All posts by h716a5.icu

Tottenham Hotspur were dealt a sickening blow even though their recent unbeaten run continued with a draw to local rivals West Ham United in the Premier League.

Heung-min Son opened the scoring in the first minute before Harry Kane quickly netted a brace in an emphatic first-half. It’s been their world and we’re just living in it lately.

Although, the visitors clawed their way back with three goals in the final eight minutes to condemn Jose Mourinho to just a point.

Kane will rightfully take the plaudits for Spurs but an absolute scorcher from Manuel Lanzini with effectively the last kick of the game puts an awfully sour note on things.

Not everyone in a white shirt was at the races like the Englishman though, none more so than rarely-seen winger Steven Bergwijn, who failed to make the most of his rare opportunity to start.

Having missed the Manchester United mauling, it was the Dutchman’s first start in the league this season and he won’t have impressed Jose Mourinho one bit with his largely anonymous and lightweight showing.

The 23-year-old was hauled off just after the 70th-minute mark to make way for the Welsh superstar’s second Spurs debut, but it was hardly a surprise.

He was graded as one of the team’s worst players by SofaScore with a dismal 6.3 rating. He failed to register a single key pass, cross or shot on target whilst Bergwijn also lost possession ten times and won just 44% of his duels both aerially and on the ground.

Given he was up against Arthur Masuaku, who recorded an even worse rating (5.9), it was certainly a dreadful performance all round.

Valued at a whopping €70m (£63.5m) by CIES Football Observatory, Bergwijn simply cannot afford displays like this with not just Bale breathing down his neck, but Lucas Moura too.

He let Mourinho down badly after the Special One trusted him to start the game over the aforementioned duo and it could be quite a while before he’s given another start in the top-flight going by that shocker.

AND in other news, “FREAK of a talent” must reinvent himself or become Jose’s next De Bruyne…

Tottenham Hotspur have lost just one of their last 14 matches in all competitions, but during that run, Jose Mourinho’s men have kept just two clean sheets.

It’s a recurring issue from last season given they had the second-worst defensive record of any top seven club in the Premier League – and since then, they have lost Jan Vertonghen and Juan Foyth centrally with only inexperienced future talent Joe Rodon coming through the door.

Perhaps Daniel Levy ought to make a move for a new colossus in the January window to give Spurs a genuine chance of contending for the title in this surprising campaign.

Just maybe they could revisit Ozan Kabak…

What’s the word?

According to Turkish journalist Ekrem Konur in July, Spurs were in negotiations to sign the 20-year-old, which was backed up by the reliable Alasdair Gold, who claimed in a Q&A with Football.London that Kabak was a player they have been watching.

It’s thought that the young powerhouse has a release clause of €45m (£40m), as per Bild (via BuliNews). However, the German newspaper now believes the Turkey international will be able to leave Schalke 04 for a cut-price of just €20m (£18m).

The Bundesliga side won’t be able to refuse any bids this time around due to the financial ramifications of the pandemic.

Go in again?

A potential target available on the cheap? Levy ought to be all over this come January.

The young central defender is one of the most promising talents in the position in Europe right now – in three Bundesliga appearances this season, Kabak has averaged 3.7 clearances, 3.3 aerial duels won, 2.7 dribbles, 1.7 shots and one tackle per game, via WhoScored.

It’s no wonder that his idol is Virgil van Dijk as he very much appears to be in a similar mould. You only have to look at how the Dutchman has transformed Liverpool’s fortunes to see why a move at centre-back is one that needs to be made in N17.

The 20-year-old has also been likened to Sergio Ramos due to his “sound in-game radar and a deceptively quick turn of pace.” He is also noted to be “powerful in the air and with a great sense of timing.”

Titan-like.

Whilst Stuttgart’s former sporting director Michael Reschke labelled Kabak as “one of the most promising young defenders in Europe.”

He has also been dubbed a “role model,” “astonishing,” and “mature” by former Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger, very glowing indeed.

It’s clear that Mourinho doesn’t have faith Davinson Sanchez at all, omitting him from their last three Premier League squads, and with Rodon not ready to feature, a move for Kabak would make the world of sense.

Say bye-bye to the Colombian with this £18m bargain on offer.

AND in other news, 97 touches, 22% duels won: Jose badly let down by abysmal £45m-rated Spurs lightweight…

Jose Mourinho can finally finish Daniel Levy’s long-drawn quest to clinch silverware with Tottenham Hotspur thanks to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s instant success in north London.

The midfielder joined Spurs in a £15million deal from Southampton this summer, after Mourinho identified Hojbjerg as a player he believed was capable of bringing leadership to a side he accused of lacking grit.

Everton were also keen on the Danish international but Hojbjerg rebuffed the Goodison Park natives and made it clear he wished to leave the south coast for the capital, where he has since failed to feature in just one of 16 fixtures across all competitions.

