All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

QPR are having an impressive season so far, if not a topsy-turvy one.

Before Monday evening’s game against Brentford, Mark Warburton’s side sit 9th in the Championship table, just four points off the top of the league.

The R’s have scored an impressive 23 goals in their 13 Championship games so far, but have also conceded a whopping 23 as well – only a few of the league’s basement sides have conceded more.

Additionally, the Londoners are also yet to keep a Championship clean sheet this season – they are alarmingly the only team in the second tier not to record a single shutout this term.

Despite their frailties at the back, QPR are still having a good season and could go second with a win against the Bees, so is their current approach a sustainable one that could reap a glistening reward come May?

Let’s see what Football FanCast’s writers think about the situation…

Billy Meyers

“Over the course of a gruelling 46-game league campaign, the goals will surely dry up for QPR at some stage or another.

“The R’s also have little attacking depth behind Jordan Hugill and Nahki Wells, so if one of the pair were to get injured, the focus would need to flip on securing a clean sheet first and foremost before someone else steps up to score the goals.

“Out of all of the sides who made the playoffs last season – an area that is now a realistic target for QPR – West Brom had the worst defensive record with 62 concessions in 46 games. In context, if Warburton’s side keep their current rate of conceding goals up, they will surpass that figure by some distance and surely weaken their chances of making the top six in doing so – defensive solidity must be worked on over the coming weeks.”

Charles Jones

“I believe that teams in the Championship can go a long way based on just their attacking prowess – just look at Norwich last term. There were seven teams in the league that conceded more than the Canaries, yet they ran away with the title.

“Saying that though, Warburton would be a fool to not want to improve his defence, as that is what may be the difference between a spot in the top six or a top half finish.

“The goals may be sustainable, but if they get into the playoffs, teams won’t allow them to play in such a broad and open way and they could get found out.”

Kealan Hughes “If QPR are to finish in the play-offs they need to address their defensive vulnerability quickly, as history suggests that a leaky defence often holds back teams in the Championship.“In recent years, Sheffield United and Cardiff have based their promotion campaigns on solid foundations, conceding just 41 and 39 goals respectively, so continuing to employ this approach while aiming for promotion seems unsustainable.“They have a great chance in keeping the goals up in Wells’ case, seeing as he once notched 17 Championship goals in one season – however, Hugill’s best-ever seasonal tally is just 12. Ebere Eze is the wildcard, though, and if he can add to his six goals and three assists, then QPR would still have an outside chance.” VJ  “Make no mistake about it, QPR’s current predicament is unsustainable. Sooner or later, their defensive nightmares are going to come back to haunt them big time. In the nitty-gritty games over a long, hard-fought Championship season, having a solid back-line goes a long way to getting massive wins.“Last year, out of those involved in the play-off positions, fourth-placed West Brom conceded the most with 62 from their 46 games. The year before that? Derby County with just 48. Already this campaign, QPR have let in 23, despite playing just 13 times. Mark Warburton’s men will have to fix up quickly, or risk their season unravelling. Strikers can only save you on so many occasions, and so it’s about time the Hoops’ defence take some responsibility.”

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Despite West Ham starting the season positively Felipe Anderson has come under fire from some fans recently, but there could be a solution available to bring the best out of him.

On the chalkboard

The Brazilian was described by Jamie Carragher as the Hammers’ best player on Sky Sports’ coverage of West Ham vs Crystal Palace, and if Manuel Pellegrini can get him playing at his best on a consistent basis – such as when he scored four Premier League goals in December 2018 – then his side could challenge in the upper echelons of the league.

In the current set-up he often fails to support Sebastien Haller because he plays wide and is burdened with defensive responsibility, but if the Chilean can find a way to free him up then his best performances should begin to show.

Watch West Ham United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

So far this season he is yet to get on the scoresheet and has instead been part of a midfield that has been accused of not providing service to Haller, which is a reason why the Hammers have scored only 11 goals in eight league games.

However, since Pellegrini is a manager who hasn’t mixed up his preferred formation since arriving in east London, it is instead personnel that will need altering, and that means players such as Manuel Lanzini and Pablo Fornals could drop out, but with a combined total of three goals and assists between them, that may be another positive.

Free role

With that under consideration, Pellegrini should revert back to a successful system he sometimes utilised during his spell as manager of Manchester City, playing two deep centre midfielders with two wide players in front of them, and two strikers looking to feed off them.

