Daily Archives: July 22, 2021

Serie A: The League’s Top 9 Best Young Talents to Watch this Season

  By O-Posts Team | July 22, 2021 - 21:15 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

Juventus signed the Argentine forward for 32 million euros (£23.4 million) from Sicilian outfit Palermo this summer.

Last season, the 21-year-old scored 13 times for Palermo and provided ten assists - very impressive considering it was his first season in Serie A and was with a relegation-battling side.

Dybala is versatile, athletic and agile, with good technique and an ability to fit into different tactical systems in attack.

I don’t like to make player comparisons but I can understand why many have likened him to his international compatriot, Sergio Aguero.

It will be intriguing to see if Paulo can make that step up with the reigning champions.

With Carlos Tevez departing last season’s Champions League runners-up, he will need to be able to provide spark up front as well as goals.

 

Daniele Rugani (Juventus)

Having initially brought him to Turin on loan in 2012, Juventus took full ownership of the 20-year-old in February for 3.5 million euros to terminate the co-ownership deal that had previously been in effect with Empoli.

Rugani spent 12 years with Empoli, joining them at the age of six and progressing through the youth ranks.

He enjoyed similar success with the Italy age group teams along the way and is regarded as the future of Italy’s defence.

Rugani is more Fabio Cannavaro than Giorgio Chiellini in the fact that he’s not very physical. He’s a classy and elegant defender.

He was the only Empoli outfield player to play every minute of the last campaign and he did so without receiving a single yellow card!

It’s difficult to see him breaking into Juve’s defence next season with Leonardo Bonucci, Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Martin Caceres ahead of him in the pecking order.

Rugani was brought in to replace Angelo Ogbonna, who moved to West Ham United, as back-up.

I just hope that Juve coach Max Allegri gives him an opportunity to shine.

 

Mateo Kovacic (Inter Milan)

One of the more known players on this list, mainly due to his transfer links away from Inter - with the likes of Liverpool and Barcelona showing an interest in the Croatian.

The likelihood is that the 21-year-old will remain at Inter after his comments to the Italian media.

“I’ll stay here [Inter], I won’t move,” he said. “That’s what I wanted, that’s what my renewal until 2019 shows. There will be a long relationship between Inter and myself.

“I want to show that I deserve Inter. I want to win with this shirt. Inter is like Real Madrid or Barcelona.”

Kovacic is a modern, attacking midfielder. He doesn’t just stand in a ten-yard zone of space and wait for the ball, he often drops deep to collect it.

He moves wide to create overloads and is willing to get back behind the line of the ball in the defensive phase.

He is a wonderfully creative hub and is very calm and confident on the ball.

His distribution and defence-splitting through balls are what make him one of Europe’s hottest prospects.

 

Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo)

Berardi is a forward who is co-owned by Juventus and Sassuolo. He’s been a Sassuolo player since 2012.

He’s now spent two full seasons in Serie A. He netted 14 goals and provided nine assists last season; in 2013-14, he scored 16, with six assists.

Quite an achievement, at 20, to have 30 Serie A goals under your belt in just two seasons.

Berardi is a pacy and versatile forward. It’s been a joy to watch him in the past couple of seasons in Italy and he could prove to be a gem for the Italy national team for many years to come.

A drawback? Probably his disciplinary record. He’s received 23 yellow cards and two red in 60 Serie A appearances.

This is something he must work on and I’m sure he’ll improve with experience.

 

Mattia Perin (Genoa)

Any upcoming young Italian goalkeeper who shows glimpses of promise will probably be hailed as the next “Gigi Buffon”.

Many young keepers find this a huge label and many collapse under this sort of pressure. Thankfully for Italy, this 22-year-old Genoa stopper is not one of them.

I’m not suggesting he is the answer to Italy’s prayers once Buffon eventually retires but there is no doubt Mattia is talented.

He was the third-choice keeper behind Buffon and Salvatore Sirigu in Italy’s disastrous World Cup finals campaign in Brazil last year. He has one senior cap.

Light on his feet and blessed with exceptional reflexes, Perin is a brilliant shot-stopper with a bright future ahead of him.

 

M’Baye Niang (AC Milan)

Niang is a versatile 20-year-old French forward.

