All posts by h79snht.top

Everton have a great chance of survival in their Premier League relegation battle this season following Sean Dyche’s arrival at Goodison Park, as their performances have already had a rapid turnaround in just three games.

The former Burnley boss has secured two victories and is currently unbeaten at home, collecting six points from nine which has helped the Toffees quickly climb into a safe position of 16th but with 15 fixtures remaining and just one point clear of the relegation zone, there is still a long way to go.

Indeed, should Dyche secure survival in the Premier League he will surely be backed by the Everton hierarchy to improve and reinvest in the team this summer, especially after the failure to replace Anthony Gordon in the January transfer window.

However, the Everton boss may already have his heir to the departed winger in Everton academy graduate Lewis Dobbin who is currently thriving on loan with Derby County.

How is Lewis Dobbin performing on loan?

The talented 20-year-old – hailed “relentless” and a “crowd lifter” by BBC Radio Derby reporter Dominic Dietrich – made the move to League One to earn some first-team football this season and has shown glimpses of his ability during his time so far with the Rams.

Over 29 League One appearances, Dobbin has scored two goals, registered four assists and created four big chances, as well as averaging 1.3 shots on goal, one successful dribble and 2.5 duels won per game, proving that he is providing a potent attacking threat.

Dobbin has provided most of his goal contributions in wide-forward positions for Derby, proving comfortable on both the left and the right wing, with his goal in their FA Cup replay in November earning him high praise from manager Paul Warne:

“It was nice for Dobbs to get a screamer and that was the highlight of the game really. We could see it had a chance as soon as he hit it.

“His work-rate gets him in the team and goals are the cherry on top of that, but it was one of those moments that was a joy to watch.”

The young forward who penned a new three-and-a-half-year deal with Everton in January 2022 has been rising through the ranks of the Merseyside youth set-up since he was 11 years old and has since earned recognition on the international stage with two caps for the England U19s.

Now Dobbin could get his golden opportunity to follow in the footsteps of fellow academy graduate Gordon by taking his position at Goodison Park and becoming a first-team regular next season under Dyche.

With that being said, the future is looking bright for the Everton youth prospect and if he can continue to flourish whilst on loan it would surely put him in a good position to compete for a spot with his parent club in the near future.

Other than the obvious example of Declan Rice, West Ham have struggled to progress players from their academy into the first team in recent seasons.

However, Ben Johnson has shown over the last few years that he can now be considered a strong member of David Moyes’ squad at the London Stadium, with his market valuation continuing to soar.

How much is Ben Johnson worth now?

Since making his Premier League debut in the 2018/19 season, Johnson has gone on to make 79 appearances in total for the first team at West Ham, contributing two goals and one assist.

While he has featured mainly as a right-back, he has demonstrated impressive versatility in his career thus far, appearing in nearly every defensive and midfield position, so he is clearly a valued member of Moyes’ squad.

This season has seen the 23-year-old make 12 appearances in the Premier League, earning a 6.49 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This ranks him just behind Vladimir Coufal (6.53) and ahead of Thilo Kehrer (6.36) in West Ham’s squad, so it seems clear that the Englishman can be relied upon to be a big part of the Hammers’ defence in the future.

The youngster would earn plenty of praise from former goalkeeper Paul Robinson after he replaced Coufal in West Ham’s starting side back in 2021.

Robinson said: “It’s incredible because Coufal has been one of West Ham’s best players over the past 18 months.

“If you were Ben Johnson, you would have thought your only chance to play would be when Coufal was injured.

“But, Johnson’s performances have been of such merit that he deserves to be in the team. There is no doubt about that in my eyes. He has been absolutely brilliant since he has come in.”

There is little doubt that Johnson can be a big part of West Ham’s future if they can tie him down to a longer contract at the London Stadium, as his current deal is set to expire at the end of next season.

However, if he were to leave, the Hammers would be safe in the knowledge that he would command a sizeable fee, as his market value has shot up to €12m (£10.5m) according to Transfermarkt.

This represents a 1100% increase on the €1m (£876k) he was valued at back in 2020 when he first broke into West Ham’s team, a testament to his progression under Moyes.

Hopefully, for the Hammers, fellow academy players can look at Johnson’s journey into the first team and follow suit in the coming years, with the club undoubtedly striking gold with his marvellous development.