Former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand firmly believes Hojbjerg was Spurs’ best piece of business in the summer market, having heaped praise on Mourinho for signing a true game-changer for Tottenham.

“Hojbjerg – an absolutely massive signing for Jose,” Ferdinand said on Rio Ferdinand Presents Five.

“You have to give him huge, huge, huge credit identifying him – he is going to come here, and he is going to be the breaker, the person that sits in there, does all the nasty work, the hard jobs, stops the other teams from playing, pass it to the people like the Kanes and the Sons to go and do their bits of magic.”

It is hard to argue with Ferdinand’s assessment, as Hojbjerg has proven to be a true game-changer in north London by instilling the leadership and grit that Mourinho sought so much.

The Special One even noted last month how Hojbjerg acts like a captain without the armband, after soldiering on after requiring stitches following a head clash in Tottenham’s 3-0 win over LASK in the Europa League.

Even after the 21st-minute blow, the 25-year-old pulled off an audacious piece of skill that left Mourinho considering Hojbjerg and France icon Zinedine Zidane in the same breath.

“We were having a laugh at half-time and we were all calling him Zidane. Very nice but don’t do it again Pierre!” Mourinho said, via quotes by Goal.

“He’s a very good player, a good leader and a captain without the armband.”

Hojbjerg’s commitment to doing the dirty work in the centre of the pitch to help his side in whatever way needed has helped to his instant success, and can prove to be a deciding factor in Mourinho living up to his word, having declared earlier in the year that he will win trophies at Tottenham against claims his best days are in the past.

It is also why the €40m-rated (£36m) powerhouse has started all nine of Spurs’ top-flight fixtures and ranks third for successful tackles (29), sixth for clearances (18), 12th for ground duels won (40) and 14th for aerial duels won (12) by all Premier League midfielders this term, per SofaScore, as Mourinho’s men sit top of the table with the division’s best defensive record.

AND in other news, an £80k-p/w Spurs man’s struggles may have re-opened the door for a “perfect” outcast to return.

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…

Whilst Southampton have enjoyed a superb start to the Premier League season, currently occupying fifth place in the top-flight ahead of the weekend’s fixtures, Moussa Djenepo’s performances may be a cause for concern for Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The 22-year-old winger has been a regular in the Austrian’s side in the absence of Nathan Redmond but has just one goal and no assists in his eight appearances in the top-flight so far this season (per WhoScored).

Since joining from Standard Liege in the summer of 2019, the tricky winger has made 29 appearances for the Saints, contributing just three goals and two assists (per Transfermarkt).

Although this is not the most impressive record, the youngster has shown that he is capable of winning games for Southampton all by himself, with his two individually superb goals against Sheffield United and Brighton earning Hasenhuttl’s side wins last season.

His goal against the Blades earned him a lot of praise from Redmond, with his teammate saying:

“He is a super-talented boy who is so open-minded and eager to learn every single day. He gets on well with everybody and has fitted in so well. I think that’s allowed to be free and almost naïve when he gets the ball because he wants to go and show people what he’s got which helps us out as a team.” (per Daily Echo)

However, with Redmond having returned from injury in the Saints’ recent win against Brighton, Djenepo could soon find himself out of Hasenhutt’s first team, unless his performances improve.

During the game against Graham Potter’s side, the Mali international showed his inexperience at times, as he was booked early on but made some risky challenges after the caution, before being taken off at half-time.

He also struggled to offer much from both an attacking and a defensive point of view, which makes you wonder how long the Austrian manager will keep faith in Djenepo to be a starter in his team.

The winger has certainly shown that he can beat a man with his excellent trickery and dribbling ability, but he needs to work on doing that more consistently, as well as producing a better end product if he wants to keep his place in the Southampton first-team.

And, in other news… Southampton can sign their next Mane in “explosive” speed-demon

After the kind of awful run Nottingham Forest were on before their clash against Norwich on Wednesday night, even the most optimistic of fans probably headed into the game with little to feel confident about.And so it proved. Chris Hughton’s side slipped to yet another defeat, losing 2-1 to the Canaries, and they really are in the midst of a relegation battle.But whilst they’re having some serious troubles trying to find some attacking rhythm – they’ve managed just ten league goals all season – they haven’t been much better at the other end either.

Stuck in lockdown? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

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Wednesday’s clash against Norwich was yet another reminder why the club may have made a huge mistake in not allowing Tobias Figueiredo leave the club in the summer.

Reports from The Athletic a couple of months ago suggested that the centre-back was the most likely departure from the club, and that he was “understood to be keen on the idea of a return to his native Portugal for non-football related reasons”.

Based on his performance against Norwich, and his form all season, they really should have cashed in. As per Sofascore, he won just four duels all night, made just one tackle, and had no interceptions whatsoever.

