The 2018/19 season was quite something for Watford. After a rather brilliant start to the campaign, things turned sour, fast. And while consistency will likely play a major role in their upcoming bout, here are five key dates that will decide whether they can clinch the seventh spot or not.
24 August, West Ham (H)
The Hammers are one of Watford’s biggest competitors in the chase for the upper part of the table. West Ham managed to finish above them last season, helped by beating them at Vicarage Road in the second part of the campaign. Accumulating points against their rivals early, especially since it also follows the game away at Everton, will be crucial for reaching their goals.
28 September, Wolverhampton Wanderers (A)
The very beginning of the season is going to be the real test for Watford. After a feisty August, September won’t be any different. Wolves away will be the grand finale of a deadly series starting with Newcastle (A), Arsenal (H), Manchester City (A) and ending with Wolves (A). Getting any points in this sequence is a must and would do wonders for their season.
3 December, Leicester City (A)
If Watford want to clinch seventh, they have to be able to beat Leicester, it’s as simple as that. This is a team that always gives them trouble, and points against them are scarce. If they want to get ahead of them next season, it starts by beating them away from home in December and then surviving the onslaught that follows.
1 February, Everton (H)
Everton are another extremely tricky opponent that absolutely has to be beaten if there are any improvements to be made in comparison to last year’s results. The Toffees are known to chip points off of Watford, but that has to be dealt with moving forward.
25 April, Newcastle United (H)
And finally, Watford’s bane – finishing strong. Newcastle might be their last chance to get on the board before the end of the season since that game is followed by West Ham (A), Manchester City (H) and Arsenal (A). This is the crucial part that might make or break their chances of finishing seventh.
A big Rangers claim has been made regarding the fitness of on-loan Ibrox midfielder Aaron Ramsey and whether he’ll play again soon for Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
What’s the latest?
A pundit has reacted to the Welshman reportedly paying £30k to bring specialists in to work with him in Glasgow.
Danny Mills has explained what this course of action means for his intentions for the rest of the 2021/22 Premiership campaign.
He told Football Insider: “He’s doing everything he possibly can to get fully fit. Sometimes a physio who knows the injury and knows the player is beneficial.
“He’s not being disrespectful to the Rangers medical staff, he’s got a long-term issue that they have dealt with a long time. They know what it is and, hopefully, know how to treat it.
“He’ll work in the conjunction with them and the Rangers staff. If he is prepared to do that, good on him. He clearly wants to be fit and wants to play.”
He’s season-defining
Specialist treatment for Ramsey right now will surely come as a huge boost to Rangers because it likely means he’ll be fit to return sooner rather than later.
That eventually is something that will undoubtedly leave van Bronckhorst feeling elated, primarily because it shows a strong desire from Ramsey to make this transfer work.
The additional effort he is putting in to get himself back in shape shows that he is not in Glasgow to collect his wages, have some time away from Italy, and then head back to Juventus in the summer.
He wants to play football and he wants to have an impact on the pitch for the Gers, which is highlighted by these quotes from Mills and his actions over the past week or so.
Ramsey’s career statistics suggest that he will be a major player for Rangers if he is able to rediscover his fitness and thus, the idea that he’s doing all he can to return as soon as possible could be a season-defining one in the race for the Premiership.
After all, if he finds his top form, they’ll have one of the best players in the league on their hands. He managed an impressive 130 direct goal contributions across 371 competitive matches for Arsenal throughout his career, with former Gunners centre-back Per Mertesacker dubbing him a “maestro”, before producing 12 in 70 for Juventus.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The Wales international has been able to deliver quality at the top level over the course of a number of years and this evidence illustrates the potential impact he can have on the Scottish giants. This is another reason why van Bronckhorst will be buzzing with his attempts to resolve his injury issues.
Having another player with the quality to score and create goals on a regular basis will surely only be a positive for Rangers, as it increases their chances of winning games by finding the back of the net more regularly. Hopefully, Ramsey’s work will pay off and he will turn out to be the player his reputation paints him to be.
