All posts by z3u9t.icu

Tonight, Manchester United take on an inspired Liverpool side who have their eyes on an unprecedented quadruple.

The last time these two sides met saw the Merseyside outfit dismantle Manchester United, though that was under the tenure of Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

Nevertheless, it was complete domination from Jurgen Klopp’s side, with the Reds certainly looking to recreate the 5-0 drubbing that was seen in late October.

On the chalkboard

Since the interim appointment of Ralf Rangnick, very little has improved. The Old Trafford side still lack consistency, whilst their tactical identity is also hit and miss.

There are many ways in which Ralf can approach this game, with United looking to derail Liverpool’s Premier League title ambitions and boost their own hopes of securing a Champions League place, come next season.

United are expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation against Liverpool, natively giving them more numbers in midfield.

This could be a viable option, but in order to reduce the threat of Liverpool, Manchester United should look to restrict their freedom within the central areas of the pitch.

They will naturally lose the possession battle against the Anfield side, so will look to create their chances through counterattacks.

Therefore, central pressure from United could create a problem for Klopp, though United will require two strikers who can apply constant pressure on Van Dijk and co, with the Dutchman’s long-balls proving to be a real danger.

Therefore, a slight system tweak could see United contest Liverpool tonight.

A 4-1-3-2 system, could frustrate Klopp’s side and would also see Marcus Rashford recalled to the starting XI for what would be his 11th start this campaign.

The 24-year-old, who has been described as “elite” as per OptaJoe, has struggled for minutes this season and at current, is also having his worst season in a United shirt.

The Englishman has contributed just four goals and two assists in the Premier League this term, though a chance as a central striker, in a likely partnership with Bruno Fernandes, due to Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence, could be enough inspiration to break his 13-game goal duck.

The deployment of the energetic £180k-per-week talent would also improve Fernandes’ game, with Rashford’s blistering pace an unwelcome distraction for the Liverpool backline.

Ralf should unleash Rashford for tonight’s big clash in a partnership that could terrify the Reds.

In other news: Manchester United plotting move for £5.9m-rated “rising star”, he’s better than Fred – opinion

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst has been hit with a worrying injury blow to Ibrox midfielder Aaron Ramsey…

What’s the latest?

Rob Page has revealed that the Gers ace sustained a knock whilst playing for his country last week.

Speaking about the midfielder and his team-mate Gareth Bale, the 47-year-old told Sky Sports, via STV: “They both struggled towards the end of the game. You could see both of them were holding their groins and hamstrings.

“They both had a tough 95 minutes. But we’ll have another night and we’ll make that decision in the morning whether we involve them in the 23. They’re not going to start.”

Livid

This update will surely leave the Ibrox faithful livid, as the Juventus loanee appears to have suffered a big injury setback at the worst possible time.

Ramsey has struggled for fitness since arriving in Glasgow in January and finally made his full Premiership debut for the club prior to the international break. He started the 2-1 win over Dundee away from home and scored his first goal for the Scottish giants as he converted from close range after Kemar Roofe’s effort was saved.

The ex-Arsenal man followed that up with an impressive showing for his country against Austria. As per SofaScore, he won four of his six duels and created two chances in the middle of the park as he registered a rating of 7.3 in the World Cup play-off encounter.

These two performances suggest that he was finally starting to find his feet after a difficult time with injuries. However, that appears to have ended swiftly as he has been hit with another body blow, and it remains to be seen how long he will be sidelined with this latest knock.

Therefore, supporters will be livid as he may not be able to build on the foundations he has built for himself in the last two games for club and country. They will be frustrated by his fitness issues and potentially question Ross Wilson for sanctioning a deal for him in January when they might have been able to bring in a player with a better injury record.

Hopefully this turns out to be a minor issue for the Welshman and he will be available for selection when it comes to the Old Firm derby on Sunday. Rangers face a huge clash with Celtic in the Premiership this weekend, and losing Ramsey would be a bitter blow for Van Bronckhorst’s side.

AND in other news, Rangers played a masterclass over Ibrox “dafty” whose value plummeted 50% in 1 year…

An update has emerged regarding Wolves’ interest in PSV Eindhoven forward Noni Madueke.

