Ahead of his first assignment as Norwich City manager against Southampton at home, Smith – who replaced Daniel Farke on November 15 – expressed confidence in the existing contingent of players. Having had a record of never getting relegated in his career, former Aston Villa boss has quite a mountain to climb this time and Norwich’s recent track record in the Premier League doesn’t help his cause. “We believe the quality is there but the mentality also needs to be there.”I looked at the squad, I spoke to Neil (Adams, assistant sporting director) and Stuart (Webber, sporting director) and I…
Author: 1X Team
Hakim Ziyech’s arrival to Stamford Bridge transfer hasn’t panned out as expected so far. The Moroccan is being linked with an exit already, but he continues to have the backing of manager Thomas Tuchel regardless. Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has shut down rumors linking Hakim Ziyech to an exit. The Moroccan joined the Blues in July 2020 but hasn’t hit the heights he did at Ajax so far, leading to him becoming an incredibly polarising figure within the fanbase. Nonetheless, the attacker continues to have the backing of his manager, who believes that injuries, rather than poor performances, have hampered Ziyech’s…
Jesse Lingard took to social media to tease a potential transfer to West Ham United. The England international could leave Manchester United in the coming weeks after talks with the club over a potential contract extension broke down. The Manchester United midfielder teased a possible return to West Ham United via his Instagram, just hours after it came to light that talks between him and the club over a contract extension had broken down. The 28-year-old is in the final six months of his contract and will be free to leave Manchester United in July 2022. In that case, the…
Julian Nagelsmann’s men resumed their league campaign with a defeat against the relegation-threatened Augsburg. The Bavarians fell two goals behind in the first half, and even Robert Lewandowski couldn’t rescue them from the claws of defeat. Despite hoarding the ball up to 80 per cent and taking 18 shots, Bayern were beaten 2-1 by Augsburg in the Bundesliga. The Bavarians found themselves two goals down by the 35th minute and, while they did pull one back, were unable to outscore the relegation-threatened side. Bayern started the game without Joshua Kimmich anchoring the middle of the pitch; the central midfielder was ruled out of the…
The Reds have been a dash-and-dare voyage this season, with the club adamant to produce some big results. Not until their game against West Ham United in London they tasted a defeat this season, across all competitions. It will take some doing for them to dent the aspirations of Chelsea, but they are well on track for what could be a massive season. Arsenal were off to a horrendous start losing their opening three fixtures, but they have picked up momentum themselves. They have remained undefeated in the league since losing 5-0 to Manchester City in the final game of August, and…
The Gunners are looking for reinforcements in the middle of the park; the Gunners are eyeing a move for Lille star Renato Sanches. Meanwhile, AC Milan are hopeful of getting a cut-price deal for Nicolas Pepe, who has failed to live up to expectations so far. Arsenal’s much-maligned summer spend looks better day by day. Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, and Takehiro Tomiyasu have been integrated fully into the starting eleven – and the team looks better for it – while Nuno Tavares and Albert Sambi Lokonga have shown signs of potential off the bench. Still, there are areas of improvement within the squad, especially in the…
A disappointing start to the season left Barcelona ninth in the La Liga table, which ultimately cost head coach Ronald Koeman his job. Speaking on his sacking, centre-back Oscar Mingueza says that the dressing room needed a change. Koeman was relieved of his duties as the Barcelona head coach last month following the team’s disastrous start to the campaign. Issues on the pitch lent to a disappointing first few months of the season, during which the Blaugrana slumped to ninth in the league and lost their first two UEFA Champions League group stage games by an aggregate scoreline of 6-0.…
Barcelona are preparing a major squad overhaul next summer as they look to shape the team in the image of the new head coach Xavi Hernandez. The Spanish giants are keen on two Chelsea defenders, a German sensation, and a LaLiga stalwart. The arrival of Xavi is likely to be supplemented by several new signings. Despite financial troubles, the club has been linked with several of Europe’s top players, some of which might arrive as early as January 2022. Plans are also underway to overhaul the squad in the subsequent transfer window, with the Blaugrana targeting four new signings next summer. As…
Last season in the Indian Super League, Odisha FC ended up at rock-bottom and stayed there until the end of the season. They were able to manage just two wins and ended up losing as many as 12 games – by far the most in the competition. The team also shipped in a record total of 44 goals – 12 more than the next team on the list. Such a terrible season meant that Odisha FC made grand, sweeping changes this summer. A new Spanish manager in Kiko Ramirez has come in and Odisha have also changed their entire overseas contingent. The…
Chennaiyin FC have been a part of the Indian Super League since its inaugural season in 2014. They’ve been one of the most successful teams in the league in the last seven years and have lifted the ISL trophy twice. Only ATK Mohun Bagan have seen more league success with their three ISL triumphs. Chennaiyin have also qualified for the playoffs four times and reached the final on three occasions. However, the last few years have been quite erratic, to say the least. Their performances and the eventual results have varied drastically, and last season was another negative experience for…