West Ham have the personnel to succeed with that style and once Michail Antonio returns the Irons boss should look to implement it.

With him and Andriy Yarmolenko on either wing the Hammers would have a goalscoring threat from out wide, but perhaps more importantly, it would allow Anderson to float in the position in and around Haller, linking up with the striker and roaming out wide when necessary.

His dribbling success of 2.3 per game shows he has an ability to receive the ball and play on the turn, allowing him to run at the opposition, and if he takes up various positions around the pitch and becomes difficult to track, then he should have joy in the opposition’s final third.

If he can improve his shooting he could provide a threat from distance and add an unpredictable nature to his game, as his average of 1.7 key passes per game shows he can create chances for Haller too.

Nicolas Pepe played 78 minutes of Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United in the Premier League on Monday night.

And it was another tough outing for the summer arrival from Lille.

That said, the statistics show that he was heavily involved in the action.

Indeed, according to WhoScored, Pepe had three shots, five dribbles and made five tackles during a lively display against the Blades.

There was again a lack of an end product, though, and Pepe has struggled to show his best form for the Gunners since moving to the club ahead of the 2019/20 campaign.

The 24-year-old will surely be given time to make his mark at the Emirates Stadium.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, his recent struggles have gone down very well with the Tottenham Hotspur fans, who once again poked fun at Pepe on Monday night after criticising his performance against Watford in September.

Indeed, many could not resist the temptation to blast the attacker for his performance at Bramall Lane – and a selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]

According to The Telegraph, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Eric Dier is set to make his first appearance of the season in his side’s Carabao Cup clash against Colchester on Tuesday night, and Spurs fans on Twitter appear pleased with the update.

The 25-year-old has been an unused substitute on six occasions this term – missing the north London outfit’s only other fixture through injury – but it appears as though Mauricio Pochettino has made the decision to name him in the starting XI at the JobServe Community Stadium.

The Argentine manager has largely decided to play without an out-and-out defensive midfielder this term with Moussa Sissoko, Harry Winks and summer addition Tanguy Ndombele preferred in the centre of the park, although Victor Wanyama did come on against Leicester at the weekend – the less said about that outing the better however.

That particular spot looks to be up for grabs given the number of goals Tottenham have conceded on the road already this season – two in each of their four games on their travels – and Dier will know he needs to impress against the League Two club to force himself into contention.

Spurs supporters certainly seem pleased with the Telegraph report, with one labelling it as “the positive change we needed”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

If you were an outsider looking in, you’d be forgiven for assuming Leeds had started the season terribly, judging by some of the fan reaction.

After defeat against Charlton, supporters called out Marcelo Bielsa’s tactics but that was also the case after a draw with Derby.

Football fans can grow restless quickly but that is the cut-throat nature of football.

The Whites may only have won once at home all season and taken victory from one of their last four matches but they still sit three points off top spot.

It’s been a productive start but they could be doing better – that’s particularly the case going forward.

The constant barrage of Jack Harrison won’t stop. He was targeted by the Leeds faithful last weekend despite completing two accurate crosses, something that doubled his tally in that department for the season.

So far, he has managed just three accurate balls into the box from 37 attempts.

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

Leeds are also one of the worst teams in terms of their conversion. They amass the highest rate of shots per game at 17.7, which is two more than West Brom – their unbeaten opponents tonight.

They have scored four fewer goals but whoever comes out on top in that game will make a huge statement about their promotion hopes.

If the Whites lose they’ll find themselves even further behind the pack but three points would be huge.

What can they do to improve matters? Having Tyler Roberts back could definitely help.

The creative midfielder returned from an injury that saw him have fluid drained from his knee over the summer and returned to the fold at The Valley.

He came off the bench against the Addicks and now a year older, he could be one part of the jigsaw that’s currently missing from the Leeds XI.

Mateusz Klich is yet to discover the form he showed in 2018/19 and has netted just twice in all competitions but it’s the players beside him that have failed to conjure up much creativity or goal threat.

Adam Forshaw came close at the weekend but hasn’t scored in the league since 2015/16. Jamie Shackleton is yet to score a senior goal either.

Roberts is a player capable of playing anywhere across the attacking line, initially making his name as a centre-forward.

However, it’s in a wide role and, in particular, directly behind the striker that he’s broken through at Leeds.

He became somewhat of a key player towards the back end of last season and boasted some impressive numbers per game.

