Posting quirky videos on social media, especially when you are a Premier League club with a lot of followers, is always a risky tactic.
It can lead to provocation from opposition supporters, and also your own fans.
On Monday afternoon, West Ham posted a video on their official Twitter page which showed the likes of Diafra Sakho, Mark Noble, Manuel Lanzini and Winston Reid preparing for the new campaign.
The caption: ‘Another week of hard work ahead’, suggested that it would be a video of high-tempo fitness work as the Hammers prepare for their trip to Manchester United on the opening weekend of the new Premier League campaign.
Instead, it showed four of the club’s players going at their own pace, with centre-forward Sakho hardly breaking a sweat on the bike.
Noble, Lanzini and Reid will always have some breathing room with the club’s supporters, but Sakho only played four times last season due to injury, and the West Ham fans wanted to see a little bit more effort from the 27-year-old.
A 4-0 defeat was not the optimal start on the opening day of the season for a new-look West Ham United side for whom optimism has been growing over the last few weeks.
The signings of attacking talent like Javier Hernandez and Marko Arnautovic to go along with players like Andre Ayew and Manuel Lanzini stood out the most, but after a heavy defeat on the first game of the season, it looks like the defence is the problem.
The arrival of Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta bolstered a central defensive partnership of Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna, who themselves are backed up by Jose Fonte. Add Aaron Cresswell back into the mix after he recovers from injury, and that doesn’t look like such a bad starting back four and goalkeeper, despite the heavy defeat at the weekend.
So maybe the problem isn’t so much the defence as the balancing act in the middle. Despite playing against a Manchester United side who were always going to be devastating on the counter attack, Slaven Bilic opted to play a front three of attack-minded players, putting pressure on the men he started with in the midfield to protect their defence.
At the same time, though, you’d expect that the Hammers will line up for most of the rest of the season: two holding midfielders in behind Lanzini, Ayew and Arnautovic with Hernandez up front. That would represent an even more attacking XI, with a two-man midfield instead of three central players, freeing Lanzini to provide the link to the attackers.
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But the question isn’t so much the system but the players who are in it. That’s going to be the main problem for the rest of the transfer window. Despite the sturdy-looking defence and exciting attack, the Hammers conceded four goals and failed to score. That might be because the quality of the midfield three pales in comparison to the rest of the side – and Manchester United’s midfield, though Bilic won’t face them every week. West Ham’s midfield simply not up to the same level as the rest of their own team, and even though Cheikhou Kouyate is still to come back, you get the feeling that the reported deal for William Carvalho really needs to happen for the Hammers to make their other good signings into a successful team.
At the moment, the middle is the part letting the side down. And the rest of the side, on paper, is a competitive one.
For Romelu Lukaku’s first goal, Pedro Obiang was robbed while trying to play a pass after taking far too long on the ball in the centre of midfield. And Nemanja Matic’s ability to win the ball off West Ham’s midfielders was a constant thorn in the east Londoners’ side. But a more composed player in the midfield, and one who is more comfortable on the ball – like Carvalho – would have have at least made the Hammers more competitive in the middle of the pitch.
Instead, West Ham had to make do and mend. And whilst it is only the first game of the season, it’s a wake up call for Slaven Bilic. There are still a few weeks left in the window, however, and the signing of Carvalho would change the feel of the side completely, turning the midfield from the weakness of the team into one that could unite the power of Kouyate with the composure and passing range of the Portuguese Euro 2016 winner and build a platform to start attacks for the dynamic players ahead of them.
That all sounds good, but two new problems then arise. One is giving time for new players to gel into the team, having bought five new players for the starting XI (an expected problem, and one that would be overcome with good management and team spirit). And the second problem is whether or not Carvalho can play in a disciplined defensive midfield role as well as being the link to bring the ball from defence into attack. That might be solved by playing a midfield three with Lanzini given a deeper role with extra defensive tasks, but that could end up dampening his creative qualities. If they do sign Carvalho, much will depend on his ability to run the midfield.
Things may not have looked great at Old Trafford for West Ham, but if they can sort out their midfield issues, the rest of their side doesn’t look as bad as the scoreline makes them out to be. They have a squad which should be able to compete, but it’s clear that it will take some clever management to get it right.
According to reports in The Times, Arsenal are considering making a fresh move for Paris-Saint Germain attacker Julian Draxler after being told they could sign the out-of-favour Germany international for £32m, with his wages worth around £90,000-a-week.
