All posts by z3u9t.icu

Rangers suffered a gigantic blow in their hopes of landing the Premiership title for a second successive year as they lost 2-1 at Ibrox on Sunday.

They were beaten in the Old Firm clash as they let an early lead, handed to them by Aaron Ramsey’s near-post strike in the opening minutes, slip.

Gio van Bronckhorst’s men found themselves 2-1 down at half-time and were unable to turn it around in the second 45 as they huffed and puffed to no avail.

Time’s up

One player who struggled badly in the game was midfielder Joe Aribo and his time at Ibrox may now be coming to an end.

Van Bronckhorst must brutally axe him this summer and sanction a move back down south as his performances have been nowhere near good enough in recent months. He has not stepped up to the plate in the crunch time of the season and it is costing the Gers dearly in the title race.

Premier League side Crystal Palace are reportedly eyeing up a swoop for the Nigeria international at the end of the campaign. They are said to be lining up a £10m offer for the ex-Charlton man and the Gers must snap their hands off for it.

Ezri Konsa once dubbed Aribo’s style as “languid” and that word sums up his recent displays for the Ibrox giants as he has been looked way off the pace. This was illustrated perfectly in the defeat to Celtic, as he failed to create a single chance and managed one shot at goal, whilst failing to complete a single dribble in his 90 minutes on the pitch – as per SofaScore.

Journalist Zino Mulla called him “useless” for Nigeria in their recent World Cup qualifiers and his recent form for the Gers has been in line with that criticism.

He has zero goals and one assist in his last 10 outings for Rangers in all competitions, with only two of his performances coming in at SofaScore ratings higher than 7.0. In his last 13 Premiership appearances, he has produced one goal and three assists despite playing in a number 10 role and out wide in a front three, which is far from good enough.

The 25-year-old’s lack of consistency has let him down and that is why Van Bronckhorst must now axe him from the club ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, especially if the club can get £10m back in exchange for him with one year left on his contract.

That money can then be reinvested into multiple positions to hopefully strengthen the team and improve their chances of winning the title next term.

AND in other news, Gvb now plotting Rangers swoop for “exceptional” monster, he’d be a bargain “diamond”…

Wolves right-back Nelson Semedo could return for his side’s Premier League clash with Newcastle United, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery.

The Lowdown: Semedo missing recently

The Portuguese ace has been out of action since the 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal in late February, having picked up a hamstring injury.

Prior to that setback, Semedo had started 23 Premier League matches for the Wanderers, proving to be an important part of Bruno Lage’s plans.

With Wolves visiting Newcastle on Friday evening, an injury boost may have emerged in the hours leading up to kick-off.

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The Latest: Dinnery makes key claim

Taking to Twitter, Dinnery, an injury analyst who runs the Premier Injuries site, claimed Semedo is in line to make a return to the side at St James’ Park:

“Nelson Semedo is training at a ‘good level’ and the right-back is in contention for the trip to St James’ Park.”

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The Verdict: Last-minute boost

This is a welcome boost for Wolves, and while Semedo may not be deemed match fit enough to start, the update suggests he will be able to play a key role between now and the end of the season.

Having the 28-year-old back in the fold means Jonny could revert to his preferred left-back role, giving the side an ideal balance in the two full-back positions.

Lage needs as many key men available in the final weeks of the season and Semedo certainly falls into that bracket, having averaged 2.3 tackles per game in the league this season. Only Toti (4.0) and Rayan Ait-Nouri (2.9) have a higher average.

In other news, Wolves are in a four-way battle to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

After just over six months in charge, Rafael Benitez’s reign in charge of Everton came to an end shortly after their disappointing 2-1 defeat against Norwich City last weekend.

In the meantime, while the club looks for a new permanent manager, Duncan Ferguson has been given the role of caretaker boss to try and get Everton’s season back on track in the same way that he did when the club got rid of Marco Silva in December 2019 before Carlo Ancelotti came in.

One name who has been mentioned with the Everton job and who could be a good fit for the Toffees is former Derby County and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard.

In his first senior managerial job, he took charge of 57 games with the Rams, with 26 wins, 15 draws and 16 defeats along the way, taking them to the Championship play-off final in May 2019 at Wembley against Aston Villa.

