All posts by n8rngtd.top

Somehow, it has gone from bad to worse for Celtic.

The Hoops have now won just twice in their last 11 outings and their display against AC Milan summed things up.

In the final third, they were exceptional as the Hoops took a 2-0 lead. However, as 2020/21 has dictated, they were shocking defensively.

Neil Lennon can take all the slack he likes but this time it was on his backline, four players who contributed to yet another appalling night in Europe.

Eventually losing 4-2, it meant that they have conceded 12 times in their last three European outings. For a side who has dominated domestically for so long, this is nothing short of pathetic.

Vasilis Barkas was one of the main culprits – making a succession of mistakes – but arguably there was someone that had a poorer performance; Hatem Elhamed.

The Israeli stepped in for Jeremie Frimpong at right-back a week ago versus Sparta Prague but in making two individual errors that led to goals, it was a night to forget.

Similarly, he was nothing but mediocre when he played at the San Siro.

Time and time again Elhamed was a pushover, being shoved about and beaten to countless balls by the relentless Milan attack.

Remarkably, he did actually prevail in six tackles but over the course of the 90 minutes, he failed to win a single interception or make a block. Meanwhile, the right-back also lost the ball a mighty 15 times and failed to pick out a man with any of his four crosses.

Feeble at the back and average going forward, pretty much every aspect of Elhamed’s game was anonymous on Thursday evening.

To sum things up, three of the host’s four goals came down his side of the pitch. This was a real opportunity to stake his claim to Lennon but instead, he let his manager down.

It could cost him his place in the XI.

In other news, here’s how Celtic can fix their HUGE problem with Scott Brown…

To suggest sacking a manager just six points off the automatic promotion spots would be slightly harsh.

However, when assessing Sunderland it merely seems common practise.

Phil Parkinson was unable to get the Black Cats promoted last season and indeed, it would appear that the former Bradford boss is struggling again.

Sunderland are eight points off top spot and any thought of gaining entry to the Championship automatically is already fading.

In simple terms, it sums up what Sunderland have become. This is a team who at the very least should be competing at the top of the Championship. If you look at their facilities and stadium you’d instantly assume they were a Premier League outfit.

The reality, though, is that they’re languishing in the third tier of English football.

So what has to change? Well the arrival of Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus could give the business side some fresh ideas and impetus.

However, it will be no easy task. It’s already been reported that Dreyfus is not aware of the financial complications at Sunderland and thus, he could be in for quick a shock once he gets his hands on the keys to the club.

Things could be worsened with a move for Nigel Pearson, someone linked with the north-east club this week. The former Watford boss was described as “incredible” by Pep Guardiola for the work he did last season in nearly keeping the Hornets up and has a reputation for getting teams promoted, both as a player and as manager.

He achieved it twice with Leicester, taking them from League One to the Premier League and that’s the kind of experience Stewart Donald will be lusting for.

That being said, it would surely be nothing short of a huge financial gamble to bring him to the Stadium of Light. The fact of the matter is that they’d presumably have to give Pearson a pretty hefty pay packet.

After taking the Foxes to the top-flight, it was claimed that Pearson wanted to take his £750k-a-year salary to £3m-per-annum. That would have been an absurd £57k-a-week. Clearly, he is used to taking jobs on for a comfortable salary.

Even if he replicated the £750,000 annually he received in the Midlands at Sunderland, it would mean that Donald or Dreyfus would have to pay him just over £14k-a-week.

For context, Sunderland defender Bailey Wright is currently on £13k-a-week so it seems manageable. However, it’s important to remember that Pearson’s latest job was in the Premier League, a role where he earned £1m in bonuses alone when he left Watford.

This seems like too much of a financial burden and if Sunderland brought him in before the takeover is done, Dreyfus would be walking into nothing short of a financial disaster.

One of the most important things Sunderland have thought about in the last 18 months is the sustainability of the football club from a financial point of view.

On the pitch, Pearson would more than likely deliver results but if the Mackems fail in terms of promotion again, it would not have been worth the risk on spending so much.

Donald has already taken a gamble on Will Grigg which didn’t work out. He needs to make sure he doesn’t take the same financial punt once again.

Meanwhile, some very BAD NEWS has emerged for Sartori and Dreyfus in their takeover attempt…

Liverpool will face the next task in their Champions League run as they travel to Italy to take on Atalanta in another group stage match.

