All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Fulham return to Premier League action on Sunday as they face reigning champions, Liverpool, at Craven Cottage, as they hope to bounce back from the 2-0 defeat against Manchester City last weekend.

Scott Parker can give his side a much better chance of picking up a result against the Reds if he can limit Mohamed Salah’s influence on the game, which he could do by doubling up on the Egyptian winger.

Therefore, he must consider starting Joe Bryan, who can play as both a left-back and a left-winger, to help out first-choice left-back Antonee Robinson, who is undoubtedly in for a tough game against the 29-year-old Liverpool ace.

Salah has enjoyed a superb start to the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, having contributed nine goals and two assists in 10 top-flight appearances, averaging an incredible 7.64 rating (per WhoScored).

Klopp was full of praise for the former Chelsea man after he reached 20 goals in the 2019/20 campaign, saying:

“Incredibly important goal, a super performance – a really, really good game of Mo.

“He is an outstanding striker, a world-class striker. It’s really nice, I’m really happy for him that he reached that mark.”

Therefore, it would definitely be fair to mark him out as Liverpool’s danger man on Sunday, although they are, of course, not exactly short of attacking talent in their side, with the likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota also likely to cause problems at Craven Cottage.

However, playing Bryan, who earns £30k per week at Fulham, as a left-midfielder could be one way in which the Cottagers can shackle Salah for the game on Sunday if he and Robinson were able to mark him out of the game.

The former Bristol City man has featured just seven times in all competitions this season, so it would perhaps be a surprise to see him get the start, but he is definitely more defensively aware than the likes of Ivan Cavaleiro or Ademola Lookman, so it may be a change Parker has to make if he wants to stop Salah controlling the game.

And, in other news… Khan heading for awful error with £86k-p/w troublemaker not fit for Parker…

According to The Athletic, West Bromwich Albion want to relieve Crystal Palace of the services of Mamadou Sakho in January.

What’s the word?

Recent reports revealed the former Liverpool defender has been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park to La Liga side Real Betis.

It’s claimed West Brom have now joined Betis in the chase for Sakho, who has fallen out of favour with Roy Hodgson due to a recurring injury problem this season.

The Frenchman is among a number of players who’s contracts with the club are set to expire at the end of this season, having spent the entirety of the game against Leicester City in the league as an unused substitute on the bench.

Time’s up for Sakho

It doesn’t take a fool to work out that it seems his time at the club is finally coming to an end.

He has been a key player for Palace as they pushed their way towards the upper echelons of the Premier League but with only a few months left on his current deal at Selhurst Park, you feel it’s only a matter of time before they cut their losses once and for all.

Under Hodgson, Palace have surprisingly struggled to get out of first gear defensively this season but Sakho has fallen even further down the pecking order, despite their obvious struggles, as he is now considered surplus to requirements.

Once considered to be “incredible” by the Palace boss, it has been quite a dramatic fall from grace for the 30-year-old, who earns around £100,000-per-week at SE25, as he has made just four appearances in the Premier League in an injury-stricken campaign.

He would be a decent addition for the Baggies, who have their own set of problems at the back, providing he plays on a regular basis. In five appearances across all competitions, Sakho is averaging 2.8 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

Indeed, it was now-Albion boss Sam Allardyce who brought him to Selhurst Park in the first place – whether or not Palace fans will thank him for that though is another matter entirely.

Getting him off their colossal wage bill, either by way of a loan or permanent move in January, is surely a must at this stage, as it’s clear he has no future at the club.

AND in other news, Bye-bye McCarthy: Roy Hodgson must push Crystal Palace to sign Fenerbahce midfielder Ozan Tufan…

Sheffield Wednesday advanced into the next round of the FA Cup this weekend, seeing off the challenge from lower league opposition, though they remain without a permanent manager.

The Owls are looking for their fifth boss in three years following the sudden sacking of Tony Pulis over two weeks ago, chairman Dejphon Chansiri pulled the trigger after just one win in ten matches under his tenure.

Although according to talkSPORT this weekend, the Yorkshiremen have opened talks with Paul Cook over the vacant managerial role.

He was even quizzed about the possibility of taking over at Hillsborough Stadium whilst on pundit duties for Sky Sports, he said (via YorkshireLive):

“It is very, very flattering to be linked. I am an out of work manager and I am desperate to get back into football,” before adding: “Sheffield Wednesday is an absolutely massive football club. It would be a fantastic club for anyone to manage so while I’m being linked with it, it is obviously very flattering.”

The Athletic have also claimed that the 53-year-old was in the running the first time before Chansiri hired Pulis.

Cook has been out of work since departing Wigan Athletic at the end of the 2019/20 season, he resigned citing the club’s off-the-field problems as a major factor to talkSPORT (via Wigan Today).

