All posts by z3u9t.icu

Some West Ham United fans are far from happy with a picture of four of the club’s players showing off a new range of Hammers merchandise.

The 2020/21 campaign was a magnificent one for the Irons as they finished in sixth place in the Premier League table, meaning they will be competing in the Europa League group stages next term. As such, preparations for the next season are already underway, both on and off the pitch.

As David Moyes and the board look to bring in new players, a new line of what appears to be West Ham training merchandise has been released. A photo including Aaron Cresswell, Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Mark Noble has emerged sporting the new gear, and it has not gone down well with some supporters.

The image was shared on Twitter by @WestHam_Central with the caption “These are awful”, and it attracted plenty of attention from supporters. These took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the photo.

Let’s see what these West Ham fans had to say about the image

“certainly are #horrid.”

Credit: @bolyenjohnny

“Nobes is fuming”

Credit: @MHoldgate93

“Yikes”

Credit: @GotHammered1895

“Nope”

Credit: @CooperfectUTB

“We all support England as well as our own teams but it’s embarrassing we only have two players that are possible selections…and they come up with this. Lol”

Credit: @freyaanne

“That couldn’t look more plastic if they tried”

Credit: @JackPar78026231

In other news, many West Ham fans want the club to sign this striker.

Celtic are leading the chase for Cardiff City defender Ciaron Brown, according to TEAMtalk.

The Lowdown: Brown’s versatility

Brown spent half of the current campaign on loan at Livingston this season and actually scored and provided an assist in a 2-2 draw against the Hoops back in January.

The Northern Ireland international, predominantly a centre-back, also played as a left-back and a left midfielder this season, and his displays seemingly haven’t gone unnoticed.

The Latest: Hoops not the only club interested

TEAMtalk lead with a title that Celtic are leading the chase for the Cardiff man, however, clubs in Germany and Belgium are also keen on the 23-year-old.

The report adds that Brown is out of contract in south Wales this summer, but the Bluebirds do have an option which they are set to activate which could prevent the defender from becoming a free agent over the coming months.

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The Verdict: A shrewd addition?

The specific clause could prove to be a problem for the Hoops and new CEO Dominic McKay, although, should a deal become available for a reasonable price, we think Brown could be a smart signing ahead of the 2021/22 season.

You’d expect the new Celtic manager to make a number of signings over the coming months, but it seems unlikely each addition will be a high-profile name for big money.

Bringing in someone like Brown, who can play in three different positions, could be a shrewd piece of business in the long run, and at 23 years of age, still has time to improve.

In other news: Journalist claims Celtic have completed a deal as seven-word message emerges, find out more here. 

West Ham United are likely to try and tempt Olivier Giroud into a move this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Eurosport’s Dean Jones, who claims the Irons have a long-term interest in the Chelsea forward and are set to make a move for him when his contract expires next month.

The East Londoners were said to be keen on the 34-year-old during the January transfer window, via the Mirror, as David Moyes looked to bolster his options following the departure of club-record flop Sebastian Haller.

Giroud has been at Chelsea since joining from Arsenal in January 2018 but his £110k-per-week deal comes to an end this summer, with the Blues unlikely to renew it.

Shades of Cole

It’s no secret that Moyes needs fresh additions in the striker department ahead of next season, especially with a Europa League campaign on the horizon.

Giroud would be an interesting option to consider, even more so as he’d cost GSB absolutely nothing in terms of splashing out a transfer fee. Effectively, they could bring him in as well as another striker.

The World Cup winner has vast experience in the Premier League, where he has featured 255 times and scored 90 goals, as per Transfermarkt. He has also picked up 107 caps for France, and won a whopping four FA Cups.

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West Ham also lack players with a history in these European competitions, another positive factor behind signing Giroud, as he won the competition with Chelsea in 2019.

Valued at just £4.5m by Transfermarkt, the French veteran has previously been described as “an extremely underrated player” by former top-flight talisman Gary Lineker, who also added: “His intelligent movement and finishing are exceptional. He’ll always score plenty of goals.”

The Hammers have long lacked a proper target man as Haller clearly failed to live up to expectations, so perhaps Moyes can finally find the club their next Carlton Cole in Giroud.

After all, both would have arrived from their west London rivals and both are over 6 foot 3 in stature.

Furthermore, the former West Ham legend was always a mystery on the pitch. In other words, he was either absolute quality or just shocking.

Giroud, you could argue, has been very similar throughout his career in England. Back in 2015, the Daily Star lambasted his goalscoring record, claiming that even Steven Fletcher had been performing better but then we’ve seen him score some phenomenal strikes too.

That scorpion kick against Crystal Palace in 2017 springs to mind – that won him the Puskas award that year – as does his bicycle kick against Atletico Madrid earlier this campaign.

