All posts by z3u9t.icu

Patrick Bamford may potentially have only suffered a dead leg in Leeds United’s draw with Chelsea, according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

The Whites drew 0-0 at home to Thomas Tuchel side’s on Saturday afternoon in what was a hard-fought Premier League contest at Elland Road.

Leeds more than held their own against a Chelsea team with top-four aspirations and they had to make do without Bamford for much of the game.

The striker was replaced after just 35 minutes, sustaining a leg injury and failing to carry on despite attempting to soldier through for a short period.

Hay offers hope over Bamford injury

Although there were concerns that the 27-year-old could miss a sizeable chunk of action after going off, beginning with Friday night’s clash against Fulham, Hay has tried to allay those fears with an encouraging update.

Speaking in a Q&A on The Athletic after Saturday’s game, the journalist stated that Bamford’s injury is possibly nothing more than a dead leg:

“Hopefully a dead leg. [Marcelo] Bielsa should be starting his presser shortly.”

Transfer Tavern take

Bamford has been a hugely important player for Leeds this season as their leading scorer, so it would be a huge boost if his injury is nothing serious.

He has 13 goals and five assists in his 28 Premier League appearances to date, with his goal tally more than double that of Jack Harrison (six) in second place.

Bamford’s form has been one of the feel-good stories of Leeds’ season and the hope is that he is fit to continue until May, possibly even forcing his way into England’s Euro 2020 squad. Hay’s update offers reassuring hope that his knock on Saturday won’t be a long-term one.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be eyeing up a move for a Premier League defender this summer. Find out who it is here.

Many West Ham United fans were left slamming the display of Vladimir Coufal in their side’s 1-0 away loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Tuesday night.

The Czech Republic international did not have his best game for the London Stadium faithful as a Scott McTominay goal in the first half of extra time made sure that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team went through to the next stage of the competition at Old Trafford, at the expense of the Hammers.

Coufal never really managed to get going in the match and he had a poor game by his usually high standards. The 28-year-old lost out on no fewer than five of his duels and only managed to achieve a 71% pass accuracy, the second-lowest out of any of his teammates to have started the game (Sofascore).

Coufal also failed to make a single key pass or accurate cross, and lost possession of the ball no fewer than 26 times in the match, the most out of any outfield player to have set foot on the pitch (Sofascore).

West Ham fan reaction to Coufal display

These Irons slammed his performance on Twitter, with one WHU supporter even going as far as to claim that the right-back was ‘very poor’:

“Let’s be real, Coufal has been very poor”

Credit: @WesthamMitchell

“What’s Coufal doing?!”

Credit: @lukejessop16

“Worst game I’ve seen Coufal have”

Credit: @Dom_A_King

“Coufal needs to learn to pass a bit better”

Credit: @AnthonyMelman

“Mate you just said Coufal had a better game than Benrahma, he was the worst player on the pitch, take your agenda somewhere else”

Credit: @WestHam_Way

“Noble looked like he had more left in him than Rice. Rice was visibly knackered Noble still was pressing well the game. Coufal, yeah, you could tell he was gone, shows the thin squad we have”

Credit: @LingardinhoSzn

In other news, find out what David Moyes revelation has got fans talking here!

David Moyes looks like he’s forcing Fabian Balbuena out of West Ham United with his plans to promote winter signing Frederik Alves to the first-team next season

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Hammers intend to promote Alves to the senior fold for the 2021/22 campaign and hand the Denmark Under 21 international a prominent role.

It is said that the centre-half has impressed the Irons coaching staff in training and with his appearances in Dmitri Halajko’s U23s, where he has started all four available Premier League 2 fixtures since finalising a £1.5m move from NordicBet Liga outfit Silkeborg IF.

Moyes and his backroom team allegedly have no doubt that the 21-year-old is capable of playing in the Premier League next term, despite him being left an unused substitute in each of his six sporadic inclusions in a first-team matchday squad to date.

West Ham did not envisage Alves competing for a first-team role when they finalised his arrival in December, having returned to Silkeborg to complete the transfer which fell through on Deadline Day in October.