He was the man to bring the Latics up the Championship and recorded an overall record of 65 wins from 155 matches (41.9%).

And there will be one name eager to see him appointed, that being Chey Dunkley, who was Cook’s first-ever signing at the DW Stadium.

The 6 foot 2 titan was one of his star performers too – when fit – in 117 appearances under him, Dunkley scored 13 goals whilst during the 2018/19 season, he averaged a whopping 6.2 clearances and 5.8 aerial duels won, per WhoScored.

Those figures are the best of his career of matches recorded by the statistical website.

Indeed, Cook could bring the very best back out of the Owls summer signing, especially as they have leaked 23 goals in 23 matches so far this season.

Former Latics teammate Sam Morsy lauded the 28-year-old “unbelievable” due to his aerial ability and goalscoring record, also claiming that he’s “lethal” in one-on-one situations.

He would surely benefit more than any other player at Hillsborough and that could be a major game-changer for their bid to avoid the drop.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Pundit drops hint over vacant Sheffield Wednesday job…

After picking up three wins in a row in the Premier League, Arsenal were brought somewhat back to a grinding halt with a drab 0-0 draw against Crystal Palace on Thursday night.

Mikel Arteta’s side just didn’t look like the free-flowing side that thrashed West Brom 4-0 last time out in the top-flight, with the Eagles’ defence restricting them to just four shots on target.

Before the game, the Gunners were handed a major blow when Kieran Tierney was ruled out due to muscle soreness, and that meant Ainsley Maitland-Niles was brought back in from the cold to start at left-back.

It was the perfect opportunity for the England international to stake his claim and show Arteta why he needs to be in his thinking, but he completely fluffed his lines.

As per Sofascore, he lost possession 13 times over the course of the game, but had a particularly shocking start to the beginning of the match that arguably set the tone for the rest of his night – via Squawka, he misplaced six of his 17 passes in the opening 20 minutes, including one inexplicable one that cost his side a corner.

The Gunners desperately needed a fast start to ensure Palace couldn’t just sit back, but Maitland-Niles’ sloppiness and casualness on the ball cost Arsenal repeatedly as they looked to launch forward.

He failed to provide any of the thrust that Tierney usually brings down that left-hand side, making no accurate crosses whatsoever and providing no key passes – compare that to the Scotland international recently, who has provided a whopping 11 key passes and six accurate crosses in his last four games.

Andrew Allen, deputy editor for Arseblognews, described Maitland-Niles as having an “absolute stinker”, whilst Dan Critchlow, senior writer for The Daily Cannon, simply said his passing was “disastrous”.

Such was his performance, that some Arsenal fans took to Twitter wanting him to be sold immediately.

Tierney’s importance to the team has been seen over these past few weeks with his own collection of goals and assists. But his stock rose even higher on Thursday thanks to Maitland-Niles’ shocker, and Arteta simply has to axe him from the starting line-up for the clash against Newcastle.

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s interest in this Eden Hazard-like star could spell bad news for Nicolas Pepe…

Southampton have struggled for goals in recent weeks, with Danny Ings’ winner against Liverpool their only goal in the top-flight in their last four fixtures. Part of the problem could be due to Che Adams’ drop in form.

However, with Ings set to return to action against Arsenal this weekend after a brief period out with the current viral outbreak, his partnership with the former Birmingham City man in attack could be the catalyst for an upturn in form.

Adams started the season in an excellent fashion for the Saints, managing four goals and four assists in his opening 14 fixtures which led Ralph Hasenhuttl to suggest that:

“He’s a role model for the time we went through – from zero to hero at the moment,” following his goal in the 2-0 win against Newcastle United earlier this season that sent Southampton to the top of the Premier League.

However, he has struggled in each of his last five appearances for the South Coast club, failing to score or assist and producing disappointing all-round displays.

Whilst this is already an improvement of his goals and assist tally from last season, the young striker will be hoping that he doesn’t slip into his habits from last season, where he struggled to find the back of the net for so long.

Although he only featured as a substitute against Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup last time out, his lack of confidence in front of goal was evident when he rounded the ‘keeper late on, before switching the ball to his right foot instead of shooting into the open net, which allowed the Shrews defender to get back and block his shot.

He has looked at his most dangerous when paired with a fully-fit Ings, so with the England international expected to feature against Arsenal on Saturday, Hasenhuttl will be hoping that the 24-year-old can rediscover his best form.

£15m man Adams has already assisted Ings twice in the Premier League this season, so it is clear that the two have a connection when starting together in Hasenhuttl’s attack.

Therefore, whilst the majority of Southampton fans will be excited for Ings’ return to action, it could be the impact he has on Adams’ performances that will be the most crucial improvement in Hasenhuttl’s side.