Newcastle United’s 2-0 defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium capped off a bitter spell of form that has seen the outfit stumble during their commendable, European-chasing campaign.

The Magpies are enduring a five-match winless streak in the Premier League, also losing the Carabao Cup finale against Manchester United last weekend, and manager Eddie Howe will be hoping to pick up the pieces and galvanise his squad back into form ahead of the business end of the season.

A wondrous solo effort from Phil Foden was complemented by Bernardo Silva’s sweet second-half finish, and for all of the Tynesiders’ resilience and cohesion as a unit, they could not muster the requisite attacking impetus to silence the City crowd.

Now four points behind fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur, albeit with two games in hand, Newcastle need to dust off the cobwebs of this indifferent spell of form and forge a path back to prominence.

Howe will demand contribution from every inch of his squad, which is why Jamaal Lascelles’ performance in the den of the current league champions will have been most pleasing.

Did Lascelles prove his worth vs Man City?

Part of a £7m double signing from Nottingham Forest – alongside goalkeeper Karl Darlow – in 2014, Lascelles has been a stalwart for Newcastle, and while he has found opportunities harder to come by this term, the defeat against City only his second Premier League start of the season, his display adds an invaluable layer to his side’s depth.

And with Fabian Schar unavailable due to concussion, the 29-year-old stepped in and performed admirably, with imperious City talisman Erling Haaland restricted to two off-target strikes and conceding defeat in all three of his attempted dribbles, as per Sofascore.

Sofascore also recorded Lascelles’ six clearances, invaluable in ensuring City were not provided total dominance in the away side’s offensive third, also completing 83% of his passes and recording 60 touches despite City’s ball-playing excellence.

The Newcastle Chronicle bestowed a 7/10 match rating upon the Englishman, who last started against Liverpool last October, saying: “Did what he does well and routinely cleared. And will be one of the few defenders to stop Haaland scoring, excellently setting tone with crunch tackle early on. A decent return despite defeat. Man of the match.”

The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson also lauded Lascelles as among “the top marks” for his contribution, and should Howe require his presence for the forthcoming fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he is in good stead to continue his resurgence and impress once again.

While record £63m summer signing Alexander Isak will earn the plaudits for his efforts off the bench, looking lively and leaving journalist Josh Bunting remarking that Newcastle are “at their most dangerous” when he is on the pitch, Lascelles’ display was invaluable in reminding the manager of his depth.

Isak managed a shot on target and a blocked attempt, completing his only dribble attempt and won both of his ground duels; his offensive effort was impressive, and Howe can take solace from both the attacking impact of his star signing and the defensive work of utility option Lascelles.

Manchester United winger Antony was ‘having a go’ at right-back Diogo Dalot during the club’s 7-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday, according to Samuel Luckhurst. 

The Lowdown: Unbeaten run comes to an end

Erik ten Hag’s side were 11 unbeaten heading into the trip to Anfield and were looking to strengthen their hold on third place. However, despite a promising first-half display, the Red Devils fell to a heavy defeat, with most of the damage coming in the second half.

Dalot was making his fourth successive Premier League start and 30th appearance of the season but was on the receiving end of some criticism from his teammates and manager.

The Latest: Luckhurst’s post

Luckhurst, chief Manchester United writer for the Manchester Evening News, took to Twitter during the game to share what he spotted regarding Dalot in the first half.

He said that Antony was ‘having a go’ at the full-back ‘for his use of the ball’, adding that ‘Fred and Ten Hag were also on his case’.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-man-utd-news-11/” title=”Latest Man Utd news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Afternoon to forget

It was an afternoon to forget at Anfield, but Dalot was actually United’s best-rated defender with a SofaScore match rating of 6.6/10. He actually outperformed Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez and Luke Shaw and even Antony who was quick to show his displeasure at the Portuguese defender in the early stages.

Ten Hag will surely look to put this result behind him and his squad as soon as possible, starting against Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday, where a number of starters could well be dropped following their disappointing displays on Merseyside.

Arsenal reporter for The Evening Standard Simon Collings was left stunned by a solo run from Gabriel Martinelli that almost led to a goal against Sporting.

The Lowdown: Stalemate

Arsenal had to settle for a 2-2 draw to take back to the Emirates Stadium in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League last-16 clash on Thursday evening.

