All posts by z3u9t.icu

[ad_pod ]Fulham have completed the loan signing of Havard Nordtveit from Hoffenheim, the club confirmed on Thursday via their official website.The versatile Norway international, who can play as a midfielder or a centre-back, moves to the club after an injury-hit season in the Bundesliga.Per Transfermarkt, Nordtveit played just eight times in the German top-flight prior to his move to the Cottagers, having struggled with an ankle fracture.Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…The 28-year-old has experience of playing in England, having spent four years with Arsenal between 2007 and 2011, though he failed to make a first-team debut for the Gunners and eventually joined Borussia Monchengladbach.He also spent the 2016-17 season at West Ham United, making 21 appearances in all competitions before joining Hoffenheim.Nordtveit’s move to Fulham has been received well by the club’s fans, with Claudio Ranieri’s men battling relegation this season.The club are currently six points behind Burnley in 17th, and supporters hope the star can hit the ground running.

Lots of Glasgow Rangers fans have been left buzzing over some off-field news shared by the club.

As per the official Twitter page of the Teddy Bears, they will now play Stirling Albion at Ibrox in the Fourth Round of the Scottish Cup.

The tie will be played at on the weekend of 22nd January next year.

Stirling Albion currently play in the Scottish League Two, and so Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s team should really fancy their chances of getting through into the next round of the competition, especially with a home crowd behind them.

The Light Blues also have not won the trophy since the 2008/09 season, and so there is extra motivation to go on and win it, especially starting off with a favourable draw.

Rangers fans on Scottish Cup draw

These Gers supporters were left buzzing as the draw was confirmed on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘great’:

“Yeeeees let the conspiracy cries begin”

Credit: @LaurzieJayx12

“63-0”

Credit: @potty_9

“I’ll take that”

Credit: @Chelle1872

“Happy days. Obviously massively important to take serious and go through but could this be a chance for some youth like Alegria & McCan to make an appearance?”

Credit: @OhItsSteely

“Great tie”

Credit: @waynefawcett

“That’ll do”

Credit: @ArgyllWarrior

In other news, find out what injury news has been lauded by RFC fans here!

West Ham manager David Moyes is targeting a move for Nathan Ake this winter…

What’s the word?

That’s according to 90min journalist Toby Cudworth, who dropped the fresh transfer claim earlier this week. It’s thought that the 26-year-old has become their primary target after the season-ending injury blow to Angelo Ogbonna.

“Excl: West Ham interested in signing Nathan Ake from Manchester City. Club in the market for a new CB after Angelo Ogbonna’s injury and haven’t won any of the 3 PL games he’s subsequently missed. Loan/permanent deal both options,” he also tweeted.

The Irons are yet to win in his absence, and having already recognised the need for reinforcements in the backline, the addition of a new centre-back has become a leading priority during the upcoming window.

Ake has struggled to make his mark at Manchester City following a £41m move from AFC Bournemouth in summer 2020 and it’s believed that the Hammers will seek a loan-to-buy agreement for the Dutch colossus.

Get it done

Indeed, the east London outfit have struggled defensively without the Italian colossus, losing to Wolves and City themselves, whilst they were pegged back by a late Neal Maupay bicycle kick against Brighton last time out.

Moyes has opted for a duo of summer signing Kurt Zouma and Craig Dawson, with the Scot clearly not fancying Issa Diop despite some impressive displays in the Europa League and Carabao Cup this term.

Ake would be an intriguing option to consider and one for whom head of recruitment Rob Newman should ultimately make a move.

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The Citizens’ director of football Txiki Begiristain waxed lyrical about his qualities after signing him last summer. He said:

“Nathan is a quality defender. He was a leader during his time at Bournemouth, and I am so pleased we’ve managed to bring him here. He’s strong and quick, and we feel he has the technical and intellectual attributes needed to excel in Pep’s setup.”

Standing at 5 foot 11, the Netherlands international is hardly a towering presence but he offers attributes defensively, particularly on the ball, and is versatile enough to play at full-back too.

Former teammate, Cherries captain Steve Cook, once lauded him as an “amazing player” and an “even better person” following the confirmation of his move to City.

Across the course of his career, Ake has averaged 1.7 attempted tackles, 1.4 interceptions and an 84.3% passing accuracy, via WhoScored, which reinforces his qualities at the back.

Valued at €30m (£26m) by CIES Football Observatory, also earning in the region of £100k-per-week, a move for the City centre-back wouldn’t be the most expensive transfer, and given Moyes’ now desperate need for defensive cover, Newman must look to seal his signature.

