All posts by z3u9t.icu

With the international break coming to an end, it means the return of Premier League football is just around the corner – and with that comes the return of Fantasy Premier League football too.

Gameweek 4 turned out to be one of the most surprising and unpredictable we have seen for some time, with players such as Ollie Watkins and Jack Grealish topping the points tallies after Aston Villa’s  7-2 romping of Liverpool.

A new gameweek means new transfers in an attempt to strengthen your squads ahead of the deadline for the first game of the weekend – Everton vs Liverpool.

There are plenty of big games this weekend, with plenty of great opportunities for points, so let’s take a look at five players you should consider transfering into your fantasy team (if you haven’t already)…

James Rodriguez – £7.8m

The Colombian has been a revelation for Everton’s midfield since signing from Real Madrid during the summer transfer window – and has picked up points aplenty throughout the past few game weeks.

Against Brighton, Rodriguez picked up 18 points for his 2 goals and assist, and this week the Toffees face Liverpool in his first Merseyside derby for the club. Despite the level of opposition, Everton have had a great start to the season and look the strongest they have ever been – so they will be optimistic going into the game against a Reds side that lost 7-2 to Aston Villa during GW4.

The clubs following two fixtures against Southampton and Newcastle will also be great chances for the 29-year-old to continue his run of form and points scoring and for just £7.8m, that’s something worth thinking about.

More than 591,000 FPL users have transferred him in ahead of GW5, so maybe you should too!

Patrick Bamford – £5.8m

The Leeds United forward has proven plenty of doubters wrong since gaining promotion back to the Premier League with the Whites. Bamford’s Premier League career prior to this season involved bouncing between a handful of clubs on loan from then-parent club Chelsea but failed to make an impression due to minimal substitute appearances.

This season, the 27-year-old has led the line for Leeds after helping them win the Championship last season and faces a string of fixtures that could prove lucrative for Leeds. GW5 sees them face Wolves at home, and Bamford could be a great option to lead the line of your FPL team for the next few weeks, with following fixtures against Aston Villa, Leicester, and Crystal Palace.

The Englishman has 30 points in FPL so far this season and has been brought in by more than 165,000 other users.

Ben Chilwell – £5.6m

The 23-year-old finally made his debut for Frank Lampard’s Chelsea during game week 4, in a 4-0 win over Crystal Palace, where the defender scored, assisted, and kept a clean sheet, earning himself 18 points in the process. This week, the Blues face Southampton at home, and with the new signings finally starting to settle and their defensive capabilities also starting to merge – it may be a great choice to bring Chilwell into the mix.

The Blues’ following two fixtures involve a game against a Manchester United side that has had a poor start to their season, and Burnley who are yet to record a win in the league. More than 475,000 other FPL users have transferred in Chilwell ahead of GW5, the most of any defender – so maybe you should follow the trend too…

Ollie Watkins – £5.9m

The Aston Villa striker had a great game against Liverpool during gameweek 4, scoring his first goals for the club with a hattrick over the Premier League champions.

This week sees the Villans face Leicester City away at the King Power Stadium, with the Foxes coming off the back of a 3-0 defeat to West Ham, meaning Watkins could be in with the chance of adding to his account in the league this weekend.

Villa’s following two fixtures against Leeds and Southampton could be another lucrative opportunity for Watkins, and with their form so far this season looking impressive, there is no telling how most games will go at the moment. The 24-year-old will only cost you £5.9m out of your budget, and along with the 157,000+ FPL users, you should get him in your squad!

Kurt Zouma – £5.0m

The Frenchman has been a commanding figure at the back for Chelsea this season and has certainly earned his place among Frank Lampard’s side. Last game week, the defender scored a great header against Crystal Palace, as well as keeping a clean sheet, earning himself 13 points. GW5 will see Chelsea face Southampton, and just like Chilwell, Zouma would be a great option in defence given Chelsea’s defensive form starting to improve.