William Saliba had nodded the Gunners in front with a header from a corner kick, but Goncalo Inacio equalised in the same manner, before Paulinho put the hosts 2-1 in front early in the second half.

Mikel Arteta’s team saw an unfortunate own goal from Hidemasa Morita trickle into his own net to level the scores, with the tie finely poised going into the second leg next Thursday night.

The Latest: Almost an incredible goal…

With the score at 2-1, Martinelli almost scored an incredible solo goal, as he started dribbling with the ball deep into his own half, beating challenges from three Sporting players before rounding the goalkeeper.

Unfortunately, defender Jeremiah St. Juste recovered to intercept the ball, meaning that the chance had gone, but journalist Collings was left wowed after watching Martinelli’s slalom run:

“My word. Martinelli so close to one of the great goals. Unreal run from his own half.”

The Verdict: Shame

It was a shame that Martinelli could not finish off the move, but it was a piece of individual brilliance from the Brazilian.

He won ten of his duels in total, the second-most on the pitch, and also recorded a team-high three shots, seven successful dribbles and two key passes in the match (SofaScore).

Of course, had he scored, the North Londoners would be taking a lead into the second leg, but now they will have to beat Sporting at home if they are to go through to the quarter-finals.

West Ham United’s players had a dressing room bust-up after the 4-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month, according to ex-Hammer Frank McAvennie.

The Lowdown: West Ham struggling

West Ham fans would have been hopeful about their side turning a corner after the 4-0 victory against Nottingham Forest at the back end of February, but they have been unable to kick on, crashing out of the FA Cup away at Manchester United in the following match.

Things went from bad to worse for the Hammers, suffering a very disappointing 4-0 defeat at the Amex Stadium before being unable to take all three points against Aston Villa, despite having more expected goals than their opponents.

While supporters are undoubtedly frustrated with the recent performances from the players, there has also now been a suggestion about unrest in the dressing room at the London Stadium…

The Latest: McAvennie’s comments

In an interview with Football Insider, McAvennie shared what he’s heard about how West Ham’s players reacted to the heavy loss against Brighton, hinting Moyes’ negative play-style has become an issue.

The pundit said: “I heard there was a big argument in the dressing room after the weekend.

“I hope that is not starting to creep in. I do not know if it is David or not but you cannot be that negative.

“The players that West Ham have got, I can’t understand why David Moyes would do that so maybe it is the players.

“Last year they were defending well and hitting people on the break, this year they are getting found out so they have to change it.“

The Verdict: Must stick together

Given the perilous situation that the Hammers find themselves in, currently outside the relegation zone on goal difference alone, it is vital that the players stick together for the remainder of the season.

That said, it could be argued that, at the very least, it shows they really do care if they are airing their frustrations to each other, which is a better sign than them remaining completely unfazed by such a disappointing defeat.

With Moyes’ side set to take on the likes of Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool next month, as well as Manchester United in May, West Ham have a tricky run-in, and they need full commitment from every player if they are to stave off the threat of relegation.

Injury expert Dr Rajpal Brar has said he’d ‘be surprised’ if Leeds United full-back Stuart Dallas returned from injury before the end of the current campaign.

The Lowdown: Three operations

Dallas has now been out of action for 11 months after suffering a serious injury against Manchester City at Elland Road last April. The Northern Irishman suffered a femoral fracture following a collision with Jack Grealish and had surgery in London shortly after.

Since then, the 31-year-old has had two more operations, with the first being to help limit the sensation in his knee and the latest a small clean-up surgery.

Leeds correspondent Phil Hay said at the beginning of the month that ‘it sounds like he’s going in the right direction’ with the aim ‘always to be back before the end of the season’, but it looks as if that may be asking a lot of the versatile fan favourite.

The Latest: Brar’s comments

Brar was talking to MOT Leeds News regarding Dallas and a possible return before the season is out. The injury expert said he had a ‘rare’ injury for footballers and admitted he’d ‘be surprised’ if he returned, claiming it would be a lot to ask.

“He had a rare femoral fracture (rare for footballers) and then a follow-up procedure in January as well to help clean up the area.

“I’d be surprised if he returned this season because he will return to relatively high-intensity games with Leeds looking to avoid the drop and that is a lot to ask for after missing the entire season.”

The Verdict: Right call

Dallas has been a key man for Leeds over a number of years, helping them return to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa. He won three honours following the club’s first season back in the top flight, turning out in a number of different positions.