Moyes’ role in negotiations is thought to have been key to the Irons beating competition from Leeds United and Norwich City, after the Hammers boss went out of his way to speak with Alves and his representatives to explain how he saw the defender developing in east London.

Alves in, Balbuena out?

West Ham planning on awarding Alves a prominent role in Moyes’ centre-half group next season could be a further sign that Balbuena’s time in claret and blue is nearing its end, with the Paraguayan’s contract due to expire in the summer.

Reports have suggested that four sides are monitoring the defender’s situation with a view to signing Balbuena in the off-season, with Flamengo, Internacional, a Saudi Arabian outfit and a team from Major League Soccer all keeping close tabs on developments.

The 29-year-old would prefer to secure a move back to Brazil following his time in South America with Brasileirao side Corinthians, from whom West Ham signed the 16-cap international for £6.5m in 2018.

Irons insiders Claret & Hugh have also suggested that Balbuena has made his mind up and will leave the Premier League in the summer, feeling that his future is no longer at the London Stadium after losing his place in the side to Craig Dawson in December.

Balbuena opened 15 of the Hammers’ initial 18 fixtures across all competitions during the 2020/21 campaign, but has only featured for 90 minutes in the club’s following 14 games played since after starting January’s FA Cup win over League One side Doncaster Rovers.

West Ham being 99 per cent certain of retaining Dawson beyond his season-long loan from Watford would also see that minutes will be thin and far between for Balbuena next term, especially if Alves is promoted to the first-team.

So, all things considered, it seems as if Moyes is forcing Balbuena out at West Ham as he looks to stamp his mark even further on the squad assembled by Manuel Pellegrini.

AND in other news, West Ham have been dealt a huge blow with a David Moyes favourite ruled out until mid-April…

Carlo Ancelotti must boot Bernard out of Goodison Park in January amid claims of AS Roma eyeing a winter raid on Everton for the Brazilian midfielder.

What’s the word?

According to Gazzetta Dello Sport, via Sport Witness, the Giallorossi are monitoring Bernard’s situation ahead of the mid-season market as they look to acquire additional offensive weapons for head coach Paulo Fonseca.

Roma are presently pushing plans to sell Carles Perez in January before turning attentions to incomings, with Bernard, Stephan El Shaarawy and Roman Yaremchuk under consideration.

Everton are expected to demand €12m (£11m) to release Bernard next month, with the 28-year-old likely to look for a move away after starting just three fixtures across all competitions – including one of five Premier League appearances – thus far this season.

Fonseca was the coach of Shakhtar Donetsk during Bernard’s time at the Ukrainian side, and sought to secure a reunion in the summer with talks taking place on Deadline Day only for Ancelotti to insist the 14-cap international was wanted at Goodison Park.

El Shaarawy now appears as Roma’s favoured candidate but are yet to convince Shanghai Shenhua to sanction a loan deal, while Bernard is mentioned daily in discussions between Fonseca and Giallorossi staff.

Time to leave

Ancelotti may have insisted that Bernard had a role to play on Merseyside in the summer, but must accept that it is now time to boot the midfielder out of Goodison Park where he is the joint-highest earner on a £120,000-per-week contract.

Bernard and his agent were able to secure such a lucrative deal with the Brazilian joining on a free transfer in 2018, but has failed to prove value for money with fleeting appearances and a hand in just 14 goals (seven scored, seven assisted) over 74 outings across all competitions.

Ancelotti only awarded Bernard his sole Premier League start of the season so far as he sought to find a replacement for Richarlison whilst the winger was suspended, too, and immediately benched the Roma target despite finding the net against Manchester United.

Question marks have also stood over Bernard’s impact at Goodison Park for some time now, with Noel Whelan hinting just over a year ago that the 28-year-old is a luxury player.

“Can he do the defensive side as well? Every midfield player now, you can’t afford luxury players, everyone’s got to chip in on both sides of the game. Defensively, that’s the only area that I’d worry – can he get back in formation, can he get behind the ball, can he do it in 90 minutes?” Whelan told Football Insider.

Those concerns continue to remain, with Bernard offering one interception every 41.8 minutes of Premier League action this season, plus a successful tackle every 41.8 minutes, a clearance every 69.7 minutes and has registered one block every 104.5 minutes, per WhoScored.