Not only their game against the Saints, but following matches against a poor Manchester United side and a Burnley team that are yet to record a win this season could be great opportunities for the 25-year-old, who has become one of the first names on Lampard’s team sheet. Zouma will cost you just £5.0m, and has been transferred in by more than 101,000 other FPL users – clearly, they see the same as what I do.

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expects Angel Gomes to leave Old Trafford.

Gomes, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea, is out of contract this week. Solskjaer had hoped he would sign a new deal but his contract is set to expire on Tuesday, and the Red Devils have been unable to reach an agreement with his representatives, as they were “underwhelmed” by the improved terms on offer.

The manager told a press conference today, as relayed by ESPN: “I’ve got no news, nothing, so it doesn’t look like [he will stay]. I’ve not heard from them last night or this morning. It seems like they haven’t managed to agree so the answer is probably short and yes [he will leave].”

Last month the Premier League revealed that clubs can offer extensions to players with contracts expiring this month. The Red Devils were only interested in offering Gomes a long-term deal and their stance remains unchanged, amid interest from Chelsea and Barcelona.

Although Barca were keen to sign Gomes, the La Liga giants had no plans of offering him first team football, which is understood to have disappointed the teenager. The 19-year-old, who has been compared to Brazilian legend Ronaldinho in the past, has only played in eight games for Solskjaer so far and he will be available for free when his contract runs out at the end of June.

However, this will likely be a major blow for the Norwegian. Gomes, who turns 20 in August, is currently valued at £3m via Transfermarkt. The England U20 international has scored two goals in six appearances at that level and has the potential to become as good as Gerard Pique’s old teammate Andres Iniesta, according to his former coach.

Even though he is largely unproven, Manchester United may regret letting the youngster leave in the future, as ended up happening with Pique.

United fans, should the board let Angel Gomes leave? Let us know in the comments below!

According to The Athletic, Juventus are looking to bolster their attack ahead of next season, with Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette a top priority.

Andrea Pirlo has recently been appointed the new manager of Juventus, after Maurizio Sarri was sacked following their Champions League exit. It has been reported that the Gunners are looking for ways to reduce their wage bills in order to recruit new players, and Lacazette may be part of this cut.

Juventus have reportedly admitted to being happy in allowing one of three players to join Arsenal as part of a swap deal for the French international striker. The three stars who could be seen as part of this deal are; Gonzalo Higuain, Douglas Costa, and Cristian Romero.

Higuain looks to be the least likely arrival as he is coming to the end of his career and fitness issues have been in doubt over the past few seasons. In addition to this, the Argentine will more than likely be demanding huge wages, near to what they are already paying Lacazette.

Douglas Costa is also unlikely to sign for the Gunners, despite interest from manager Mikel Arteta. Arsenal have many attack options and youngsters who are more likely to start ahead of the Brazilian winger.

This leaves Cristian Romero who has spent the past season on-loan at his former club Genoa, having signed for Juventus last summer for €26m. The Argentinian centre-back looks very promising and would certainly aid the Gunners’ shaky defence.

Verdict

It is not a surprise that Juventus are after Lacazette with his proven track record, though it would not make sense for Arsenal to offload the Frenchman as he is certainly an asset to the club. The Gunners could surely free-up wages from other members of their squad such as Mesut Ozil who is earning £350k-per-week, having played very little last season.

If Arsenal do cave in and offload Lacazette to Juventus, then Romero does look like their best option as part of a swap deal, only if they receive a substantial fee in addition.

Sporting director Luis Campos is set to stay at Lille despite claims that Tottenham were interested in the transfer guru, according to beIN SPORTS France via @RickSpur.  

The French outlet claims Campos will continue in his current role, following reports suggesting he had asked to be released from his contract, after falling out with owner Gerard Lopez over frustrations with the decision-making process.