As it stands, the Reds top their group having won 100% of their games played so far. Atalanta are their direct competition, sitting two points behind on four. It will be an exciting clash this evening as the six-time winners look to partake in another title run.

Fortunately for them, Jurgen Klopp confirmed that Naby Keita and Joel Matip have both returned to training and could be available for selection today. With that being said, Football FanCast has predicted how Liverpool might line up, including three changes from their 11 against West Ham…

Despite being a potential doubt for this evening, Klopp could choose to deploy Matip alongside Joe Gomez at centre-back tonight. In his latest presser, the manager said: “A lot of players will be on the plane hopefully, and so decisions will be made late, late, late.”

This could indicate that the £28.8million-rated defender is in the running to start but it will all boil down to last minute decisions.

However, one thing he may not do is risk Keita in midfield. After an impressive performance against West Ham, Xherdan Shaqiri may earn himself a start against Atalanta. The elusive Swiss international picked out the exquisite pass to Diogo Jota to net the winner at Anfield on Sunday.

Similarly, the man who bagged the winning goal also deserves to start against the Italians. His form since making his debut has been electric and he has contributed three goals in five appearances. Two of those were crucial in securing a win and proved the difference between one and three points (via Transfermarkt).

Roberto Firmino had a quiet game against the Hammers and was substituted off in the 70th minute. Klopp may use this as the perfect chance to rest the Brazilian and start Mohamed Salah in the No.9 position instead. The last time he did this was against Sheffield United, which paved the way for Jota to dominate the right flank and bag himself a goal.

It can be expected for the Portuguese ace to continue his run of form as the Reds take a higher grip on the Champions League.

In other news, Liverpool could have transformed Dele Alli had they snapped him up before Spurs…

West Brom boss Slaven Bilic has an interesting selection dilemma facing him this weekend after a busy summer of transfer activity.

The Baggies are yet to win in the Premier League since their return this season and have conceded a whopping 11 goals from three matches, so it’s fair to suggest that change is needed somewhere on the pitch.

Perhaps, the Croatian will look to tinker his midfield, particularly as he’s brought in two (kind of) new additions in Conor Gallagher from Chelsea and the returning Filip Krovinovic.

Could one, both or neither start at St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday?

A case can be made for Krovinovic after he became an integral part of seeing Albion over the line post-Christmas. However, it’s the young English starlet he should look to unleash.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a barnstorming season in the Championship last term, playing for both Charlton and Swansea on loan, he provided six goals and eight assists.

Gallagher also averaged 1.8 tackles, 1.7 shots, 1.2 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per game as well as earning his side a free-kick 2.1 times per match too, via WhoScored.

He’s very much a box-to-box threat, so it’s no wonder he’s drawn comparisons to Frank Lampard – Sky Sports pundit Keith Andrews said: “But for me, he’s a classic No 8; he has an unbelievable energy, he does the ugly side of the game, but you have to let him off the leash and let him get forward.”

Whilst former manager Lee Bowyer was gutted to lose him in January, claiming he was “impossible to replace” as it’s rare to find a “jewel like that.”

Bilic is yet to try him out in the big time and it would seem that a player of this calibre is too good to be merely sitting on the bench or on the fringes.

Krovinovic contributed to five goals, averaging 1.4 shots and 1.1 key passes but clearly, Gallagher was much better and deserves the opportunity here.

AND in other news, Bilic outcast is quickly becoming West Brom’s expensive forgotten man

Leeds United’s great start to life in the Premier League continued this afternoon as they edged past old Championship foes Sheffield United this afternoon.

And whilst they were making moves on the pitch, they appear to have been doing the business off it too.

According to the Press Association, the Yorkshire giants have launched a £15m bid to sign Norwich City playmaker Todd Cantwell, although no agreement has yet been reached.

The 22-year-old was absent from the Canaries’ matchday squad earlier this afternoon.

It’s also claimed that Norwich want add-ons involved in any deal.

During his first-ever season in the top-flight, Cantwell provided six goals and two assists whilst averaging 1.4 tackles, 1.3 dribbles, 1.1 shots and 0.9 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

He could well be a viable alternative to the host of midfield options the Whites have been linked with in recent weeks, namely Udinese’s Rodrigo De Paul, Fiorentina’s Erick Pulgar and Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovskiy.

