Everton youngster Callum Connolly has hit out at his parent club for their lack of contact during his loan spell at Ipswich Town.
The 20-year-old joined Everton in 2006, and progressed through the various age groups before making his first-team debut for the Toffees during the 2015-16 campaign.
Connolly has not turned out for the Merseyside club since, however, with loan spells at Barnsley, Wigan Athletic and now Ipswich in recent seasons.
The former England Under-20 international has impressed for Ipswich this season – making 28 appearances in all competitions for Mick McCarthy’s side.
The youngster has hit out at Everton for not providing support during his loan spell, and has suggested that he will look to leave the Toffees at the end of the season.
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Connolly told The Green ‘Un 24:
“I’ve had contact with Everton, but not as much as I expected. The ultimate aim is to play in the Premier League – whether that is with Everton or somewhere else. That’s what I am working towards.
“There hasn’t been as much support as I’ve wanted to be honest, but obviously it’s a man’s game and I’m learning the game on my own.”
Connolly, who was part of the England Under-20 team that triumphed at the 2017 Under-20 World Cup, has been converted from a centre-back to a central midfielder since arriving on loan at Ipswich.
Arsenal seem quite literally cursed by frequent injuries to important players. Since 2002, Arsenal lead the way for injuries in the Premier League by a comfortable margin, and they’re under stress again at this very moment.
The Gunners have had 891 injuries in the past 12 years of the Premier League, Manchester United are a not-so-close second with 794. Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Everton make up the top five with 788, 777, and 666 respectively. I can’t even begin to suggest a reason why Arsenal seem to get more injuries than anyone else but we’ll just go with a curse for now.
Perhaps when Wenger joined Arsenal in 1996 a curse was placed upon him that he will never go a season without a chain of injuries affecting his side. Or maybe he buys crooked players who are then run into the ground and eventually break under his guidance?
It does seem that the curse is more present in modern times at The Emirates stadium and there are some statistics on past players which are quite astounding:
Samir Nasri – has missed 50 days with Manchester City in the past three seasons. Missed 180 days in the same time period with Arsenal. Alex Song – picked up no injuries with Barcelona during his two seasons at the Nou Camp. Missed 75 days during his time with Arsenal (four seasons). Gael Clichy – No injuries with Manchester City over the past three seasons. Missed 130 days in three seasons with The Gunners. Cesc Fabregas – Missed 42 days in three seasons with Barcelona, compared with 299 days in the same time period with Arsenal. Lukas Podolski – Out for 74 days with FC Koln during three seasons. Out for 117 days so far during just two seasons at The Emirates. Mesut Ozil – Never injured during three seasons with Real Madrid. Already missed 52 days and facing up to 80 more with his current long-term injury.
Say what you like about these statistics but they look a little more than coincidental. However, these players of recent years only equate to a tiny amount of the total amount on Arsenal injuries during the past 12 years. So why is it that Arsenal not only continue to pick up a vast amount of injuries, but they also cannot seem to prepare for such eventuality.
It seems that Arsenal’s squad depth is never quite strong enough, and when every Gunners fan knows that they are bound to face some painful injuries throughout the season, why aren’t they seemingly prepared for what everyone else is waiting for?
Arsenal have a squad of 28 players, that seems a decent amount. However currently The Gunners have nine players out through injury so Wenger can only pick from 19. Of those nine players, six are not expected to return inside this calendar month. Arsenal’s crisis continues and with less players now having to play more often, Arsenal will be expecting more injuries soon. The Gunners may have the most current players out injured in the Premier League but they’re not far ahead of the pack – in fact, they’re joint with Newcastle United on nine. Burnley, Everton, Liverpool, Man United, and West Ham are all currently missing eight players – so is there even an excuse to be had, or can Arsenal just not cope with their lack of squad depth?
Every team has key players and you’d argue that none of them can afford to lose them for a long amount of time, but not having a squad with depth incase of these injuries is suicide. The lesser sides of the Premier League don’t have the strongest of squads in general but they usually have back-up players of similar quality to their first team. However, the bigs clubs tend to have a larger gap between their first choice players and their back-up players. Arsenal for example will experience a bigger drop in performances without nine first-team players than a team like Burnley or West Ham would – not to say that they’ll do well, but they weren’t expected to do particularly well in the first place.