 What’s the talk?

According to Sky Sports, Wolves are interested in signing the PSV winger this month. Leicester and Tottenham are also said to be keen on the forward, who could cost a fee in the region of £30m.

The report claims that the Barnet-born attacker could prove to be too expensive for the three Premier League clubs but does not completely rule out a move from any of them.

Neto 2.0

Wolves must take the plunge and seal a deal for Madueke for £30m this summer if they have the funds available to snap him up. The winger could solve a key issue for Bruno Lage this season – goals and assists from out wide.

Pedro Neto was the club’s top scorer and creator in the Premier League last year with five goals and six assists to his name. The Portuguese forward is now out until at least February with a dislocated kneecap, which means that he will not be available for the majority of the campaign.

This means that Wanderers are without their main goalscoring and creative threat for the next six months or so, which has created an issue at the top end of the pitch which needs fixing. Adama Traore managed a paltry two goals and two assists last season and started this campaign off by missing a gilt-edged chance against Leicester on the opening day, which suggests that he is not the man to solve their woes.

Meanwhile, Madueke already has five goals and one assist in seven competitive games for PSV this term. This comes after providing nine goals and eight assists in all competitions last term for the Dutch outfit.

Former PSV midfielder Tommie van de Leegte hailed Madueke as explosive and praised the creativity he brings to the team, saying: “He’s fast and has the capability to trick his opponent. He brings creativity and is very explosive in his actions.

“Yes, he’s young, but age doesn’t matter to me. He has shown himself in pre-season, so I would give him the chance to prove himself in the big games as well.”

This shows that he has the quality to impact games on a regular basis despite only turning 19 in March. It is impossible to say whether or not he will be able to translate his form over to the Premier League, but if he could, then Lage’s Neto problem would be alleviated as Madueke can both score and create goals.

At the age of 19, the gem also has plenty of scope left to grow and develop as a player. This is why the £30m fee could be worth paying as Wolves could end up making a profit in the future if he is able to come over to the Premier League and replicate his stunning form from the Netherlands in his home country.

AND in other news, Wolves must seal £12.8m deal for 18 y/o beast tipped for “incredible future”…

Writing for 90min, journalist Graeme Bailey has made a Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger.

The Lowdown: Paratici era underway…

It was quite the eventful first transfer window for Spurs managing director Fabio Paratici with a plethora of outgoings and incomings at N17.

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Over the summer, the Italian chief managed to shift plenty of deadwood whilst also bringing in a handful of astute additions – with Pierluigi Gollini, Bryan Gil, Cristian Romero, Pape Matar Sarr and Emerson Royal arriving (Transfermarkt).

Now, news has emerged on another possible Paratici target so soon after deadline day.

The Latest: Journalist makes Rudiger claim…

As per Bailey, making a claim involving Rudiger, Spurs remain admirers of the Germany international after chairman Daniel Levy previously tried and failed to sign him.

This comes amid a dispute about his contract with Chelsea, which expires in 2022, with Spurs and other interested clubs able to negotiate for a free transfer next summer as soon as January.

Tottenham and Paratici do however face stiff competition, with Paris-Saint Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Atletico Madrid all keeping tabs as well.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Entering the prime of his career at 28-years-old, snapping up Rudiger on a free next summer arguably comes a relatively risk-free move by Paratici and co.

Pundit Rio Ferdinand has also lavished the centre-back with praise for his form at the back end of last season, with Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel praised for making Rudiger ‘unbelievable’ and an ‘animal’ (FIVE via The Metro).

The defender’s reported £100,000-per-week wages could be a slight object to navigate, but barring that, he would be a very astute purchase on a free.

In other news: ‘So excited’, ‘Start him against Palace’…Tottenham fans wowed by another ‘generational’ talent, find out more here.

Leeds United have been name-checked as one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing Arsenal starlet Eddie Nketiah.

What’s the story?

According to journalist Ekrem Konur on Twitter, Marcelo Bielsa’s side are in the race to sign the England under-21 international, with the likes of Brentford and Aston Villa also mentioned.