However, it is only a year on from his very serious injury, so it could be the right decision to look to integrate Dallas back into the side in the summer instead of pushing for a return before the end of May.

He may need time to get fully back up to speed, and with Leeds involved in a battle to avoid the drop, placing the pressure on Dallas to perform to the high standards straightaway could be extremely unfair.

Hopefully, we will see Dallas return to the form that made him a regular for Leeds prior to his injury in the Premier League next season, provided the club remain in the top flight.

Tottenham Hotspur are a club lacking an identity.

Antonio Conte knew what his philosophy would be, but that differed from the defensive stylings of both Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho before him.

Then, preceding all three of them was Mauricio Pochettino, who came the closest to any long-lasting success with his expansive brand of attacking football.

Ever since their rise to the top of the English game, the Lilywhites have seemingly lost all track of what direction they wanted to take the club in, with Daniel Levy one of many responsible for this. He has allowed the standards to drop in north London, and now seeking a new manager once again, they must find someone to pick them back up.

Needing a reset, and a strong-willed coach who would be happy to oversee such a revolution, there is arguably few more renowned for his work rebuilding a sleeping giant than Marcelo Bielsa.

Would Marcelo Bielsa join Spurs?

The Argentine is clearly keen to return to football, with his interest in both the recent vacancies at Everton and AFC Bournemouth enough to suggest he would be open to joining Spurs.

Especially following the suggestion from journalist Mark Carey, who put the great Argentine forward as a possible successor in north London.

Although the systems of Conte and the 67-year-old could not be more varied, given the former's reliance on defensive structure whilst the latter prefers free-flowing attack, the gruelling pre-season camp held last year would at least have the fitness levels up to the required level to replicate some form of the infamous 'murder-ball'.

His role in restoring Leeds United to the top flight was instrumental, and in doing so he reset the culture at Elland Road after a 16-year absence from the Premier League.

His unique brand of football had everyone enamoured, and although it had started to fall apart before his sacking, perhaps with a higher calibre of players it might reach new heights.

After all, many of the game's greatest managers have been quick to praise his exploits. Pep Guardiola lauded his achievement with that promotion and seemed to downplay his own legacy in comparison to his idols. He claimed: "Give him my Barcelona and you will see how he will win titles. Give me Leeds, with all due respect to the Leeds players, but I would still be in the Championship."

A former player from his reign, Jamie Shackleton, suggested that the unorthodox leader was a "world-class" coach before Carey seemed to outline exactly what Spurs need from a manager in Bielsa.

He noted: "Across his career, Bielsa has raised the levels of each squad he manages, he demands the highest standards from his players and he has a clear high-pressing style that could benefit many of Tottenham's current crop."

In an effort to find a new identity, and one which will mark a refreshing switch up from their dull last three appointments, Levy needs to look no further than the former Leeds boss.

Everton's financial difficulties have seemingly boiled over of late, with the club having now been referred to an independent commission to investigate their alleged breaches.

Whilst the result of that and the subsequent penalty is yet to be decided, it is clear that the Toffees have made huge efforts to try and cut down on their spending in recent years whilst offloading some of their top talents.

Anthony Gordon made his exit in January for £45m, nearly six months after Richarlison had left for £60m in the summer, yet despite the playing squad being overhauled somewhat, it was only really Amadou Onana who ended up costing a significant fee.

Arguably of all the managers who was most hamstrung by this lack of investment was Rafa Benitez, who was forced to operate on a stringent budget during his one summer in charge.

Although not being able to spend is inherently a disadvantage, it does almost force clubs to work a little harder on their recruitment. As such, it can bear fruit.

With the acquisition of Demarai Gray, that was certainly the case.

How much is Demarai Gray worth?

Unsurprisingly, the former Bayer Leverkusen wide man has seen his value skyrocket since his initial move back to England. That was hardly a difficult task, as somehow the German outfit were tempted to part ways with him for just £1.7m.

Just three goal contributions in ten Bundesliga games was hardly sparkling, but it remained a sensational coup for a player already boasting Premier League experience with Leicester City too.

He has since gone on to play 68 times for the Merseyside outfit, contributing with 12 goals and six assists, including his curling free-kick against Crystal Palace that was met by Dominic Calvert-Lewin, to secure their place in the division last season.