Football journalist Ricky Sacks shared the news on social media, tweeting: “Luis Campos is set to continue his adventure with OSC Lille, despite previous speculation that Tottenham Hotspur were interested in his services.”

“Campos will continue under the same structure at Lille despite being frustrated at the current model.”

Earlier this month, sources told ESPN reporter Julien Laurens he had turned down a huge offer from Newcastle United, and it is unlikely he will end up in England anytime soon.

Understandably, this new development will surely strike a major blow to Spurs boss Jose Mourinho.

Indeed, the Portuguese duo are best friends and have worked together in the past, famously teaming up during Mourinho’s time in charge of La Liga megastars Real Madrid.

Remarkably, the Lilywhites have been without a director of football after Paul Mitchell left the North London club all the way back in 2017. Daniel Levy merely offloaded the task of identifying talent to chief scout Steve Hitchen and kept responsibility for sorting out negotiations (Forbes).

Campos is widely recognised as one of the best talent spotters in the business, as he has been credited with unearthing the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Nicolas Pepe, James Rodriguez and Bernardo Silva.

Naturally, his impressive resume has caught the attention of a number of European giants, as Barcelona, Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have all been linked with him in the past.

Furthermore, he is credited with drastically revamping Les Dogues into a team that challenged PSG for the Ligue 1 title.

Unfortunately for Spurs, it appears he will remain at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

As it stands, Mourinho is facing a looming transfer window knowing he will have to work with a severely limited budget, and he could have to rely on loan deals and keeping an eye out for free agents.

Campos has worked miracles under all kinds of conditions before, and he notably built the foundations for Monaco’s sensational title win in 2017. He has even acted as a mentor to Mourinho’s right-hand-man, Joao Sacramento.

In comparison, his compatriot is used to splashing the cash, as he famously spent £94.5m to bring Paul Pogba back to Manchester United.

While Levy remains in control, the former Chelsea manager could struggle to make the signings he feels he needs to challenge for silverware. Mitchell blamed his departure on the chairman’s interference in his work.

The 55-year-old’s decision to stay in France means the Spurs head coach will lose out on another ally behind the scenes, and his absence will no doubt be sorely felt in the summer.

Tottenham fans, do you think Spurs have made a huge mistake? Let us know down below!

Saturday seemingly spelt the end of any chance of Fulham cracking the Championship’s automatic promotion spots.

An embarrassing 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Leeds United on the back of last week’s 2-0 loss to Brentford has left the London club seven points adrift of West Bromwich Albion, and with just 21 points left to play for, it will take a minor miracle for the Whites to make up the gap, especially when you consider that both Nottingham Forest and Brentford are now above them in the table.

The sad thing for Fulham fans is that they’ve gotten so much right this season.

Tony Khan may divide opinion amongst the fanbase, but there’s no denying that he did a grand job of making sure his team were amongst the strongest sides in the Championship after their relegation from the Premier League.

Not only did he manage to keep hold of £18m-rated Aleksandar Mitrovic and former Championship Player of the Year nominee Tom Cairney, but he also added an abundance of talent to an already stacked squad as former Championship POTY Anthony Knockaert joined on loan, while Ivan Cavaleiro and Bobby Decordova-Reid scored 28 goals between them last time they played in the second tier.

Fulham were set up to be promoted, and while they still might be via the playoffs, on paper, they should have run away with it.

Unfortunately, Khan made one grave error, and that was gifting this talented side to a rookie manager.

Scott Parker had no managerial experience at all before he was handed the job at Craven Cottage, and he’s not been able to get the best out of his squad.

Look at the aforementioned players’ records compared to the last time they played in the Championship, Cavaleiro has eight fewer goal contributions than he did in 2017/18, Decordova-Reid has scored 14 fewer than he did in his last Championship season, while Knockaert has 16 fewer goal contributions than he did during Brighton’s promotion season.

Given the right coaching, these players should terrorise defences at this level, but it just hasn’t happened this season, and perhaps that’s down to Parker not being able to get the best out of them.