He added that Nketiah wants to leave the Emirates Stadium in the January transfer window due to a lack of game-time, and is keen for more first team football elsewhere.

He loves Marcelo Bielsa

While he may only have played half a season under Bielsa – he featured just 19 times (mostly off the bench) and scored five goals for the Whites – the £13m-rated forward made a real impression at Elland Road during a loan spell in 2019/20, not least with the manager himself.

The Argentine said of the 22-year-old: “He’s a specialist great player with a lot of resources and our play is a collective way of playing and one player needs to adapt to this style.

“For this reason when we felt he was part of the team we thought that we were going to feel the same and that he would continue with us. He didn’t take this decision but he is a great player, an excellent professional and he had very good behaviour, he is a gentleman in every sense.”

Former Leeds striker Noel Whelan has also waxed lyrical about Nketiah, claiming that his style of play is very much reminiscent of Jermain Defoe.

The 46-year-old said: “He reminds me of another Jermain Defoe and look at how well he did at West Ham. He’s very much that similar sort of player. He plays off the shoulder, very dangerous in the box. He’s a player you can’t take your eyes off because his movement’s so good.”

Crucially, despite the lack of consistent game-time at Elland Road, Nketiah left Leeds clearly feeling like he learned a lot in Yorkshire, and he paid tribute to Bielsa in particular after his recall.

The striker said: “I’m grateful for my time at Leeds. Bielsa is a very demanding manager, so every day I was pushing myself to the limit in training, and I feel that mentality has stuck with me at Arsenal, to always give my all in training and in matches.

“I also learned a lot defensively off the ball with the way Leeds play, I learned a lot about the importance of pressing from the front, defending from the front and the impact it can have to the team and the way we play.

“I definitely learned a lot, I put myself out of my comfort zone which was a good thing for me, it’s made me a lot stronger mentally and has improved me as a player. I’m grateful for my time there.”

Given the recent injury to Patrick Bamford and the lack of cover up front at Leeds, a fresh move for Nketiah would surely have fans buzzing.

Meanwhile, Beren Cross has dropped a Leeds United transfer update…

Wayne Rooney has admitted that Derby County’s Lee Buchanan is unlikely to feature in their Championship clash this afternoon.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Derbyshire Live, the 35-year-old revealed that the defender, who missed both Derby’s 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town and the Carabao Cup victory over Salford City due to a thigh injury, could be set to sit out once again against Peterborough United this weekend.

Rooney claimed that despite the left-back having rejoined training with the first team on Thursday, it is clear he is not back to 100% fitness, and feels that playing the 22-year-old would be something of a risk.

The Rams manager said: “Lee has trained with us [on Thursday] morning, he has improved a bit more but these are the decisions now where I have to evaluate my squad and see if it is worth taking a risk.

“If I had a full squad of senior players then I maybe can play him but at the minute I can’t afford to lose a player through injury, I have to make sure they are fully fit before they can come back into the team.”

Big blow

Considering their struggles over the summer, Derby have nevertheless impressed in their opening two fixtures of the season, with Rooney’s side heading into Saturday’s clash as favourites against a Peterborough United team who were resolutely beaten by Luton Town 3-0 on the opening day of the new Championship campaign, as well as being trounced 4-0 at home in the Carabao Cup by League One side Plymouth Argyle earlier this week.

However, with the Salford game being a particularly hard-fought 3-3 draw – which the Rams eventually won on penalties – there is a real risk that Derby’s threadbare squad could start to show signs of fatigue at the Weston Homes Stadium this weekend, particularly at left-back, with Craig Forsyth having played the full 90 minutes in both of his team’s fixtures so far this season.

As such, that Buchanan does not seem to have recovered in time for the Peterborough clash is sure to come as a blow for Rooney, not only because his recovery would have allowed the manager to bring some fresh legs into his Derby defence but also because the 20-year-old is one of the most exciting talents in the Rams’ squad.

However, while Rooney may be gutted that the left-back has once again been ruled out, there is nothing more he can do but try his best to get a result with the players who are available for selection, and hope that Buchanan’s injury does not keep him out for much longer.