AND in other news, 7 G/A in 4 starts: Wilson made huge Rangers blunder on “groundbreaking” £6.3m gem…
Liverpool marched into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Wednesday night after edging out Norwich City at Anfield.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are in pursuit of a historic quadruple, and after clinching the Carabao Cup at the weekend against Chelsea in a penalty shoot-out, knew they could keep that dream alive in the other domestic cup competition last night.
And, a brace from Takumi Minamino proved to be the difference as a much-changed Liverpool team won two goals to one.
But while the Japan international has laid down his case as a very worthy rotation option heading into the business end of the season, it was one of Klopp’s centre-backs who has arguably given him the biggest headache: Ibrahima Konate.
The former RB Leipzig star was joined alongside by Joe Gomez in a completely new central defensive partnership from the one Klopp has tended to favour this season in Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip.
Out of the two who played yesterday, it’s Konate who’s shown the closest signs of being able to break that formidable duo up, and his performance against Norwich certainly proved why he’s the future of this Liverpool back-line.
As per Sofascore, he made a game-high three interceptions on the night, was not dribbled past a single time, won 100% of his total duels (two in the air and one on the ground) and looked an assured presence on the ball too.
He made a whopping 100 passes and had 125 touches of the ball – both of which placed him at the top for Liverpool – and completed eight out of his 14 attempted long balls as he showed that greater range to his passing on occasion as well.
And, writing in his post-match player ratings for This is Anfield, Mark Delgado gave him an eight, saying: “Looked a bit like a dad turning up to play with some kids at some points. Just strolled through it mostly, using the ball well, bullying attackers when they bothered to go near him and showing pace once or twice when needed.
“Shepherding the ball out of play under pressure from Rowe was a particularly fine exhibition of his mountainous stature.”
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It was a performance of the highest order and has given Klopp plenty to think about before the crucial Premier League clash against West Ham on Saturday afternoon.
A Van Dijk and Konate partnership for the long-term is certainly a mouth-watering prospect, but one that could even be phased in much sooner too even despite Matip’s impressive form.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are eyeing this Uruguayan ace…
Aston Villa journalist Gregg Evans has admitted that it was “weird” to see Steven Gerrard leaving Ezri Konsa on the bench.
The lowdown
The 24-year-old has watched Villa’s last two Premier League games against Leeds United and West Ham United from the substitutes’ bench.
He had started 22 of their first 23 league matches before he was sent off against Leeds on 9 February and had to serve a two-match suspension. He then returned to the starting line-up against Brighton, only to miss the win over Southampton through illness.
Despite Konsa regaining full fitness, Gerrard has opted to stick with Calum Chambers and Tyrone Mings as his centre-back partnership of late.
The latest
Evans wrote a piece for The Athletic in which he said that Gerrard faced a difficult decision over whether to restore the £22.5m-rated Konsa to the starting line-up.
The journalist shared a link to that article via Twitter, with the caption: “I think Chambers-Mings has worked quite well for #AVFC but it still feels weird seeing Konsa on the bench. Not since the Carabao Cup Final + last game before Project Restart has Konsa lost his place to a team-mate on form.”
The verdict
Chambers struggled somewhat against West Ham on Sunday, winning only one of his three ground duels, committing two fouls and misplacing six of the 10 long passes he attempted. That earned him a SofaScore rating of just 6.5/10, the joint-second lowest in the Villa ranks.
Perhaps that offers a pretext for Gerrard to restore Konsa to the team, but it may not be quite that simple. A recent report from Football Insider suggested that the 41-year-old has actually sanctioned the sale of the defender in the summer amid concerns over his reliability and consistency.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Once considered undroppable, the 24-year-old may now face a period of uncertainty at Villa Park. With him coming in at a lowly 17th in Villa’s squad for WhoScored ratings this season, there’s no guarantee that he will get his place back in the team any time soon unless either of the current starting centre-backs were to become unavailable.
In other news, it wasn’t just Chambers who had a difficult day at the London Stadium
While Davinson Sanchez’s £42m arrival back in the summer of 2017 has been something of a blemish on Tottenham Hotspur’s record of centre-back signings, generally speaking, Spurs have recruited extremely well in the position in recent years.
Indeed, this season, the £42m Cristian Romero has made a fantastic addition in the heart of the Tottenham defence, while Toby Alderweireld’s £11.4m signing back in 2015, Eric Dier’s £4m arrival in 2014 and Jan Vertonghen’s £9.5m acquisition back in 2012 all proved to be incredibly successful moves by the north London side.