In his second managerial role, the 43-year-old won 44 of his 84 games in charge at the club where he spent the majority of his playing career.

Labelled a “winner” by Noel Whelan, Lampard finished in the top four with Chelsea in his one full season in charge at Stamford Bridge despite having to deal with a transfer embargo, which could make him a suitable and potentially successful option for Everton given their Financial Fair Play issues of late.

In terms of a potential move to Everton, while he hasn’t lifted any trophies as a manager, Lampard still has sufficient experience to put him in the running to get back into the Premier League and continue his managerial career with the Toffees.

Given his massive knowledge of the league and his legendary status as a player, he could be a big hit at Goodison Park and bring some positive vibes back around the place after the constant fan protests against Benitez during the 61-year-old’s tenure, especially with 65% of voters from a recent Football FanCast poll suggesting that Lampard would be a good appointment for Everton.

Also, with the 43-year-old not currently in work, it could be a swift appointment for Farhad Moshiri to make so that the club can put this transitional period behind them and focus on ending the season on a high with renewed optimism for the future.

In other news: Everton must avoid another managerial disaster with “arrogant” 58 y/o, he’d be Rafa 2.0

Everton have become renowned for their transfer blunders over the last six years since Farhad Moshiri has taken over the club. However, he wasn’t the first to make mistakes when it comes to letting players walk out of Finch Farm to become superstars elsewhere.

Wayne Rooney is one of the most notable players that got away from Everton in recent history, and his career at Manchester United completely justified his move as a player of his calibre was always going to be hard to tie down for the Toffees.

Though, there is another player who went on to be a success at a ‘big six’ club since leaving Merseyside, and is often a forgotten gem of the past.

Eric Dier, who now plays an important role in the defensive line for Tottenham Hotspur, had an 18-month loan spell with Everton U18s back in 2011 and was handed back to Sporting Lisbon after 18 months to be sold onto Spurs for just £4m two years later in 2014.

Since that moment, he is now worth a whopping 395% more at £19.8m according to Transfermarkt.

A decade after leaving Merseyside, the Spurs centre-back has enjoyed his football at the highest level playing for the England national team as part of the midfield who got to the first international semi-final since 1990 back in 2018, and has since moved into a centre-back role at his current club, Tottenham, where has seen a return of consistent form under Antonio Conte this season.

When you compare the 28-year-old who was hailed “confident” by Gary Neville and “top-class” by coach Harry Brooks, to current Everton central defender Mason Holgate it’s clear Everton have missed out on a gem in Dier.

According to Soccerment, the Spurs defender is more successful in aerial duels (58%), passes (85%), tackles (65%) and dribbles (72%) compared to the Toffees centre-back Holgate, and with that being said, he would clearly be more effective in the Everton backline this season.

Dier has talked of his struggles at Everton during his short time in Liverpool, telling The Players Tribune in 2017: “At 16, there was a period when I went on loan to Everton, and that was extremely tough for me.

“I moved on my own from Lisbon to Liverpool, and for the first six months I didn’t know what I was doing there — I felt completely lost.”

It was clearly the wrong timing for the Spurs star who returned to Lisbon for another two years before committing his future with a five year deal in the Premier League at Tottenham, and the rest is history.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and it’s interesting to consider the impact Dier could have had at Everton, and if their circumstances over the last few years would be different with a player of his calibre in the team.

In other news: “I know” – Insider drops worrying behind-scenes Everton update, Lampard surely furious

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West Ham will reject a loan bid from FC Schalke for striker Lucas Perez before the transfer deadline, Football FanCast can confirm.

The Irons have thus far adopted a stance that they will not loan out any first-team players in this transfer window.

A BBC report claimed on Wednesday that the German club had lodged a loan offer for Perez, who has struggled for minutes thus far this season in east London.

However, the Irons would prefer to receive a transfer fee for Perez and value him at around £4million.

Perez has played 10 times in the Premier League, per Transfermarkt, but has yet to complete 90 minutes under Manuel Pellegrini in the top flight.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Nevertheless, Football FanCast understands the club intends to retain Perez as cover for Marko Arnautovic, who recently signed a new contract at the London Stadium, and Javier Hernandez.