In other news: Morris heading for grave Derby error over “excellent” beast, Rooney would be fuming

This January transfer window will be a pivotal one for Leeds United and their top-flight status.

It may also be a crucial one for Marcelo Bielsa who is under pressure to keep his job following a torrid season so far.

What’s the word?

Leeds headed into Christmas in 16th place and although they still have a cushion to the foot of the table, it might not be too long before they get dragged into a relegation battle.

Thus, the Whites must go against their winter traditions of rarely signing anyone by strengthening significantly next month.

One player who is a potential target for Victor Orta is Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Football FanCast exclusively revealed earlier this year that Leeds’ recruitment director had already spoken to him about a move and now the Express suggest that their chase of the attacker could be reunited in 2022.

He is currently valued at £16.2m via Transfermarkt.

Forget James

Last summer, Leeds finally managed to bring Dan James to Elland Road as he departed Manchester United for pastures new.

The zippy Welsh forward was in the building and was set to sign for the Elland Road outfit back in 2019 but a move fell through at the 11th hour despite documents being signed and James posing with a Leeds shirt.

Yet, two years on, they finally got their man a few months ago.

Sadly, his performances since moving to Yorkshire haven’t really been up to scratch. The Wales international has featured 16 times for Bielsa’s side but has only registered a solitary goal and two assists.

That form has led to considerable criticism, particularly from Darren Bent. He told Football Insider:

“The only thing about Dan James at times, for me, he’s a little bit headless.

“He’s shown great potential, when he first went to United he played really well, scored a few goals but at times he for me he’s fouled or he shoots sometimes when he should pass it, he’ll pass when he should shoot.”

Though, with Leeds’ mass injury problems, it’s been hard to ignore him in the starting XI.

That said, by signing Kvaratskhelia this winter, Bielsa could finally be granted the license to axe James from the starting XI.

The 20-year-old currently plays his football in Russia for Rubin Kazan and has proven to be a particularly tricky customer.

Although he’s only bagged one goal, he’s registered three assists and registered a whopping 2.7 dribbles per match. For context, that’s more than any player at Thorp Arch, including Raphinha who has managed 2.4 per game.

Described as a player with “crazy technique” by Russian coach Denis Bushuev, he has also been compared to two of the trickiest wingers we’ve seen in football.

“He is from the same constellation of players as Ribery or Robben,” Bushuev admitted.

Consequently, it would appear as if Kvaratskhelia would be an eye-catching signing for Leeds this winter. Not only would he add greater quality to the squad but it would give James a chance to rest on the sidelines and reapply himself.

AND in other news, Orta masterclass: Leeds struck dream deal with £36m-rated “magician” who’s “a storm”…

A number of West Ham fans have been showering Ben Johnson with praise after his performance against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Hammers picked up a sweet win against Spurs at the London Stadium, prevailing 1-0. Michail Antonio was on the scoresheet, and the Irons have now moved up to fourth place in the Premier League table. David Moyes and co will surely be confident of improving on their sixth-place finish last season after this result.

Johnson was included in the starting line-up for his third league outing of the campaign (Transfermarkt) as he continued to deputise for the injured Vladimir Coufal. Once again, the 21-year-old helped the Irons keep a clean sheet as he kept the likes of Heung-Min Son and Sergio Reguilon quiet down his right flank, and lots of fans were absolutely delighted with what the youngster had to offer.

West Ham have not conceded a goal whenever he has been on the pitch this season (Transfermarkt), with Johnson starring as he won all seven of his duels and made five tackles in a tremendous defensive display (Sofascore).

These Hammers fans took to social media platform Twitter in their droves to share their thoughts on Johnson’s “class” performance.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Johnson

“Ben Johnson has been wonderful this season. 5 games he has started in he has kept a clean sheet in every single one of them. Still a few things to work on going forward but he kept Son quiet expertly today, his awareness and urgency is superb.”

Credit: @AzamWHUFC

“Ben Johnson was immense today.”