However, there is one player who Daniel Levy will undoubtedly rue missing out on back in the summer of 2015 – when Tottenham reportedly had the opportunity to sign Dayot Upamecano for as little as £300k.
Sold at £1.98m, now worth £101m
Indeed, after watching the then-16-year-old in action for France at the U17 European Championship in Bulgaria, Spurs scouts are believed to have been left in awe at the defender’s athleticism and ball-playing ability, identifying the youngster as the perfect candidate for Mauricio Pochettino’s project in north London.
However, Tottenham ultimately missed out on the signing of the 6 foot 1 centre-back to Red Bull Salzburg, with the Austrian side willing to pay FC Valenciennes a much higher fee than the Premier League outfit, with Upamecano making a £1.98m move to the Red Bull Arena.
Just two years later, after highly impressing for Salzburg, the then-18-year-old was on the move again, securing a £16.65m switch to RB Leipzig – a club where the defender went on to establish himself as one of the most exciting talents in European football.
The player who Rio Ferdinand dubbed “formidable” completed his rise to the very top of the professional game last summer, sealing a £37m move to Bayern Munich – who handed the £101m-rated machine a five-year deal on a reported £132k-per-week.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
As such, while hindsight is a wonderful thing, it is clear for all to see that Daniel Levy had a shocker when failing to secure the signing of Upamecano back in 2015, as the France international is now not only one of the most valuable defenders in world football, he is also one of the most talented.
AND in other news: Paratici in talks over “breathtaking” THFC deal for £220k-p/w ace, AC would “love” him
According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti on Twitter, West Ham are interested in signing FC Nantes attacking midfielder Ludovic Blas.
The lowdown: Highly-coveted
The 24-year-old ace has been a wanted man throughout a fledgeling career in France, with Liverpool, Inter Milan and Lyon all linked whilst still at academy club Guingamp.
Since then, the creative Frenchman has made the move to fellow Ligue 1 club Nantes for £7.20million (Transfermarkt), scoring 30 times and providing eight assists in 99 total appearances for La Maison Jaune.
Now, it would appear that summer interest from the Premier League could be on the horizon.
[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments-4/” title=”West Ham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]
The latest: English eyes watching
Taking to Twitter, Galetti has claimed that ‘West Ham are interested’ in signing the former France Under 20 starlet.
There is also admiration from Newcastle United, whilst relegation-threatened Watford have been linked elsewhere.
Galetti states that Nantes ‘evaluate’ Blas, who is under contract until 2024, at ‘around €20million’ (£16.6million).
The verdict: Huge expectations
The 26-cap youth international has recently been hailed as ‘spectacular’ and rated even higher than Premier League superstar Mohamed Salah when it comes to ‘pure talent’ by former Liverpool midfielder Pedro Chirivella (So Foot via Liverpool Echo).
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Blas has scored 12 times and provided two assists in 32 appearances across all competitions so far this season and would add huge versatility to David Moyes’ squad, due to being capable of operating in various attacking roles.
Described as a teenager as a ‘little phenomenon’ by then-teammate Lucas Tousart, the Hammers should be pulling out all the stops in their attempts to add the Frenchman to their ranks.
In other news: West Ham want to sign Championship star. Read more here.
Leeds United have now emerged as the front-runners to sign USA star Brenden Aaronson this summer.
What’s the story?
The Red Bull Salzburg sensation – who will no doubt be eagerly awaiting the World Cup draw later on Friday afternoon – has been linked with a switch to Elland Road in the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to Football Insider, Jesse Marsch’s side have now come to the head of the queue in the race to sign him. The report adds that talks are now underway to sign the 21-year-old, who is Leeds’ number one priority for the summer.
Marsch will be buzzing
The Athletic’s Phil Hay had previously indicated that the Whites were planning making a bid for Aaronson, who he had been identified by the club as someone who could add some much-needed creativity.
Hay said: “Leeds have telegraphed the fact that when the summer window opens, they intend to make a fresh bid for Red Bull Salzburg’s Brenden Aaronson. US international midfielder Aaronson joined the serial Austrian champions in 2020 while countryman Marsch was head coach there, so his appointment at Elland Road was never likely to diminish Leeds’ interest.