If he can do so, then Moyes will surely be absolutely delighted to get his man.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops exciting update on West Ham’s striker search…

Leeds United have been boosted in their attempts to sign Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, with journalist Pete O’Rourke claiming a January move could happen.

The Lowdown: Leeds keen on signing McKennie

The Whites are searching for a new midfielder in the January transfer window, with Kalvin Phillips out injured for the foreseeable future and reports suggesting Victor Orta is seeking two additions – a number six and a number eight.

One player who Leeds have been linked with signing is McKennie, with the American not always a regular for Juventus this season, starting 11 out of 20 Serie A matches.

It appears as though Marcelo Bielsa could be pushing for the £22.5million-rated midfielder’s signature, with a fresh update emerging on the situation.

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The Latest: Journalist provides update

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed a January move for McKennie isn’t out of the question:

“I think McKennie could be a target, whether you could get them away from Juventus to join a relegation battle will be another issue, but Juventus are open to letting McKennie go, so that maybe gives Leeds a bit of hope in that one.”

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The Verdict: Much-needed addition

The 23-year-old is exactly the kind of player Leeds could do with signing this month, with his profile ideal for what Bielsa is looking for.

His age makes him a long-term acquisition but he already possesses plenty of experience, scoring eight goals in 28 caps for the USA and making 65 appearances for Juve after racking up 91 games for Schalke.

According to the official Bundesliga site, the youngster is capable of playing pretty much anywhere in midfield and even in defence, making him the ideal signing in Orta’s search to add depth to the squad – he has played eight different positions in his career.

His former manager in Germany, David Wagner, hailed him as a ‘leader’, which is surely the type of personality Bielsa would want in a relegation dogfight.

McKennie was won an average of 1.6 aerial duels per game in the league this season, not to mention 1.1 tackles and dribbles apiece, highlighting his all-round expertise in the middle of the park.

In other news, Leeds have also been linked with another signing. Find out who it is here.

An update has emerged on Rangers and their January transfer window plans for gem Joe Aribo…

What’s the talk?

According to The Scottish Mail of Sunday journalist Gary Keown, via Ibrox News, the Gers are keen to ‘strike while the iron is hot’ by cashing in on the midfielder this month.

The report claims that he is attracting ‘strong interest’ from a number of English Premier League teams, although no potential fee is mentioned.

Infuriation

Gers fans will surely be left infuriated by this update as it suggests that the club have decided that now is the best time to sell Aribo.

However, Rangers could be headed for a major January blunder if this is the case because they would be frustrating their own supporters and weakening their side in the midst of a title battle.

Supporters will be up in arms as he has been in terrific form this season and his exit would harm Gio van Bronckhorst’s chances of winning the Premiership. He has averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.20 this term, scoring six goals and providing three assists, showing that he is delivering consistently brilliant displays for the Scottish giants.

His former Charlton teammate Ezri Konsa once praised Aribo’s style of play, saying: “Having Gerrard as his manager at Rangers, that has made him go up another level.

“Joe’s style is unique. When I was with him at Charlton he did remind me for a while of a left-footed Yaya Toure. But you don’t get a lot of midfielders like Joe, there aren’t many around.

“Like Toure, for a tall guy he’s got such great feet. But that languid style he’s got is actually fairly unique in the game.”

These comments, in particular, highlight why selling Aribo could be a big disaster for the Gers. He is not a run-of-the-mill midfielder who the club could go and easily find a replica of. He is unique and replacing him in the transfer market, particularly in the winter window, could be extremely difficult, which is why selling him now would be an error.

Therefore, Ross Wilson must reverse his decision to seek a sale for Aribo and avoid striking ‘while the iron is hot’ to keep him at Ibrox. He is a crucial player for the Gers and selling him now could have a major impact on the pitch and off it in terms of the fan reaction it could bring.

AND in other news, Expert makes “transformational” £50m Rangers claim that will leave Ross Wilson buzzing…

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has suffered a major injury blow over Dan James ahead of his side’s Premier League clash against Arsenal at the weekend.

What’s the story?

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, James picked up a muscular injury during that defeat at the Etihad, and it remains to be seen how long he could potentially be out for.

That was then followed up by The Athletic’s Phil Hay, who via Bielsa’s pre-match press conference, revealed: “Dan James and Jamie Shackleton are out this weekend. Robin Koch available though. No other changes to the absentee list. Firpo serving a one-match ban.”

Big blow for Leeds

While James may not have exactly lit Elland Road alight with his performances this season since his move from Manchester United – he’s scored just one goal and provided only two assists in 16 Premier League games – he remains a vital part of the first-team squad for Bielsa.