Added to his tame offensive record with one shot every 69.7 minutes and an on-target effort every 209 minutes, plus a key pass every 41.8 minutes, it really is time for Ancelotti to show the Marco Silva signing the boot.

AND in other news, Everton have been dealt a huge blow, from which the long-term effects may hurt Carlo Ancelotti.

If things weren’t bad enough already at Celtic, their 2-2 draw with Livingston on Wednesday just about summed everything up.

Celtic did well to come back from 1-0 down but a Jay Emmanuel-Thomas equaliser on the hour mark condemned them to yet more dropped points. Furthermore, Scott Brown was sent off late in the game.

The Scot clearly hasn’t been at the races this term and this was yet another example of his foolishness. For someone that’s the club captain, he should know better.

The Hoops are enduring a horrid season and are very quickly surrendering their grasp on the SPFL title.

It doesn’t bode well that even their best performers are now failing to get the job done. That was the story for Ryan Christie who put in a dismal showing on Wednesday evening.

He has now scored just once in his last 16 outings, and after being linked with both Arsenal and Leeds, has taken his foot off the gas.

Christie came up with a golden moment in the Scottish Cup final, curling one in from long range, but beyond that, he has been poor in the last few months.

This was the nadir of his season so far, putting in a display that typified his own struggles as much as his team’s.

The Scotland international surrendered possession far too easily for Livi’s opener and it didn’t get much better for him. He lost the ball on 17 occasions throughout the match, the fifth-worst tally of anyone on the Celtic team.

Furthermore, the 25-year-old failed to provide his usual threat in the final third. He completed just one of his two crosses and didn’t manage a single dribble. Those statistics were down from his season averages of two successful crosses per game and 1.6 dribbles per match.

Writing in his post-match thoughts, David Oliver from The Scotsman said: “Not in the game nearly enough and a shadow of the Scotland hero of last year.”

Indeed, this has been a poor start to the year for Christie, someone who offered so much last term.

In 2019/20, the winger registered 20 goals and 16 assists. Clearly, this campaign has been much worse, finding the net on just four occasions.

Many of Celtic’s players are letting Lennon down at the moment, and Christie is one of the chief suspects. There needs to be a considerable improvement from their attacking dynamo.

AND in other news, No more Lennon: Desmond could help revive Celtic by appointing “pragmatic” 49 y/o…

Wolves head into their clash against Liverpool this evening with the bit between their teeth.

Having beaten Arsenal last time out, Nuno Santo’s men will have supreme confidence, but they will be without one of their star men.

What’s the word?

A horrendous clash of heads between Raul Jimenez and David Luiz last Sunday saw the Mexican come off second best.

Jimenez had to undergo surgery on a fractured skull and is now out for an unknown period of time.

Thus, it would appear that Wolves are in need of signing another striker.

Of course, they have club-record signing Fabio Silva within their ranks, but they now lack an experienced out and out centre-forward.

One player Wolves have in mind is Valencia’s Maxi Gomez. That’s according to Spanish outlet AS who suggested Nuno views him as a replacement for the injured Jimenez.

The report states that he was once close to signing for West Ham but eventually stayed in Spain.

Gomez possesses a release clause of €140m (£126m) but it’s thought a tempting offer to Valencia from Wolves could tempt them to sell.

Strong as an ox

This would be a tremendous capture by the Midlands side, presuming they can get him for a cut-price fee.

Gomez currently has three goals in nine La Liga outings this season but there is so much more to his game than scoring goals.

In fact, he could be perfect for the English game, possessing similar physical qualities to a certain Adama Traore.

Spanish football expert Phil Vickery said in 2019: “He is almost like something of a throwback to the great old tradition of the English No 9 when you would whistle down a mine shaft and up would step a strapping centre-forward.”

Vickery continued: “He is fearsomely strong. Opponents almost bounce off him, he is so physically strong. He is known as ‘The Bull’. You look at him and physically, he is a bull. He is a very, very strong, powerful centre-forward with plenty of technical gifts as well.”