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Arsene Wenger is spending more money during transfer windows and is signing excellent players, however, due to injuries plaguing his squad again, he’ll be under pressure from the Arsenal fans come January to sign even more – can’t he do anything right?!
Comfortably perched at the Premier League’s apex with progression to the knock-out stages of the Champions League. Yet the Red Devils’ start to the season is still being described as mediocre. Sir Alex Ferguson won’t mind in the slightest now that his side have seized control at the top and avoided the humiliation of dropping out of Europe at the group stage like they did last term. The final two months of the year are usually when Manchester United shift up through the gears and barricaded themselves at the top-flight summit. Crucial to achieving that objective before entering 2013 will be Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie continuing to fire on all cylinders. Rooney has taken his time to find form, but he has looked back to his best in the last few weeks playing just off the shoulder of Van Persie and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
This week on FFC is Nani routinely victimised at Old Trafford and which United defender is reportedly a January target for one of the top clubs in Spain?
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Best of FFC
Does he receive a bad press at Manchester United?
Time for him to make a position his own at Old Trafford?
Was Ferguson wrong to have his say?
Have Manchester United ruthlessly exposed the downfall?
Manchester United’s win told us nothing of their worth
Diamonds aren’t forever at Old Trafford
Manchester United given transfer greenlight…should they want him
Manchester United to test Celtic’s resolve with £12m bid
Manchester United star rules out transfer exit
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Best of WEB
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Has Midfield Legend Become ‘Too Good’ For Manchester United? – Red Flag Flying High
The Greenhoff Column : A Crucial Run – 7Cantonas
Frustrated Fergie challenges Reds on van Persie’s special day – United Rant
“It Is Clear In January He Will Leave” – The Busby Way
Is Wayne Rooney On The Same Path As Paul Scholes? – Red Flag Flying High
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Quote of the Week
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“No, not at all. Obviously I was disappointed at the weekend, not only to miss but to miss the target. I said after the game it wasn’t good enough and (against Braga) I was a bit fortunate; I slipped but thankfully it’s gone in so I’m happy with that. At the time it happened so quick, but obviously I’ve seen it going towards the goal and the keeper going the other way. I was happy with it going in but obviously I’ve been quite lucky with that.” Wayne Rooney confesses his relief at scoring from the spot against Braga after missing from 12-yards against Arsenal
Southampton continue to be linked with a move for Barcelona striker Paco Alcacer, and the Premier League club’s fans have been reacting to the latest speculation.
Southampton could spend close to £18m on Alcacer this summer – as covered by Mundo Deportivo – and it is certainly one to watch.
The Spain international joined Barcelona from Valencia in the summer of 2016, and the centre-forward has made 50 appearances for the Catalan outfit in all competitions.
Alcacer has only managed 15 goals during his time at Barcelona, however, with the presence of Luis Suarez in the final third of the field making it difficult for him to secure a regular spot.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”258359″ player=”12034″ title=”The World Cup Twitter Report”]
Southampton have been linked with the 24-year-old over the last month or so, with the English club’s head coach Mark Hughes said to be a huge admirer of the Spaniard.
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The Saints fans have been reacting to the transfer speculation on social media, and it would be fair to say that they are struggling to agree whether it would be a good deal.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Arsenal’s domestic season essentially rests on what takes place at Wembley this Sunday. Already eliminated from the FA Cup and incredibly unlikely to claw their way back into the Premier League’s top four, the Carabao Cup – ironically, the competition Arsene Wenger has shown the most indifference towards during his Gunners tutelage – represents Arsenal’s only chance to claim some form of success for their domestic 2017/18 campaign.
Standing in their way though, are perhaps the biggest obstacle in English football right now – Pep Guardiola’s relentless, almost invincible Manchester City. The Citizens unexpectedly came unstuck against Wigan last time out, but that only raises the likelihood of the Premier League champions-in-waiting looking to make a statement in their first cup final under Guardiola.
So can Arsenal become the second team to conquer City in as many games, or will they inevitable succumb to the Etihad outfit’s almighty flowing football? London Evening Standard’s James Benge shares his thoughts and predictions ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final…
As perhaps the most important fixture of Arsenal’s season, Arsene Wenger needs to get his team selection perfectly right this weekend. But the absence of cup-tied signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang inevitably creates a headache for Sunday’s clash, and the Gunners’ game-plan isn’t completely clear at this point. The last two Premier League games have seen 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3, while it wasn’t long ago Wenger was still experimenting with 3-4-3.
