All posts by n8rngtd.top

Crystal Palace have been dealt another injury blow ahead of their Premier League opener with Arsenal this evening, with James Tomkins ruled out in the last 24 hours.

The Lowdown: Pre-season…

Patrick Vieira’s side haven’t had the best of preparations for the new campaign, with the Palace squad split in half in recent weeks. The Eagles took just ten senior players on their pre-season tour, with plenty of well-known names staying behind due to either injuries or travel issues.

Tomkins, who journalist Josh Bunting called ‘superb’ in his defending, was in the matchday squad for the final friendly with Montpellier and featured against QPR, but the experienced defender now won’t be seen this evening.

The Latest: Vieira’s update

Vieira faced the media on Thursday afternoon for his first pre-match press conference of the season.

He confirmed that Tomkins will join James McArthur and Michael Olise on the sidelines due to a calf problem.

The Verdict: Not ideal

Tomkins only made eight Premier League appearances last season, however, you’d expect he would have been in and around the squad this evening if he was available.

His experience could come in handy throughout the season, with three of Vieira’s five centre-back options 22 years of age or younger.

The five-substitute rule may also result in the 33-year-old receiving more game time, but we won’t be seeing him tonight in what is another blow for Vieira.

Celtic have submitted an offer for Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Celtic linked with Barkley move

The Hoops’ transfer business may not be done just yet, with Ange Postecoglou thought to be chasing one more midfielder and one more attacking option.

Barkley is a player who has been linked with an audacious switch to Parkhead, having been deemed surplus to requirements by Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel.

The 28-year-old only made one start in the Premier League for the Blues last season, and although some members of the media have claimed a move to Glasgow won’t happen, a fresh report suggests it could truly be on.

The Latest: ‘Shock’ offer

According to Football Insider, Celtic have ‘submitted an offer’ for Barkley and ‘Postecoglou has given the green light to a shock swoop’.

A season-long loan deal for the 33-time capped England international is mooted, and while the Hoops cannot afford his £120,000 per week wages in full, they have offered to ‘pay a significant portion’ of his salary.

The Verdict: Hugely exciting news

Barkley could be an outstanding signing for Celtic, possessing the technical quality and unpredictability to light up Parkhead with an injection of end product into the attacking midfield ranks.

The former Everton prodigy himself has said in the past that he wants to be considered ‘world-class’, while Joe Cole has described him as ‘fantastic’ and a ‘top, top’ player in the recent past, and although it hasn’t worked out at Stamford Bridge there is certainly talent ready to be unleashed.

Barkley has 60 goal contributions to his name in the Premier League and 77 in total for club and country, which is a testament to his class, and at 28, there is no reason why he can’t perform at his peak for Celtic this season.

Crystal Palace are reportedly keen to re-sign Manchester United defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka and the right-back could be a superb addition to Patrick Vieira’s squad at Selhurst Park.

What’s the word?

According to the Manchester Evening News, United are desperate to sell Wan-Bissaka as he isn’t in new manager Erik ten Hag’s plans.

The Eagles are said to be keen on bringing him back to London but are only willing to pay £10m, having sold him to United in a deal worth £50m only three years ago.

Vieira would love him

Vieira currently alternates between Nathaniel Clyne and Joel Ward as his first choice right-back options at Palace, and while both are solid players, they are 31 and 32 respectively, which suggests that a long-term solution is needed in that area.

Wan-Bissaka has endured a difficult time at Manchester United, as his technical abilities in an attacking side have been exposed, only scoring twice and registering ten assists in 126 fixtures at a dismal goal involvement rate of one every 10.5 matches.

However, in a more structured defence such as Palace’s, where the defenders aren’t expected to go forward as much, he could be a huge success.

Even in poor form, there is no doubt that Wan-Bissaka is one of the top one-on-one defenders in the Premier League, with very few wingers getting the better of him during his time with both Palace and United.

Indeed, he has only been dribbled past 0.47 times per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, putting him in the best 4% of full-backs for that particular metric across Europe’s top five leagues.

Wes Brown, a man who knows a lot about how to defend, emphasised this in 2020, saying:

“What else can you say about Aaron Wan-Bissaka? I’ve not really seen many like him and that’s the honest truth. Defensively, in one-on-ones, he’s definitely one of the best I’ve ever seen. He’s settled in so well and I don’t think there are many players who have got past him this season.”