Add that to the fact he can suffer from a lapse in concentration at the back, and it’s become so obvious that Hughton desperately needs to make a decision on the defender.

According to Whoscored, he’s averaged a measly 6.63 match rating per game in the Championship, and with the January transfer window right around the corner, now might be the perfect time to get rid.

Meanwhile, Forest must surely start this rising star over the coming weeks.

Glasgow Rangers go into this weekend’s Scottish Premiership fixtures off the back of their first defeat of the season against St Mirren in the Betfred Cup, with Conor McCarthy scoring a dramatic injury-time winner to dump Steven Gerrard’s side out of the competition.

Now Rangers will be looking to bounce back strongly after their League Cup exit and will want to make short work of the Steelmen, who currently occupy fifth place in the top flight.

A defeat at home to Motherwell could pose some uncomfortable questions for the Light Blues as their lead over their arch-rivals Celtic would start to shrink, which is precisely why Gerrard’s side simply cannot afford to slip up once again.

The visitors also suffered a defeat to St Mirren last time out, whilst they have failed to secure a point from three out of their past four games in a row.

But the Glasgow giants have problems of their own to deal with, as Alfredo Morelos has been hit with a two-match ban by the SFA after Rangers decided not to appeal a charge for violent conduct after he caught Dundee United defender Mark Connolly in the face during the win at Tannadice on Sunday, which means he will miss the Premiership clash with Motherwell at the weekend.

Perhaps it’s about time the Ibrox boss unleashes Jermain Defoe to restore order at the top of the table.

It’s a decision he should’ve been considering for quite some time, especially when you consider the fact that Morelos has failed to score in the top flight since September.

Defoe didn’t even feature against Dundee, so the wily veteran striker will surely be chomping at the bit to stake his claim for a place in the starting line-up, having been handed just a handful of minutes during the midweek defeat to St Mirren.

The 38-year-old has been recently described as a “top professional” by Rangers coach Michael Beale, who also added he is “a role model for younger players.”

Defoe has delivered two goals and an assist in six games in the Premiership so far this season, while he also averages 1.3 shots per game, via WhoScored.

In two games against Motherwell, the former England international has bagged one goal and two assists in the top flight, according to Transfermarkt.

His ability to play short passes and bring others into play could be something Gerrard needs to call upon against Steven Robinson’s side, which is why he must start upfront for the Gers, especially if he is to get the best out of Ryan Kent and Kemar Roofe alongside him.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must reward Glen Kamara with a new contract…

West Ham United target Oleksandr Zinchenko gave David Moyes plenty of reasons to walk away from a potential deal for the Manchester City left-back, by producing a shaky display in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final win over rivals Manchester United.

Pep Guardiola kept the 24-year-old in his starting line-up for the midweek meeting at Old Trafford, having recalled Zinchenko for Sunday’s win at Chelsea after more than two months out of the Sky Blues’ Premier League side.

Reliable insider ExWHUemployee revealed last month that Zinchenko was a potential target for the London Stadium outfit in the January transfer window after Moyes lost Arthur Masuaku for the foreseeable following knee surgery, while reports claimed Guardiola is open to offers.

Man City were believed to be prepared to listen to bids for Zinchenko this month after initially falling out of favour at the Etihad Stadium, with Southampton and Leicester City also keen to monitor the former Wolverhampton Wanderers target’s situation.

Zinchenko now appears to be back in Guardiola’s good backs after two successive starts across all competitions for the first time since October, yet was far from the star of the show as the Citizens secured their place in the Carabao Cup final.

The £18m-rated left-back endured more than his fair share of shaky moments up against Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with Zinchenko often lacking the physical presence needed to contain Manchester United’s right-sided options.

He struggled to contain Anthony Martial at set-pieces, too, but produced a bright moment in the 24th-minute to feed Phil Foden through to score, only to see the strike ruled out for offside.

All in all, Zinchenko ended the night with success in just one of his eight combined duels for a measly success rate of 12%, having lost each of his three battles on the ground and four of his five aerial contests, per SofaScore.

He additionally lost possession 12 times, failed to complete his only attempted dribble, made no successful tackles, was dribbled past twice, recorded no clearances or blocked shots and registered just one interception.

The defender was often safe in possession with 79 completed passes from 89 attempts having seen the ball frequently for 102 touches, but struggled to offer any real accuracy at range with six of his nine long balls failing to find a teammate.

Zinczenko’s performance will have offered Moyes plenty of reasons why West Ham should walk away from any interest in the Ukraine international, should the former Manchester United boss look to acquire a new left-back to replace Masuaku.