“The dip in creativity within a squad who were so adept at creating chances for so long under Bielsa has left little doubt that Aaronson is broadly the type of footballer they should be looking at in the next window: largely within budget, and in possession of the right skill set. Leeds must wish they had found a way to address that midfield nine months ago.”
While Marsch may have since replaced Marcelo Bielsa in the dugout, the 48-year-old will also be happy to hear that Aaronson is someone who works extremely hard off the ball.
Salzburg boss Matthias Jaissle said: “The special thing is, I hardly know any other No. 10 who works so much without the ball. He always puts himself behind (on defence), he is a great team player, very hardworking and has a monster mentality.”
Furthermore, the £18m-rated star has also drawn a considerable amount of praise from Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who watched him first-hand during his time in the MLS.
The Frenchman said: “I came across him when I was a coach with Montreal, and he killed us with Philadelphia Union. His activity, the way he sees the game. I’ve always been a big fan of him and I’m not surprised to see what he’s doing right now with Salzburg.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“He’s contagious. The way he plays, his energy. His intensity is second to none. He supports the team. He’s a good player. I always thought he was going to be a player. He’s still learning.”
This latest transfer update is sure to have Marsch buzzing.
AND in other news – Leeds could unleash Thorp Arch’s breakout star in “fiery” 18 y/o who’s “got an edge”
Sunderland have now posted an exciting training update ahead of their game at home to Gillingham in League One on Saturday afternoon.
The Lowdown: Close to return?
Speaking ahead of the match at the weekend, Alex Neil revealed that both Alex Pritchard and Nathan Broadhead have recovered ‘quicker than anticipated’ after originally thinking that they were going to be out for the longer term.
He did not rule out the possibility of them returning against Gillingham, while Danny Batth could also make his return, having played for the U23s.
The Latest: Training photos
Taking to Twitter, the Stadium of Light faithful have now posted photos of each of the three players in training, with the caption ‘Continuing on the comeback trail!’
The fact that they are training outside and with the rest of the squad suggests that they could all now feature on Saturday.
The Verdict: Big boost
It would certainly be a big boost for the Wearside club if all three players are available against Gillingham.
Pritchard and Broadhead have ranked among their best players in the division so far this season, while Batth has also made a mark since signing from Stoke City in the January transfer window.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The central defender is ranking highly among his new teammates in terms of average aerial duels won, tackles, interceptions, clearances and blocks per game (WhoScored), and so having him back will give Neil another handy squad option.
In other news, find out who SAFC are now battling Wigan Athletic to sign here!
Newcastle United’s Jekyll and Hyde performance against Chelsea in the Premier League typified their season, with a ferocious start succumbing to Blue pressure after the break.
A draw was the end result after Eddie Howe’s side blew their two-goal advantage. However, decisions not to award the St. James’ park side a penalty after Wesley Fofana handled in the box and Trevoh Chalobah’s shove on Anthony Gordon were inexplicable, and it cost Newcastle a precious win.
It also might have cost Nick Woltemade an emphatic hat-trick, with the German striker having fired a brace past Robert Sanchez inside 20 minutes. What a signing he has been for the Magpies.
Nick Woltemade's performance vs Chelsea
The 23-year-old Woltemade has enjoyed a fast start to life in Newcastle, scoring nine times across 23 appearances in all competitions. He was left nursing a bruise after his headed clearance careened into United’s net to seal victory for Sunderland last week, but he redeemed himself with a reminder of his talent against Chelsea.
With a long, loping frame and a natural instinct for scoring goals, Woltemade is proving himself to be a winner of a signing for Newcastle, replacing Alexander Isak for half the price and currently outshining the Liverpool man.
Combining with Gordon for the second, Howe will be delighted to see the technically shar pfrontman deepening his connection with his fellow forwards.
Could Woltemade trump Isak and become the Toon’s finest centre-forward since the days of Alan Shearer? Perhaps he could, but it was actually one of the 23-year-old’s teammates who proved he is Newcastle’s new version of the club legend against Chelsea.