The 24-year-old’s sheer strength is emphasised by how many aerial duels he wins per game. In 2020/21, Gomez has won 3.4 aerial duels a match and in two appearances, he has won as many as six aerial battles.

For context, that would make him the joint-best player in Wolves’ squad for heading – Leander Dendoncker also wins 3.4 per game.

This would be a valuable addition to the Molineux ranks.

In other news, here’s how Wolves can unearth their NEW Joao Moutinho…

It’s a sign of just how far Moussa Sissoko has come in his time at Tottenham, that he’s established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet – outside of course the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.

The France international has been a trusted lieutenant of Jose Mourinho this season, completing the full 90 minutes in ten out of the 13 Premier League matches he’s played.

Last time out against Wolves however, he was dropped to the bench – the first time that’s happened in the top-flight since the second game of the season against Southampton. But with Leeds up next on Saturday afternoon, the midfielder surely has to come back in.

Mourinho’s side could only labour to a draw against Wolves, and whilst Sissoko is hardly going to unlock opposition defences with a cute pass like a Tanguy Ndombele, his drive and energy is something that is absolutely priceless to this team.

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips said: “He is a superb player – power, pace and travels with the ball really well. He can take the ball in tight situations with his strength. Sissoko is a huge player for Tottenham. He reminds me of Gerrard, a little bit.”

Described as a “real dominant force” by former Spurs midfielder Michael Brown, the £80k-a-week ace looks tailor made for a contest against Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds, where it’s going to be all about managing the transitions and trying to stop the Yorkshire club breaking away on dangerous counter-attacks.

Ndombele might be the man Spurs look to for a bit of creative inspiration going forward, but the return of Sissoko against an energetic and dynamic Leeds side could be the key to tilting the game in the north London outfit’s favour.

Newcastle should have pulled out all the stops to sign Burnley star Dwight McNeil in the summer transfer window.

What was the story?

The Chronicle suggested back in April that the England youth international was on the radar of the Magpies for the summer, and that the winger – valued at £35m – could have been allowed to leave Turf Moor.

The report added that the Magpies were “alerted to his availability by sources close to the player’s agency Unique Sports Management who also represent Toon players Jamaal Lascelles, Dwight Gayle, Paul Dummett and Karl Darlow”.

Burnley boss Sean Dyche admitted that he could see McNeil leaving the club, whilst the Clarets’ chairman opened the door for a potential move by revealing the financial impact placed upon the club by recent events.

Missed opportunity

Left-footed, incredibly talented at dribbling, and capable of moments of magic. Sound familiar for Newcastle fans? The Magpies bore witness to one of the Premier League’s most dangerous attackers on his day in Hatem Ben Arfa, with the Frenchman always having the potential to do something spectacular in his locker – you only have to look at his wonderful solo goal against Bolton to see that.

Last season in the Premier League, McNeil racked up six assists, whilst he averaged an impressive 1.3 shots, 1.4 key passes and two dribbles per game. As well as being capable of driving at opposition defences with his close control, the Englishman has got that ice-cold composure when he gets close to goal.

Burnley boss Dyche said: “He’s a really good player, he’s improving, his calmness at the end – I’m saying get it in the corner – but he cuts in, and his calmness to cross it into a dangerous area, and then gets his reward. Before then, his calmness to dribble out of trouble – he’s a really good player, really good, and he can only mature.”

Whilst he would have cost a pretty penny, at just 20, McNeil no doubt would have more than proven his value at St James’ Park.

Glasgow Rangers will be well aware they can’t afford to repeat the mistake they made with Billy Gilmour by letting Kai Kennedy leave his boyhood club.

Kennedy’s current contract will run out in 2021 and it’s been suggested that his time at the club could be coming to an end in the not too distant future.

However, reports in recent times have revealed that Rangers seem to have reneged on their stance as they have reopened discussions with the player’s representatives, with further talks to be held in the coming weeks and months.

What’s the story?

According to Glasgow Live, the Rangers academy product could commit his future to the club after his agent held talks with the Gers.

It’s claimed that negotiations are still ongoing after initial talks stalled earlier this year following a public spat with Steven Gerrard over his playing time. However, it remains to be seen if the two sides will be able to reach an agreement.

