All posts by z3u9t.icu

The writing is on the wall for Newcastle United. Fail to sack Steve Bruce, and relegation will surely be on the cards.

This Magpies team looks like a torrid group; they look defeated, bullied to within an inch of their lives.

Their style of football is shoddy and there are very few signs of fight from those in the St James’ Park camp. Their 3-0 defeat to fellow relegation candidates Brighton on Saturday evening just about summed things up.

They were toothless in attack and filled with mistakes in defence. Once again, the prime candidate was Joelinton.

The big Brazilian set the tone just 21 minutes in. Martin Dubravaka launched the ball forward in the direction of Joelinton. The striker got his head to the ball but planted it straight out of play for a throw-in.

If anything summed up his time in the north-east that was it. To be completely blunt, the attacker has been one of the worst signings in Premier League history.

Signed from Hoffenheim for £40m, he penned a six-year deal with Newcastle. It was not only a club-record deal, but also Bruce’s record deal. Unfortunately, he is costing the manager his job.

The forward has found the net on just seven occasions and has three top-flight goals to his name since the summer of 2019. To suggest his time in England has been poor, therefore, would be putting it lightly.

Perhaps one of his worst performances in a black and white shirt came on Saturday. Joelinton was utterly anonymous in attack and made fewer passes (16) and fewer touches (34) than Dubravka in the Magpies goal. The Slovakian had 45 touches and made 24 passes in comparison.

He endured a torrid evening on the south coast, losing possession of the ball on 15 occasions and taking just one touch in the opposition penalty area. Joelinton also failed to have a single shot at goal.

For a normal footballer that makes for pretty grim reading. However, when you cost £40m, it only looks even worse.

He hasn’t scored since the back end of November and worryingly, his performances are getting worse.

In a relegation six-pointer, he should be one of the players standing up and taking the game by the scruff of the neck. Unfortunately, that’s very rarely happened during his feeble stay at Newcastle.

Judging by his attitude and form, it would be an almighty surprise to watch him see out the six years he signed on for. Joelinton epitomises the sinking ship of Newcastle right now.

AND in other news, “It’s the Graeme Jones way” – Exclusive: Rob Lee baffled by what Bruce assistant has done at NUFC…

Glasgow Rangers still want to sign Fashion Sakala this summer, but French Ligue 1 leaders Lille are also keeping tabs on the KV Oostende striker.

What’s the word?

The Daily Record report Ibrox manager Steven Gerrard remains interested in the in-form Zambia international, who has emerged as a potential target for the Scottish giants over the past couple of transfer windows.

Sakala has made 24 appearances in the Jupiler Pro League so far this season with 13 goals and 3 assists to show for his 23 starts so it’s no wonder the Belgian outfit are trying their best to persuade him to extend his contract, although this seems unlikely given the level of interest in the 23-year-old.

Gerrard had been keen to strengthen his attacking options in the previous transfer windows and it seems the signing of a versatile forward remains a priority for the Englishman, the club having been strongly linked with a summer move for the Zambian of late.

However, Rangers face stiff competition in the race to sign him having attracted interest from French table-toppers Lille, who are reportedly set to launch a pre-contract move for Sakala.

What’re you waiting for Ross Wilson?

Just prior to deadline day at the end of the January transfer window, his former teammate Toby Sibbick said he’d be the perfect fit for the 54-time Scottish champions.

But while flattered by reports linking him with a move to Rangers, Sakala has played down transfer speculation about his future and recently insisted talks between the club and his representatives are “going well” over a contract extension.

The £1m-rated five-cap Zambia international is one of the most sought-after players in the Belgian top-flight, whilst his current contract runs until the end of the season, increasing the possibility of a cut-price deal in the summer.

Right-footed, he predominantly plays as a striker, but he’s adaptable and has been known to feature on the right wing if necessary.

He’s also confident on the ball, always playing with his head up and looking to find a teammate, which is important for the possession-heavy Gers – he currently averages at least one key pass per game, which is more than the likes of regular starters Glen Kamara and Steven Davis. But he’s much more comfortable cutting inside with his right foot, causing chaos inside the box, as opposed to holding the ball up.

It’s hardly surprising Gerrard seems to be a fan given his confidence in standing up defenders in one-on-one situations, a diminutive figure who generally gets the better of the opposition – as evidenced by his one dribble per 90 in the Jupiler Pro League.

