Another Ekuban: Leeds fans don’t want Michael Frey

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Leeds United fans on Twitter have made it clear that they don’t want their club to make a move for Michael Frey this summer.

A Yorkshire Evening Post article written by Phil Hay claimed that the Yorkshire side are interested in the services of the Swiss forward.

The striker has been plying his trade in Turkey this season where he has been less than prolific. Frey has scored just three Super Lig goals this term, and form like that has raised a massive red flag amongst the fanbase.

Leeds do need reinforcements in the striker department this summer, but it’s hard to believe that the misfiring 24-year-old is the answer to their problems.

Despite being such a young age, a move to Leeds would see the attacker playing football in his fourth different country having already played in Switzerland, France and Turkey since the beginning of his career.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying about the potential signing…

Everton: Ryan Fraser could make Toffees’ European dreams come true

Everton are hoping to add players this summer that can take them into the European spots next season. With that in mind, Ryan Fraser would give them the attacking edge to help them achieve their goal.

The Bournemouth winger has played 38 games in the Premier League this season, making an impressive 14 assists and scoring seven goals in the process. Undoubtedly one of the best players outside of the top six, the Scotsman’s reportedly got admirers all over the country, and The Sun’s Alan Nixon believes the Toffees have a ‘major interest’.

While he also mentions Arsenal are working on making their interest known too, Fraser could become a club legend if he signs for Everton. Indeed, he needs to take advantage of this huge season and take a step up, but not a step too far as Arsenal would be.

The 25-year-old can be part of the exciting project Everton have in mind. Their attacking style would be attractive to Fraser and his direct nature would work wonders at Goodison Park. Frankly, it seems like a match made in heaven.

He’s rated at £16.2m on Transfermarkt and that seems a favourable price for Everton considering his age and potential impact. Obviously, Bournemouth would surely demand more than that but as a marquee addition, the former Aberdeen star is the kind of upwardly mobile talent the club are in desperate need of. Granted, any potential arrival could impact the playing time of Bernard, but competition is healthy, and it might just improve both players’ abilities.

The Toffees would go some way to reaching their goal of European football if they can snatch Fraser from Bournemouth this summer. He’s exactly what they need, so Marcel Brands needs to get a move on and sign him before Arsenal do instead.

Everton fans, where do you think your club needs to strengthen this summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Potential appointment of Slaven Bilic wouldn’t be worth the wait for West Brom

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According to Express & Star, West Brom have held talks with manager Slaven Bilic over their vacant position.

What’s the word?

Albion’s search for a new manager is either a case of meticulously ensuring they have the right man to bring them success or a sign that they have no clue what they actually want.

It seems more likely to be the latter given appointments in recent years, but a host of managers with varying qualities have now been named as contenders.

Last month Chris Hughton seemed to be at the forefront of things whilst Chris Wilder and Bruno Labbadia have also been in West Brom’s minds.

However, their approach has now taken another turn. Express & Star claim that Bilic met with the club’s officials on Tuesday night to discuss the role.

Per the report, he is one of the leading candidates in their search.

Not worth the wait

Bilic is yet another sign that Luke Dowling doesn’t particularly know what West Brom need.

In short, the Croatian wouldn’t be worth the wait. At West Ham he performed major surgery, bringing in ten players during his first summer transfer window in charge.

As far as rebuilds go, this is something that he may have to repeat if West Brom do appoint him. However, the additions he made in east London were extremely hit and miss.

The likes of Manuel Lanzini and Dimitri Payet were exceptional captures but there were more inconsistent players brought in such as Alex Song and Nikica Jelavic.

Given the club are trying to cut back financially, the Baggies cannot afford to bring in someone whose track record in terms of transfers isn’t the best.

Coupled with that, Bilic’s man management also leaves much to be desired. Although an experienced tactician, the fact he allowed West Ham players to have days off after defeats shows a complete lack of discipline.

As a result, taking up the West Brom hot seat would be completely wrong for all parties.

As another cracking Championship season draws to a close, check out the top 5 fan chants from 2018/19 in the video below…

What the club need right now is discipline and a strong approach.

The former Croatia manager wouldn’t give them that at this stage and represents a huge gamble. Albion need someone far more ruthless who can take their players in the right direction.

Having had since March to make an appointment, bringing in the 50-year-old would be questionable.

As he has already, Dowling needs to have a rethink.

Arsenal fans on Twitter feeling grave after Premier League fixtures announcement

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Loads of Arsenal fans on Twitter are feeling grave after their club’s Premier League fixtures for the 2019/2020 season were announced early on Thursday morning.

The Gunners have been dealt a horrifically difficult start to next campaign with clashes with both Champions League finalists on the calendar for the first month.

