All posts by z3u9t.icu

As Celtic look to kick-start a new chapter in their history, Neil Lennon will be looking around for ways of building a more exciting future at Parkhead.

Ismaila Soro looks to be the kind of midfield prospect who the Hoops can rely on in the engine room, but getting a deal done for Sheffield Wednesday starlet Liam Shaw could give them the perfect partner for the 22-year-old.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has claimed that the Bhoys have expressed interest in signing Shaw, and that the 19-year-old would be available on a pre-contract now, although Wednesday are in talks with him over a new deal.

Dubbed a “very, very promising young player” by his old manager at Sheffield Wednesday, Tony Pulis, Shaw has begun to establish himself in the Championship side’s starting eleven over the past couple of months.

He’s featured in nine of out of the Owls’ last ten games in the league, including starting and completing the full 90 minutes in the previous matches against Middlesbrough and Derby.

Shaw’s ability to play as both a centre-back and in central midfield would give Lennon added flexibility, with his former Owls boss, Garry Monk saying of his versatility: “He has got the capability of playing everywhere. I am not 100 per cent sure what is going to be his final position. But what I do know with him is he definitely has the capabilities of playing in midfield and centre-back.”

Partnering him in the engine room alongside Soro would give Celtic a real strong presence that would compliment the Ivory Coast ace.

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 2, Shaw has won 3.3 duels per game in the Championship this season, with the 5 foot 8 Soro winning 4.5 per match. That little and large partnership would be almost akin to an N’Golo Kante and Nemanja Matic style seen at Chelsea, with both capable of sticking their foot in and screening the back four well.

Nick Hammond could clinch a perfect partner for Soro in Shaw.

Meanwhile, Celtic can clinch a bargain deal for this one League One sensation…

Sheffield Wednesday caused one of the shocks of the Championship season so far on Tuesday night as they downed a promotion favourite to move one step closer to safety.

Substitute striker Jordan Rhodes came off the bench to score a 90th-minute winner for Neil Thompson’s Owls side at AFC Bournemouth. The victory moved them up into the final relegation place, just three points behind Birmingham with a game in hand, too.

The severity of the result was seen after full-time as the home side sacked their manager, Jason Tindall.

ExaminerLive’s Dom Howson rated Keiren Westwood as his ‘Man of the Match’ in his post-match ratings, grading him an 8/10. He wrote: ‘Pulled off a string of fine saves after the break to frustrate Bournemouth.’

This echoed the thoughts of several of the Hillsborough faithful who were watching from home: one supporter dubbed him the “best keeper in the league” whilst another claimed the veteran continues to prove Garry Monk wrong.

While his influence was vital – especially with that last-minute save to seal the win – it was another Owls star who ran the show on the night.

Barry Bannan was as influential as ever as Wednesday’s captain in the heart of the engine room.

No Owls player was as involved as much as the Scotsman. He recorded 56 touches, ten more than any other visiting starter on the night.

He also made one key pass, proving to be as creative as ever, and won 75% of his duels, meaning he had the better of the likes of Jack Wilshere and Lewis Cook, and put in three tackles, via SofaScore.

Industrious.

Bannan topped the charts for tackles in this match, so he clearly had a major influence on dictating the play and thwarting whatever the Cherries threw at them during the 90 minutes.

Not even central defensive duo Tom Lees and Sam Hutchinson combined for as many as the 31-year-old’s three, as per SofaScore.

The midfield beast, who is valued at £1.8m by Transfermarkt, has started all 26 of the Owls’ league outings and it’s hardly a surprise given the impact he has on this team.

He was Thompson’s star man once again as he stole the show on the south coast.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Palmer drops Sheffield Wednesday manager claim

Sergio Reguilon endured a horror show on his return to action as Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-1 at West Ham United on Sunday.

The £32m summer signing from Real Madrid had missed the past five weeks of action with a muscle injury sustained in Spurs’ 3-1 win over Sheffield United last month.

Jose Mourinho had rarely tackled Premier League fixtures without the Spaniard before the blow, with Reguilon starting 12 of his 13 prior top-flight appearances and missing just four games.

But he failed to leave a glowing endorsement of his talents on the London Stadium pitch before being hauled off for Dele Alli inside the final quarter of an hour, as Mourinho went aggressive in search of an equalising goal.

The Spurs boss had already shown his ruthless streak at the break whilst the north Londoners were two goals behind after strikes from Michail Antonio and Jesse Lingard, having substituted Japhet Tanganga and Erik Lamela at half-time.