How would you line up the Gunners on Sunday?
James: “I guess the challenge for Wenger so far has been that he hasn’t been able to play Aubameyang in the Europa League so he’s only had two league games in which to use his strongest attack. That’ll continue on Sunday; Mkhitaryan is ineligible for the EFL Cup after playing 21 minutes for Manchester United earlier in the competition.
That should mean any lingering doubts Wenger has over which system are extinguished and he uses a 4-3-3 with Mesut Ozil as the right-sided playmaker, Aubameyang through the middle and either Alex Iwobi or Danny Welbeck on the left. Of the two I suspect Iwobi will shade it, though Welbeck tends to enjoy his best performances for Arsenal on the biggest stages.”
Soccer Football – Premier League – Arsenal vs Everton – Emirates Stadium, London, Britain – February 3, 2018 Arsenal’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrate after the match REUTERS/David Klein EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account r
Arsenal have been nothing short of abysmal away from the Emirates Stadium this season. The Gunners are currently ninth in the Premier League’s away table, just one point above relegation-threatened Newcastle who have played one less game, and suffered on the road in the FA Cup too – eliminated at the City Ground by Championship outfit Nottingham Forest. Of course, Wembley will be a neutral venue this weekend, but Arsenal struggled there last time out in the North London derby as well, losing 1-0 to Tottenham.
Why have Arsenal been so poor on the road this season, and will those problems affect them in a neutral ground as well?
James: “Wenger insists he can’t understand why Arsenal struggle on the road but the answer seems simple – an inability to dictate games. That’s still an issue at the Emirates but when a rival crowd gets on their back the Gunners seem to lose all composure. That’s why they’ve contrived to throw away wins against Watford, Bournemouth and Swansea.
“Arsenal didn’t look at home in the north London derby earlier this month but the players would definitely tell you they do feel more settled at Wembley so Wenger will be optimistic that his side will rise to the occasion at a ground where they went unbeaten in nine before losing to Tottenham.”
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Arsenal can take some comfort from the fact City’s aura of invincibility domestically took a blow for the second time this season on Monday night. Following on from Liverpool’s 4-3 victory at Anfield, League One Wigan dished out the second defeat of City’s domestic campaign, eliminating them from the FA Cup.
In terms of approach and tactics, how can Arsenal stop City on Sunday – and what can they learn from Wigan and Liverpool?
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James:“I have my doubts as to whether Arsenal have the quality to replicate Liverpool’s intense press, though Aubameyang at least should be familiar with its requirements. If they learnt anything from both of City’s recent defeats it will be that you have to take your chances, have a goalkeeper on top form and be lucky.”
Soccer Football – FA Cup Fifth Round – Wigan Athletic vs Manchester City – DW Stadium, Wigan, Britain – February 19, 2018 Wigan Athletic’s Will Grigg celebrates scoring their first goal with Max Power REUTERS/Andrew Yates
And which Arsenal player will have the most important job at Wembley on Sunday?
James: “He may not be the most popular player in the Arsenal team but if they’re to have any success Granit Xhaka needs to do a lot of the defensive work he all too often fails to do. That means tracking runners, in particular Kevin De Bruyne, and not roving from his position as he so often does. If Arsenal are to threaten City it’ll be on the counter and Xhaka can be the one to launch attacks with the sort of direct, incisive passing that Aubameyang can thrive off.”
Finally James, let’s hear your score prediction…
James: “Arsenal invariably raise their game in cup finals (at least since the Birmingham City debacle) but I don’t think it will be enough. City will win this quite comfortably, probably 2-0.”
Marco Reus has often been linked with Premier League clubs but his anticipated move to the English top flight could finally materialise this summer, following reports that the Borussia Dortmund star has stalled contract talks at Westfalen.
News of the German international’s apparent £20million release clause, set to come into effect in summer 2015, was brought to light during the off-season by none other than Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. It was assumed however, Reus’s loyalty, despite his availability, remained firmly with Jurgen Klopp’s side.
But with discussions over a new deal – that would eradicate his remarkably cheap buy-out fee -reportedly hitting a sour note, potential suitors will feel their chances of signing Reus have dramatically improved. And according to the tabloids, Arsenal and Liverpool have emerged as the most interested parties.
