Wayne Rooney confirmed as Sam Allardyce’s England captain August 29, 2016 England boss Sam Allardyce insists it was a straightforward decision to retain the status quo after confirming that Manchester United attacker Wayne Rooney will stay as Three Lions captain. Much debate has surrounded Rooney’s future involvement in the England set-up with former captain Alan Shearer urging Rooney to consider international retirement. Allardyce, however, views Rooney’s ongoing leadership [...]
Southampton seal £16m club record deal while Premier League surprise package Hull City prepare to splash the cash August 29, 2016 Southampton have bolstered their squad with the signing of attacking midfielder Sofiane Boufal from French outfit Lille for a club record £16m. The 22-year-old netted 11 goals last season as Lille secured a fifth-place finish in Ligue 1, while Southampton’s outlay for the Moroccan surpasses the £15m they paid Roma for Dani Osvaldo in 2013. [...]
West Ham winger Michail Antonio’s journey from non-league to Premier League warrants England call-up, says Sam Allardyce August 29, 2016 England boss Sam Allardyce pointed to the backstory of Michail Antonio as a pivotal factor in the uncapped West Ham winger being handed a place in his maiden Three Lions squad to face Slovakia on Sunday. The 26-year-old has started the season in impressive fashion, scoring in two of West Ham’s three Premier League matches [...]
West Brom spend £13m on Tottenham winger Nacer Chadli and close in on £15m Malaga midfielder Ignacio Camacho August 29, 2016 West Brom look set for a busy end to the transfer window after they completed the £13m signing of winger Nacer Chadli from Tottenham. The Belgium international, 27, scored 25 goals in 119 games for Spurs and has signed a four-year contract at the Hawthorns. The Baggies’ next arrival could be £15m-rated Spanish midfielder Ignacio Camacho [...]
West Ham 0, Astra Giurgiu 1: Slaven Bilic rails at Hammers after they fail to reach Europa League group stage August 25, 2016 West Ham United 0, Astra Giurgiu 1 (Aggregate: 1-2) West Ham manager Slaven Bilic blasted his players after they fell at the final Europa League play-off hurdle to Romanian side Astra Giurgiu for the second year running. Portuguese former West Brom midfielder Filipe Teixeira scored the only goal to deny the Hammers a place in [...]
Manchester City welcome being drawn with Barcelona in Champions League as fate smiles on debutants Leicester August 25, 2016 Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain has welcomed a blockbusting Champions League draw that paired the club with his and new manager Pep Guardiola’s former team, Barcelona. Borussia Moenchengladbach and Celtic join City and Barca in a fiercely competitive group, but it is the return of Guardiola – and to a lesser extend Begiristain and [...]
Manchester City and Manchester United account for nearly 40 per cent of all Premier League transfer spend following Claudio Bravo arrival August 25, 2016 Manchester has accounted for well over a third of all Premier League transfer expenditure this summer as City and United have engaged in a transfer arms race for their new managers. With Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho taking the reins at the Etihad Stadium and Old Trafford respectively, the two clubs have spent more money than ever [...]
Premier League clubs break spending record for fourth year running August 25, 2016 Premier League clubs have broken their spending record for a summer transfer window for a fourth year in a row, with almost a week to spare. England’s top-flight teams have already shelled out £880m on new players, including £89m man Paul Pogba, during the current close season – £10m more than they did last summer. [...]
Football betting: Blunt Hammers can hold up Manchester City – but not for long August 25, 2016 Pep Guardiola couldn’t have asked for a much better start to life at Manchester City. His four games have seen four wins, 12 goals scored and only two conceded. The Spaniard has taken to English football like a duck to water. West Ham, City’s opponents on Sunday, haven’t had quite as smooth a start to the [...]
Football betting: History repeating with Spurs and Liverpool set to share spoils August 25, 2016 For both Tottenham and Liverpool fans, the wait for a league title is long overdue. It’s been 55 years since Spurs were champions, and the most recent of Liverpool’s 18 wins came in 1990. Neither have won since the formation of the Premier League. Both have come close in recent years – Liverpool narrowly missing out [...]