He may not have netted too often but eight goal involvements from just 20 starts is something promising to build upon.

Had he not missed the start of the campaign it’s likely he would have played a substantial role and, with Forshaw set to miss the game against Slaven Bilic’s highflyers, Roberts is someone who could well come in and start.

After all, Shackleton was sacrificed at half time last Saturday. Clearly Bielsa wasn’t happy.

It might be that Roberts is now the player to come in and the 20-year-old could add some extra fire and spice to their forward line that’s missing.

He was able to do that last term, specifically against Preston but also against West Brom.

Roberts caused them a host of problems at Elland Road last season by claiming two assists. The omens certainly bode well heading into the exact same fixture on Tuesday.

Lest we forget, Albion are the team he used to play for. An extra incentive will be there for the Welshman this week but as the season progresses, he can become a key man and one of the emerging talents at Thorp Arch.

Roberts became a bit of a favourite under Bielsa in the second half of last season, failing to miss a single game from mid-January until a clash against Ipswich on the final day.

The youngster has a dynamic nature about him that could solve some underlying issues. Leeds aren’t particularly having too much joy from wide areas consider Harrison has failed to muster a single assist so perhaps targeting central areas is the way to go.

Something has to change if Leeds want to start improving their results and that starts with extra creativity and an added goal threat.

The fact Roberts only scored three goals in 2018/19 shouldn’t be overlooked. He’s still young and Bielsa has proven he gives chances to up and coming players if they are good enough.

Whether he is the missing piece remains to be seen but there’s certainly a case to be had.

If he can find his feet, Leeds’ promotion hopes will definitely be boosted judging by what’s gone before this season.

[ad_pod ]

West Ham United came back from an early deficit to secure a 3-1 win over strugglers Fulham at the London Stadium on Friday. Goals from Javier Hernandez, Issa Diop and Michail Antonio were enough to secure all three points for Manuel Pellegrini’s side.

The Hammers were certainly the better side and deserving of their victory. There were strong performances all across the pitch for the Irons, with Diop, Antonio and Declan Rice particularly impressing.

Rice has been a revelation for the east London club this season. The 20-year-old defensive midfielder has been a regular starter under Pellegrini and seems to be improving with each passing week.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Rice recently declared his international allegiance to England. Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate should certainly be paying plenty of attention to the West Ham man’s form. In the meantime, Pellegrini will be hoping that the midfielder can continue to play such a vital role for his team.

After the match, plenty of Hammers fans took to Twitter to congratulate Rice on another fine performance…

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…

Former Sunderland man Stephen Elliot has hailed the technical ability of one of perhaps the biggest talents ever to go to waste on Wearside – Sean Thornton.

What’s the word?

After the Black Cats shared a throwback video of a 4-1 win over Rotherham from 2005, Elliot reacted by lauding the “technique” of Thornton.

“Sean Thornton’s technique was outrageous at times. Sure he was on a two day bender before this game too,” the former Republic of Ireland international tweeted.

Thornton had curled in a truly remarkable free-kick from about 35 yards within minutes of coming onto the pitch as a substitute, but what ever happened to the now 36 year-old?

Wasted talent

As Elliot alluded to, Thornton’s reputation preceded him. The talented maverick, instantly recognisable from his brightly coloured hair, was a sensational player on his day, racking up nine goals and four assists in 53 games for the Black Cats.

Unfortunately though, he also held the longest losing streak in the Premier League prior to Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish breaking that record, and his off-the-field problems are well documented.

Watch League 1 Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

An article from Roker Report back in 2017 detailed his sharp decline, as he even had a song based around him, in which the lyrics read: “I wanna go down the pub with Sean Thornton.”

The article anoints Thornton as “incredibly talented”, but says he “wasted all of it (his talent)”.

The Black Cats have had one or two (or ten) troublesome characters down the years, from Darron Gibson to Jack Rodwell, but Thornton may just be the most talented of the lot.

Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth has revealed that Liverpool are “still pushing” to sign Fulham starlet Fabio Carvalho on transfer deadline day.

What’s the story?

After initially looking like the January transfer window would be a quiet one in terms of incomings for Jurgen Klopp’s side, the Reds gazumped Premier League rivals Spurs to the signing of Porto winger Luis Diaz.