Tanganga’s performance had returned a modest 6.3 out of 10 match rating from SofaScore, with the 21-year-old unable to offer any defensive or attacking contribution while losing possession 10 times.

Yet Reguilon had often performed at a lower standard and could only rise his match rating back to a base six out of 10 by the time his number was shown, having been second best to most of what West Ham threw at him.

Never has the £48k-per-week full-back earned a lower grade for his performances, with his previous worst score for a Premier League game coming against Manchester United in October when Reguilon earned a 6.3 before a 6.2 away to Royal Antwerp in the Europa League.

It was not until the second half that Reguilon was able to win a single duel against the Irons, ending his afternoon with success in just 22% of all challenges. The defender won only two of his six contests on the ground and zero of his three in the air.

He further turned over possession 16 times, committed three fouls – Tanganga made zero – and offered no successful tackles or interceptions, much like his earlier withdrawn teammate.

Reguilon usually contributes significantly more for Mourinho at both ends of the pitch, with the Spain international on average winning 3.1 ground duels with a 47% success rate and 1.0 aerial contests with a 42% success rate. The five-cap full-back further offers 1.7 successful tackles and 1.0 interceptions.

He also left Tottenham’s forward options wanting more from his deliveries with just one of four crosses finding a teammate, yet his efforts matched a seasonal success rate of 26%.

Mourinho would surely have expected to see more from Reguilon on his return to the side, even if Sunday’s defeat was his first outing in more than a month.

AND in other news, Tottenham Hotspur face a £51m asking price to land a “talented” leader this summer…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Tottenham Hotspur captain Gary Mabbutt has hailed the job being done by ex-Spurs coach Scott Parker at Fulham, but maintains that Jose Mourinho’s side must beat them on Thursday.

The Cottagers are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the Premier League table and lie 18th ahead of a meeting with Mourinho’s men in midweek.

Fulham have actually been in fine form in recent weeks, particularly given their spot in the table.

They have not lost any of their last five games, drawing with West Ham United, Crystal Palace, and Burnley, and beating Everton and Sheffield United.

Those results have moved the club within three points of Newcastle United in 17th and given them a genuine chance of survival, and Mabbutt has been impressed with the job Parker is doing.

Of course, with Spurs struggling for form, they have only taken six points from the last five games, compared to Fulham’s nine.

The ex-midfielder spent two years at Spurs between 2011 and 2013 and went on to coach the club’s Under-18 team before his move to Craven Cottage.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Mabbutt said: “Scott’s job is clear, it’s to keep Fulham in the Premier League. Scott’s a great lad. I know him well from his time at Spurs, and he was on the coaching staff at Spurs. Fantastic lad. Great character.

“He’s working hard at Fulham to try to get the best out of them. As far as the results have gone, I think in the last five games, they’ve got more points than Spurs have, which is a quite incredible stat. But they have.”

Mabbutt is clear, though, that there can be no sympathy shown for Parker or Fulham on Thursday when the two teams meet.

He has told Spurs that it is a must-win game as they look to claw their way back into the race to qualify for the Champions League, and has pointed to Fulham’s woes at home – they have lost seven games at home this season.

He added: “He’s got to keep building on that. You know, they’ve thrown away some silly points, made some silly mistakes, but as far as we’re concerned, this is a game we have to win. Fulham are fighting for their lives the bottom of the table.

“Quite amazingly, they’ve only lost four away from home and they’ve lost seven at home. So their home form is obviously a real problem for them. And we want to make sure that we realise that.”

Many Liverpool fans were in awe of footage of star defender Virgil van Dijk back on the pitches of the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby.

The 29-year-old posted the video on his official Twitter account where he was seen completing some light jogging up and down the field as he recovers from his serious knee injury.

Van Dijk has not featured for Jurgen Klopp’s side since October after rupturing his cruciate ligament during their 2-2 draw against Everton at Goodison Park, where Jordan Pickford flew over the ball and caught the Dutchman on his standing leg.

In his absence, Liverpool’s title defence and actual defence has crumbled in the space of two months and the Reds have now lost their last five-straight games at Anfield in the Premier League.

Unsurprisingly, supporters were overjoyed to see Van Dijk on the mend and flooded his social media with an array of supportive messages.