After some disappointing results in recent weeks, the Austrian manager will be hoping that now he has both of his first-choice strikers back available, the Saints will start to pick up better results, starting with the FA Cup fourth-round tie against Arsenal on Saturday.

And, in other news… Forren 2.0: Hasenhuttl delivers worrying injury update on Southampton’s “big talent”

Leeds United are set to take on Leicester City in their next Premier League fixture. The Whites will be hoping to come away with three points off the back of their narrow 2-1 win over Newcastle.

Raphinha and Jack Harrison were the difference for the recently promoted Yorkshire outfit, breaking their three-game losing streak. Whilst the duo will more than likely be deployed on either wing against the Foxes, one man is set to miss the clash at the King Power Stadium.

Phil Hay provided a recent fitness update on Diego Llorente after the centre-back was forced off after just ten minutes last time out. The Athletic reporter tweeted that the summer signing is set to be out of action for three to four weeks with a hamstring injury.

Marcelo Bielsa was arguably the man at fault here. The boss was reported to have doubled up on his Murderball sessions during training in the lead up to the Newcastle clash. The added pressure on Llorente, who has made just two appearances for his new club, was unnecessary and could now set Leeds even further back.

The threat of Jamie Vardy is alive and well. He currently has the fourth highest amount of goals to his name this season, level with Bruno Fernandes and behind only Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Mohamed Salah, via BBC Sport.

However, the England international will be absent against Leeds due to an operation he recently underwent on his groin. This will more than likely see Kelechi Iheanacho take to the stage to show Brendan Rodgers he still has fire in him.

The second-string striker will be looking to grab this opportunity with both hands due to the fact he has made just two starts in the league this season. His other eight appearances have come as cameos and he is still yet to find the back of the net, according to Transfermarkt.

With a weakened Leeds backline, Iheanacho will be rubbing his hands together and hoping that he can capitalise on Bielsa’s injury nightmare.

In other news, Leeds set to finally offload Bielsa reject Rafa Mujica…

Tottenham Hotspur will be without their leading talisman Harry Kane for their trip to Brighton & Hove Albion this evening, which is probably Jose Mourinho’s biggest nightmare.

“There are some players you can’t replace,” said the 58-year-old after defeat to Liverpool in midweek.

It now provides a major problem for the next few weeks with Kane on the sidelines – does he push Heung-min Son up front as he did last January? Does he trust Carlos Vinicius? and what of Gareth Bale?

On the Chalkboard

Since his sensation return from Real Madrid in the summer, it certainly has been a curious case for Bale in north London. Indeed, he’s only started one Premier League match and has been restricted to 722 minutes in all competitions.

Injuries and fitness issues hampered his chances in the lead up to the festive period but after his first 90 minutes of the campaign against Wycombe Wanderers six days ago, he’s surely set to benefit in Kane’s absence – or at least, he should.

Earlier in the season, BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves hinted that a tactical change could benefit the Welsh superstar tenfold. After a 3-1 win over Ludogorets, he told viewers [5th November 19:10]:

“Out wide, he’s got to be tracking back but with his fitness, he isn’t going to do that,” adding “[Through the middle], he is closer to the goal and that’s what you want. He could be unplayable.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-spurs-news-and-transfer-rumours” title= Read this week’s latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more…”]

In his final season at Spurs under Andre Villas-Boas (2012/13), the £18m-rated attacker was deployed centrally ten times and it paid dividends as he bagged six goals and delivered five assists, via Transfermarkt.

This trend continued briefly at Madrid where in 41 games, Bale provided 27 goal contributions, so there is a possibility we see him deputise in Kane’s absence.

Even if Mourinho doesn’t see him as a striker, there’s a chance he still comes into the starting XI. If Son is pushed further forward, there will be a need for a winger.

Whilst Bale has barely featured this campaign, he has still scored four times – once in every competition – at a rate of one goal every two games (180 minutes).

By comparison, Lucas Moura has bagged once in the Premier League since December 2019 with Steven Bergwijn suffering a similar barren spell of form as his last goal in the English top-flight came in June – the first game back post-lockdown.

In November, the 31-year-old came off the bench against tonight’s opponents, Brighton, to score the winner. In just 20 minutes of action, he was rated better than any other Spurs player (7.7) per SofaScore.

Following the game, Mourinho said: “He knows we care about him and we know he cares about us, the team and the club, Spurs. He’s the perfect fit, he’s very calm, very intelligent, he has good feelings.”

On his day, he has the ability to cause anyone nightmares, which is why he needs to be given that opportunity this evening. He could well be that ‘unplayable’ game-changer that Hargreaves mentioned and Spurs may well need with the 19-goal and 14-assist Kane absent.