He’s certainly still got it and considering he won’t cost a thing, the Irons must make a swoop for the 6 foot 4 beast this summer.

AND in other news, Benrahma 2.0: West Ham must land “magic” 17-goal monster who’s “got a lot of ability”…

Some Liverpool fans have been urging Jadon Sancho to move to Anfield this summer, hijacking a tweet from the Borussia Dortmund star.

The 21-year-old has emerged as arguably one of the most exciting young attacking players in Europe in recent years, excelling for Dortmund after joining from Manchester City in 2017.

Sancho has scored 46 goals and registered 62 assists in 133 appearances for the Bundesliga giants, thriving alongside the likes of Marco Reus and Erling Haaland.

[freshpress-quiz id=“355458″]

Constant rumours have surrounded the England international’s future, with a host of English clubs being linked with a move for him, including Liverpool.

It could be that Jurgen Klopp sees the forward as ideal competition for his current attacking players, not to mention being a long-term replacement for the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

On Sunday, Sancho tweeted a video of his trickery as he sent an opponent to the floor, cheekily mocking the incident in the process.

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Liverpool fans want Reds to sign Sancho

These Liverpool fans were quick to respond to him, imploring him to move to Anfield this summer.

“Come to Liverpool in my opinion”

Credit: @AllezAllezAllez

“Good job this is my player!”

Credit: @SirVvd4

“Come to Liverpool”

Credit: @WaqarHu63300657

“You’d be doing that for Liverpool next season Jadon”

Credit: @virgil001x

“Come to Liverpool pal. You can ball out with Millie and Hendo in Europa before you we win it all with you and Mbapz in 2022/23”

Credit: @LFCMaxs

“Anfield is waiting for you mate. Come soon”

Credit: @The_Gerrard_Era

In other news, Liverpool have found out the asking price for one reported target – find out who it is here.

Head to the departure lounge at Glasgow Airport this summer and you might well see one of Celtic’s players heading for pastures new.

This has been a disastrous campaign for the Bhoys and consequently, they could do with a mass clear out.

Unfortunately for the Hoops, a few players’ futures could be taken out of their hands. The likes of Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer look as though they could head to the Premier League while Ryan Christie is another to have been linked with a move south of the border.

There will, of course, be the exits of loan players heading back to their parent clubs too but one man who should also consider developing elsewhere is Mikey Johnston.

The 22-year-old broke through at Paradise a number of years ago now but he’s never made a consistent breakthrough into the first-team setup.

It’s been a difficult few years for Johnston whose lack of action has been to Celtic’s enormous success.

The Hoops won the title nine times on the trot and in the process, Johnston couldn’t find a way through.

It’s hardly surprising, though. James Forrest was a rampant force in 2019/20, scoring 16 goals and registering 22 assists. Christie also helped himself to over 30 goal involvements while Moi Elyounoussi enjoyed a productive first campaign in Scotland.

Injuries have also wreaked havoc with the young Scot’s game time. Not that Neil Lennon liked playing young players but he spent the best part of a year out with an MCL injury.

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Johnston missed the climax of last season and then had to wait until December to finally get back on the field.

Despite Celtic’s plight, he still hasn’t worked his way into the side. The winger has only started twice all campaign and hasn’t played a single minute under John Kennedy. Again, fitness concerns have dealt him a troublesome blow since Lennon departed.

On his day, the young attacker is a crafty player. He scored three goals in the space of two games during the 2018/19 campaign before injuries really started to impact him.

In the process, he was hailed by boisterous pundit Chris Sutton; “Is Mikey Johnston the new Ryan Christie? Celtic’s fringe players at the start of the season coming to the fore when it counts,” he said on social media at the time.

Unfortunately, just like Christie, he should face the exit door this summer.

Johnston may be contracted until 2025 but the idea of him making it at Celtic seems incredibly far-fetched. The 5 foot 9 winger hasn’t scored for the Hoops since December 2019 and is at the age now where he should be earning regular senior minutes.

That doesn’t look like it’ll ever happen at Celtic, especially if Karamoko Dembele’s terms don’t expire until next summer.

They need to prioritise the teenager’s development over someone who has spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch. Dominic McKay must do his best to find Johnston a new club, whether it be temporarily or permanently.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Forrest: Celtic must sign “breathtaking” 89-cap gem, he’s a “rare breed”…

The Athletic’s West Ham journalist Roshane Thomas has provided more details about the injury to Declan Rice.

The Englishman has been ruled out for the next few weeks because of a knee injury and he missed West Ham’s clash against Wolves last night, having played every minute of the Irons’ preceding 29 top-flight games in 2020/21.