Andy Carroll is injury-prone and as we exclusively revealed earlier this month, would likely be allowed to leave if a deadline day bid is tabled. However that appears unlikely, given his patchy fitness record and poor form when he has played.

Football FanCast also understand that Reece Oxford has been told that he can leave on loan, having failed to play a single minute for the first-team thus far this season.

It remains to be seen if an offer will be forthcoming that suits his needs, however.

Manchester United have been linked with a big-money move for Benfica forward Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Nunez profiled

Nunez, described as an ‘absolute beast’ earlier this month during a podcast discussing his display against Liverpool, has been on fire in front of goal this season, with the Uruguay international netting 33 times in 38 games in all competitions.

The 22-year-old has played as a centre-forward, second striker and left winger during the current campaign, starring in all three positions.

Nunez only joined the Portuguese giants back in 2020 and is under contract until 2025, but it looks as if the Red Devils are keen on a potential club-record deal.

The Latest: United interest

Sports Witness relayed an update from Correio da Manha on Tuesday, name-checking United with an interest in Nunez.

They said that the Red Devils have been ‘very attentive’ to Nunez this season, more so than any Premier League side.

The ‘big news’ from the story was potential finances in a move, with Benfica believing they can break the record of Joao Felix’s move to Atletico Madrid, which cost €120m (£99.7m).

The Verdict: Interesting…

It looks as if a move for Nunez could set United back over £100m, however, marquee signings are needed in an Old Trafford rebuild this summer.

Erik ten Hag looks like he’ll be the man to lead that rebuild ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and he’ll know all about Nunez after he scored the goal to dump Ajax out of the Champions League back in March.

Edinson Cavani will depart United over the coming months, which will leave Cristiano Ronaldo as the only recognised senior striker at the club.

Therefore, investing in Nunez, who appears to be a star of the future, could be a wise move, and it seems as if the club are working on a possible club-record deal.

In other news: ‘Problems…’ – Fabrizio Romano now shares fresh blow for Man Utd and Erik ten Hag on Twitter. 

Adam Jones has now shared some Everton injury news involving Ben Godfrey before they play Chelsea at home in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Lowdown: Injury pile-on

The 24-year-old was forced to withdraw from the starting line-up in the Toffees’ 2-0 defeat at Liverpool after picking up an injury in the warm-up, meaning that Michael Keane had to step in.

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He now joins the long list of players on the sidelines at Finch Farm, which includes the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Andros Townsend and Donny van de Beek, while Richarlison may have also picked up a slight knock against the Reds.

The Latest: Godfrey update

Taking to Twitter, Liverpool Echo journalist Jones has now shared an update from Frank Lampard on Godfrey’s situation, claiming that it was ‘bad luck’ that the defender was forced off with a muscle injury.

However, the Everton manager hopes that it is a ‘minor’ issue, saying: “Bad luck, muscle injury. What I have to say is I think Michael Keane comes in 20 minutes before a game against Liverpool, it’s a real compliment to him. We hope it’s minor [for Godfrey].”

The Verdict: Big blow

It is certainly a big blow if Godfrey is to be ruled out for the majority of the season’s run-in. A muscle injury can take weeks to fully heal, while the Toffees only have six matches remaining in the 2021/22 top-flight campaign.

The defender currently ranks highly among his team-mates in terms of tackles, clearances and blocks per match in the Premier League (WhoScored), which suggests that Everton will no doubt need him if they are to have the best possible chance of staying up.

In other news, these were Everton’s three worst performers against Liverpool

West Ham United have made their “first offer” for Clermont striker Mohamed Bayo, and a deal is “within reach” in this January transfer window.

What’s the story?

During the summer, reports from France suggested that David Moyes’ side had an interest in the 6 foot 2 forward but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the window.

Now, it appears that the Hammers have reignited their interest in the 23-year-old, with Le10Sport journalist Alexis Bernard delivering a very promising update on the situation.

Writing on Twitter, the journalist said: “Besides Ekitike, West Ham is on Bayo (Clermont). First offer at 15M€. Clermont wants 20M€. More within reach of the English club as it stands.”