With that being the case, Ross Wilson shouldn’t wait any longer. Bringing in a player like Sakala to play second-fiddle to the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe is surely a no-brainer at this point.

Lille’s emergence onto the scene as a serious player in this transfer chase for Sakala should surely prompt Wilson into making an immediate move from the Gers.

AND in other news, Latest Rangers off-field drama exposes glaring weakness amid investigation…

David Moyes should urge West Ham to test Sheffield United’s resolve with a bid for Aaron Ramsdale in the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to Claret & Hugh, the Hammers may look to sign Blades shot-stopper Ramsdale at the end of the season, should Chris Wilder fail to keep his side in the Premier League.

The Bramall Lane natives presently sit bottom of the table on 11 points after 26 games, 15 points behind 17th-placed Newcastle, having lost their last four and avoided defeat on just five occasions all term.

Ramsdale has started all 26 of Sheffield United’s top-flight fixtures since returning to South Yorkshire in an £18.5m deal last summer, re-joining his boyhood club from AFC Bournemouth three-and-a-half-years after moving to the south coast.

The 22-year-old presently has no desires to leave Bramall Lane for the foreseeable future, but he is expected to be the subject of a number of approaches if the Blades instigate a fire sale upon relegation.

“I want to build a rapport with my team-mates, my defenders and the fans for when they come in next year,” Ramsdale said on Sunday, via quotes by Yorkshire Live. “I have been on loan and only had the one season with Bournemouth.

“This is now time for me to kick on and whatever league we are in next year, I want to be part of it and help the team and be consistent every week.”

West Ham are likely to be in the market for a new goalkeeper in the next transfer window, with Lukasz Fabianski out of contract this summer while he and Darren Randolph will turn 36 and 34 respectively before the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

Should West Ham sign Ramsdale?

West Ham moving to sign Ramsdale if Sheffield United are relegated could be met with scepticism from supporters, given it will be the goalkeeper’s second relegation in as many seasons following Bournemouth falling out of the Premier League last term.

But Moyes should overlook any fears and test the Blades’ resolve, as the former England U21 international could be a wise pick up as the Irons likely look to add a younger pair of hands between the sticks.

While Ramsdale endured a tricky start to his second spell at Bramall Lane, he has begun to rediscover the form that saw Wilder target him as Dean Henderson’s replacement. He is also highly-rated by England manager Gareth Southgate and the Three Lions coaching staff.

Former Premier League star Shaka Hislop described Ramsdale as being “outstanding” for the Cherries last season, amid links with a possible switch to Chelsea. The ex-West Ham ‘keeper also suggested: “As a young goalkeeper, you are looking for weaknesses in his game. I don’t think he has an awful lot.”

Ramsdale has since been through his troubles this season but is coming out on the brighter side, despite Sheffield United’s terrible form, with Jurgen Klopp labelling him “incredible” after Liverpool beat the Blades 2-0 on Sunday.

The German was impressed by the shot-stopper’s display having pulled off what Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness claims were “saves he is not entitled to make”, the type of stops that would go down a treat at the London Stadium where Fabianski continues to make unbelievable saves.

Ramsdale also offers more saves per game (3.54) than Fabianski (2.88) so if Moyes is looking to go younger in goal, he should urge West Ham to test Sheffield United’s resolve.

AND in other news, West Ham have been slapped with a £20m asking price to sign an “outstanding” talent this summer…

Has there been a more disappointing signing in the Premier League than Willian?

The Brazil international crossed the London divide to join Arsenal from Chelsea, and after picking up two assists on his debut against Fulham, has been nothing short of disastrous since.

He hasn’t scored a single goal in 18 total appearances, and on Saturday night against Newcastle in the FA Cup third round, produced yet another shocking display for Mikel Arteta’s side.

As per Sofascore, his 6.5 match rating was the joint-worst of any Arsenal player on the pitch, and when you look at the stats, it’s easy to see why.

He won just two of the eight duels that he was involved in, didn’t hit the target with either of his shots (including one that he blazed over with his left foot from well inside the penalty box), completed no dribbles, and sent just one accurate cross in.

