Author: isport

Can Ross Barkley, the midfielder once labelled “the new Paul Gascoigne“, finally fulfil his potential? The player’s £15 million move to Chelsea seems like somewhat of a bargain in today’s transfer market. But it will only be considered money-well-spent if the 24-year-old can take his career to the next level at Stamford Bridge. The forthcoming months are set to be crucial in the making of Ross Barkley, as he looks to become a Chelsea regular and earn a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England World Cup squad.

On 6th September 2013, Barkley made his England debut in a 4-0 victory over Moldova, after showing signs of progress in his game under Everton manager at the time, Roberto Martinez.

Can Ross Barkley, the midfielder once labelled “the new Paul Gascoigne“, finally fulfil his potential? The player’s £15 million move to Chelsea seems like somewhat of a bargain in today’s transfer market. But it will only be considered money-well-spent if the 24-year-old can take his career to the next level at Stamford Bridge. The forthcoming months are set to be crucial in the making of Ross Barkley, as he looks to become a Chelsea regular and earn a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England World Cup squad.

On 6th September 2013, Barkley made his England debut in a 4-0 victory over Moldova, after showing signs of progress in his game under Everton manager at the time, Roberto Martinez.

A tremendous optimism echoed around Goodison Park as Evertonians quickly labelled Barkley as the future of the club. Pundits were swooning over his pulsating ability to run at defenders and his creativity in the final third, something that England had been missing for some time.

Despite glimpses of brilliance throughout the 4 years that followed, the boyhood Evertonian failed to reach the heights his potential promised. Poor decision making and a lack of discipline are now traits one would associate with the Everton academy graduate. His inconsistent club form also cost him opportunities on the international stage. Barkley’s only start in the 2014 World Cup came in the dead rubber 0-0 draw with Costa Rica. Then, after making the squad for Euro 2016, he failed to register a single minute for England in a frustrating campaign for the midfielder and England fans alike.

Fast forward to the present day and Toffees fans are riled that their once-prized asset has lost their club £20 million in transfer fees. The move was all set to go through in the summer for a sum of £35 million until Barkley himself pulled out to focus on returning from injury. With his contract set to expire in the summer and Ross showing no desire in signing a new deal, Everton had no choice but to cash in during the January window. Consequently, Chelsea were able to bring him to Stamford Bridge for the reduced fee of just £15 million.

Although he endured a bitter end to his Everton career, Ross Barkley always was on the verge of becoming a special player. The pure talent was never in doubt, nor was his physical build, and his goals, even though he managed just 21 from 150 appearances, were always memorable. But if Barkley is truly to become one of the Premier League’s best, then the man management of new boss Antonio Conte will be important.

Conte has been quick to heap the praise on his new signing and made his intentions clear of helping Barkley back into the England squad. Many bookmakers on the Oddschecker website are as confident as Conte right now and expect him to build on his 22 international caps at Russia 2018. Whilst there can be no bigger boots to fill than those of Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer Frank Lampard, the club has demonstrated their faith in Barkley by handing him the famous number 8 shirt.

The Chelsea manager will most-likely concentrate on improving Barkley’s positional discipline and making sure he knows exactly what his role is in the team. This could be in central midfield alongside the tireless N’golo Kanté, who would provide Barkley with the platform to showcase his ability. Likewise, he could become part of an exciting attacking trio with the ever-impressive Eden Hazard and Álvaro Morata.

Conte’s title determining switch to 3 at the back last season saw the majority of his team take up unfamiliar roles in the team. He rapidly instilled discipline throughout the pitch and saw his team win 13 games in a row under the new system. If this is anything to go by, then he shouldn’t have too many problems in making sure Barkley doesn’t drift out of position as he has done in the past. If Conte is successful in doing so, then the rest comes down to the commitment of Barkley himself and if he can make a brisk return to his scintillating best.

Frank Lampard is one of the greatest players of all time and is one of the best ever midfielders in the Premier League. The former England international, who retired from professional football last year, was one of a kind, and most of his success came at Chelsea.

Lampard did not have much pace and was not exactly a beast physically, but the 38-year-old still managed to control games and weave his magic. The Englishman could play anywhere in midfield, had great vision and creativity, and was always willing to work hard.

Frank Lampard is one of the greatest players of all time and is one of the best ever midfielders in the Premier League. The former England international, who retired from professional football last year, was one of a kind, and most of his success came at Chelsea.

Lampard did not have much pace and was not exactly a beast physically, but the 38-year-old still managed to control games and weave his magic. The Englishman could play anywhere in midfield, had great vision and creativity, and was always willing to work hard.

Gifted with a keen eye for goal, Lampard won the Premier League thrice, the FA Cup on four occasions and the Champions League once with Chelsea. It is going to be hard for any young footballer in the world to repeat the heroics of the Englishman, but the following three midfielders in the Bundesliga have the potential to become the ‘next Frank Lampard’.