Fans will be excited

With all the goal-scoring onus on Michail Antonio’s shoulders, it’s imperative Moyes can see a deal over the line for a new striker in this final week of the January transfer window.

And in Bayo, they could find both the ideal cover and competition for the Jamaican front-man.

Last season, he bagged 22 goals and provided seven assists in 38 appearances on Clermont’s way to promotion from Ligue 2 – that is an an average of one goal contribution every 106 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

The Clermont striker has been described as a “powerful” and “pacey” number nine, as well as a “sharpshooter in front of goal”, while football scout Jacek Kulig believes he’s “indispensable” to the French side.

At just 23, Bayo certainly has plenty of time to develop even further, but has the experience already of being a team’s main man and could come into the London Stadium ready to thrive alongside Antonio for the Hammers.

If West Ham are serious about challenging for a top-four spot this season and thus qualifying for the Champions League, then getting a deal done for a new centre-forward is absolutely important.

It’s exactly why Bernard’s update that a deal is “within reach” is sure to have West Ham fans excited.

Meanwhile, Fabrizio Romano has delivered an update on this reported West Ham transfer target…

RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson is a player that Leeds United ‘genuinely like’ ahead of a potential move for him this month, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Strong Aaronson interest

The Whites are desperate to sign a new midfielder in the January transfer window as they look to make up for the losses of Kalvin Phillips and Adam Forshaw to injury.

Aaronson has been strongly linked with a move to Leeds in recent days, with the club tabling two offers for the American, one of which was £20m. Salzburg are continuing to be stubborn, though, with a move far from guaranteed before the transfer window closes on January 31st.

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The Latest: Hay confirms admiration

Taking to Twitter on Monday morning as he shared a corresponding article for The Athletic, Hay confirmed that there is still real interest in Aaronson from Leeds, stating:

“Leeds United were never going to go for quick fixes in this window but Brenden Aaronson is a player they genuinely like and genuinely want.

“With defeat to Newcastle behind them and a week of the transfer window to go, do they push the boat out for him?”

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The Verdict: Matter of time?

It does feel as though Leeds are pushing hard to get a deal over the line, in what could feel like a significant piece of business at Elland Road if it comes off.

Aaronson has impressed hugely at Salzburg, enjoying 22 goal contributions in 51 appearances (10 goals, 12 assists) and being described as ‘amazing’ by Michael Unverdorben, sports editor at Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten.

The 21-year-old has shone mostly as a No.10 for Salzburg, often playing in a diamond midfield, so he could provide a level of guile not always seen in the middle of the park at Leeds, where Mateusz Klich has the most assists (two) in the Premier League of anyone in that position this season.

In other news, a journalist is unsure about Leeds signing one player. Find out who it is here.

Former Glasgow Rangers defender Richard Foster has been left slamming the defending by Connor Goldson that led to a Braga goal on Thursday night.

The Lowdown: Semi-final awaits

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team are through to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League after beating Braga 3-1 on the night, meaning that they went through 3-2 on aggregate.

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They made hard work of it at times though at Ibrox, conceding a late goal while the visitors were down to ten men to force extra-time, but then got the job done as the Portuguese outfit had another man sent off.

The Latest: ‘Poor’ defending

Speaking on BBC Sportsound (via BBC Sport 21:58pm), Foster was not impressed with Goldson’s defending for Braga’s goal scored by David Carmo, claiming that it was ‘so poor’, and that he lost his man ‘so easily’ and ‘doesn’t stop him running’:

“The defending of the corner was so poor. It was very similar to how poor Braga have been all night at corners. I don’t know how Connor Goldson loses his man so easily, or doesn’t stop him running. Now Braga have something to hold on to.”

The Verdict: Can do better

Goldson will know that he could have done better for their goal, and there were other aspects of his game that were not quite up to scratch.

The central defender lost out on two of his duels, while he also made no interceptions and was inaccurate with a team-high 12 of his long balls, losing possession 22 times in total (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, all of his focus will now be on their Scottish Cup semi-final against bitter rivals Celtic on Sunday afternoon.

In other news, find out which six-foot-two menace Gers are now ‘chasing’ this summer here!