It won’t be the clear-cut choice the British press are currently making out. After all, Reus is regarded as one of the most exciting attacking talents in European football, and at just 25 years of age, virtually every major club on the continent will look to capitalise upon the opportunity to sign the forward for his best years.
But in the interests of debate, the question must be asked; who should Marco Reus choose – the Mersey outfit or the Gunners?
Liverpool need a new hero after losing Luis Suarez to Barcelona this summer and Reus is more than capable of filling that void with a paralleled talismanic tone.
It may not be an achievement of recognised value like trophies or titles, but maintaining the tradition of world-class attacking talent at Anfield is an honour in its own right. Reus possesses the quality to rival the likes of Michael Owen, Luis Suarez, Robbie Fowler, Fernando Torres and Kenny Dalglish in Liverpool’s history books, and one can already envisage him in the famous No.7 jersey.
That nostalgic prestige won’t be enough on its own however, and at this moment in time, it remains to be seen just where Brendan Rodgers can take the club in terms of silverware. Following their subdued start to the season, even Liverpool’s Champions League status is currently under threat.
History tells us too that Anfield is more of a stepping stone than a final destination. Many of the aforementioned names left for huge money to the world’s top clubs. Having already more than proved his worth at Borussia Dortmund, it’s not as if Reus needs the platform Liverpool would provide to attract attention from Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Philosophically however, Liverpool’s style of play suits the Germany star well. The Anfield outfit share many characteristics with the Black-Yellows; particularly, their industriousness, desire to defend from the front and the ability to move the ball at breakneck pace going forward. In theory, Reus would transition to life on Merseyside with few teething pains.
Not that he’d be in any way alien to Arsenal’s brand of football. Reus is best famed for his electric pace but the forward’s technical qualities are equally astounding. And the level of talent on the display at the Emirates is arguably more alluring than Anfield- the prospect of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Reus operating in attacking tandem verges upon orgasmic. You could throw Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere into that equation too.
The recent plight of Mesut Ozil however should serve as a warning to Reus. Arsene Wenger spent around £80million to bring Ozil and Sanchez to the Emirates, but he’s yet to truly mould the team around either of them – something the Dortmund star would surely expect should he join the Arsenal ranks next summer.
Of course, Reus is an exceptionally versatile footballer but that same characteristic has served his countryman poorly, who now finds himself regularly lingering in an unaccommodating role on the right hand side. The core of the issue is Arsenal’s depth of quality in midfield; Wenger struggles to find room for all and, as is the case with Ozil, eventually settles on an uneasy compromise.
Comparatively, at Liverpool, Reus would be uncontested for his habitual role on the left hand side; currently, the Anfield roster is absent of established wide options. How he would fit into a strike-force that already contains two elite strikers in Mario Balotelli and Daniel Sturridge however, or how Rodgers would balance gametime between the German, Raheem Sterling, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana in the No.10 role, remain further conundrums.
Admittedly, the differences between the two clubs are rather minimal. Both will be competing for the same aims in the league this season, both will be challenging regularly for auxiliary silverware, and both employ a style of football that suits Reus’ natural strengths as a footballer.
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In terms of the starting Xi however, I feel that there would be a natural role for Reus at Liverpool, or at least, Brendan Rodgers will feel obliged to carve one for him. For Arsenal on the other hand, he’d only be exacerbating a situation that Arsene Wenger is already struggling to resolve.
That being said, a year in the world of Premier League football is a very, very long time.
[ffc-quiz ]
It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has dismissed rumours that he is set to return to Spain in the January transfer window, as reported by The Sun.
De Gea is happy at United, despite Sir Alex Ferguson regularly chopping and changing his goalkeepers, leaving nobody 100% sure who his current number one is.
De Gea arrived at Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid last year and it is rumoured that the other big club from the Spanish capital are interested in him becoming the long term successor of legend Iker Casillas.
However, the United stopper has put to bed those rumours and is keen to rise to the challenge that Sir Alex has laid down for him.
“I am happy at United and not thinking about a return to Spain,
“I’ve accepted the challenge to learn and improve as a professional.
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“And fighting for my place gives me a bigger incentive to play well.”
As reported by The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a move for Barcelona midfielder Andre Gomes this summer, after the La Liga side put him on an outgoing transfer list.
Spurs are on the hunt for talents that can help them close the gap on the likes of Manchester City next season, hoping to challenge for major silverware at home and abroad.