Wan-Bissaka’s last season at Crystal Palace saw him make 35 appearances in the Premier League, for which he averaged a superb 7.27 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

With the added experience he has gained at United, combined with the fact that he is still just 24, signing him for £10m could be a no-brainer for Vieira this summer, especially if he can rediscover the form he first showed at the club.

Wan-Bissaka’s pace, strength and ability in defensive situations suggest that he could slot perfectly into Vieira’s back four, and the French manager would surely love to bring him back to Selhurst Park before the transfer deadline.

Newcastle United are reportedly ‘weighing up’ a move to sign Olympiacos central midfielder Mady Camara.

The Lowdown: Shelvey injury

Eddie Howe confirmed before the 0-0 draw away at Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League that Jonjo Shelvey will be out for around 12 weeks with injury after having an operation.

It means that the St. James’ Park outfit may need to dip into the market for a new midfielder to cover for the Englishman while he is absent.

The Latest: Camara interest

Taking to Twitter, journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that the North East club, as well as Leicester City, are ‘weighing up’ a move for Camara:

“Leicester and Newcastle are among a number of clubs weighing up moves for Olympiacos midfielder Mady Camara.”

The Verdict: Needed

With Shelvey out for so long, and needing time to get back to full fitness when he recovers, Eddie Howe could do with adding another midfielder to his squad.

Having played in the UEFA Champions League 21 times by Guinea.

At 25 years of age, he is a player who will be in his prime over the next few seasons, and sharing the same agent as January signings Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, this is a deal that the Magpies should be confident that they can get over the line ahead of their rivals.

Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita’s future remains in doubt, with talks over a new deal currently at a standstill, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Lowdown: Keita reportedly unhappy

The Reds face Manchester United in a huge Premier League game on Monday night, and one player who will hope to feature at Old Trafford is Keita, having opened the scoring in the 5-0 rout in this fixture last season.

The Guinean is reportedly unhappy with his lack of playing time recently, though, and while Jurgen Klopp wants him to stay at Anfield, it has been suggested that the 27-year-old could move on this summer.

Keita’s current contract expires in 2023, at which point he would be able to leave Liverpool on a free transfer, having signed for £52.75m four years ago.

The Latest: Keita contract latest

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Sky journalist Plettenberg claimed that the 27-year-old’s potential involvement against United could prove crucial to his future, with no progress being made over a new deal as of yet.

He outlined:

“Update #Keita: Very important game against @ManUtd regarding his plans in this transfer window. Nothing has changed. #LFC wants to extend, Klopp wants him to stay. But talks have stopped, an agreement is not in sight at this stage. He wants to play regularly.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398089″]

The Verdict: Don’t sell him

Unless Liverpool have a tailor-made replacement lined up, it makes absolutely no sense to sell Keita this summer, especially with Thiago currently out injured and midfield a general area of concern.

The 27-year-old remains an impressive footballer when fully fit and in form – Virgil van Dijk has called him ‘world-class’ in the past – and he is someone who will hopefully end up extending his stay.

[freshpress-poll id=“399042″]

Only Kostas Tsimikas won more tackles per game than Keita at Anfield last season, while Fabinho was the only midfielder to outscore him, so the African can be an important figure in terms of breaking up the play and making an impact in the final third.

Granted, the Guinean has underwhelmed at times, mainly due to injuries. However, unlike youngsters Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones, and elder statesmen Jordan Henderson and James Milner, he is at a peak age footballing age, and a start at Old Trafford tonight could ease the whole situation.

Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray is doing a ‘fine, fine job’ at the club, according to sports journalist and Mackems fan Josh Bunting. 

The lowdown

The Championship club were left ‘extremely disappointed’ by the abrupt departure of Alex Neil in the early weeks of the season as he took the vacant manager’s job at Stoke.

However, the Black Cats moved swiftly to appoint his replacement in Mowbray, who was out of work after leaving Blackburn Rovers at the end of the 2021/22 season.

On Saturday, Sunderland twice came from a goal down to earn a point away to Watford, with Jewison Bennette netting the second equaliser in the 87th minute.

The latest

Bunting took to Twitter to offer his reaction to footage of Mowbray’s post-match interview at Vicarage Road after it was shared by Sunderland’s official Twitter channel.

He called the 58-year-old ‘a great pair of hands’ who had lifted the mood and the performance levels at the Stadium of Light since he took over.

He wrote: “I can’t say it enough, I love this man. He’s kicked us on and yes it won’t always be good but he’s a great pair of his hands to have at this football club.