The Welshman has been involved in every single Premier League game this campaign bar one, and that was way back in mid-August when he remained on the bench against Southampton in only the second match of the season for Leeds.

With the Whites already without a number of key first-team stars for the game against Arsenal – including the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Patrick Bamford among others – losing yet another player on the eve of the game is a major blow and setback for Bielsa.

Raphinha and Jack Harrison will surely be expected to start out wide, but it leaves Bielsa with very little room to manoeuvre when it comes to options off the bench and potential game-changers.

Leeds fans will surely be absolutely gutted with the kind of injury luck they have had in recent weeks in particular.

Meanwhile, this Leeds star must be axed vs Arsenal…

Giovanni van Bronckhorst doesn’t officially start his new role as the manager of Rangers at Ibrox until Monday but the Gers have already filled the Dutchman with pure rage.

The former Rangers man watched on from the stands and was left with his head in his hands on plenty of occasions as a number of gasps came from his mouth too.

You can hardly blame him either as the club’s post-Steven Gerrard era began in the worst possible way.

Armed with the likes of Jermain Defoe, David McCallum, Brian Gilmour, and goalkeeping coach Colin Stewart in the dug-out, they watched on as the Glaswegian side were tormented by Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup semi-final.

This was the perfect opportunity for the Gers to make a huge statement to their new manager but they were carved open at will as they lost 3-1.

Rather than being handed some healthy selection dilemmas, van Bronckhorst will now be reeling with who to axe from the side.

There were plenty of culprits in the defeat on Sunday as Ryan Kent looked a shadow of his former self and Alfredo Morelos put in an anonymous showing.

However, unsurprisingly, it was the defence who deserved the most grief from supporters at full-time. Connor Goldson missed an absolute sitter late on in the clash, firing over the bar from just a matter of yards out.

Yet, it was his colleague at centre-half, Leon Balogun who was arguably even worse. His passing was rash and he looked wildly uncomfortable in being asked to play out from the back.

BBC Scotland’s chief writer, Tom English, said during the game: “Martin Boyle and Kevin Nisbet have just been toying with Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun. Balogun is having a shocker. On that form he would struggle to get a game for the local pub team. He has been absolutely ripped apart and Goldson is not much better. He’s gone from this incredible leader they had last season to looking very vulnerable.”

Those sentiments were summed up by plenty at full-time, with Glasgow Times writer James Cairney writing the following about Balogun: “Often panicked in the face of pressure, hoofing the ball into the stands or aimlessly up the park.”

Meanwhile, the Daily Record’s Gordon Parks noted this about the £14k-per-week defender’s display: “Turned far too easily by Nisbet at Hibs second goal. Headed an effort just wide of target before the interval. Ropey and indecisive, vulnerable to anything played in behind him.”

On that evidence, it would be surprising if the 33-year-old was in van Bronckhorst’s first official line-up in Europe in midweek.

His first performance for the new head coach won’t have gone well with him at all. It was an incredibly shoddy showing, one that leaves him as the first villain from Rangers’ new era.

AND in other news, Gio handed first big Rangers boost as news emerges that’ll surely leave fans delighted…

With Duncan Ferguson filling in on a temporary basis as caretaker manager while Everton look to appoint yet another new permanent head coach after sacking Rafa Benitez just over six months into his tenure in charge of the Toffees, it’s certainly a busy time for Farhad Moshiri.

However, it seems as though the Merseyside club could have taken a big step towards identifying a potential candidate to take the reins at Goodison Park.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from journalist Jason Burt, he shared some details on what the current situation is at Everton after it emerged that Fabio Cannavaro was in talks to become their new permanent manager.

He said: “Conflicting claims as to how Fabio Cannavaro fared in his talks with Everton. I am told that not only did he interview well – and speaks good English – but the shortlist may now just be down to him, Wayne Rooney or Frank Lampard.”

In his managerial career, the 48-year-old has had two spells in charge of Guangzhou Evergrande, as well as a few months at Al-Nassr FC and Tianjin Quanjian.

With a total of 211 games under his belt as a senior manager, Cannavaro has 123 wins to his name. While this highlights his experience, the fact that he hasn’t managed in any of the top European leagues may cast some doubt over his capabilities of being successful at a club such as Everton.

Fans will be amazed

With this in mind and the fact that Cannavaro has apparently got himself into the shortlist for the job alongside Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard after just one interview, Everton fans would surely be amazed if the Italy legend was appointed as their new permanent manager.