Bale won’t have a better time to break into the starting XI than now, whether that’s on the wing or through the middle, so the Spurs boss must unleash him against the Seagulls tonight so he can finally prove himself in his second stint at Tottenham.

AND in other news, £36m-rated calamity who was ROASTED by Mourinho must be AXED tonight!

The Newcastle Consortium Supporters Ltd (NCSL) have dropped a relegation claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United.

Replying to a fan’s query about whether the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group would still be interested in a potential deal with Mike Ashley should the North East club be relegated from the Premier League down to the EFL Championship, the NCSL claimed: “I’m told the value would drop “£150 million” so I don’t see MA taking that kind of hit.”

Would relegation stop the potential Newcastle takeover?

It is unclear yet as to whether the KSA consortium would still be interested in taking over on Tyneside should they be relegated from the English top flight.

Steve Bruce’s men are currently sitting a mere three points off of the drop zone after just 24 games played, albeit that they have a game in hand on Fulham in 18th spot (Sky Sports).

For any revival of any bid from the consortium, the KSA’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) would have to come back onto the table, but if the Magpies were to be relegated down into the Championship, then suddenly they are not as much of an attractive project, and Ashley may well lose a lot of value in his asking price.

Nonetheless, the Toon Army will be hoping to avoid relegation in order to give them a much better chance of the takeover eventually going through.

In other news, find out what inside claim on the potential takeover Mark Douglas has dropped here!

After taking home all three points against Leeds United, Aston Villa are back in Premier League action as they take on Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Wednesday evening.

Dean Smith’s side secured a huge win against fellow top-six chasing contenders Leeds thanks to a goal from Anwar El Ghazi, and will be confident of securing back-to-back triumphs when they face the top-flight’s bottom club tonight.

One major injury concern for Smith was the fitness of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who appeared to be struggling with a groin problem during the game against the Whites at the weekend.

Now, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans has confirmed that Martinez will be fit for the clash against the Blades tonight, revealing: “The goalkeeper is fit for the game despite a problem with his groin in the 1-0 win over Leeds United at the weekend.

“Martinez had to take painkillers to get him through the last outing and also called on his centre-halves to take the goal-kicks. Smith confirmed this morning that he will play at Bramall Lane.”

News of Martinez’s availability will be of a major relief for Smith, with the Argentine shot-stopper playing a crucial role in Villa’s rise up the table this season – his tally of 13 clean sheets in the Premier League is only bettered by Manchester City’s Ederson.

The £16.2m-rated gem has been a transfer revelation for Villa since joining from fellow Premier League side Arsenal, so having their number one shot-stopper all ready to go for today’s game against the Blades will surely have Smith buzzing.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a summer move for this “talismanic” striker…

After a disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, Leeds United are back in action in the Premier League when they take on West Ham on Monday night.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side will be keen to get back to winning ways when they make the trip to the London Stadium, and the Argentine will no doubt be pondering whether to make any changes for the game.

One man who he should drop from his starting line-up ahead of the clash is Tyler Roberts.

The Wales international has started the last three games after coming on as a half-time substitute against Arsenal, and picked up an assist in the victory over Southampton.

However, his performance against Villa left a lot to be desired. He lost 80% of his total duels on the day, with the away side’s defence outmuscling him time and again.

He didn’t attempt any dribbles, which was particularly disappointing given his more advanced role in the team. He struggled to get involved in the play, recording just 38 touches, which was only five more than goalkeeper Illan Meslier, per SofaScore.

The display was rather telling of his entire Leeds career – flashes of promise, but nowhere near the kind of consistency that’s required. In fact, in 70 games for the club, he has managed just seven goals and provided a further nine assists, not the kind of record of someone who wants to be a Premier League attacker.

That point about whether Roberts is actually good enough for Leeds is something Noel Whelan has raised, saying: “Is he good enough? In my opinion he isn’t. I would love him to go out there and prove me wrong because I want everyone to succeed. I need him to show me more. He needs to show more fight and desire. I just do not see that.

“It makes me wonder whether he would be better off leaving and going somewhere where he would get regular game time. I do not think we have seen the real Tyler Roberts yet. I find it very hard to see a career for him at Leeds United on the current evidence.”Whelan himself has even called on Bielsa to drop Roberts from the starting line-up for the clash against West Ham, saying: “I’m just not seeing enough from him. There’s glimpses there but he’s not hurting teams with his performances and his creativity. Now number 10, you’ve got to be that special player. You’ve got to be that player that can open up teams and really take the game by the scruff of the neck. I just don’t think Tyler Roberts does that for Leeds.”With a tricky game against the European-chasing Hammers, Bielsa needs players who he can absolutely trust to step up – and the £5,000-a-week earning Roberts simply isn’t one of them given his performances over the course of this season.Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped a major transfer update on Leeds United…