Van Dijk sends these fans crazy

“Oh my god! We might actually be back soon”

Credit: @LfcRyannnn

“I LOVE YOU MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN”

Credit: @Bigsamm

“Getting ready for number 7”

Credit: @freddy_kofi

“The time has come”

Credit: @almaskeen19

“KINGGGGGGG”

Credit: @lfcaxchie

“Beautiful”

Credit: @lfckillian

In other news, Some Liverpool urge club to ‘fire the whole medical staff’ after Fulham team news reveal.

Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed the news that Mark Noble has signed a contract extension at the club.

According to a report by The Athletic, the West Ham captain has put pen to paper on a new one-year deal with the east London side, which will see the 33-year-old remain with the Irons until at least the summer of 2022.

The £4.05m-rated midfielder, who has made a total of 520 appearances for the Hammers, has found game-time hard to come by under David Moyes so far this season, starting just three Premier League matches.

After West Ham News relayed the report regarding Noble’s contract on Twitter, these fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing furious at the prospect of the captain remaining in east London for a further year. One disparaging supporter pondered whether the announcement was a “joke”.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to Mark Noble’s contract news?

“Nothing personal about a great club servant but he’s now taking up a first-team squad place that could be much better used. Can’t accept it’s over. Find him a coaching role and move on.”

@aceofspies64

“People slag the board off for not making us a big club and delivering what they promised and then applaud signing Noble on a new contract. He wouldn’t get a look in at any other club challenging in the top half.”

@ellingford_paul

“Contract for what? As a player? Noooooo. Please, make him a coach. Give him a role. Groom him to be manager someday. But his EPL playing days are past.”

@pfmcdevitt

“Time for him to hang his boots up unfortunately and get a club role. If he had any sense he would have retired! Been a great servant but he’s too slow for the league now. Classic G&S wanting to keep him to save splashing the cash on a backup midfielder in summer!”

@michaelcoppert2

“Is this an April fools joke?”

@kirt1234567

“Waste of money really.”

@CharlieLevy92

“Ahh how exciting, waste of money that is!”

@JackPar78026231

“This is pointless.”

@wasntme23

“Shouldn’t be being sentimental if we want to push on as a club. Should have called it a day a while ago. Doesn’t improve the team/squad at all.”

@ostler_gavin

“I love Nobes but we can’t be that desperate to have a penalty taker.”

@francesellen_

In other news: Many West Ham fans responded to this club update, find out more here!

According to Give Me Sport, Glasgow Rangers are interested in Middlesbrough striker Britt Assombalonga.

Gers eye Assombalonga

Assombalonga currently plays his football for Middlesbrough in the Championship. His contract at the club is set to run out at the end of the season (Transfermarkt).

As such, the Ibrox outfit are said to be eager to take him north of the border on a free transfer.

Potential bargain

Assombalonga has scored goals at a steady rate throughout his career. He has netted at least 10 strikes in seven different campaigns, and has a record of 131 goals in 344 matches since making his debut (Transfermarkt). Boro even paid £15m in 2017 to sign him (BBC) – that was, and still is, a club-record fee for the north-east outfit.

Unfortunately, in more recent times, he has struggled to hit the same heights. This term, he has managed just five goals in 29 matches in the English second tier and was even stripped of the club captaincy by Neil Warnock  (Teesside Live). However, he is clearly a player with plenty of talent, and perhaps a change of scenery could do him the world of good. On a free transfer, this could well be a bargain signing for Ross Wilson and co – especially after Alfredo Morelos recently shared his desire to move to the Premier League (Radio Caracol).

In other news, Rangers fans slam this Union Bears statement.

Liverpool could be set to bolster their attacking options in the summer with a swoop for Reading starlet Michael Olise.

According to Football Insider, the Reds are among a host of Premier League clubs interested in the 19-year-old French youth international – and now they must ensure they elbow their way to the front of the queue for the midfielder.

Despite having only broken throughout into the Reading first team last year, Olise is having an extremely productive campaign in the Championship.

He has already notched five goals and ten assists for a Royals side gunning for a place in the promotion playoffs come the end of the season. His dribbling and close control of the ball have become hugely potent weapons for Veljko Paunović’s men.

Even before he managed to establish himself in Reading’s first team, his teammates were already aware of his potential, with current Royals frontman Sam Baldock labelling Olise as “fearless” and a “real talent”.

The young Frenchman’s versatility would also see him become an attractive proposition for Jurgen Klopp.

[snack-amp-story url=https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=” Latest Liverpool transfer rumours and news!”]

Whilst often deployed centrally at the Madejski Stadium, Olise is also equally adept at being pushed further forwards or even taking up a position out wide, per Transfermarkt.