Eventually, Arteta decided to end his misery and took him off mid-way through the second-half, with his replacement, Bukayo Saka, playing a part in the Gunners’ opening goal.

And speaking after the game, Goal journalist Charles Watts slammed the Brazilian as “dreadful” and someone who is “becoming a real, real problem”.

With the north London side’s youngsters doing the job for Arteta, the Arsenal boss must surely axe the £13.5m-rated Willian from his team for the foreseeable future.

Whilst he’s on a three-year contract and on big wages, the Gunners will struggle to get rid of him on a permanent basis anytime soon, but one thing Arteta can do is just keep him away from the starting eleven.

Mike Ashley could put any fears of relegation to bed by sanctioning a deal for Newcastle United to sign AFC Bournemouth forward Joshua King in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to The Sun, King is proving to be a problem for a number of his potential suitors by demanding a mammoth £120,000-per-week contract to leave the Vitality Stadium this month.

Newcastle, Aston Villa and Fulham are all said to be tracking the Norway international’s situation, while Everton may shelve their plans to replace Cenk Tosun with King if he refuses to lower his demands as they only see the 29-year-old as a potential squad player.

Newcastle are happy to wait until the end of the season to welcome King to St. James’ Park as he is due to be a free agent in the summer, and thus avoid having to pay Bournemouth the rumoured £15m they are said to be demanding.

King believes he is deserving of a huge pay rise on his current £45k-p/w deal to leave Bournemouth this month, as he will be able to negotiate lucrative terms and a sizeable signing bonus if he leaves the south coast as a free agent like Ryan Fraser achieved last year.

Callum Wilson also joined the Magpies from the Cherries in the previous transfer window for £20m and signed a £46k-p/w contract.

King penning a £120k-p/w deal would make the Norway international Newcastle’s top-earner by some margin, with Joelinton currently the best-paid player on £86.5k-p/w terms.

Should Newcastle sign King?

Newcastle should do all they can to bring King to St. James’ Park in the January transfer window and reunite the forward with his former Bournemouth teammates Fraser and Wilson, as the 29-year-old may prove to be the difference between United being relegated or staying in the Premier League.

The Toon will well and truly be in a relegation fight if they lose at Arsenal on Monday night, where defeat or a draw will extend a six-game winless run in the top-flight that stretches to eight in all competitions after bowing out of the Carabao Cup and FA Cup.

Just seven points currently separate Newcastle from the drop zone, with no side claiming fewer points (2) than Steve Bruce’s men since the Toon last won a league game, while only Burnley, Southampton (3) and Fulham (2) have scored fewer goals (4).

King has struggled with injuries this season and tested positive for coronavirus, but struck twice and provided an assist in Bournemouth’s FA Cup win over Oldham earlier this month and once again offered creativity despite the Cherries losing 1-0 at home to Luton on Saturday.

The 29-year-old took a joint-game high three shots at the weekend and directed two on target (also a joint-game high), while delivering one of his side’s nine key passes as Jason Tindall saw the Cherries spread the creative burden evenly, per WhoScored.

King also made the second-most successful dribbles (2) among all who featured for either side with a 100% success rate, won two of his three aerial duels and offered two tackles from two attempts for the joint-second most by a Bournemouth player.

His performance was enough to take his seasonal averages to 1.0 shots, 0.6 key passes and 1.4 dribbles attempted a game, with efforts on goal every 44.9 minutes and a chance created every 74.8 minutes.

Wilson comparably offers a shot on goal every 47.5 minutes in the Premier League, where he is Newcastle’s top-scorer with eight goals in 15 games, and having another player who produces at a similar level could allow Ashley and Bruce to forget about facing relegation this season.

AND in other news, a £2m-rated Newcastle target’s potential has been questioned by his current side.

Pablo Fornals let David Moyes down miserably as West Ham were beaten 3-1 at home by Manchester United in Saturday night’s Premier League showdown.

The hosts made a lightning start with United vulnerable across the field throughout the first-half, as the Irons sought to capitalise on the opportunity of moving third with a win.

Tomas Soucek made the Hammers’ pressure pay just before the break with the go-ahead goal for his second of the season, but the Red Devils improved in the second period to flip the script through strikes from Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford.

Moyes had named a mostly unchanged line-up from the side which beat Aston Villa on Monday night with striker Sebastien Haller the only alteration, coming in for the injured Michail Antonio after a second hamstring strain of the season.