He made his debut with Milan in 2012, making 33 league appearances but failing to register any goals.

The following season he was sent out on loan to French side Montpellier and he spent the back end of last term on loan at Genoa, where he impressed with five league goals in 12 games.

Now back at Milan for next season, he’s got a great opportunity to shine under new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic.

Should he get the chance, he must take it because the Rossoneri have signed experienced forwards Carlos Bacca and Luiz Adriano.

 

Andrea Bertolacci (AC Milan)

Milan signed the 24-year-old midfielder from AS Roma this summer for a hefty 20 million euros.

Bertolacci impressed during his loan stint at Genoa last season, scoring seven goals and registering eight assists.

Signing Bertolacci should inject much-needed creativity into Milan’s midfield. He can play from a central or advanced position, a deeper playmaker or No.10.

He is versatile. He can be more withdrawn, more of a veiled threat, and is not afraid to shoot from afar.

 

Geoffrey Kondogbia (Inter Milan)

Kondogbia is up there with the biggest transfers in Europe this summer. The Frenchman signed for Inter from AS Monaco for around 35 million euros.

Arsenal fans may remember his solid performances for Monaco in the Champions league last season, when the French club knocked out the North London team on away goals in the Round of 16.

Kondogbia provides great protection in front of his defenders, looking to hunt down any attackers threatening to get beyond them.

A little further up the pitch, he has a good eye for stepping in and dispossessing any opponents looking to break from midfield.

As well as being strong, Kondogbia is skilful and has fine ball control. He is able to manoeuvre himself out of danger.

And while capable of taking on players, he understands the merit of a simple pass to keep his team ticking over.

A player of his type was much needed at Inter. The side conceded 48 league goals last campaign … dreadful.

 

Alessio Romagnoli (AS Roma)

Twenty-year-old Romagnoli had a tremendous campaign last season on loan at Sampdoria.

It’s uncertain where the central defender will play this upcoming season, with Milan submitting a bid of 25 million euros, which was rejected.

Arsenal are reported to be interested. Or he may well stay with Roma. Wherever he plays, watch out for him next season.

 

Worthy mentions:-

Juventus: Alvaro Morata, Paul Pogba, Kingsley Coman

Inter Milan: Mauro Icardi

AC Milan: Jose Mauri

Lazio: Ravel Morrison

Udinese: Simone Scuffet

Torino: Daniele Baselli

 

Written by Serie A Writer

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Read more of Serie A Writer’s articles at www.voicingcalcio.com

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Urko Vera and Sisi: Well-regarded La Liga talents make the surprise move to the K-League

  By O-Posts Team | July 22, 2021 - 20:05 | , , , , , , ,
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Korea isn’t known as a likely destination for Spanish footballers, with many of the K-League’s foreign signings being from Brazil or The Balkans instead. The main exception to that has been former Racing Santander defender Osmar Barba who joined FC Seoul in 2014 after a spell in Thailand with Buriram United. However, ‘Osmar’, as he is known, is set to be joined by two new Spanish players.

Urko Vera has joined K-League champions and current league leaders Jeonbuk United from Segunda Division club Mirandes. The Basque born striker, who had a short spell with Athletic Bilbao in 2011, had been attracting interest from several La Liga clubs after an outstanding season at Mirandes where he scored seventeen goals over the last campaign.

The season prior to that he was an integral part of the Eibar squad that won promotion to La Liga after winning the Segunda Division. He is a player reaching the peak of his career, and will go into the Jeonbuk side as a direct replacement for Edu after the Brazilian striker, who played for Schalke 04 in between spells in the K-League, moved to Chinese side Hebei China Fortune.

The other Spanish player to join the K-League is CF Osasuna winger Sisi. The former Spanish Under-21 international never reached his full potential due to several major knee injuries in his career, and only managed twenty La Liga games during Osasuna’s most recent spell in the top flight. However the thirty-eight appearances that he made last season suggest that his injury worries are in the past.

The twenty-nine year-old would be a decent signing for any K-League side, but what is surprising about his transfer is that it is to Suwon FC, a side in Korea’s second tier, playing in the shadow of the city’s main club Suwon Bluewings.