The 18-year-old has attracted attention from European giants AS Roma, Bayern Munich and Manchester City in recent months after breaking through into the first team as a second half substitute in the 2-0 win over Stranraer in the Scottish Cup last season. So, Gers chief Ross Wilson must act now before it’s too late, as it’s unlikely he will be short of suitors in the months ahead.

Wake up Wilson!

Without trying to rub salt in the wound, it’s safe to say that the Light Blues have been in this position before, as Pedro Caixinha tried in vain to convince Gilmour to stay at the club back in 2017. They aren’t the first club and they certainly won’t be the last to lose one of their top prospects, but losing another would paint an all-too familiar pattern.

Once hailed as a “fabulous little player” by Gerrard after some “outstanding” performances, Kennedy has made five appearances for John Robertson’s side so far this season, registering his first assist against Raith Rovers in the Scottish Cup, which is surely a sign of things to come. At one stage it looked like the left winger was destined for the exit after an apparent disagreement with the Ibrox boss over his lack of game time.

Contrary to some reports, it seems that their relationship isn’t beyond repair, although the talented teenager is currently plying his trade on loan at Inverness Caledonian Thistle after being told he could find a new club in the summer. But Gerrard may have to swallow his pride as the club cannot afford to let another talented youngster slip through their grasp.

Now it’s up to Wilson to try and convince Kennedy to sign a new and improved contract, having so far failed to agree a new deal with the winger. Admittedly, Gerrard has a number of wide options to choose from, as Ryan Kent, Ianis Hagi, Brandon Barker, Jordan Jones and even Joe Aribo have all started in recent weeks before the international break.

However, Jones has hardly done himself any favours whatsoever after falling afoul of the coronavirus protocols. Indeed, the Northern Ireland international has been heavily linked with an exit in the winter transfer window. If he is sold as is expected, this would create space in the squad for another winger, which may allow Kennedy to stake his claim for a place in the starting line-up instead.

He just needs to be given the time to shine at a senior level, as he has already show flashes of his overall brilliance with two assists in seven games for the Gers’ reserves. Now Wilson must reward him with a new deal, or the club could live to regret their decision to let him go for little more than a development fee next summer in the years to come.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers could’ve signed Ryan Kent’s perfect replacement in Daniel Johnson…

Wolverhampton Wanderers may have to reignite their interest in a mooted transfer target as their rivals hone in on his signature this summer…

What’s the word?

According to Le10 Sport, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye is a wanted man in the Premier League with West Ham and Crystal Palace whilst they claim that the Midlands outfit have cooled their interest recently.

PSG sporting director Leonardo has stated that they may need to offload players this summer in order to raise funds and it’s thought that the 30-year-old is one name on the chopping block.

It remains to be seen what a deal for Gueye would look like as he signed for the Ligue 1 champions last year for £30m, picking up wages of around €75k-per-week (£68k-per-week), so he won’t come cheap.

Midfield enforcer

Gueye was one of the Premier League’s toughest tacklers before he swapped Everton for the French capital and his advancing years shouldn’t put anyone off a move either – just take a look at Joao Moutinho.

The Senegalese powerhouse averaged 4.3 tackles, 2.2 interceptions and 0.7 dribbles in his final season at the Toffees and despite a lack of game time at PSG, he still managed 3.1 tackles across Ligue 1 and the Champions League this term, per WhoScored.

Gueye has more than proved his salt in the PL over the course of 134 matches for both Everton and Aston Villa, so surely he’d need no time to settle in whatsoever.

One of his former managers Tim Sherwood lauded the anchorman as a “monster” whilst ex-PSG captain now Chelsea colossus Thiago Silva believes Gueye is “incredible” as a ball-winning beast.

For all of Wolves’ successes recently, the one thing they perhaps lack is an out-and-out defensive cog. Last season Moutinho himself – usually an attacking playmaker – averaged more tackles per game (2.4) than any other midfielder.

This is absolutely why Gueye would be a solid addition at Molineux. Jeff Shi must splash the cash at all costs.

AND in other news, Wolves could secure £18m bargain in trickster who dribbles more than MBAPPE…