With current Reds winger Xherdan Shaqiri potentially angling for a move away from Anfield in the near future to find a “solution” to his lack of game-time at the club, Olise could be the perfect candidate as a replacement for the Swiss ace.

Rated at just £10.8m but with just over a year left to run on his contract in Berkshire, Olise could certainly be an affordable option for the Reds, allowing them to deploy more considerable funds elsewhere in the squad.

Should they wish to bolster their attack, the promising Olise seems like an excellent option. Liverpool need to make sure they’re first in line for his signature.

AND in more news, read why Liverpool have to secure a bargain deal for Ibrahima Konate…

Former Everton player Michael Ball reckons the presence of James Rodriguez at Goodison Park will boost the club’s pulling power no end this summer.

The Blues brought in Rodriguez from Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer and the Colombian was a blockbuster signing. He has won the Champions League, La Liga and Bundesliga twice in his career and took home the World Cup Golden Boot in 2014 (via Transfermarkt).

Ball, who made more than 100 appearances for Everton between 1996 and 2001, says that the club are becoming an increasingly attractive proposition.

In his Liverpool Echo column, he wrote: “We’re lucky to have James at Everton because of his relationship with Carlo Ancelotti, and you would hope that would leave others on the outside looking in thinking, ‘I want to learn from Ancelotti, I want him to improve me as a player.

“We can offer a club where they will be a key player and play alongside James Rodriguez. We’re looking for the next icon to have their name chanted from the terraces.”

Everton harbouring European ambitions

In Ancelotti’s first full season at the helm, the Toffees are well-placed to make a return to European competition. They are two points off the top six ahead of the run-in and retain a game in hand on the sides above them.

Everton were last in Europe in the 2017/18 season but it was far from a memorable campaign as they bowed out of the Europa League in the group stages.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Everton are a seriously impressive outfit at this moment in time. It just remains to be seen to what extent the effects of the pandemic will rein in the club’s spending power.

The Blues spent more than £67m last summer and brought in less than £4m through player sales (via Transfermarkt), so there may need to be greater balancing of the books this time around before any more superstar names like Rodriguez rock up at Goodison Park.

In other news, could this potential move be a huge boost to Everton’s resources?

Manchester City are reportedly considering a move for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot this summer and the Frenchman would arguably be a better fit in Pep Guardiola’s side than Borrusia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

What’s the word?

According to Calcio Mercato (via Sport Witness), Juventus are planning on selling the former PSG man this summer, which has alerted both Barcelona and Manchester City, who have ‘begun to follow’ the French international.

Despite finding his feet in Turin after a difficult start, it is claimed that Andrea Pirlo wants to make improvements to his midfield in the summer, so Rabiot could be one who is moved on in order to raise some funds for transfers.

A better fit than Zakaria?

Man City have also been heavily linked with a move for Swiss international Denis Zakaria ahead of the summer window and since they both play in midfield, you would imagine that it would be one or the other, rather than both, for the Citizens ahead of next season.

Zakaria is more of a defensive-minded midfielder, whereas Rabiot can play further forward, and yet the 25-year-old Juventus man seemingly has had the edge when it comes to defensive statistics this season.

He has averaged 2.1 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 1.2 aerials won per game in Serie A so far this season, whereas Zakaria has averaged 1.1 tackles, 0.6 interceptions and 0.6 aerials won per game in the Bundesliga.

The 24-year-old has also struggled with injury problems in recent seasons which seem to have had a serious impact on his performances, as this season has seen him earn a poor 6.4 average rating compared to last season’s superb 7.15/10 average rating in the German top-flight.

Rabiot also triumphs over Zakaria when it comes to passing, as he has averaged far more passes and key passes per game than the Swiss midfielder, whilst his pass accuracy rate, in general, is higher than the Monchengladbach midfielder.

The £28.8 million-rated Rabiot has earned a lot of praise from Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon in his time at the club, with the ‘keeper suggesting in 2019 that:

“He is a fantastic mix, he has the physical strength of Pogba, who is like a wardrobe, has the personality of Vidal and potentially the dynamism of Marchisio.

“He is incredible, extremely strong. He needs to improve his timing when approaching the opponent’s penalty area but he can become a player with 10 goals per season.”

Given Rabiot’s solid performances in Serie A and in the Champions League this season, therefore, you could argue that he would be a better signing than Zakaria this summer, so sporting director Txiki Begiristain should try and bring him to the Etihad.

And, in other news… Txiki should seal City swoop for £31.5m-rated beast who broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s record