Fornals, rated at up to €40m (£36m) by Football Observatory, has opened all 11 of the east London outfit’s Premier League fixtures this term, yet departed the action in the 75th-minute on Saturday having failed to add a third goal or assist to his record.

Moyes has previously urged the £67,308-per-week Spaniard to offer a greater level of creativity at the London Stadium, feeling Fornals struggles to match his energy with the level of output needed.

“Pablo has done really well, he is a really likeable boy and he works incredibly hard for the team,” he said.

“We are always demanding more from him because we want him to contribute with assists and goals and he has been doing that. He’s been more involved, and I have to say, his energy and enthusiasm in training is incredible and we really like him.”

Fornals failed to end his drought at home to Manchester United, despite West Ham holding the advantage throughout the first half and the early periods of the second, to now be four games without a goal and seven without an assist.

The 24-year-old had plenty of chances to break Dean Henderson’s goal line, with the Red Devils’ shot-stopper called into action in the second minute to scurry away danger as the ball fell for a snapshot at the near post.

A Fornals header near the half-hour mark again left Henderson scrambling before the ball rippled the side netting from a tight angle, before enjoying his best chance of the half with a delicate effort aimed towards the bottom left only to see the ball rattle the post.

Fornals would walk off the pitch to be replaced by Said Benrahma in the second half as West Ham chased an equalising goal before Rashford settled the tie, having registered a total of three attempts on goal and one off the woodwork, per SofaScore, but having missed two big chances to score.

The £24million Manuel Pellegrini signing further let Moyes down with three unsuccessful dribble attempts, completed just 14 of 23 passes, delivered just one cross that was inaccurate, was caught offside once, lost possession 17 times and lost eight of nine duels.

Fornals’ sole successful duel came from one in six on the ground, helping the Hammers to drop to seventh in the table and could end the weekend as low as 12th depending on results elsewhere.

AND in other news, West Ham are at risk of losing out on a £1.2m bargain talent in a deal previously considered a “formality”.

It’s no secret a right winger is top of the list of priorities for Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the January transfer window, as per Duncan Castles on The Transfer Window podcast.

What’s the word?

The Red Devils have endured a turbulent start to the season so far but appeared to be back on track after back-to-back victories over Leeds United and Everton.

However, their progress has somewhat stalled after a 2-2 draw away at Premier League rivals Leicester City.

Solskjaer has previously warned that he is expected a quiet transfer market because of the financial pressures of the coronavirus pandemic.

But, perhaps in response to their inconsistency, coupled with their urgent need for a right winger, it seems Ed Woodward is still determined to make further additions to the squad, with Ivan Perisic firmly in their sights.

According to CalcioMercato, the Inter Milan winger is still of interest to United and the Serie A outfit are open to offloading the 31-year-old for a cut-price deal, believed to be somewhere in the region of €6.5m (£6m).

Tottenham Hotspur are also reported to be keen on landing the 6 ft 1 in versatile forward.

Last season, Perisic provided three goals and three assists in ten appearances in the Champions League during his time on loan at Bayern Munich, via WhoScored.

Huge upgrade on Daniel James

To put that into context, that’s more than Daniel James has managed across all competitions so far this season, as per WhoScored.

It goes without saying that the right wing has become somewhat of a problematic issue at Old Trafford with James fading away after a bright start to his United career.

Solskjaer got rid of Antonio Valencia last year and the club have never fully recovered from the Alexis Sanchez saga, though they hastily tried to rectify their mistake by signing Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellistri in the summer.

It’s no surprise, then, that the club legend is looking at experienced reinforcements as James simply isn’t fit for purpose. Just six goals and seven assists in 43 games is awfully shocking by anyone’s standards, let alone a player who has drawn comparisons with Gareth Bale.

In Perisic, Woodward could land Solskjaer a player who is capable of filling the void left by the likes of Angel di Maria and Nani.

The Croatian veteran even claimed the club came “very close” to signing him during Jose Mourinho’s time in charge at Old Trafford, although the least said about that, the better.

Whilst he has yet to hit the same heights he enjoyed on loan last season, he has still performed at a decent enough level this season so far – one goal and two assists in 13 games in Serie A, while he is averaging 1.1 shots and key passes per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, James has barely managed even one key pass on average per game in the Premier League, as per WhoScored.