The trip to Anfield and visit of Tottenham Hotspur to the Emirates Stadium in the North London Derby will form the third and fourth top-flight encounters of the ’18/19 for Unai Emery’s men.

And understandably, supporters aren’t overly enticed by the prospect with one commenting that they can already see plenty of losses, another urging the club to announce relegation to the Championship and one more asking if next campaign can be skipped entirely.

Last season, Arsenal endured a dodgy start to their maiden term under Emery when they also had to face two of the “Big Six” in their first four games in the form of Manchester City and Chelsea.

Below is a list of the best aggrieved reactive Tweets from Gunners…

Transfer report gives alarming reason why Spurs can’t buy Lo Celso

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has told Giovani Lo Celso that the club cannot afford to make a big bid for him until Christian Eriksen leaves, per El Confidencial.

What’s the word?

Conflicting reports have disagreed over how much Spurs bid for the attacking midfielder.

The BBC claim that an offer of £53m was tabled, while the aforementioned El Confidencial report says that the offer was closer to €40m (£35.7m).

Lo Celso has a €100m (£89.2m) release clause in his contract and the report claims that Betis are not likely to sell him for under €80m (£71.5m).

However, Pochettino is said to have told the Argentina international personally that Spurs do not have the budget to pay that until they sell Eriksen.

Eriksen has expressed his desire to leave but a move to Real Madrid now appears a non-starter, with Marca reporting that Zinedine Zidane is instead prioritising a move for Manchester United’s Paul Pogba.

Unsurprising but alarming

Most Spurs fans will be unsurprised by this update but it is still likely to feel incredibly disappointing.

The club need to invest this summer but tabling low-ball bids for players who would obviously improve them is not the way to go about doing it.

If they knew that Eriksen was likely to be central to boosting their coffers, perhaps just an enquiry should have been made for Lo Celso instead of a formal bid.

Indeed, one has to point out that many reports disagree over the size of the offer but one thing is for certain: Betis don’t think it’s enough, regardless.

Lo Celso scored 16 goals last season, while he registered six assists. He would be a marquee signing for the club but, of course, they appear to be in a holding pattern as they wait to see what happens with Eriksen.

If he stays, as now seems likely, they might have to kiss their chances of securing the Betis star goodbye.

It remains to be seen if that will actually be a good move.

Tottenham fans reminisce about Lloris penalty save against Arsenal

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have once again hailed goalkeeper Hugo Lloris for his last-minute penalty save against Arsenal after the club’s official Twitter account asked fans to name the best stop of the season.

The north London rivals locked horns at Wembley in March.

Aaron Ramsey gave Arsenal a 16th-minute lead but Harry Kane equalised with a penalty of his own in the 74th minute.

The Gunners were awarded a spot-kick the final minute of the game after Davinson Sanchez was adjudged to have fouled Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the area.

The Gabon international stepped up but his effort was tame and Lloris was able to save.

Spurs, of course, went on to finish fourth in the Premier League, while Unai Emery’s side finished fifth, a solitary point behind their rivals.

Lloris’ save, then, could well have altered the destiny of both clubs, and fans have revelled in the reminder.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

Panini Tabloid Sticker Pack – Tottenham fan George Achillea picks up Lucas Moura

Lucas Moura both started and ended the season brilliantly for Tottenham Hotspur.

He was named as August’s Player of the Month thanks to a brace against Manchester United at Old Trafford at the beginning of the season and as the campaign came to its climax, the Brazilian scored a hat-trick against Ajax in the Champions League, this piece of individual brilliance sealing Tottenham’s spot in the final.

George Achillea, who can be seen in the video above filling in his Panini Tabloid, is thrilled that the attacker has managed to find his feet in the Premier League because he sees Lucas as a top, top winger.

Check out George’s thoughts on Lucas in full in the video above.

The Premier League Panini Tabloid is a special commemorative newspaper sticker collection celebrating the exciting new partnership between the greatest league in the world and the legendary name in football publishing, Panini. As the official collectable licensee to the Premier League, Panini are delighted to bring consumers a new era of collectables and the best collecting experience. See more here: http://bit.ly/PaniniFFCEditorial

Clearing out deadwood is crucial for Steven Gerrard’s Rangers this summer

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

The Daily Record have reported that six players in Steven Gerrard’s first-team squad are facing exits from Ibrox this summer.

What’s the story?

Players such as Gareth MacAuley, Lee Hodson, Lee Wallace have all left the club after the expiration of their contracts, while the club have also confirmed that goalkeeper Robby McCrorie will head to Scottish Championship side Queen Of The South on a season-long loan.

According to The Record though, the exits won’t stop there, with Kyle Lafferty set for a big money move to Thai Super League champions Buriram United.

The paper say that Lafferty has been told he has no future at Ibrox, with the club also working on ensuring exits for Eros Grezda and Graham Dorrans.