When on his day the forward is truly unstoppable, with his speed and quick feet leaving full-backs with no chance. Journalist Scott Saunders even noted that he was "absolutely electric" earlier this year.

Gray remains the club's top scorer in all competitions too, further outlining his ever-growing importance to the various managers who have held the manager's position at Goodison Park.

Therefore, from that initial fee, his value has shot up in just a short period. Transfermarkt already rates him at €20m (£17.6m), marking a 935% rise in just two years.

These financial implications are far from a positive thing for the club, but they have forced them to finally be a bit more intelligent with their spending. Should it continue for the next year or two, whilst hardly exciting, it could spell a few more bargains in the offing akin to this one.

Mikel Arteta's talent ID is one of the best around, with Arsenal very much front and centre of the Premier League due to his ideologies.

Once upon a time, the Spaniard claimed in a press conference that his project would go 'bang' and indeed, it has truly exploded into life this term.

The Gunners are the runaway leaders in the top flight, besting Manchester City by eight points at present.

Arteta has changed the culture of this great club in order to do so, bringing in players who will flood the dressing room with a positive and vibrant attitude. Long gone are the days of toxicity, that's for sure.

The likes of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus have brought a never-say-die mantra to north London, a belief and winner's mentality that has filtered down right throughout the squad.

That said, there is still some gutting left to do behind the scenes when the summer transfer window opens.

Remarkably, Arsenal have sent the most players out on loan of any club in world football this term (25), with France seemingly a temporary home for many. However, for all the success a certain Folarin Balogun has enjoyed in Ligue 1, scoring 18 times this term, there is a Nuno Tavares and Nicolas Pepe.

How is Nicolas Pepe doing on loan?

The duo were both exiled from the club's London Colney training base at the beginning of the campaign, with Tavares being sent to Marseille and Pepe to Nice.

The latter has enjoyed a fairly decent campaign as he seeks to rejuvenate his career after a record-breaking move of £72m failed to go according to plan.

Pepe has since found his feet a bit more since moving back across the channel, scoring eight goals in all competitions, two of which have come in the Europa Conference League.

A solitary assist he would surely like to improve on but these are steady, albeit far from sensational numbers.

That rather backs up the last few seasons the Ivorian has endured, showing flashes of brilliance during his stay at the Emirates Stadium, having racked up 27 goals and 21 assists for Arsenal.

It seems likely he'll finally be due a permanent exit in the summer, but Tavares arguably deserves one too.

How is Nuno Tavares doing on loan?

Pepe has seldom complained over the last few years, nor has he been a hindrance to the side's precious mental state.

Tavares, for all of his exciting play and youthful exuberance down the flanks, is the opposite of that, proving that he is perhaps worse than his parent club teammate in that regard.

Notably hauled off in the first half of an FA Cup tie with Nottingham Forest last season after a shambolic showing, he angrily kicked a water bottle in response.

It seems as though that attitude hasn't disappeared on the continent.

Indeed, the Portuguese full-back has been dubbed "catastrophic" by the French-speaking Cherif Sadio while pundits on After Foot RMC suggested that "every time there were big games, his [Tavares'] shortcomings were glaring."

That will hardly surprise Arsenal fans, but it's damning that he seemingly isn't learning his lesson out on loan.

The surroundings aren't to blame either. After all, Marseille is the club where William Saliba took home Ligue 1's Young Player of the Season in 2021/22.

On the face of it, the 23-year-old's stats aren't bad this season. The marauding defender only has two fewer goals than Pepe in all competitions.

That said, for all of the modern clamour for an offensive full-back, defending should always be the chief priority.

See Trent Alexander Arnold as one case study. The Liverpool star is one of the finest creators in the game having supplied 65 goals for the Anfield outfit but his defensive shortcomings, as is the case with Tavares, are clear for all to see.

Earlier in the term, one French publication, Coeur Marseilleis, suggested that the former Benfica ace was simply 'getting worse and worse' while he 'frustrates both in his choices and his attitude'. That is hardly a glowing assessment and one Arteta will have to take stock of over the summer.

This was a golden opportunity for Tavares to prove himself, but with Arsenal possessing wonderful options in his position – Zinchenko and Kieran Tierney – while now having to batter away competition from the spritely Lino Sousa too, it would be a surprise if he was at the club next term.

Indeed, it feels an apt time for Arsenal to remove the £27k-per-week man from their books.