Newcastle's new version of Alan Shearer
Newcastle are a deeply emotional club, and the club-city connection with Shearer was one that remains as strong as ever, with the Premier League’s record goalscorer having posted 206 goals and 58 assists across 405 appearances for his boyhood club.
Woltemade may be a striker with the skills to become an elite player, but it is Lewis Miley who proved against Chelsea that he could be the new homegrown icon.
Miley, 19, has already made 66 senior appearances for Newcastle after being reared in the club’s academy. In this he differs from Shearer, who wended his way down south to Southampton in the formative years of his career.
Praised for his incredible effort in an unnatural full-back role, reporter Andy Sixsmith said he “looked like he’s played there all his career”, stepping up amid injury issues to Kieran Trippier and Tino Livramento.
He completed his one attempted dribble and won his one tackle, but the stats don’t paint the full picture here, with Alejandro Garnacho silenced by the younger man.
Lewis Miley vs Chelsea
Stats (* per game)
#
Minutes played
90′
Touches
61
Shots (on target)
1 (0)
Accurate passes
30/38 (79%)
Possession lost
10x
Chances created
0
Dribbles
1/1
Ball recoveries
9
Tackles won
1/1
Interceptions
3
Clearances
3
Duels won
4/7
Data via Sofascore
Here’s the thing: Miley has proven himself capable of standing out in a Newcastle team awash with elite quality. He could develop into the city’s greatest native since Shearer plied his craft at number nine in black and white.
Subscribe for deeper Newcastle analysis and profiles Explore fuller analysis by subscribing to the newsletter: follow Newcastle’s rising stars, tactical shifts, and player profiles like Woltemade and Miley, with clear breakdowns that deepen your Premier League understanding. Subscribe for deeper Newcastle analysis and profiles Explore fuller analysis by subscribing to the newsletter: follow Newcastle’s rising stars, tactical shifts, and player profiles like Woltemade and Miley, with clear breakdowns that deepen your Premier League understanding.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Chronicle Live even handed the Geordie a 9/10 match rating for his effort against the Londoners, thriving in his moonlit right-back berth.
Miley oozes confidence and maturity. He is shaping into a special player, a homegrown talent who can allay the frustrations around selling Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest last year.
Could he become the new Shearer? Certainly, the teenager has endeared himself to the Toon supporters, and he’s only going to get better over the years.
Newcastle's £100k-p/w flop looks like another Michael Owen-style disaster
This Newcastle ace has struggled for his best for this season
Leeds United will be desperate to return to winning ways this evening as they’re set to take on Brentford at Griffin Park in their next Championship fixture.
The Whites threw away a promising position last time out at Elland Road as Patrick Bamford’s opener was cancelled out by two goals from Wigan Athletic’s Gavin Massey in what was a day to forget for Leeds United.
Of course, securing promotion is the priority at this moment in time but Leeds should already have their eye on a couple of possible summer additions, including Hull City’s Jarrod Bowen.
Leeds were reportedly (as per Daily Mail) plotting a move for the attacker back in January but nothing developed as he ended up staying at the KCOM Stadium. But, with the Whites possibly securing promotion and Hull remaining in the Championship, it would make perfect sense for Victor Orta to go after him this summer.
He’s produced an impressive 21 goals and four assists this season which is pretty astonishing as he’s been operating out on the wing. It’s clear to see that he can score and create goals and he’s only 22-years-old, so he still has his best years ahead of him and could easily develop into a top, top player.
And, he’s even been dubbed (as per talkSport) as the ‘English Arjen Robben’, who was arguably one of the world’s best attackers in his prime, so it’s clear to see just how highly-rated he really is.
Sadly, the Elland Road faithful won’t have fond memories of the attacker as he absolutely destroyed Leeds earlier on this season, scoring two goals against Marcelo Bielsa’s side in a 2-0 win. He was unstoppable on the day and ran some of the Whites’ defenders ragged, so there’s even more incentive to move in for him.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Leeds are set to wave goodbye to Jack Harrison in the summer, while Pablo Hernandez is getting on with age and Ezgjan Alioski has been deployed at left-back in recent times, so it would make sense to bring in a winger.
Leeds United fans, would you like to see Jarrod Bowen rock up at Elland Road in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…