Renato Sanches
Renato Sanches is only 19 years of age, but he has already made a name for himself as one of the brightest young talents in world football. Signed by Bayern Munich in the summer of 2016, the Portugal international midfielder has been able to make only 13 appearances in the Bundesliga so far this season, but there can be no denial that he could develop into a world-class footballer in the coming years.

The former Benfica youngster is a very versatile midfielder who can operate in attacking, defensive, central and wide roles. Playing under manager Carlo Ancelotti, Sanches, who is a very physically imposing player, is only going to get better.

Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic is an 18-year-old attacking midfielder who is on the books of Borussia Dortmund at the moment. The USA international, who can also operate as a winger, has scored three goals and provided five assists in 11 Bundesliga starts so far this season. The youngster is at his best when he is deployed as a number 10, but he is able to feature in any attacking roles.

Pulisic’s age and talent means that he is going to get better and add more facets to his game in the coming years. The promising teenager’s performances this season have been important in establishing Dortmund as the third favourites to win the league title, according to Bundesliga betting odds on bet365.

Mahmoud Dahoud
Mahmoud Dahoud is 21 years of age and is currently starring for Borussia Monchengladbach. Liverpool have been linked with the Germany Under-21 international midfielder, and it is easy to see why. The youngster has progressed well at Monchengladbach, and it would seem a natural step for him to move to a bigger club either in the Bundesliga or switch to a top-six team in the Premier League.

Dahoud is a box-to-box midfielder who works hard for the team, is not afraid to put in a tackle or two, and has a wide passing range. In 32 Bundesliga appearances for Monchengladbach during the 2015-16 season, the German youngster scored five goals, created 31 chances, had a pass accuracy of 84%, a shot accuracy of 58%, and won 46 tackles.

Frank Lampard has yet to make a decision on his next destination after the Englishman left New York City following their exit in the MLS Cup last month when they were defeated by Toronto FC.

The former Chelsea midfielder spent two years in the USA playing the in the MLS. He made 30 appearances for the New York club, scoring 15 goals across those couple of seasons.

It now looks like Lampard could be heading back to Europe on a short-term deal, similar to what David Beckham did when he left LA Galaxy as he signed for French champions PSG on a six-month contract.

Frank Lampard has yet to make a decision on his next destination after the Englishman left New York City following their exit in the MLS Cup last month when they were defeated by Toronto FC.

The former Chelsea midfielder spent two years in the USA playing the in the MLS. He made 30 appearances for the New York club, scoring 15 goals across those couple of seasons.

It now looks like Lampard could be heading back to Europe on a short-term deal, similar to what David Beckham did when he left LA Galaxy as he signed for French champions PSG on a six-month contract.

Lampard has been linked with a move to Scotland to sign for Rangers in the SPL. The Scottish side recently terminated the contract of Joey Barton at the club and have lost Niko Kranjcar for the season therefore need some cover in midfield.

The former England international may see Rangers as one last challenge in his career. It will allow him to move back to the UK and work for one of the most highly regarded managers in Scotland in Mark Warburton.

Rangers are 11 points behind rivals Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table at the time of writing. They can be backed at 40/1 in the bet365 SPL betting, while they are 11/2 to win the Scottish FA Cup this season.

What Else Could Be on the Table for Lampard?

If Lampard is searching for warmer climates for his next destination, he could choose Melbourne City FC. The club shares the same owners with Manchester City and New York City therefore they may tempt him into a deal in the A-League.

Melbourne City are already 11 games into their season in the A-League therefore he would go straight into the campaign. The club is currently fourth in the standings in Australia, nine points behind leaders Sydney FC.

Another option for Lampard could be a return to Stamford Bridge. The club’s record goalscorer may be offered a player/coaching role by Antonio Conte. At the age of 38, he is unlikely to start many games in the second half of the campaign but the Italian may see the Blues legend as a good player to have around the dressing room for the final few months of the season.

Chelsea recently matched a club record of 11 consecutive wins in the Premier League when they beat Crystal Palace 1-0. It could be a great opportunity for Lampard to win another medal with the club he has already represented 648 times.

If Lampard does decide to hang up his boots for good, he may want to go into management. When Steven Gerrard announced his retirement, he immediately was offered the vacant job at MK Dons in League One.

Finally, Lampard may look for a future in the media. Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Paul Scholes have all landed themselves jobs on TV so Lampard might opt for talking about the game rather than worrying about the stresses of management.

English Premier League side Chelsea FC are really keen on signing French star striker Antoine Griezmann this summer but the player chose to commit his future to his Spanish club Atletico Madrid, according to reports.

English Premier League side Chelsea FC are really keen on signing French star striker Antoine Griezmann this summer but the player chose to commit his future to his Spanish club Atletico Madrid, according to reports.