AND in other news: “Problem in the dressing room” – Exclusive: Pundit issues stark warning on £9m-rated West Ham target…

Glasgow Rangers legend Derek Ferguson has recently claimed Leeds United may have revived their interest in Ryan Kent, but the 54-time Scottish champions simply can’t afford to let go of their star man in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

Steven Gerrard confirmed Rangers rejected a £10m bid for Kent from Leeds United in the summer and insisted he is not for sale.

However, Marcelo Bielsa is a big admirer of the 24-year-old, and Ferguson believes their pursuit of Aberdeen’s Scott Wright could signal an Ibrox exit for Kent.

He told the Open Goal podcast: “The other thing is, we don’t know what’s happening behind the scenes at Rangers. Is somebody coming in for Kent?

“There obviously has been interest from Leeds United at certain times so maybe there’s something happening there. Maybe they look at (Wright) as a replacement.”

Even though Leeds find themselves ensconced in the middle of the Premier League table, they are on the lookout to strengthen their squad by adding more pace and power to their attack.

Both Manchester City loanee Jack Harrison and Brazilian Raphinha have been in decent form this season, as The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smythe has explained, but it seems the newly-promoted club are on the hunt for a new winger, as they have been linked to all and sundry, including Adama Traore and Michael Olise.

But Kent could be next on their agenda and despite Victor Orta’s recent claims that the 54-time Scottish champions were difficult to deal with, Bielsa is still a big fan.

However, from Rangers’ perspective, Kent is a first-team starter they simply cannot afford to lose.

Stand firm

It goes without saying that Kent is far too important for their prospects of getting their hands on the title for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

Other than James Tavernier, no player has made more goal contributions than Kent in all competitions, having bagged six goals and 11 assists this season so far, via Transfermarkt. Whilst that might not seem like a lot, when you consider the fact that only five other players have scored more goals than Kent, his creative influence becomes all the more apparent.

Just to give you a better understanding of his importance, Gerrard once described him as being “fantastic to work with” after he was named the Scottish Premiership Player of the Month in September last year.

If Kent were to leave for Leeds United, his departure would create a gaping hole on the left-hand side of their attack, as it’s fair to say that neither Brandon Barker nor Jordan Jones currently meet the requirements.

Indeed, both back-up options out wide have offered very little in terms of end product when it comes to the final third, with just three goals between them this season, as per Transfermarkt, which suggests that they would be incapable of filling Kent’s boots should he depart Ibrox in the near future.

Without wanting to sound too dramatic, whilst Leeds could land themselves quite a coup, it would be nothing short of a disaster for Gerrard to lose one of his most prized assets at the halfway stage of the season. After all, there are simply no other options out there.

AND in other news, Rangers dealt huge transfer blow over Siriki Dembele, Wilson must act now…

When Phil Parkinson was still in charge of Sunderland, it looked as though Aiden McGeady’s time in the northeast was done and dusted.

He was alienated from the side in late 2019 and after a loan spell with Charlton, his days at Sunderland were seemingly numbered. Before December, the 34-year-old hadn’t played for the Mackems for over a year.

Thus, the arrival of Lee Johnson was a turning point. McGeady had started to train with the squad but was thrown back into the matchday squad on Johnson’s first day in the hot seat.

It’s hard to say Sunderland haven’t benefited from this either. The dazzling winger has two goals and two assists in his nine outings this term, but he saved one of his best performances of the campaign for Shrewsbury.

Previously described as “unstoppable” by Celtic boss Neil Lennon, the Irishman summed up all of those qualities on Saturday in their 1-0 win.

He was a radiant ball of energy, proving to be a constant thorn in the opposition’s defence. What typified his display, however, was a wonderful assist for Charlie Wyke’s goal.

McGeady was faced with Ro-Shaun Williams in his way but he dismantled him with sensational quick feet before bombing down the left. He got to the byline and then picked out Wyke who found the far corner with a tremendous header.

It was a goal that rolled back the years. On so many occasions we’ve seen McGeady race down the line with a piece of sparkling individual quality. It was a defiant message, one that demonstrated he still has plenty to offer to the Black Cats.

He gave Williams a torrid afternoon. Despite completing just 15 passes all day, the veteran attacker succeeded with three of his four dribbles – the most of anyone on either team.

The flanker won four of the duels he contested which happened to be just two less than the imperious figure of Bailey Wright.

McGeady quietened in the second half but such was his display that Williams was substituted. The right wing-back committed two fouls and didn’t win a single tackle, something that only elevates how impressive Sunderland’s attacker was.

For a man who looked like he had no future at the Stadium of Light, this has been some turnaround. He stole the show from an attacking point of view on Saturday and is undoubtedly still one of the most dangerous players in the division.

For context, McGeady has completed 1.6 dribbles per game – that’s the sixth highest tally in League One for anyone to play more than five matches. He is a real weapon.

AND in other news, Sunderland must swoop for 20 y/o gem who terrorised £44m worth of talent last month…