While there are some quality players in the K-League Challenge, as Korea’s second tier is known, Sisi’s signing represents a massive coup for Suwon FC who currently sit in fourth place, and who are fourteen points behind the leaders Sangju Sangmu after twenty games.

Urko Vera and Sisi both looked as if they could have been signed by La Liga clubs this summer, so their decision to choose Korea is a surprising one to say the least.

Time will tell if they made the right decision, but in the meantime K-League fans can enjoy watching these two talented players.

 

Written by Steven Price

Check out more of his work on everything South Korean football at the excellent K-League Footy

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Patrick Roberts: Fulham’s prodigy faces up to a huge task to make it at Man City

  By O-Posts Team | July 22, 2021 - 19:45 | , , , , ,
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Manchester City’s announcement of the signing of Patrick Roberts was terse, with a tweet being sent out to issue the new player a warm welcome as he is pictured in the now clichéd surroundings of sitting at a table with a contract in place, pen in hand with a club representative posing next to him. There was very little else from City about the 18 year old who became their 4th signing of the summer.

That maybe because what there is to tell about Roberts, who joins from Fulham for an undisclosed fee, is currently rather scarce. The midfielder joins after spending just one season in the Championship with Fulham in which he made 17 appearances with another three coming in the cups, and after nurturing him since joining from AFC Wimbledon as a 13 year old, the Cottagers are seemingly waving Roberts goodbye before they got the chance to properly acclimatise him to the demands of first-team football.

Of course, with a fee that totals £11 million, made up of £5 million up-front and another £6 million to follow in add-ons, Fulham are being handsomely rewarded for honing Roberts’s talent for the last 5 years.

During that time he would be afforded only three starts in the senior team and his role in the run to the final of the 2014 FA Youth Cup, in which they were beaten by Chelsea 7-6 on aggregate, probably stands as his high point with the club.

He is the “extraordinary talent” Felix Magath handed a 35-minute Premier League debut to, incidentally in a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of City in March 2014, before Roberts saw the instability brought about by Magath’s sacking and Kit Symons’s instalment limit his game time in the Championship.

Just 17 months after signing his first professional deal at Fulham he is gone, sadly being forced into handing in a transfer request, as the inequities of football’s hierarchy turns its cogs once again.

“I’m over the moon and I can’t wait to get started” Roberts tweeted of his move, taking time to indulge in the euphoria of joining one of Europe’s richest clubs before the size of his move and the weight of the task that awaits him truly hits home.

The jump from competing for places with Hugo Rodellega, Cauley Woodrow and George Williams in a squad that limped to 17th place in the second tier, to training alongside Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure in a team that will be expected to challenge at the top of the Premier League will be mammoth.

To make that transition Roberts will be afforded time and at the age of 18 that is a commodity he has on his side. An international for England in every age group from under-16 to the under-19s, he won the 2014 European Championship with the under-17s and was included in the team of the tournament by scoring 3 goals and grabbing 4 assists, he has the potential to successfully make that vast step up.

His form in that under-17 tournament earned him a call to the England under-19s in August of last year and the winger has gone onto play a significant part in the 2015 European Championship qualifying round, recording 4 goals and 4 assists.

City are keen to bring more English players into their academy’s development program and Roberts, being one of the most talented in his age group, definitely fits the calibre of player they will be building for the future.

A right-winger blessed with quick feet and excellent dribbling skills, Roberts is likely to go straight into the Elite Development Squad that is currently coached by Patrick Vieira as City prepare him for a gradual immersion into the first team.

Though forewarned by the stasis suffered by the likes of Scott Sinclair and Jack Rodwell after moving to Eastlands, and even Micah Richards after the gargantuan sums of money started to wield influence around the club, Roberts will have to work extremely hard to avoid becoming a similar forgotten man who finds his route to first-team opportunities blocked by City’s power in the transfer market.

He will have to defy the cynics who will say the move is mainly motivated, coming after Raheem Sterling and Fabien Delph arrived in the same week, to re-boost the home-grown quota that had been decimated by the exits of James Milner, Dredryck Boyata, Frank Lampard and the moves of Sinclair and Richards to Aston Villa. Sterling, Delph and Roberts will add to the crop of Joe Hart, Gael Clichy and Richard Wright who are already in place to bring City closer to the number of 8 required in the 25 man squad.