The forward, who has a lot of clubs interested in him after his brilliant display in the La Liga last season and in the ongoing Euro 2016 in his home country, decided to continue to play in Spain.

The Blues are in search for a top striker that is reliable. They want to find an alternative or pair for current first choice forward Diego Costa, so that fans keep coming to the matches, and buying tickets through this site. Talksport revealed that the 25-year-old was the top choice for the Blues alongside Alvaro Morata who Real Madrid just bought from Juventus.

With Griezmann deciding to remain at the club, Stamford Bridge would have to be search for a top quality striker elsewhere. There are reports that they are intensifying their effort at getting Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid.

On his new deal, Griezmann told the official club website: “I’m very satisfied, very happy to keep belonging to this family and this project. I want to improve every year, and the club, the coaches and my teammates can help me to reach this goal.”

Chelsea are also interested in Juventus’ Paul Pogba. Incoming coach Antonio Conte is reported to be an admirer of the player and has him on his wishlist. Conte has mentioned that he would love to bring the 23-year old star to England again, after his previous spell in the youth team of Manchester United. Conte knows the player well from his time at the club as coach.

Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola spoke concerning his client. He said: “Real Madrid are fascinating as are Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, [Manchester] City, Chelsea and also Juve.” The clubs want him but the issue will be set to rest after the Euro 2016 tournament.

The manager of the English national team Roy Hodgson says the team after qualifying for the knockout stage of the Euro 2016 in France, is not afraid of any team in the continental tournament. He also admitted that the England squad does not cause a stir ahead of any game now.

The manager of the English national team Roy Hodgson says the team after qualifying for the knockout stage of the Euro 2016 in France, is not afraid of any team in the continental tournament. He also admitted that the England squad does not cause a stir ahead of any game now.

Alan Shearer, former England international wrote on his column on BBC that he was not too impressed with the performance of the team at the tournament.

England were expected to top the group but the team played a draw with Russia, defeated Wales narrowly with few minutes away from the stoppage time but couldn’t score against Slovakia.

Shearer blamed the performance on the fact that the options were much and that the coach was having a hard time picking out his best eleven. He said he “doesn’t think Roy knows his best XI, or his best system, and that is where we [England] are struggling.”

The Newcastle legend said the second spot in the group was not bad and that the team could still get a favourable opponent to play against in the next stage of the tournament.

Shearer called for improvements from the team ahead of the next round. He said the tournament was wide open and that anything was possible, especially going by some results from the group stage. Shearer went on to ask for a change in formation as the 4-3-3 formation wasn’t producing the desired results.

He added that Walker, Rooney and Dier were the most impressive in the team. He claimed the heart of the problem of the team was in the attack, which needed more work. He admitted that like others, he was scared of the defence ahead of the tournament but has been fine with their performance so far. He charged the team to go on to get past their opponents in the next stage.

Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard’s image at the MLS just keeps getting messier.

The 38-year old UEFA Champions League winner has lots of thing going wrong for him in the US. The $6m-a-year star midfielder got a poor response from his team’s supporters when he was called on to help the team last weekend.

Former Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard’s image at the MLS just keeps getting messier.

The 38-year old UEFA Champions League winner has lots of thing going wrong for him in the US. The $6m-a-year star midfielder got a poor response from his team’s supporters when he was called on to help the team last weekend.

They were already 5-0 down to their bitter city rivals New York Red Bulls. The game eventually ended 7-0 but the reception to the former England international was not one off as the fans are getting tired of the player at the club.

If you had had a bet on the score being 7-0 you could have got odds of 100/1 with StanJames!

First, Lampard arrived late to the club despite being unveiled much earlier. His defense was that he was asked to stay at Manchester on loan to Man City for six months. He finally did arrive in New York in July last year despite being unveiled in the summer of 2014. The fans were not particularly happy with the excuse and his spate of injuries did nothing to endear him to the fans.

His resumption at the club was not stress free as the fans were angered with the cloud of administrative controversy that followed his delay. The franchise owned by Sheikh Mansour and pals made the deal and Manchester City admitted that Lampard had never officially signed for NYCFC in the first place, but simply agreed a “head of terms commitment.” This made fans feel the decision for him to stay in England was because the club owners gave a higher priority to city compared to NYCFC.

He finally started with the games and played 10, scoring three goals. This year he has been largely unavailable due to injuries with suspicions that his commitment to the club wasn’t as it should be. The perceptions that his salary exceeds the entire wage bill of his club’s immediate rivals, the Red Bulls is not helping as it hasn’t reflected in his performances.

His arrival drew a lot of fans and expectations that have not been met. This made the city rivals mock the club as a retirement home as the club has other non performing stars like Andrea Pirlo, though Villa has been adored more since his arrival.