Look at the man who was opposite Parker on Saturday, and you’ll see where having a top manager can get you.

Six of the players Marcelo Bielsa used on Saturday were a part of the squad that finished 13th the year before the Argentine arrived at Elland Road, but he’s moulded them into the best team in the division in just two years.

Rather than spending big on players, perhaps the higher-ups at Fulham should have splashed out on a top manager to get their side back to the promised land of the Premier League.

Some of Leeds United’s players are still using the facilities at Thorp Arch despite the majority of the squad being forced to isolate at home, it has been revealed by Phil Hay in a recent column for The Athletic.

What’s he said?

Marcelo Bielsa’s table-topping side were one of the last Championship clubs to suspend training amidst the current situation hitting not just the country but the whole globe too.

The EFL have suspended all of their leagues indefinitely which means the west Yorkshire outfit are going to have to wait a lot longer for promotion and ending that 16-year wait for Premier League football.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

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This time off, as bad as it is for everybody, could bring a couple of positives to United as it will allow injured players enough time to recover in the hope they can still impact their season.

Speaking in The Athletic this week, Hay said:

Injury recovery

It means that three of Leeds’ current crop of players are having to break lockdown rules in order to enter Thorp Arch and get the treatment they need.

This includes long-term absentee Adam Forshaw, January loan signing Jean-Kevin Augustin and an unnamed player, who needs the use of a treadmill instead of running on a public road.

There will be many an argument made over who that could be ranging from Barry Douglas, who has spent a lot of the season out injured to Pablo Hernandez, who is at a ripe old age of 34 and will turn 35 next week.

Either way, it goes to show the risks the club are prepared to go through in order to ensure their players are ready for a return, whenever that may be.

AND in other news, Leeds fans react to what Kalvin Phillips did at the weekend…

West Ham United are interested in a move for Germany international and Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira, according to Calciomercato.

What does the report say?

Khedira has been limited to 12 Serie A appearances this season, with injuries and stern competition for places seeing him fall out of favour in recent years.

Having just turned 33 the German is likely past the peak of his powers, but West Ham are said to be interested.

According to Calciomercato, Khedira is keen to follow his partner Melanie Leupolz to London, after she signed a three-year deal with Chelsea.

The report states that West Ham are keeping an eye on the German’s situation, who could see his contract with Juventus cut short over the summer.

One to avoid

At his best, Khedira was one of the best midfielders in Europe and in 2014 he became a world cup winner with Germany.

However, he last started more than 10 league matches in the 2017/18 season and with West Ham already said to be planning their transfer activity, this is a deal to avoid.

West Ham have invested plenty in the likes of Sebastien Haller, Pablo Fornals and Felipe Anderson, while short term moves for older players like Samir Nasri, Alvaro Arbeloa, Patrice Evra and Roberto Jimenez have not worked out.

The Hammers now need to refocus on signing promising youngsters, rather than offering large contracts to older stars past their best.

Luka Modric has just bagged a brand new trophy for his already stacked cabinet.

Real Madrid have now officially confirmed that their Ballon d’Or winner has also won the 2019 Golden Foot award, which recognises the best player who is also aged over 28 and who stands out on account of their on-field achievements.

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Even though Modric hasn’t really been a standard part of Los Blancos’ ongoing 2019/20 campaign, having only tallied 484 minutes across all competitions so far, his overall influence on the club cannot be disputed and this award serves as proof enough.

And of course, it didn’t really take long for many of Real Madrid fans to swarm their social media and Twitter accounts with great messages of support, with the majority showering Modric with praise in the process.

Some were calling him a legend and wishing for him to retire at the club while others stated that he has fully deserved this trophy.

You can see some of their comments down in the collection of tweets below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Tottenham Hotspur won an away Premier League match for the first time since January but manager Jose Mourinho didn’t look particularly happy.