Details emerge about Rice injury

Thomas recently wrote an article for The Athletic and it carried more information about Rice’s injury issue.

It is stated that the injury cropped up in the 64th minute of England’s World Cup qualifier against Poland but the issue was of a rather innocuous nature. Having said that, the problem worsened overnight and a scan revealed the injury.

There is no ligament damage and the injury is external rather than internal. Rice is now said to be wearing a protective brace on the knee and has already begun rehab.

Thomas though, also noted West Ham’s reaction in the article as he explained:

“The club are understood to be frustrated that Rice was not inspected after the game, though the player did not complain about the issue post-match, which would have prompted England to act. Players usually leave for home quickly if an international camp finishes with a home game and it was no different on Wednesday, with Rice, and Manchester City’s Phil Foden, among the later departures after completing random doping control checks.

“West Ham were also believed to be disappointed that they had not been informed about the issue, though England say there was an informal conversation with the club in which it was passed on that Rice had taken a knock that may be worth checking. West Ham were also provided with clips of the incident.”

Rice injury is a blow to West Ham

With a 3-2 win over Wolves on Monday, David Moyes men jumped into the top four and they are only four points behind Leicester City immediately above them.

The Hammers’ next few fixtures include ties against Chelsea, Leicester and Everton. These are clubs who happen to be around them in the table and not losing those games might be crucial for Moyes’ side as their seek to maintain a Champions League position.

Only three West Ham players have picked up better WhoScored ratings than Rice this season, and if he had been fit, he would have been crucial for the upcoming games.

In other news, David Moyes has discussed the idea of two West Ham players leaving – read more here.

Glasgow Rangers winger Glenn Middleton has revealed he would be open to returning to St. Johnstone next season.

Middleton discusses future

Middleton made the move to St. Johnstone on loan during the January transfer window, and he has so far managed one goal in seven matches for the club (Transfermarkt).

Now, he has revealed he would be open to returning to The Saints next term as well. He said (via Not The Old Firm):

“I can’t look too far ahead. For me just now, it’s about trying to play in every game for St Johnstone and making a positive impact.

“I am under contract at Rangers and that means they are in control of the situation moving forward. I’ve no idea what the summer holds for me in terms of going into next season. But if there is an opportunity to come back to Saints then I’d seriously look at it because I have really enjoyed my time here.

“It’s a great football club and the people in every department are top class. There is a great deal of belief in this squad. We are desperate to win every game. The squad made me feel welcome from the first moment I walked into the dressing-room.”

Big decision for Gerrard

Middleton is now reaching a crucial point in his career. He moved to Ibrox as a teenager from Norwich in 2018 and, after five goals and five assists in 28 matches during the 2018/19 campaign, it looked as though he had a big future with the 55-time Scottish champions. However, he would play just once under Steven Gerrard the following term and was involved in just one match this time around before this latest loan spell.

At 21, he now needs to find somewhere he can settle and show off his ability. He has just six career goals to his name, so there is room for improvement, but has quality that could be put to good use, even by Gerrard. Perhaps the Gers boss should give Middleton one more chance next season to display what he is capable of at Ibrox.

In other news, Rangers have been urged to consider the sale of this man.

After signing from Manchester City for a reported fee of around £15m back in the summer of 2019, it’s fair to say Douglas Luiz has really come on leaps and bounds at Aston Villa.

The 22-year-old has been a permanent fixture in Dean Smith’s side since making the switch to Villa Park, already making 67 appearances for the first-team.

His form has even earned him international honours, picking up his first couple of senior caps for Brazil. It’s been no surprise then that his market value has absolutely sky-rocketed, more than doubling in value.

According to Transfermarkt, it now stands at £31.5m, and that’s a real testament to just how much his own play has improved, and how much Smith himself has helped him develop under his wing.

Speaking earlier in the summer, The Athletic journalist Gregg Evans, said of him: “He’s an absolute joy to watch now and I never thought I would be saying that. Villa have got a fantastic player in Douglas Luiz now, he looks like an absolute star, he could have played in that Man United team.

“He was better than (Paul) Pogba, I thought. I thought he was brilliant, hardly did anything wrong, hardly put a foot wrong. He won so many interceptions and made so many important blocks. When he gets the ball, he passes it nicely. He’s the best player in that Villa team at the moment because it’s just not working for John McGinn.”

Make no mistake about it, given how Luiz has developed at Villa Park since his move to the Midlands, Johan Lange played an absolute blinder in signing the Brazilian for the club.

If Villa ever contemplate selling him, or if rival clubs start showing some genuine interest in signing him, they know they could bring in a massive fee.