While it could be considered a risky move due to Cannavaro’s lack of experience managing at a big club in Europe, it’s worth remembering that Everton’s two previous permanent managers Carlo Ancelotti and Benitez had huge experience of managing elite clubs and winning titles in Europe, but that didn’t help them while they were at Goodison Park.

Therefore, maybe taking a chance on a comparatively inexperienced manager like Cannavaro who would garner a lot of respect due to what he achieved as a player could make him a good fit at Everton.

In other news: Everton must avoid another managerial disaster with “arrogant” 58 y/o, he’d be Rafa 2.0

Newcastle United are plotting a summer bid for West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen as they look to strengthen their squad for next season.

What’s the story?

According to 90min.com the Magpies are interested in signing the highly-rated English winger who has been key to West Ham’s success this season.

It was revealed in December that West Ham had opened talks over a new contract with the player and his representatives, but with an agreement yet to be reached clubs have been circling.

Liverpool are another club that admire the player as a potential Mohamed Salah replacement but, Newcastle will be hoping he can become their own Salah.

Bowen’s on fire

In the words of James Collins, Bowen has been “on fire” for the Hammers this season, and has been pivotal to their push for European football and their progression into the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

The 25-year old has 19 goal contributions in 29 appearances in the Premier League this season. Despite the form, he is yet to be called up to play for his country after fracturing a bone in his foot last month.

He’s in the top 7% for goal creating actions in the Premier League this season for players in his position.

The Englishman is valued at around £31.5m but it may take more than that for West Ham to agree to sell their star man. Former Hammers keeper Paddy Kenny told Football Insider that he thinks it may take even £60m to sign Bowen and that West Ham “do not need to sell”.

However, with the ambitions that both Liverpool and Newcastle have, Bowen himself may push for a move which may leave them with no choice.

There’s still a while left on his contract, with it expiring in 2025, but if he refuses to sign another then his value will decrease as each transfer window passes.

However, it may well be worth it Stuart Pearce previously comparing him to Salah, saying: “The comparison between him and Mo Salah, we have looked at the way Salah stands the defender up and stops and then goes again or uses the defender to curl the ball around into the far corner.”

Despite Salah’s incredibly impressive season you can see why the two are alike. Bowen is four years younger than the Egyptian and still matches him in some areas.

His percentage of shots on target is 42% compared to Salah’s 38% and his goals per shot average matches the Liverpool star at 0.13.

There’s likely to be a hunt for his signature in the summer, and with Newcastle’s new ownership already stating their ambitions with a string of January signings, there’s no sign of them stopping.

Adding Bowen to their ranks would be a real statement of intent and would massively help them push further up the table as quickly as possible.

When comparing him to the Magpies star winger Allan Saint-Maximin, he has more goals and assists per 90 minutes at 0.63 compared to 0.32.

His goal creating actions are also more than double Maximin’s.

IN other news: Sold at £20m, then won a Ballon d’Or: NUFC had mare on “extraordinary” 36yo “monster” – opinion…

Adam Jones was left slamming the performance of Ben Godfrey as Everton lost 3-2 away from home to Burnley in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

The Lowdown: Damaging defeat

It really was yet another damaging loss for Frank Lampard and his team at the foot of the table, as the win for the Clarets closed the gap between the two sides to just one point.

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The Goodison Park faithful were actually in the lead at half-time through two Richarlison penalties after Nathan Collins had opened the scoring for the hosts from a corner, but Jay Rodriguez and Maxwel Cornet ensured that they had to suffer another miserable defeat.

Worryingly, Sean Dyche even admitted after the match that he told his players the Everton squad ‘don’t know how to win’.

The Latest: Godfrey slammed

Writing in his player ratings piece for The Liverpool Echo, Jones slammed Godfrey’s display in particular, citing the ‘awful’ mistake that he made in the lead up to the decisive goal of the game, while he ‘didn’t cover himself in glory’ with his positioning for the hosts’ second goal either.

Jones gave him just a 4/10 overall rating, the joint-worst in the squad along with Jonjoe Kenny.

The Verdict: Must do better

Godfrey will know that he made a mistake for the third goal, and overall he must do better defensively if the Toffees are to avoid the dreaded drop.

The central defender lost out on two of his duels, and only managed to make one interception in the entire match, while his passing was not up to scratch, recording just 54% accuracy, one of the lowest in the squad (SofaScore).

He was also inaccurate with all seven of his long ball attempts, and lost possession 12 times from just 36 touches (SofaScore).

Nonetheless, Lampard must seriously consider whether to start him again as Manchester United come calling at Saturday lunchtime, but with Michael Keane now available after suspension.

In other news, find out which ‘brilliant’ leader the Blues are now eyeing here!