There’s no doubt Perisic would be a significant upgrade on most if not all of the wide options available to Solskjaer at the moment despite his age.

AND in other news, Solskjaer must force Man Utd to sign Moises Caicedo from Independiente del Valle…

Times are tough for Celtic currently. They are in a rough patch as their last three games have seen them lose two and draw one.

The mood hasn’t been great, with the Hoops receiving a lot of criticism, so it is vital that Neil Lennon reverses the slump sooner rather than later, especially in the Premiership as they are six points behind first place.

However, there is some positive news coming out of UEFA which might make Lennon’s objectives slightly easier to achieve.

UEFA’s breaking news which benefits Celtic

Sky Sports journalist Pete O’Rourke reported: ‘Scottish Premiership clubs have received a major boost as UEFA confirmed Scotland will have two spots in the Champions League qualifying round next season.’

This ruling has come at the perfect time for Lennon

With the recent run of poor results, and Rangers opening up a commanding lead in the Premiership at the early stages, the Hoops would be worried if only one Champions League qualifying spot were available.

However, some of the pressure on Lennon may be eased, knowing that second would at least be good enough for Celtic to get into the qualifiers for Europe’s flagship club competition.

Having won the last nine Premiership titles to get into the Champions League annually, at least the Hoops would have that as a safety net for next season if they finish second domestically this time around.

In other Celtic news, a former Scotland manager has criticised one Hoops star following his poor form. Have a read of the article here!

Loads of Manchester United fans have been left fuming as no supporters will be allowed into Old Trafford as Greater Manchester will be placed in Tier 3 restrictions after the national lockdown ends, meaning that sports events in the area must still be played behind closed doors.

As per Sky Sports, clubs in the Premier League who play in Liverpool and London, in addition to Brighton and Southampton, will be allowed to have some fans back into their grounds after the lockdown period is over, while the Red Devils, along with Manchester City, Aston Villa, Leicester City, Newcastle United, Leeds United, Sheffield United, West Brom and Wolves will be unable to have fans back in person.

Several Man United supporters have not taken the news well as they will not be able to go to the stadium to watch their club play, while others questioned as to why the rules are not the same across the country.

Manchester United fans react to news

These Man Utd fans fumed upon reading about the news on Twitter, with one supporter even claiming that it is a ‘joke’:

In other news, find out as to why fans are speculating that Cristiano Ronaldo could be returning to MUFC here!

Manchester United travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday for one of the most hotly anticipated clashes of the Premier League season so far.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side struggled to beat Brighton convincingly in the Premier League last weekend and they will be determined to make amends.

Although the Red Devils routed Brighton in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, Solskjaer will surely ring several changes when his side travel to north London to take on Tottenham.

Here at Football FanCast, we have worked on a predicted XI which sees Solskjaer make nine changes to the side that squashed the Seagulls in the cup…

The club legend could decide to make as many as nine changes to the team for the trip to north London.

David de Gea has copped a fair amount of criticism over the past couple of years including from Roy Keane and the Spaniard hardly did himself any favours at all after he came off the line when facing a penalty in the defeat to Crystal Palace.

He looks short of confidence and Dean Henderson could retain his place instead in front of a back four. The 23-year-old still hasn’t featured in the Premier League despite signing a new deal over the summer, but impressed once again in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, earning lots of praise from United legend Andy Cole.

Club captain Harry Maguire will mostly likely slot back into place alongside Victor Lindelof and they could be joined by Luke Shaw at left-back and Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the opposite flank.

Nemanja Matic comes back into the fray following a well-deserved rest while Paul Pogba returns to the starting lineup after he came off the bench to score late on against Brighton.

This means there is no place for Scott McTominay even though he opened the scoring at the AMEX Stadium on Wednesday night.

Bruno Fernandes will probably assume his rightful place further up the pitch in the number ten position with Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford getting a chance to show what they can do on the wings once more.

Meanwhile Odion Ighalo will make way for Anthony Martial. The 20-cap French international, who finished the 2019/20 campaign as the club’s top scorer after netting 23 in all competitions, has yet to find his feet so far this season.

AND in other news, Leeds target Dan James wants Old Trafford stay…