Credit: @aldredtj

“Ben Johnson ain’t put a foot wrong defensively yet, been class”

Credit: @DraigCawson

“Remember when we were all fuming when we let Ngakia go? Moyes got it spot on once again. Ben Johnson unreal talent”

Credit: @antonymmartin84

“How amazing has Ben Johnson been by since he has come into the side the way!? I thought he was so good yesterday. Never thought I’d say this but Coufal might not even get back in straight away”

Credit: @W_Bellow

“Ben Johnson was superb – but can’t underestimate how the arrival of Zouma has improved confidence and skill of whole back line”

Credit: @Tony_McNulty

In other news, many West Ham United fans loved this Jesse Lingard news

An exciting summer transfer claim has emerged on Leeds United, regarding Nottingham Forest gem Brennan Johnson…

What’s the talk?

Transfer insider Pete O’Rourke has confirmed that the Whites have been scouting the young forward in the Championship this season.

The Nottingham Forest attacker is a player of interest for the Yorkshire outfit and the reporter has suggested that he could be brought in to cope with the potential loss of a current first-team star…

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O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “I know Leeds scouts have been watching Johnson for a while, so I’m sure they might be thinking he could be a good addition to the team, especially if they lost someone like Raphinha.”

Jesse Marsch would love him

This claim will surely leave the Whites head coach buzzing as Johnson would be a terrific signing for the club in the short and long term.

In the short term, the Welsh international has shown that he has the quality to potentially stamp his mark on the Premier League next season.

He has produced an impressive 14 goals and eight assists for Forest in the Championship this term, averaging an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.11 throughout the campaign as he has been able to consistently make an impact on the pitch.

Johnson has also created 11 big chances and made 1.2 key passes per match, whilst he has only missed three big chances all season on his way to his 14 strikes. These statistics suggest that he is ready to make the step up to the top flight as he has been delivering outstanding displays in the second tier, which is why he can be a superb addition to Marsch’s squad ahead of 2022/23.

In the long term, he has the potential to explode in the future. At the age of 20, he has the majority of his career ahead of him to develop into a quality player at Premier League level. He has shown incredible maturity to make himself a key player for Forest in the Championship at such a young age and this suggests that his scope for development is massive.

Therefore, Leeds would be bringing in a player who is an investment, whilst also an immediate boost to the squad, as he has the room to increase his value over time by improving on the pitch. Victor Orta could then make a huge profit on him in the future and Marsch will surely love coaching him on the training pitch to help the youngster fulfil his potential.

AND in other news, Marsch must ruthlessly axe “awful” Leeds star adored by Bielsa, he’s not good enough…

Tottenham Hotspur have received a frustrating setback ahead of the north London derby…

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, Spurs will be without central defender Cristian Romero for their Premier League clash against Arsenal on Sunday evening, despite the Argentina international making good progress on his return from injury.

“He’s obviously going to miss the derby, which is a real blow. I thought he might be back for that,” he revealed to GIVEMESPORT.

A little over two weeks ago, Romero was spotted back in first-team training, which was well ahead of his scheduled return in February, at the very earliest.

Meanwhile, in midweek, manager Antonio Conte revealed to the club’s official website that the 23-year-old was ” very close to coming back.”

Huge blow

The Atalanta loanee has proven to be an important member of the starting lineup, providing the backline with a ruthless edge alongside the more error-prone Eric Dier and full-back Ben Davies, who has looked decent out of position.

That much has been reinforced by Conte recently.

“We are talking about another important player for us. We lost him for almost two months, and I think we faced this situation in best possible way because Cristian, for sure, is an important player for us,” he added before their Carabao Cup semi-final with Chelsea.

The £31.5m-rated colossus has featured only 13 times for Spurs since arriving in the summer, largely due to persistent injuries but whenever he’s played, he has excelled.

Indeed, his average WhoScored rating exceeds that of the two aforementioned Lilywhites defenders, whilst no other centre-back averages more tackles per game (2.4) and he also leads the squad for interceptions per game (1.7).

Arsenal have been in better form this season and are actually ahead of Spurs in the race for a top-four finish, so to not have Romero available, as Bridge thought he might well be, will certainly come as a huge blow to Conte and the fanbase.

You’d imagine that the Spurs faithful may be getting a little annoyed by these continuous setbacks, too.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold drops worrying behind the scenes Antonio Conte claim…