Cantwell has drawn plenty of plaudits since his meteoric rise up the Canaries ranks. Danny Murphy once told Match of the Day that he’s a “terrific player,” adding: “I like his creativity. I like his bravery on the ball. Good awareness of where players are. With and without the ball he does his job.”

Whilst former youth coach Gary Cockaday believes the young sensation is a “God-given” talent whilst he’s been likened to Spurs’ Dele Alli for similar playing styles.

Without Pablo Hernandez, Marcelo Bielsa has been torn between Tyler Roberts and summer signing Rodrigo to play out of position in his absence, thus a player like Cantwell could help fill that void substantially.

He also fits the mould of being a player that can improve tenfold under the Argentine’s stewardship – ala Ben White, Robin Koch and many more.

AND in other news, Bielsa may have already found his new Ben White right under his nose…

The transfer saga of Wilfried Zaha and his potential move away from Crystal Palace has been one of the biggest stories in recent years. Of course, it was never going to break records or write history but the Ivory Coast forward has managed to turn a lot of heads when he was suddenly available on the market.

But he ended up staying at Palace and slowly but surely, the story died down a little bit. Now, however, a couple of seasons into the future, he might be set for a move once again. Darren Bent spoke exclusively to Football Insider and talked about how it is time for the 17-cap superstar to make a step up in his career. The destination? Everton.

Here’s what he said for Football Insider: “I know you might look at where they are in the league but I’d say it’s a step up in regards, they have a top manager, he’s going to attract top players. I like what they’re doing down there, they’re building something quite special, so it would be nice for Zaha to go there and transform them to where they feel they should be.

“I really like it, it suits him well and he’d do well going there. It’s about going to the best fit for him and if he goes to Everton he’d get a lot of game time and he’d go well.”

Of course, this would not be the first time Carlo Ancelotti’s side tried to snatch him up. Palace had rejected £70m plus James McCarthy and Cenk Tosun last summer and stated their star is worth £80m.

It is not known how much would the Eagles ask for now but it would definitely be a formidable amount either way.

Zaha has played a total of 362 games in all competitions for the club since his arrival and has managed to net 57 goals in that time as well. For that reason, he would not go for cheap.

Verdict

If Ancelotti is really to strengthen his team for the upcoming 2020/21 Premier League season, he will have to add quality firepower to the Toffees’ ranks. Zaha certainly falls under that category.

However, his availability is questionable. Palace would probably be open to selling but it still might cost an arm and a leg.

AC Milan have ‘intensified’ their efforts to sign Tottenham Hotspur defender Serge Aurier this summer, reports say. 

Tottenham are reportedly trying to get rid of the right-back while AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli ‘dreams’ of signing the 60-cap Ivory Coast international in the summer.

According to SportMediaSet, as relayed by Ricky Sacks, talks have escalated between the two clubs over the past few days. 

At the moment Milan have five players who can play on the right flank, including Andrea Conti, David Calabria and Pierre Kalulu at the back, while wide options Samu Castillejo and Alexis Saelemaekers operate on the right wing.

The Serie A giants know they need to sell either Conti or Calabria before they can sign the ex-Paris Saint-Germain ace.

And Spurs boss Jose Mourinho must find a suitable replacement as soon as possible.

It is understood that the Lilywhites will let the full-back leave on the proviso that the Portuguese is provided with a viable alternative.

Aurier has apparently already agreed to move to the San Siro as he has made it clear he will not sign a new deal in north London.

The Ivory Coast captain fell out of favour with former boss Mauricio Pochettino, but has become a first choice starter under Mourinho, as Kieran Trippier’s departure to Atletico and Kyle Walker-Peters’ loan spell at Southampton left him the club’s only designated right-back.

He was heavily linked with a move away from north London over a year ago, as speculation about his future continues to circulate on social media.

When it comes to Daniel Levy, the Spurs chairman wants to sell him for something close to the £23m he paid Paris Saint-Germain three years ago,

While selling Aurier will raise some much-needed funds, the Lilywhites will have to reinvest the money into the transfer market to find an upgrade, which may be easier said than done, give the current circumstances.

It seems as though it is only a matter of time before Walker-Peters heads out the door permanently, which will leave Mourinho desperately short of right-backs. Simply put, Spurs may be forced to sit tight and keep the Ivorian for another year before considering their options at the end of next season instead.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sell Aurier this summer or hold firm for another while? Let us know your views in the comments below!