“The games he’s been in is the best we’ve played all season as a unit. He’s doing a fine, fine job at this football club.”

The verdict

Sunderland are going well in the Championship, having only been promoted in League One this year, and Mowbray is a big part of that, taking seven points from a possible 12 so far.

Since he took over, he has overseen comfortable 3-0 victories against Rotherham and Reading, as well as the fightback against Watford. The only blemish so far is a 1-0 defeat away to local rivals Middlesbrough, but the Black Cats still sit in the play-off places after 10 games.

The quality of football on his watch has also been championed, with Sky Sports marvelling at a potential ‘goal of the season’ against Reading last week after an impressive team move, so it’s little wonder that Bunting has been so glowing in his praise for Mowbray.

While he is now an experienced defender in Steven Gerrard’s side, Aston Villa fans will fondly remember Ashley Young’s previous spell at the club, where he was a flying winger who regularly contributed goals and assists.

Across both spells with the Villans, Young has contributed an impressive 37 goals and 61 assists in 219 appearances, although the 37-year-old’s days of driving forward and cutting inside are probably over, as he usually operates as a full-back when playing these days.

However, Villa could find a winger similar to the Young of old in academy star Tyreik Wright, with the 20-year-old enjoying a strong start to life with Bradford City.

Wright joined Villa from Irish side Lakewood Athletic in 2018 and has been a prominent part of Villa’s academy sides in the four years since, making 39 appearances for the U21s, in which he has contributed an impressive six goals and seven assists.

After some disappointing spells with Walsall, Colchester United and Salford in League Two in recent seasons, which have resulted in just two goals and three assists across two seasons, Wright looks to have found his feet under Mark Hughes at Bradford City.

Saturday saw the 20-year-old make his first start for the Bantams and he marked it in style, scoring and assisting in a 3-0 win over high-flying Stevenage.

Hughes was full of praise for Wright when he signed for the club, saying:

“Tyreik is a player who looks to make things happen, and one we are pleased to be bringing to the club for the remainder of the season.

“At 20, he is young, driven and determined to succeed, and has traits to his play which will benefit our squad.

“He has a great turn of pace, trickery and technical ability and – with three goals for Republic of Ireland’s U21 side – a clear eye for goal.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“659225”]

Wright can play on either wing and Gerrard will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on his performances throughout the season, with the hope that he can return to have an impact on Villa’s first team in the future.

If he can find some goalscoring form in the Premier League, then there seems little reason why he can’t emulate an embryonic Young at Villa Park in the future.

Newcastle United may already be planning ahead regarding what they want to do in the January transfer window to bolster Eddie Howe’s squad.

Dan Ashworth brought in Sven Botman, Nick Pope, Matt Targett, and Alexander Isak during the summer, along with Loris Karius after the deadline passed, but the work never stops and he should be looking at players who could potentially come in during the winter.

The Magpies were linked with a swoop for Marco Asensio from Real Madrid in the summer and he could be a target once again in 20223.

Speaking on his YouTube channel recently, Fabrizio Romano explained the Spaniard’s situation, saying: “But remember, Marco Asensio will be available on a free next summer because at the moment there is no agreement to extend his contract with Real Madrid. And it could be a factor this free agent story for Marco Asensio because some clubs are already exploring this possibility for next summer to sign Asensio on a free.

“So the January market depends on how these clubs will move on a potential free transfer for next summer or for another it will try to extend this contract but at the moment, still no agreement with Asensio and he wants to feel important. So, one to watch in January or on June as a free agent.”

Ashworth must now swoop for the Spain international in January as he would be an upgrade on Scottish winger Ryan Fraser in the second half of the campaign.

The £165k-per-week forward has racked up 12 goals and two assists in 21 starts in La Liga and the Champions League combined since the start of last season.

Fraser, who is two years older than Asensio, has managed two goals and three assists in 21 Premier League starts in the same time and this suggests that the Spaniard would offer far more in front of goal.

The 26-year-old has also been praised by ex-Real Madrid players Guti and Raul in the past. The former said:

“Asensio is a lot better player than I was. He has an unlimited ceiling, his head is very well furnished and will depend on what he wants to do in the world of football. The future is in his feet.”

Raul added: “He has much to offer now and a great future ahead of him. He’s a young guy, eager to work and he’s currently doing very well.”

In terms of fitting in with Eddie Howe’s pressing style of play, Asensio and Fraser both average between 10 and 11 pressures per 90 and this means that they both offer a similar level of quality in that regard.