Now, Sheth has revealed that the Merseyside club continue to pursue Carvalho amid interest from other clubs.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “Liverpool still pushing to sign Fulham forward Fabio Carvalho. A number of other clubs are interested. Fulham remain confident he will be at Craven Cottage until the summer. Carvalho has entered final 6 months of his Fulham contract.”

He’s an exciting talent

Speaking after he watched him score his first goal for the club against Southampton towards the back end of last season, former Fulham boss Scott Parker said: “Fabio was lively, he had great amounts of energy. All round his performance was very good for a young boy that has come into the team for his full debut.

“He showed real courage and bravery, he’s earned the right to get into this team. He’s not in this team because our season’s over, he’s in the team because he deserves it.”

No categories

Able to play anywhere across midfield and further forward too, Carvalho has been at his best for Fulham’s youth sides when playing just behind the striker.

In 42 games in that position for the Cottagers, the England U18 international has smashed in an incredible 20 goals and provided another nine assists too, while he’s also equally effective out wide too (he’s scored seven goals and set up another eight from the right-hand side).

This season has seen him start off with a bang for the senior side, bagging seven goals in 18 Championship games, including providing four assists too.

His recent form has been particularly impressive, netting three goals and setting up another three in just his past four league games – quite the feat considering he will likely be aware of all the transfer speculation surrounding him.

That speaks to the elite mentality and professionalism that he has even at just the age of 19, and it’s exactly why Sheth’s update that Liverpool are “still pushing” to sign him is likely to have fans absolutely buzzing at the prospect of him joining.

Leeds United missed out on the chance to sign Donny van de Beek and Harry Winks on deadline day, according to reliable journalist Graham Smyth.

The Lowdown: Quiet January for Leeds

The Whites may have hoped to get some significant January business done but that didn’t prove to be the case in the end, with no signings made last month. A lack of money seemingly put paid to that, with Marcelo Bielsa now having to make do with the squad he has between now and the end of the season.

A key claim has emerged regarding some potential late business, and it’s one which could frustrate Leeds fans.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Smyth makes big claim

Writing for the Yorkshire Evening Post, Smyth claimed that the Whites were offered the opportunity to bring in Van de Beek and Winks from Manchester United and Tottenham respectively, but they declined the chance. The journalist reported:

“Both of whom were made available to the Whites on loan for the rest of the season.

“The YEP understands that, after discussions with Bielsa, the club decided not to pursue those options. Signing players he did not feel were needed or attempting to operate on anything other than the same page as Bielsa would be, one suspects, a pointless and dysfunctional exercise.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-33/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Hugely frustrating

This is a hugely frustrating update to hear now that the transfer window is officially closed, with midfield an area which clearly needed strengthening in January. Kalvin Phillips’ continued absence is a big blow, while Adam Forshaw has also been sidelined and has had huge injury problems in the last couple of years.

It seems that Leeds simply didn’t sign Van de Beek or Winks for tactical reasons and the hope is that the decision doesn’t come back to haunt them in May, with a relegation battle still potentially on the cards.

In other news, a positive update regarding one Leeds hero has emerged. Find out who it is here.

Many Sunderland fans were left slamming the display of Tom Flanagan in their 3-3 draw away at Wycombe Wanderers in League One at Saturday lunchtime.

It was a great game between two promotion hopefuls, as Ross Stewart inspired the visitors to a point, but it could well have been more had Joe Jacobson not equalised deep into injury time.

Nonetheless, Flanagan would have been disappointed with his own individual performance having conceded three goals, and he also struggled in general, losing out on five of his duels, while he recorded fewer touches than his own goalkeeper Anthony Patterson (SofaScore).

He also gave possession away on no fewer than on 15 separate occasions in the match, the most out of any of his teammates, on a day that he will want to forget quickly.

Sunderland fans slam Flanagan

These Black Cats slammed his performance on Twitter, with one SAFC supporter even going as far as to claim that he was ‘awful’:

“I’m currently on my knees for Hoffman and Wright back I can’t cope watching Patterson and Flanagan”

Credit: @RyanC2408

“Please can we sack off Tom Flanagan man. He’s woeful.”

Credit: @mbalfour15

“Flanagan was awful!”

Credit: @smallbone66

“Doyle and Flanagan both embarrassing today. Pathetic”

Credit: @redman_aiden

“Tom Flanagan having a nightmare today.”

Credit: @SpeakSAFC

“Flanagan has been poor today, lucky there.”

Credit: @sniff91

In other news, find out why Kevin Phillips thinks Sunderland were robbed here!