What’s the word, then?
Well, French publication L’Equipe, via Football 365, says that PSG boss Unai Emery had told Draxler that he is surplus to requirements following the arrival of Neymar fron Barcelona, despite only moving to the French capital from Wolfsburg during the January transfer window and making a positive impact for the Ligue 1 giants.
Now The Times says that Arsenal are considering renewing their long-term interest in the 23-year-old as they are still looking to bring in a new winger, having made little progress over a deal for Monaco’s Thomas Lemar.
The report adds that even though PSG spent £35.5m on the Germany international seven months ago, they would be willing to accept an offer of £32m now.
How did Draxler do for PSG last season?
He was quite impressive considering he didn’t have too much time to adapt to playing in a new team and league.
The forward scored 10 goals and provided a further five assists in 25 appearances in all competitions for PSG, with many of those outings coming on the left wing.
Would he be a good signing for Arsenal?
He certainly could be, yes.
Draxler has proven over the course of the last few years what impact he can have from an attacking point of view, and despite his tender years he already has 35 caps for Germany to show how highly-rated he is in his own country.
The 23-year-old showed his ability to run with the ball by successfully completing 30 of the 41 take-ons he attempted in 17 Ligue 1 appearances, while his 6’2″ frame means he is also strong in the air when he needs to be.
What’s the verdict, then?
Well, Arsenal still look to be keen to bring in a left-sided player before the transfer window slams at the end of this month, and Arsene Wenger may feel that moving for Draxler over Lemar would be cheaper and probably more realistic.
The future of Ross Barkley has been a recurring theme throughout Deadline Day.
Having rejected the opportunity to extend his contract with Everton at the end of last season, the England international has been expected to leave Goodison Park since the opening of the summer transfer window.
However, Barkley’s fate has come down to the final hours of the window and it now appears he’s unexpectedly turned down the chance to sign for Chelsea, who were one of the clubs alleged to be in the mix to sign the England international earlier today.
It’s not often a player who seemingly has no future at his current club – Barkley’s contract is due to expire in a year’s time and the Toffees have made signings to address his departure – snubs the chance to not only join a Champions League side but also reigning Premier League champions.
Quite why the 23-year-old changed his mind during the medical examination remains unclear but needless to say, it’s created quite the storm amongst football fans from a variety of clubs on Twitter…
As reported by The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur have opened contract talks with one their key performers.
What’s the story?
Dele Alli has had a rapid rise from unknown signing to key player at Spurs and his continuing good form is set to be rewarded with a bumper new contract that could double his wages.
That’s according to The Sun, who report that his current deal of £50k-a-week is set to be doubled through the £100k-a-week barrier to put him on wage parity with the likes of Harry Kane and Hugo Lloris.
The player only signed a new deal last year, but Spurs are keen on rewarding their top performers to fend off interest from teams in England and around Europe, say the paper.
How important is he?
When Dele Alli plays well, Spurs almost certainly do too. He’s an attacking inspiration in Mauricio Pochettino’s team and they simply must keep him around in the coming years if they’re serious about their ambitions to win meaningful silverware.
Last season he scored a sensational 22 goals, also creating 13 assists, in all competitions and there was arguably no-one more important to the Spurs cause outside of Harry Kane.
That’s worth the reported £100k-a-week, especially in today’s market when transfer fees and wages are ballooning. If Tottenham want to have talents like the 21-year-old at the club for years to come, they’ll need to pay the price for it.
As reported by The Express, Manchester United are ready to go to battle with their city rivals in order to land one of the hottest midfield prospects in Europe, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
What’s the story?
The two Manchester clubs are leading the way on the pitch in the English Premier League this season and two look set to compete off the pitch too in upcoming transfer windows.
The Express report that Jose Mourinho is ready to make Lazio star Milinkovic-Savic one of his number one targets next summer in an effort to make sure he doesn’t end up working for Pep Guardiola at the Etihad.
The paper say Guardiola has also been impressed with his showings for the Italian club and will keep tabs on his progress throughout the season.
However, Lazio won’t let him go on the cheap and the report states he could cost as much as £75m.
Soccer Football – Serie A – Lazio vs Napoli – Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy – September 20, 2017 Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in action with Napoli’s Christian Maggio REUTERS/Ciro De Luca
Worth that much?