Michael Edwards looks to have done it again.

Liverpool look set to receive around £11m for Dejan Lovren as the Croatian’s move to Zenit looks set to be finalised in the coming days.

The defender has made just 10 Premier League appearances this term, and while he has been a good servant over the years, it’s fair to say that he won’t be missed all that much after falling out of favour.

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There’s no reason why Liverpool’s defence can’t remain just as strong without Lovren in the squad as Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip remain as the spine of what makes the Reds’ backline one of the best in the world.

Of course, only having three senior centre-backs is a dangerous game. We all saw how much Man City struggled after Aymeric Laporte’s injury, and that was partially down to their inability to replace Vincent Kompany in the summer, but despite this, Liverpool don’t need to replace Lovren.

Sepp van der Berg and Ki-Jana Hoever are two highly-rated young centre-halves who could easily fill the void left by Lovren in the cup games or off the bench, while any serious injury to one of their stars could be covered by Fabinho dropping back and playing in defence, a position he’s adept at, playing there three times under Jurgen Klopp.

Rather than spending their windfall on a replacement for Lovren, they should take the fee and the money they’re saving on his £100k-a-week wages and use that to bolster another area of the squad, perhaps it could even go towards that elite attacker James Pearce spoke about a few weeks ago.

Liverpool should put their money straight in the bank for later use rather than spending it on a replacement for Lovren.

Sunderland are reportedly looking to hire Leeds United’s head of emerging talent Craig Dean, according to the Chronicle.

The League One club are expecting to undergo a number of significant changes, with current owner Stewart Donald much-criticised and keen to sell.

Having missed out on promotion to the Championship for a second consecutive season, the club have also lost the likes of academy manager Paul Reid, Richard Hill and Head of Recruitment Tony Coton, who have all departed their roles at the club.

As the summer transfer window edges closer, two potential replacements for Coton have emerged with Leicester City’s academy loan manager Guy Branston being linked earlier this week.

The second potential candidate now being linked with the role is Leeds United’s head of emerging talent Dean.

He is highly regarded at Leeds, having been instrumental in signing Tyler Roberts from West Brom and playing a large part in the Yorkshire club’s successful promotion-winning season, seeing them return to the Premier League after a 16-year exile.

Leeds fan website MOT Leeds News discussed Sunderland’s interest, citing their hope that Dean will stay at Elland Road, writing: “Hopefully Sunderland end up getting Branston from Leicester because it will be tough to replace someone as good at his job as Dean is.”

It is highly unlikely that Dean would leave Leeds or that the newly-promoted Premier League club would readily allow him to move.

The task at Sunderland is a massive one – in fact, it is a mammoth one, especially with the growing uncertainty on whether or not a new owner will come in to replace Stewart Donald.

It therefore seems unlikely that they could entice Dean to vacate his role at Elland Road, but if they did, it would represent quite a coup.

Do you think Dean would be a good appointment at the Academy of Light? Let us know in the comments section below…

Ryan Fraser is no longer a top priority for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, according to The Athletic via The Metro. 

Fraser is ready for a new challenge with his Bournemouth contract about to expire. Jose Mourinho is aware that he will be limited to swap deals and signing free agents in the upcoming window, as his budget has been slashed due to the economic uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

Spurs and their bitter rivals Arsenal have seemingly been locked in a transfer battle for the winger, but he is reportedly no longer considered a top target by Tottenham, despite the fact he will soon be available for free.

Although initial reports suggested that the Lilywhites are prepared to offer the Cherries star a lucrative deal, it appears that Mourinho has more pressing matters on his mind.

Jan Vertonghen looks destined to move on this summer as his contract will run out at the end of June and his departure will leave a sizeable hole in the defence that needs filling.

Indeed, Spurs should perhaps turn their attentions to Fraser’s teammate Nathan Ake instead to plug the gap. The former Chelsea defender impressed on loan at the south coast side before joining the club for £20m and he could be the ideal replacement for the Belgian veteran.

Ake is valued at £25m via Transfermarkt and it is likely that he won’t come cheap, but he could turn out to be a shrewd investment in the future.

Even in the unlikely event that such a move doesn’t work out for him, a player of his calibre could still be sold on for a greater profit, so the board don’t have much to lose.

Tottenham fans, which Bournemouth player should Daniel Levy sign in the summer? Let us know by commenting below!