Tough Roberts does arrive with bags of potential for City to tap into. He has a self-confessed fondness for Lionel Messi and of a similar build to the Argentine, standing at 5ft 5 ½ inches, he relies on impressive balance to glide past defenders as he runs with the ball. As he has proven with Fulham and England, his size isn’t a problem at youth level but City will have to work at preparing him for senior football where he will meet bigger and tougher defenders.

City’s EDS will gain a player with gifted vision who is adept at playing in any position across the midfield but one that likes to get forward with the ball whenever he can to power away shots at goal.

Roberts also possesses impressive technique and a dazzling box of tricks that defenders find hard to deal with, though it comes complete with end product as he has proven himself a capable crosser and passer of the ball at youth level.

The task for City’s coaches as they build for the brighter future that was billed when they unveiled their £200 million Etihad campus training facility last year, is to mould Roberts into a player good enough to make the grade.

Since Sheikh Mansour’s lucrative takeover in 2008 no academy player has broken through into the first team despite the grand and detailed plans that overhauled their reserve team. City’s signings of Roberts, together with Turkish striker Enes Unal from Bursaspor, have been made with the coming years in mind, just as Mansour stated back in 2008.

It is up to the new players and City to work at it though, the solution of unleashing the sort of ominous financial power that allows clubs to cherry pick the latest flavour of the month from Spain or Italy is often too convenient and too simple.

Roberts must get it right at his new club and if he does then there will no longer be a dearth of things to write about the promising winger.

 

Written by Adam Gray

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FIFA 16: The Top 10 Best Manchester United Players in the latest FIFA edition

  By O-Posts Team | July 22, 2021 - 14:21 | , ,
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Many FIFA fans cannot wait to play the new FIFA 16 with Manchester United as they have completed some impressive transfers. For those starting Career mode or Ultimate Team, player ratings are vital. Thus, here are Manchester United’s top 10 best players in FIFA 16.

 

Javier Hernandez – 81

The Real Madrid loanee proved himself as an established attacker after scoring several times to save the game for the Los Blancos. He has returned to Manchester United, but his FIFA stats remain the same.

 

Michael Carrick – 81

Carrick may not get many starts this season due to the arrival of Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger. But he still is a favourite for many FIFA players. The 81 rating is a downgrade from his 82 in FIFA 15.

 

Marouane Fellaini – 82

Fellaini has finally proved his worth to the fans this year. He has scored many important goals making him, which enhanced his reputation among the United faithful. This consistent improvement is well reflected in FIFA 16 with an improved overall rating.

 

Daley Blind – 82

Another defensive midfielder whose stats have improved in the latest FIFA. Blind showed his top class in the World Cup and with United despite starting in only a few matches for the club. His ability to play in different positions has made him popular among new FUT players.

 

Memphis Depay – 83

Depay is predicted as the next Ronaldo by many fans and football pundits. Next Ronaldo or not, he sure has awesome stats in FIFA 16. With incredible four star skills and no weak feet, the Dutch winger is going to be very popular.

 

Ander Herrera – 83

The Spaniard showed pure quality last season scoring more than 10 goals in all competitions for Manchester United. This is reflected in FIFA as his rating has boosted from 79 to 83.

 

Juan Mata – 84

Despite having an awesome season with Manchester United, Juan Mata’s FIFA rating has decreased. His FIFA 15 stat was 85, but now it has been decreased to 84. Nonetheless, he is certainly going to be one of the most traded players in FIFA 16.

 

Angel Di Maria – 86

Di Maria has a consistent rating in FIFA series for three straight years. A record breaking move to Manchester United put him under a lot of pressure in his first season, but he is expected to make a grand comeback this season. He is already famous among FUT players.

 

Bastian Schweinsteiger - 87

The German international is the second highest rated player in Manchester United. His brilliant stats is going to make him one of the most popular players in FIFA. He is certainly going to be in each Man Untied fan’s FUT team.

 

Wayne Rooney - 88

The English international is the highest rated player in the Manchester United squad. After the departure of Robin van Persie, he is now the main striker for United. With more than 15 goals last season season, his stats has increased by 2. He is one of the most expensive players in FUT 16.

 

Written by Charchit Dahal

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