The reported £75m is a significant fee, even by 2017 standards, and Milinkovic-Savic hasn’t got too much experience at the top level to justify such a price tag. He does have potential though and Lazio are wise to try and protect his talent with high asking prices.
A winner of the U20 World Cup with Serbia in 2015, the 22-year-old has every chance of making it to the very top if he continues his current trajectory. A mainstay in the Lazio side, he’s emerged as one of the hottest prospects in Italian football now and will almost undoubtedly make a move to a giant club with his next career step.
With seven goals and 10 assists last season, he’s shown he can be an effective attacking presence in the middle of the park, which could be a big hit at either Manchester United or City, if they’re willing to pay the big money for him.
Being six points off the Premier League leaders at this stage of the season is nothing to feel concerned about, but for some Chelsea fans, they are in a negative mood.
Antonio Conte’s men currently sit fourth in the table and are slightly off the pace in the title race, with both Manchester clubs currently dominating.
Before the international break, the Blues’ five-game unbeaten run in the division came to an end when they were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City, who reside at the top of the standings.
Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Crystal Palace, the reigning English champions have some injury concerns, with Alvaro Morata and N’Golo Kante on the treatment table.
The Blues are the overwhelming favourites to get a result at Selhurst Park given that their opponents are yet to pick up a point having lost seven matches on the trot.
Some Chelsea fans, though, are not hugely confident about getting a result, while others think that team selection is vital.
There is nothing really for anyone connected with Manchester United to complain about with regards to results.
The Red Devils are unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions, their most recent result being a 1-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League.
As it stands, the club sit second in the Premier League table, two points adrift of neighbours Manchester City.
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However, manager Jose Mourinho faced criticism last week for his tactics against Liverpool, with many accusing the Portuguese coach of making the goalless draw a drab affair at Anfield.
The former Chelsea boss has a reputation for ‘parking the bus’ in order to avoid defeat or sneak a 1-0 win, and former Liverpool forward Craig Bellamy thinks that the manager’s approach could cause problems with the Old Trafford faithful.
United are historically known for their attacking flair, which Bellamy thinks is being stifled with Mourinho in charge.
While on Sky Sports’ The Debate show, the Welshman said:
“Manchester United are more than titles. As a football club they have an identity that’s worth more than a title. As a club they have a certain way of playing and as a club they’ve let that go for the time being.
“Sir Bobby Charlton said it through the years that Mourinho isn’t a Man United type of manager. At the moment, for their desperation to win trophies, to get back to the top, they will bring him in and they will let it go for now, but there will only be a period Manchester United supporters and Manchester United as a football club will allow this to happen for.”
Liverpool suffered an embarrassing heavy defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, thrashed 4-1 at Wembley Stadium in the English Premier League.
The Reds were architects of their own demise for the most part, with their defensive frailties again coming to the fore, allowing the opposition to do real damage in the first half.
Spurs were 3-1 up by half-time thanks to goals from Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Son Heung-min, with Kane adding to their misery with a fourth early after the break.
It’s a defeat that will ask serious questions of Jurgen Klopp and his failure to stem the tide of goals conceded in league action. Of the teams in the top half of the table, only Watford have conceded more so far this season.
Fans are beginning to lose faith in Klopp and worries about the future direction of the club are now no longer unspoken, with many feeling the German needs to make significant changes, or risks losing his job.
Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the result, the performance and what it all means for their manager…
Chelsea are planning to swoop for Everton midfielder Ross Barkley in the January transfer window, according to The Mirror.
What’s the word?
The England international ended up staying at Goodison Park following a summer of speculation, but his future remains uncertain.
Both Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea were linked with moves for the 23-year-old, but no deal was agreed.
The Mirror claims that the Blues will revive their interest in the midfielder in January during what could be a winter spending spree, despite the recent departure of technical director Michael Emenalo.
The publication adds that Everton are likely to do business in January as they do not want to risk losing him for nothing when his contract expires next summer.
Is he good enough?
There was a time when Barkley was tipped to become one of England’s best players, but over the last few seasons under former Everton boss Ronald Koeman, the midfielder has stagnated.
Inconsistency has been Barkley’s biggest problem and as a result, he has failed to live up to expectation.
The pressure at a club like Everton is heavy, but it will be even weightier at Chelsea or Tottenham, both of whom are title challengers.
Barkley will have to work hard to be first choice at either club, and it may take time considering that he has not played at all this season due to a hamstring injury.
If Chelsea want a player that can hit the ground running, Barkley may not be the answer.