All posts by n8rngtd.top

After seeing Celtic’s Scottish Premiership campaign crumble in front of his very eyes, Peter Lawwell will desperately be searching for ways to hit the reset button and kick-start a new era of dominance.

The Hoops have endured a nightmare first-half to the season thus far, finding themselves 21 points behind leaders and Old Firm rivals Rangers.

If planning for next season isn’t already under way at Parkhead, then there is something seriously going wrong at the club. But, according to The Daily Mirror, the Bhoys do seem to be looking at ways of setting up a more exciting future, with it being suggested that Wigan teenager Kyle Joseph is someone who they’re looking at potentially signing.

The report claims that Celtic are not the only ones tracking the Scotland U19 international, with Rangers, Tottenham and Sheffield United all in the race to sign him too, although their hopes are boosted by the fact his contract with the Latics comes to an end in June.

And whilst the sample size is small – he’s played just 13 games of senior football at Wigan so far – he’s already shown signs of being a really impressive young talent.

The 19-year-old bagged a hat-trick in Wigan’s last game in League One, when they beat Burton Albion 4-3. Despite the Latics being near the foot of the table, Joseph’s goals showed that he’s got the mentality to continue playing his way, and that kind of fearlessness is something Celtic would surely love to add to their side.

His teammate, Kal Naismith, said he has a “great appetite for the game” and works hard, insisting that “he’ll be a top player”. At 19, Joseph isn’t going to come in at Celtic and hit the ground running or be the saviour to topple Rangers next season.

But he can be a major building block for their future as they start afresh, and Lawwell would do well to fend off competition to bring him to Scotland.

Meanwhile, Celtic can get an Edouard replacement in this 27-goal striker…

David Sullivan is heading for an unforgivable mistake by looking to sign Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho for West Ham United in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun (3/1, p. 57), the Irons are potentially set to rival West Bromwich Albion in hope of luring Sakho away from Selhurst Park with his Eagles future up in the air during the mid-season market.

Roy Hodgson’s south London side are open to selling Sakho with the 30-year-old due to be out of contract in the summer and having played a peripheral role for the last two seasons, making just four Premier League outings this term after 11 starts in the 2019/20 campaign.

Hodgson has admitted he finds it challenging to keep all of his players happy when they are not in his immediate plans, and could ease tensions by accepting an offer from the coach who signed Sakho, Sam Allardyce, following his appointment at West Brom.

Sakho earns £100,000-per-week at Palace but is behind Cheikhou Kouyate, Scott Dann and Gary Cahill in the pecking order, following his return from a hamstring strain in September that rounded out an injury-ravished 18-months for the former Liverpool brute.

An unforgivable mistake

Sullivan seeking an agreement with Crystal Palace for Sakho to join West Ham in the January window would be an unforgivable mistake by the co-owner and Chairman, as there is little chance of the 30-year-old earning a starting role at the London Stadium barring vast exits.

A move to West Ham would see Sakho contend with Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell, Fabian Balbuena, Issa Diop and Craig Dawson for minutes, with the quintet all used at some stage of the campaign by David Moyes.

Hodgson has continued to laud Sakho as an “incredible” player for overcoming his injuries and not being afraid to take the plunge straight into the deep end, even against the medical staff of the Eagles’ best-wishes, but his performances would not scratch the surface in Moyes’ squad.

Sakho has managed just 0.8 successful tackles, 0.8 interceptions and 2.8 clearances while winning 2.3 duels a game in his four Premier League outings thus far this term, while conceding a penalty, per SofaScore. He only won 0.5 tackles, 2.1 duels and made 1.4 interceptions a game last season, too, while committing errors that led to a shot and a goal.

Only Craig Dawson, whose played just two Premier League games so far, has averaged fewer successful tackles per top-flight appearance among West Ham’s defenders this season, while Diop’s 0.75 interceptions and Cresswell’s 2.06 clearances are close to Sakho’s numbers.