Meanwhile, this Villa man was shocking in the defeat to Spurs…

As relayed by reliable journalist James Pearce, Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have confirmed the £543 million sale of 10% stake in their company to RedBird Capital Partners – prompting many Reds supporters to drop their wide array of verdicts on social media.

The multi-million pound investment deal, as explained by the Athletic, now values FSG at around $7.35 billion (£5.32 billion) – coming as a potentially big financial boost for Liverpool amid the coronavirus pandemic.

American basketball superstar LeBron James, who has long held a stake in the Merseyside giants, will also a gain a stake in the Boston Red Sox as a result of these negotiations.

In terms of what it means for the Reds and manager Jurgen Klopp, the agreement will allow FSG to navigate these unprecedented financial circumstances brought upon by the pandemic (The Athletic).

As well as reducing club debts accumulated over these last 12 months, it authorises Liverpool to continue their careful and calculated transfer strategy despite huge losses since the pandemic began.

Given these benefits, it’s little wonder some Reds fans sees this as ‘good news’, but other supporters are also disappointed it won’t be the huge transfer kitty injection they’d hoped for.

Find all of their social media verdicts down below.

Liverpool fans react to FSG development.

“Good news”

Credit: @nochdawe

“Hold me James”

Credit: @WeHaveKlopp

“Wow FSG not spending who would’ve thunk it”

Credit: @ChrisHPE

“SIIIUUUUU”

Credit: @LFC_Ox

“Just means Liverpool are a massive, massive club.”

Credit: @wesrowe123

“This good James it is very good.”

Credit: @MrCharlieGill

“That can only be good news if it happens”

Credit: @tomehoban

“Announce Mbappe”

Credit: @davidc98

In other news: Liverpool fans blast this transfer rumour, find out more here.

Newcastle United have been dealt yet another huge blow with concerns over Isaac Hayden’s fitness ahead of Sunday’s relegation scrap with Premier League rivals West Bromwich Albion.

Steve Bruce revealed on Friday that Hayden has been carrying an ankle injury for the best part of the last week or two and could join an ever-growing list of absent players.

The Magpies were already set to tackle this weekend’s crunch six-pointer without head coach Bruce’s favoured front-three of Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron and Saint-Maximin due to respective hamstring, knee and groin issues.

Losing Hayden as well will come as a hammer blow to the Toon’s hope of securing all three points at The Hawthorns, as Bruce strives to end United’s three-game winless run and claim what will only be the St James’ Park natives’ third win in 18 games across all competitions.

Newcastle’s dire run of form currently sees the northeast outfit sit just three points clear of the drop zone after 18th-placed Fulham lost to Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night, which further handed Bruce a game in hand over the Cottagers in the fight for survival.

Hayden has been a fixture of the Magpies’ line-up when fit this season, starting 19 of his 21 top-flight appearances and playing the full 90 minutes on 16 occasions.

Only goalkeeper Karl Darlow (2,250), defender Jamal Lewis (1,827) and 10-goal top scorer Wilson (1,816) have been awarded more minutes on the field than the Arsenal product (1,721) thus far this term.

Hayden has also offered a joint team-high 40 successful tackles with Almiron, alongside a Toon-high 37 interceptions and 22 passes blocked, per WhoScored, as the 25-year-old breaks up opposition play at a vastly superior level to his St. James’ Park teammates.

His efforts additionally see Hayden rank 49th among all Premier League players for successful tackles – Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka (72) has the most – 18th for interceptions and 25th for passes blocked.

Should Hayden be deemed unavailable for Newcastle’s trip to relegation rivals West Brom on Sunday, Bruce may have to place his trust in summer signing Jeff Hendrick and hope that the £8.1m-rated flop is able to step up to the challenge at hand.

Hendrick has played no role in United’s last three Premier League games after being shown a second yellow card in January’s 3-2 win over Southampton, which capped off a poor vein of form from the ex-Burnley midfielder whom the Magpies signed as a free agent in August.

The Saints match marked Hendrick’s 16th start in 17 top-flight games with the Toon, despite being slammed by numerous supporters for his efforts against Crystal Palace four days prior, along with producing a torrid performance in January’s 2-0 away to Everton and delivering an anonymous display at Aston Villa.

Hendrick being sent off at home to Southampton also saw that he earned a two out of 10 match rating from Chronicle Live, having been shown a second booking for a needless shirt pull on Takumi Minamino in an act that was described as ‘beyond stupidity’.

Bruce may now need to rely on Hendrick retaking a spot in his midfield should Hayden be ruled unfit, and will have to see the Republic of Ireland international turn a corner with his performances if called upon.

AND in other news, some Newcastle players want a “very good organiser” lauded by those he’s worked with to replace Steve Bruce…