Gomes has had a difficult time at the Nou Camp since joining two years ago and played just 629 minutes of top-flight football in Spain last season. He missed out on a place in Portugal’s World Cup squad as a result.
Fans aren’t keen on signing him as a result, believing he hasn’t proven in his career so far that he can make an impact in the English Premier League and shine for Mauricio Pochettino’s outfit.
They took took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the potential signing…
It is safe to say that Tottenham Hotspur fans revel in Arsenal’s misery, and the same goes for some former players.Graham Roberts, who played in defence for Spurs between 1980 and 1986, is one of those ex-professionals who rather enjoys poking fun at the Gunners.On Thursday night, Arsene Wenger’s men took on little-known Swedish side Ostersunds in the second leg of their last-32 Europa League tie.The Gunners had a 3-0 advantage from the first leg, but they suffered disappointment at the Emirates as they were beaten 2-1 on the night.Hosam Aiesh and Ken Sema stunned the home crowd by going two goals to the good within two minutes of each other in the first half.Sead Kolasinac managed to pull one back for Arsenal, but they ended up on the losing side.[ad_pod ]Despite the result, the North London outfit progressed into the last 16 stage of the competition.It was difficult to ignore the outcome of the game, and Roberts rubbed salt into Arsenal’s wounds by launching a dig at Wenger.Many supporters wanted the manager to call time on his two-decade tenure last season, but the Frenchman ended up signing a new two-year contract.With results like these, the likes of Roberts and his fellow Tottenham fans want Wenger to remain at the helm for as long as possible.
With no date set for Theo Walcott’s return to the Arsenal team for next season, and the club apparently still weighing up a move for Loic Remy to fill two needs in the team’s attack, why not opt for Carlos Vela?
The Mexican may not be to every Arsenal fan’s liking after his disappointing first spell in north London, but this is an altogether different player, one who has been allowed to mature and afforded the kind of trust at Real Sociedad that was absent from Arsene Wenger’s coaching.
There was rightly a lot of excitement about Vela prior to his initial arrival at Arsenal, having spent all of his time in European football away on loan on the continent. His talent at the U17 World Championship in 2005 was clear, while his exploits in La Liga for Osasuna in particular left many fans eager to see the forward added to the team at the Emirates.
Carlos Vela’s time at Arsenal can be summarised as being nothing more than a Carling Cup cult figure. He performed well in the domestic cup competition but failed to transfer that cutting edge in front of goal to higher-profiled matches, though that should speak wholly of the lack of chances given to the youngster, who was constantly in and out of the team.
Vela’s form at Real Sociedad over the past three seasons is a better representation of what he’s all about: exceptionally quick, incredibly talented, and an attacking partnership with Antoine Griezmann that became one of the most eye-catching away from the top three teams.
Regular football in Spain has seen Vela develop into the kind of player Arsenal are desperately in need of. He’s one of the star players in the Basque country, but for now, provided this deal goes through, he’d be a squad addition, although a very good option to have and one who could certainly earn a regular place in the starting XI.
At this stage, there isn’t too much Remy can offer Arsenal that Vela can’t. Both would offer the pace Arsenal lacked for much of last season, while being able to chip in with either goals or assists on a regular basis. The £3.5 million for Vela is a bargain that really shouldn’t be passed up by the club. Unlike the case with Fabregas, where people have unbelievably been able to condone the club passing up the option to re-sign him, Vela is very much needed. Whether or not he plays in place of Olivier Giroud through the middle – and size and quality aside, Arsenal should be bringing in more than just Vela to address that position – the Mexican is the perfect alternate to Walcott on the right side of attack.
There really shouldn’t be too much of a debate on this one. It wasn’t too long ago that fans were on Aaron Ramsey’s back over a prolonged dip in form. Like the Welshman, Vela has proven to have kicked on in his career and would be a great option to have in the current team. The transfer fee means Arsenal aren’t really taking a risk on this one. There’s no issue about him getting regular games this time around, as Arsenal’s constant injury problems leave spaces that need to be filled in the starting XI.
Time and time again over the past few weeks people have described this move as a no-brainer – and that’s exactly what it is. It’s chump change for a club who are boasting the wealth from an accumulation of Champions League revenue, television income and new sponsorship deals.
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There’s nothing romantic clouding the judgement on this one. Arsenal very much need Vela going into next season. If not him, then a player in a similar mould. But there’s no need to scour Europe when a high-quality bargain signing is on the table.