AND in other news, David Moyes must consider a drastic U-turn on an £18m-rated West Ham “monster”…

When Wolves announced their side to face Manchester United on Tuesday evening, there were shades of Mick McCarthy. It wasn’t quite a completely different line-up, but there were some surprises.Max Kilman started at the back but there were very rare appearances for both Vitinha and summer signing Ki-Jana Hoever.Considering Nuno Santo’s side were playing at Old Trafford, it was an immense gamble to go with youth over experience. That being said, it very nearly paid off.Wolves held United until the 93rd minute when Marcus Rashford’s deflected effort crept passed a helpless Rui Patricio.It was harsh on the Old Gold, a team who had defended valiantly all game. With Rayan Ait-Nouri also playing alongside the likes of Hoever and Kilman, it was even more impressive that they managed to starve such a world-class attack.Though, we’d like to focus on Hoever here, someone who only joined a matter of months ago from Liverpool. The right-back has unquestionable talent and on Tuesday night, we saw why his ceiling is so high.The 18-year-old was making his first Premier League start and was coached admirably by club captain Conor Coady, the man he was playing beside. The skipper regularly shouted instructions at Hoever and it clearly worked a treat.

Birmingham Live reporter Alex Dicken claimed he “didn’t put a foot wrong†and it’s hard to argue with that claim. Hoever was as good going forward as he was defensively, producing three tackles and supplying one key pass.

Romain Saiss hit the woodwork and was also competent in defence but it was the full-back who should take most of the plaudits. At the age of 18 and playing inside one of the most historic grounds in world football, he didn’t look out of place.

The young Dutchman won six duels throughout the contest and also completed 80% of his passes. It wasn’t a perfect display – losing 60% of his duels – but he was still a monster in most facets of his play. The very fact it look United so long to break Wolves down supplements that theory.

With Nelson Semedo ahead of him in the pecking order, it’s unlikely Hoever will see too much action, but it’ll come as a huge relief to Nuno knowing he can rely on someone else in that position.

Wolves have a huge talent on their hands.

AND in other news, Wolves must swoop for “magical” £166k-p/w gem with “outstanding timing”…

Marcelo Bielsa has delivered very promising news regarding the injury status of Leeds fan favourite Kalvin Phillips. The midfielder has been sidelined with a shoulder injury but in the manager’s latest batch of fitness updates, he admitted that “it’s probable” that the England international will be available this weekend.

Whilst Bielsa stressed that he “can’t guarantee it”, there’s still a good chance Phillips will be one of the names on the team sheet to face Arsenal. If he is, it will be a huge boost for the Whites.

Leeds have been without the midfield man since their narrow loss to Wolves last month. The club placed a six week recovery period on the situation, which fans have been waiting anxiously to be over. Bielsa’s side have won just one of their three matches played without Phillips – their most recent results have both been 4-1 defeats to Leicester and Crystal Palace respectively.

Mateusz Klich has played perhaps a more defensive role than he would usually prefer to cover the absence of his teammate. Rodrigo is also sidelined, which seriously limited Leeds’ options going forward. But with Phillips potentially able to start the match agains the Gunners, the Whites can regroup and hope to get back to winning ways.

The £50,000 per week powerhouse has started every Premier League he has been fit this season and has already wowed a lot of people with his performances. Noel Whelan recently heaped praise on the “absolutely immense” Phillips and admitted that all clubs need someone of the 24-year-old’s calibre in their set up (on Sporting Life Football podcast, cited by The Boot Room).

Only two points currently separate Leeds and Arsenal, so this will be a very cagey affair as neither side can afford to come away with a loss. The Whites have slipped a little in their returning Premier League season but their earlier results prove they can turn it around. A win against the Gunners will put them in great stride to rediscover their form and the boost of Phillips will surely lift spirits on camp too.

In other news, Leeds-linked Steven Gerrard could put Elland Road back on the map…

Everton conducted a widespread transformation of Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield during the summer transfer window, effectively signing a whole new engine room.

Marcel Brands secured the services of James Rodriguez from Real Madrid, Watford’s Abdoulaye Doucoure and the Italian’s former lynchpin, Allan, and the Merseysiders have already reaped the rewards in fixing one of their biggest problems in one quick hit.

Sat in sixth place going into December, the Toffees are in a strong position to battle for a place in Europe next season. Indeed, they are merely four points behind league leaders Tottenham Hotspur, who Everton defeated on the opening day.

It could be time to move on some of the deadwood from Marco Silva’s reign and whilst many aren’t likely to command anything worthwhile in terms of income, there is one man who could bring in a hefty fee – Andre Gomes.