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The club will also listen to offers for goalkeeping duo Jak Alnwick and Wes Foderingham.

With Ryan Hardie also said to be on his way to Blackpool, the list of potential exits stands at six, according to the report.

Is a clear out needed?

Rangers have wasted no time in adding talent to their squad during the transfer window so it makes sense there would have to be some sacrifices from last season’s squad.

Players such as Joe Aribo have added strength to the midfield, negating the need for Dorrans, while new attacking talent Greg Stewart had a much more productive season last year than Lafferty, who mustered just six goals in 30 appearances.

The Gers need to be a lean, mean machine next season to pull in a direction that takes them closer to Celtic.

Depth is needed too of course, but if Gerrard feels that certain players aren’t going to get enough regular action to justify their wages then they must be moved on.

Crystal Palace target Jean Seri outperformed every Eagles player in key area last season

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

The Sutton and Croydon Guardian reported earlier this week that Crystal Palace were lining up a £20m bid for Fulham midfielder Jean Seri, and it’s fair to say that the rumour didn’t go down well with some Palace fans.

Eagles supporters were quick to take to Twitter to have their say on the link to the Ivory Coast international, who is currently representing his country at the 2019 African Cup of Nations.

While many weren’t convinced about the potential fee for the former Nice man, others simply weren’t happy with the potential of the 27-year-old arriving at Selhurst Park.

One individual even described him as “incredibly average”.

It might be time to eat some humble pie then, when you look at how the African midfielder performed last season compared to some of Palace’s main men.

It’s fair to say that Seri’s return of one goal and three assists in 32 Premier League appearances for the relegated side was far from impressive, given he netted seven and set up 10 more in 34 outings for Nice in 2016/17.

In addition, he found himself on the substitutes’ bench more often than not in the latter stages of the campaign.

Still, while he may have been a disappointment in some regards, a look at the number of key passes he made for the Cottagers last term suggest that there could be some value in the potential £20m bid from Palace.

The midfielder made an average of 1.8 key passes per game, according to WhoScored, to suggest that he did make an impact in the final third.

That total must be lower than the likes of Andros Townsend and Wilfried Zaha though? Wrong.

Both of those attacking players were level with Luka Milivojevic on 1.6, while another central midfielder in James McArthur came in at an average of 0.9 per game.

It’s clear to see that there wasn’t a great deal of creativity from the middle of the park from Palace’s players last season, and Seri’s numbers in a team that went down are impressive.

The 27-year-old certainly looks to have the ability to make a difference for the south London outfit in the middle of the mark, and his ability to make those key passes would surely help Palace both home and away.

Are Crystal Palace right to slap a £100m valuation on Wilfried Zaha’s head? Check out the video below to see why they are…

To be better in that respect than every Eagles player last season isn’t something that should be sniffed at.

Far from “incredibly average”, then.

Leeds will keep hold of Bielsa, claims Whelan

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, pundit Noel Whelan has shared his views on the current situation at Leeds, claiming that Marcelo Bielsa won’t walk away from Elland Road.

What’s he said?

As Leeds embarked on their tour to Australia last weekend, just 16 members of the squad, including youth team players were on the plane.

That flight didn’t include Bielsa either who will join up late for the clash against Manchester United on Wednesday, although he is yet to decide whether he will stick around for the next game against Western Sydney Wanderers on July 20.

Football Insider have specifically detailed in the past that the Argentine was unhappy with the tour going ahead, but despite that, Whelan still thinks Bielsa will stay.

Speaking to the website, he declared:

“I don’t think Marcelo Bielsa is walking away from Leeds. That’s not going to happen, but he is not scared to voice his opinion over the Australia tour.

“This is not his plan for pre-season. I can understand why he would be annoyed. Bielsa signed his new contract knowing the tour was scheduled, but that doesn’t mean he would have agreed with it.”

Bielsa must overcome prior history

As Leeds failed to achieve promotion back in May, there must have been a sense of worry among the hierarchy at Leeds.

A key figure at the club, Bielsa is someone who is famed for short stints at various teams he’s managed, but he perhaps put that stigma to bed by signing a new deal with the Yorkshire club at the end of last season.

The 63-year-old was in charge of Marseille for just 41 matches whilst his time at Lille ended after 14 games. At Lazio, he even quit after just two days in the job, showing his lack of patience.

And it appears, that by keeping himself and a number of first-team members in England, there’s been somewhat of a protest against the tour of Australia.

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However, you sense that Whelan is right on this occasion that Bielsa will stay and honour the contract he signed in May.

After all, Andrea Radrizzani admitted they had unfinished business with the Argentine, and if he was truly unhappy it seems unreasonable to think that he’d have signed new terms.

By dividing the squad into two, it could keep Bielsa occupied enough to remain focused on the job in hand, rather than quitting.

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