with unrivalled calmness and technical ability on the ball, and we still expect Everton to be very keen on holding onto him despite rumours Tottenham are keen.

Despite popular belief, those in the Everton boardroom do have a brain. They’ll recognise that a trade for a competent midfielder who’s already shown that he can don the Premier League for a past it, injury prone mess doesn’t make sense and hopefully, they’ll avoid the deal at all costs.

Everton fans, would you be happy to sign Kevin Strootman if you knew it meant losing Gomes? Let us know in the comments below…

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It goes without saying that Jurgen Klopp is a charismatic, passionate figure who most players would run through a brick wall for.

The German can always be seen giving his players bear hugs after the final whistle – win, lose or draw – and makes it his goal to address the Kop end of Anfield in appreciation of their support; he is simply loved by everyone at Liverpool right now, especially after making them European champions.

Whilst it will be simple for the club to lure top players this summer after a sixth major European Cup win, it wasn’t always like this.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

When Klopp first arrived on Merseyside, Liverpool were languishing outside the top six and had little pulling power other than their rich history. So, how did the former Borussia Dortmund boss manage to convince so many players to join his Anfield revolution?

Let’s hear from the players themselves…

Fabinho

Arguably the most important signing for Liverpool last summer was the deal to bring Fabinho to Anfield, a destructive midfield presence but one with the technical skills to match his teammates’ ability.

When signing for the Merseysiders, the Brazil international cited Klopp’s impact in the deal as a pivotal factor, saying:

“It’s been a few weeks [since Liverpool first got in touch]. I spoke with people from the club, with the coach (Klopp), which gave me a lot of confidence.

“I wanted to go to a club that really wanted me, which showed great interest. With all that, it was easy to say yes.”

Alisson Becker

The No.13, who was instrumental in the Reds winning a sixth major European Cup last season, had an offer to join Chelsea last summer as Liverpool also competed with the Blues.

It must’ve been a tough choice, but the Brazil international revealed that a chat with the German boss helped convince him.

Alisson said:

“[Klopp] is a person who gives himself 100 percent to what he is doing. The chat I had with him [before joining Liverpool] is one of the things that left me more calm.

“He showed his interest in having me, not only the club’s interest but also his. It was a long interview despite my staggered English, but we understood each other well.”

Sadio Mane

Back in 2016, both Manchester United and Liverpool – two fierce rivals – were vying for Sadio Mane’s signature, although the Senegalese forward eventually signed for the Reds due to one factor; Klopp.

A £34m deal was agreed with Southampton, and upon signing for the Merseysiders, Mane said:

“I spoke with [Klopp] and I think he played a big role in me coming to Liverpool and I want to thank him for all the confidence.

“He said he wanted me to come and I didn’t try to ask myself questions as I was convinced Liverpool was the right club for me. It is the right club, right coach and right moment to change.”

Georginio Wijnaldum

Perhaps not one of the most in-demand footballers that Klopp has signed, Wijnaldum was still convinced by Klopp’s words when discussing a potential move to Anfield after Newcastle were relegated.

The Dutchman revealed all about how the former Mainz boss chatted to him about his football on a personal level, which appears to have been key in luring him to Merseyside.

Wijnaldum said:

“We talked about football and how he wants to play, how he sees me in his team. And also that he can make me a much better player because he said: ‘You can develop much more than you have now.

“I also had it in my head that I can be much better than right now and I had a feeling that he was the right man to help me with that.”

أعلن زين الدين زيدان، المدير الفني الفرنسي، لفريق ريال مدريد، عن تشكيل الملكي لمواجهة إشبيلية في قمة الجولة 11 من الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

ولا يزال النادي الملكي يعاني من غيابات، أبرزها سيرجيو راموس، بالإضافة لـ إيدين هازارد الذي أصيب الجولة الأخيرة أمام ألافيس.

ويدفع زيدان بالثنائي البرازيلي فينيسيوس ورودريجو في الهجوم، بجانب بنزيما، وخلفهما في وسط الملعب كاسيميرو الذي يعود يعد الغياب أمام شاختار. تشكيل ريال مدريد أمام إشبيلية

حراسة المرمى: كورتوا

الدفاع: فاسكيز، فاران، ناتشو، فيرلاند ميندي

وسط الملعب: توني كروس، مودريتش، كاسيميرو

الهجوم: فينيسيوس، رودريجو، بنزيما

Joe Worrall’s Ibrox days have come to an end. That much is a fact and the Gers will have mixed feelings about his time at the club. His form has certainly been up and down, and the negative points are a lot easier to pick out. However, as he leaves, a new man will have to come in, and according to Football Insider, that man could be John Souttar.

The Hearts defender is going to be leaving Tynecastle Park after a three and a half year stint with the Jam Tarts, and after first making the step up from Dundee United to Hearts, he’s now set to make yet another step up in the domestic scene in Scotland to sign for Steven Gerrard’s Rangers. The Gers will be fighting off interest from Derby County for the 22-year-old’s signature, and it would be a good move.

Not only does Joe Worrall need replacing, but the experienced and mostly unused defender Gareth McAuley will also be leaving Ibrox this summer at the end of his one-year deal with the Bluenoses, leaving yet another gap at the back that Stevie G needs to fill. That’s where Souttar would come in, as a replacement to fill the place of both of the departing defenders, and he’s more than capable of doing so.

The young centre-half has impressed at Hearts and has a Transfermarkt valuation of just £1.13 million, so if Gerrard is to fork out on the impressive youngster then it shouldn’t set the Ibrox club back too much either. In the report from Football Insider, it also claims that George Edmunson could also be set to come in at Ibrox, which would make a smart pairing that could last for years to come.

Rangers fans, would you be happy to sign John Souttar? Comment below!