The Portuguese started the season playing alongside the aforementioned midfield trio but has found himself on the bench in three of their last four Premier League outings, via Transfermarkt.

Gomes is perhaps now seen as the main back-up to box-to-box addition, Doucoure, though as he’s valued at £21.6m by Transfermarkt, it would be wise to cash in on him before that number drops off significantly.

Especially as he’s raking in a cool £85k-per-week at Goodison Park, which is more than Lucas Digne, Seamus Coleman and Doucoure too, according to reports.

You could argue that Everton owes him a bit of loyalty given the horrible injury he sustained against Spurs last season, though football is a cruel game and Ancelotti ought to be ruthless with his decision-making here.

Gomes joined the club in a £22m deal from Barcelona and played an integral part under Silva but Sky Sports’ Charlie Nicolas has never been convinced, claiming he “could not cut it” at the La Liga giants (via HITC).

Whilst former Toffees monster Idrissa Gueye believes he “brings something special” yet we’ve never truly seen that ability after the 27-year-old averaged two fouls and just 0.6 key passes per game last term, via WhoScored.

Ancelotti must sell him in order to bolster other areas of need, such as out wide or in central defence.

AND in other news, Forget Gordon: Ancelotti could secure is new Robben in £45m-rated destroyer…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Chris Kirkland has insisted that Arsenal would never have sold Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had he remained fully fit.

The England international joined the Gunners way back in the summer of 2011 from Southampton, for a reported fee of £15m. The versatile ace ended up playing 198 times for the north Londoners, scoring 20 goals and providing a further 32 assists.

Niggling injury problems always seemed to prove to be a hurdle for Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Arsene Wenger eventually waved goodbye to the 27-year-old for £35m when Liverpool came calling in 2017.

Now, Kirkland has insisted that issues with injuries were the only reason that Arsenal cashed in on him, and that he remains a huge fan of the player even now.

Speaking to FFC’s James Beavis, he said: “We’ve seen him score goals and obviously had some horrendous luck with injuries. I mean, if he was fit, Arsenal would never have sold him for one thing you know. They sold him because he couldn’t stay fit. But for me he’s an exceptional player and I’d love to see him stay fit.”

As was the case at Arsenal, Oxlade-Chamberlain just can’t seem to stay away from injuries. It’s hard to believe that he’s now 27, given that it still feels like he’s a ‘young player’ with so much more time and room to grow.

The English ace of course picked up an awful cruciate ligament injury in a Champions League game for Liverpool against AS Roma that really disrupted his progress at Anfield, and it really is a case of ‘what if’ with him.

Had he been fully fit and firing at Arsenal, and had the Gunners also showed signs of progress on the pitch, then Oxlade-Chamberlain could still be playing for the north Londoners now instead of their Premier League rivals.

Tottenham Hotspur were dealt a devastating blow as one of their mooted defensive targets rejected a move on deadline day…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Star, Manchester City centre-back John Stones rejected a chance to join Spurs despite falling down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola.

It’s believed that the 26-year-old was reluctant to uproot his family and move to north London and will also not commit to leaving the Etihad Stadium until he’s told that he’s no longer wanted.

Missed trick?

Spurs could well have missed out on something good here.

The English colossus has often divided opinion following a £47.5m move to City but if there’s anyone that could bring the best out of a defender then it’s certainly going to be Jose Mourinho over Pep Guardiola, who once openly admitted that he doesn’t work on tackling and other elements of the defensive game.

Stones has enjoyed success against Harry Kane in the past too, silencing him in 2018 – per SofaScore, the City star won five duels and kept a clean sheet, leaving Spurs’ key talisman with a shocking 6.5 rating.

Former Spurs defender Kyle Walker is also a huge admirer of his teammate, once dubbing him “unbelievable” before adding: “You don’t quite appreciate him until you are playing alongside him. He rarely gets beat, he is great on the ball and he is very calm and level-headed.”

Mourinho’s first-choice pairing seems to be Eric Dier and Davinson Sanchez, so with Toby Alderweireld starting to peak at 31, he could have been an ideal contender, if not successor, to the Belgian international.

The £27m-rated Stones has averaged an impressive 92% passing accuracy from nearly 60 passes per game, via WhoScored, throughout his career so there’s no doubting he’s an ideal modern-day central defender.