Therefore, the Real Madrid man would be an upgrade on the Magpies’ current right winger as there is little difference between them off the ball and he offers far more than the Scot in front of goal, which could elevate the attacking potential of the Newcastle team with his ability to consistently find the back of the net.

West Ham United boast a proud history of developing exciting young prospects into first-team stars, with the Academy of Football’s alumni boasting names such as Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Michael Carrick, Glen Johnson, Mark Noble and current central midfield sensation Declan Rice.

However, while all of these aforementioned players made their breakthrough into senior football while still at West Ham, the club recently lost the services of a talent who looks as if he could be on course to join this list of illustrious names in the not-too-distant future, all before he had a proper chance to impress in the first-team – Sonny Perkins.

Indeed, despite highly impressing in the Hammers’ youth setup – scoring 21 goals and registering five assists over 55 appearances for the Irons’ U18 and U21 sides – the 18-year-old rejected the club’s offer of a professional contract this summer, instead deciding upon a move to Leeds United on a free transfer.

And, considering the remarkable numbers the centre-forward is already putting up for the Whites, the West Ham board’s decision to not offer the teenager a “first-team wage” in order to keep him at the London Stadium is already looking to be something of a shocker for David Gold, David Sullivan and Karren Brady.

Indeed, over his five Premier League 2 appearances so far this season, the £1.08m-rated forward has already scored six goals – bagging at least once in every game he has played for Leeds – with these returns seeing the teenager who Leeds Live journalist Will Jackson dubbed “red hot” win the league’s Player of the Month award in August.

However, it has not only been at club level the striker has been catching the eye, as Perkins also bagged five goals in three outings for England’s U19s in the recent international break – including a first-half hat-trick against Georgia – taking his total to 11 goals in eight games this season – registering a goal contribution every 71 minutes of football played since leaving West Ham.

As such, it is clear to see that, in losing the 18-year-old who ExWHUemployee dubbed the “next Declan Rice” and James Marschment said could become a “£30m player”, West Ham have kissed goodbye to an exceptionally talented player – an outcome that could prove to be one of GSB’s biggest shockers of their reign in east London.

Liverpool make the trip to north London this Sunday to take on Premier League high fliers Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that a confident performance against Rangers in the Champions League from midweek can translate into the match tomorrow.

The Reds have had a poor start to their domestic campaign with just 10 points on the board and currently 10th in the table, 11 points adrift from Mikel Arteta’s side and 13 behind overnight leaders Manchester City, so ensuring that the right players are deployed will be essential to closing that gap.

After losing Sadio Mane, Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino in the summer, the Liverpool forward line has seen a lot of change. It remains to be seen if the attack has been weakened or improved, but Klopp still has a lot of experience in the final third with players who know exactly how to beat Arsenal.

One player who has been a talisman for Liverpool against the north Londoners is Diogo Jota, with the 25-year-old scoring eight goals in just 11 appearances against the Gunners.

The £120k-per-week Portuguese dynamo, who has recently returned to action after suffering a hamstring injury, has scored in all four of his Premier League outings for Liverpool against Mikel Arteta’s side, all of which have resulted in wins for the Merseysiders.

Furthermore, Jota bagged two goals in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at the Emirates last season, which led his team to glory as they won the competition a month later, proving that he is a game-changer time and again for his team.

Klopp is a huge admirer of the forward, lavished praise on the Liverpool star last season as he said: “Exceptional player, exceptional boy.

“He has the technical skills, he has the physical skills and he is very smart and can learn all the tactical stuff pretty quick. On top of that, he can play all three positions; in a 4-2-3-1 he could play as the 10. So, it is very helpful.”

Jurgen is a Red! Show how happy you are about it with this awesome t-shirt! Click here to buy…

Speaking of Jota’s ability to play in many positions, Klopp changed his tactics and formation in midweek, going from his customary 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 against Rangers, and the change in shape was pinpointed as a huge contributor to Liverpool’s high-quality performance on the night.

As a result, the German could preserve the 4-4-2 this weekend against Arsenal, and making Jota the focal point in that centre-forward position could quite easily terrify the Gunners once again.

It is beyond doubt that Jota should be one of the first names on the team-sheet when Liverpool line up against Arteta’s in-form side, as he could give Liverpool one of their best chances to claim a result despite their troubling form in the Premier League.

The 25-year-old has yet to start a top-flight match this season; tomorrow seems to represent the perfect opportunity to unleash him from the off.