Even the BT Sport commentators picked up on it, noticing that he was not smiling at full-time, or as he clapped hands with his players.

Spurs had looked set to win comfortably at West Ham in a London derby that had looked all the spicier after Mauricio Pochettino’s sacking and Mourinho’s appointment earlier this week.

They were 2-0 up at half-time thanks to goals from Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura and added a third just four minutes after the restart thanks to Harry Kane’s header.

But then everything got just a little bit scrappy.

West Ham brought on Michail Antonio and, suddenly, the game changed. The Hammers grew into the game, taking command of the ball and looking to create opportunities.

Antonio scored on 73 minutes and it looked set to spark a grandstand finish. It might have done, had Declan Rice not strayed offside in the 90th minute before poking home from a corner. It would have left Spurs with six added minutes to negotiate without conceding and, due to their recent away form, few would have bet on them to do it.

Indeed, Angelo Ogbonna did score a second for the hosts but it was in the sixth minute of those six added on and it only preceded the final whistle, not another chance.

This was a display where the strengths and frailties of this Spurs team were laid bare for Mourinho to see.

Dele Alli was exceptional in the first half, laying on a superb pass in the build-up to Lucas’ goal and constantly attempting to beat his man as he played in a floating, No.10 role, but he was quiet and eventually withdrawn in the second. Son and Lucas were each a constant menace throughout the first 45 minutes but the second half saw them influence the game less and less.

In the first half, Spurs were in control, dominant at times, and never really in danger of being breached. In the second, after Antonio’s introduction, they looked in trouble whenever the Hammers attacked. That the second goal came from a corner that was poorly defended will be another concern for Mourinho.

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Yet this is the Spurs experience. They all too regularly flirt with pulling disaster out of the fire and, here, they got over the line.

But it was not all smiles at full-time and nor should it have been; Spurs had pulled clear but ended up stumbling through the finishing tape. The fact Mourinho seemingly knew this should serve as a positive.

They won and broke that away day run that surely played a major part in Pochettino’s eventual sacking.

But Mourinho’s stare at the end said it all; they can play better than this and they must.

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

A number of Leeds supporters’ worst nightmares would likely be one step closer to coming true as reports over the weekend linked Kalvin Phillips with a move to Old Trafford.

It’s no secret that Leeds fans love Phillips just as much as they hate Manchester United, and as a lifelong Whites fan you’d expect the midfielder to share the same sentiment towards the Red Devils.

However, we’ve been here before haven’t we?

What’s the story?

After the reports were published one Leeds fan quickly wrote them off due to their belief that Phillips is a lifelong Leeds fan and he’d never cross that divide as he’s previously spoken about his disdain towards the Red Devils.

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Yes, Phillips is a lifelong Whites supporter, and if anyone has seen the Amazon Prime documentary about the 2018/19 season it’s clear that the midfielder loves the Yorkshire club.

Hating Manchester United comes with the territory of supporting Leeds, but once the Red Devils come calling it’s hard to turn them down.

Been here before

As mentioned previously, we’ve been here before.

Alan Smith once stated that the one club he would never ever play for was Man United due to his affiliation towards Leeds.

Indeed, back when Soccer AM was actually a good show, Smith was asked if there was one club he would never play for, and he infamously said it was the club he then moved to.

The former footballer would eventually line up for the Premier League giants, signing for them almost as soon as Leeds were relegated.

Of course, the Whites are in a different place right now than in 2004, but so is the whole landscape of football.

Why being the away goalkeeper at Leeds is the toughest job in football in the video below…

The money on offer in the Premier League is only growing, and if Leeds don’t go up this season it’s going to be tough for Phillips to turn down the pay packet that Man Utd could potentially offer him.

This isn’t to say the midfielder will be joining United, but after he signed a new deal, Leeds perhaps would feel confident about keeping him.

However, that shouldn’t be the case – plainly because they’ve been stung like this before.

They mustn’t get complacent.