You can’t help but feel that Spurs have missed out severely here, although their transfer window, on the whole, was phenomenal.

AND in other news, £60k-p/w outcast quickly becoming a forgotten man at Spurs

According to an update by Manchester Evening News journalist Simon Bajkowski, Liam Delap has been back training with the first team and is in contention to face Sheffield United on Saturday. 

Delap, who has emerged as a promising young attacking talent at the Etihad Stadium, was left out of the matchday squad to face West Ham last weekend – instead scoring a wondergoal for the Elite Development Squad in their 4-1 home thrashing of Arsenal.

The youngster last appeared for the senior team during a 2-1 win Carabao Cup win over Bournemouth last month, with Delap firing a wonderful finish over the helpless Mark Travers.

Indeed, the 6 foot 1 ace helped City to the next round but hasn’t started another match since, prompting many supporters to react to the news he could be back in contention this weekend.

Find all of their best verdicts from social media below.

Fans flock to Delap team news

In other news: City supporters have been begging Txiki Begiristain to bring a heroic club figure home here and don’t forget to comment below.

It feels a bit wrong to say anything negative about Everton at the moment.

The Toffees are flying high after winning each of their three opening games in the Premier League, but with the transfer window still open, there is still room for activity.

The Merseyside club have been linked with numerous incomings with the likes of Arkadiusz Milik and Jean-Clair Todibo reportedly on their radar, but there is also a potential exit on the horizon.

Indeed, Alan Nixon is reporting that the club are willing to sell Jonjoe Kenny for a fee of around £10m, and that could end up being seen as a huge mistake for years to come.

Kenny was impressive in the Bundesliga last season during his loan spell with Schalke, and with Sheamus Coleman turning 32 next month, the Toffees do need a long-term solution at right-back and Kenny really could have been that man.

The fact that Arsenal have previously shown an interest in him in the past is enough to show just how highly he is rated, but with Coleman clearly being Everton’s first-choice in the right-back spot, it’s hard to see his immediate route into the starting XI at Goodison Park.

Watch Everton Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Kenny is a local lad with years ahead of him, and it’d be a bitter pill to swallow for all supporters if he’s allowed to leave without making any real impact in the squad.

The defender impressed last season, and selling him as soon as he returns sends out the wrong message for any young player who is sent out on loan to develop their skills.

Another loan spell could be just what the doctor ordered, but a sale could be something Carlo Ancelotti lives to regret in the long run.

Tottenham Hotspur could land one of their mooted transfer targets on the cheap this summer if fresh reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Foot Mercato, Ligue 2 side Toulouse have dropped the asking price for box-to-box midfielder Ibrahim Sangare this summer to just €10m (£9m) with only one year remaining on his current contract.

Spurs have been linked to the impressive powerhouse for quite some time but as per GFFN, the recently-relegated French side were asking for double that at €20m (£18m), so no bid was made.

Mourinho’s new Essien?

Jose Mourinho may have already bolstered his midfield with the addition of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg but he simply can’t pass up an opportunity to clinch the Ivorian international.

The 22-year-old has become a regular at Toulouse, managing 78 appearances in the French top-flight already. Last season, Sangare was one of the few shining lights having averaged a whopping 3.4 tackles, 1.6 interceptions, 1.2 dribbles and 1.1 key passes per game, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder that he’s been compared to fellow countryman Yaya Toure throughout his career and his role in north London could echo that of Mourinho’s first spell at local rivals Chelsea where he was blessed with the likes of Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele.

But there was also a certain Michael Essien in those ranks too. A player the ex-Blues boss signed from Lyon at the very same age.

Former Toulouse coach Alain Casanova believes Sangare is the best prospect he’s seen at the club – even above Spurs’ current midfielder Moussa Sissoko – whilst he’s been described as “physical” and “passionate,” which only resonates with Essien even more.

Sangare is calm in small spaces and comes out of pressure in “incredible ways” thus making him a perfect fit for Mourinho’s system.

Having averaged more tackles per game than Hojbjerg, you might as well forget about someone like Harry Winks and sign the 22-year-old instead.

For just £9m, it would be a monumental steal and well within Daniel Levy’s tight budget.

AND in other news, Spurs tipped to sign PL brute, he’d be a dream for Mourinho…