All posts by n8rngtd.top

Southampton fans are delighted after journalist Adam Blackmore revealed Ibrahima Diallo, Kyle Walker-Peters and Takumi Minamino all have a chance of playing this weekend.

The Saints face Sheffield United on Saturday as they look to get back to winning ways – they have won just one of their last 14 games in the Premier League (Sky Sports). After a positive start to the season, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men have struggled to deal with a huge number of injuries.

However, there appears to be some positive news ahead of the clash with the Blades. Blackmore has revealed on Twitter that the aforementioned trio are all back in training and should be available this weekend. Minamino could provide a spark up front while Diallo and Walker-Peters would look to bring some much-needed stability at the back.

The St. Mary’s Stadium outfit’s fans were delighted with this update, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the update from Blackmore below

“Finally. #SaintsFC”

Credit: @AdamAzor

“lovely stuff adam”

Credit: @sfcbilly_

“Great news.”

Credit: @Jan92539644

“FINALLY some positive news! #SaintsFC”

Credit: @C0AKESY

“Lovely”

Credit: @RitchieM03

“Finally some positive news”

Credit: @RhysTheSaint

In other news, Southampton enquire about this top Premier League striker.

Many Liverpool fans reacted in their droves to the latest update from the well-respected journalist from The Times, Paul Joyce.

He posted on Friday morning that captain Jordan Henderson has undergone surgery for the groin injury that he picked up against Everton and is “likely” to be out for up to eight weeks.

The 30-year-old joins the lengthy list of first-team names that are occupying the Anfield treatment room, with another central defensive option out of action.

Henderson has been covering the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip in an attempt to ease Jurgen Klopp’s headache – but has suffered a similar fate to his teammates, albeit not as severe.

With this in mind, supporters were devastated by the update on his fitness, with some suggesting that the 2020/21 campaign should be “null and void.”

Familiar feelings of injury woes for these fans

“Weekend in ruins and its 9 am on Friday.”

Credit: @andy_lane

“Thanks Paul, ruined the weekend”

Credit: @perryh

“just null and void the season. for the love of God.”

Credit: @StateOfReds13

“Cursed”

Credit: @dannyb96

“Season is well and truly done and dusted”

Credit: @RedOesterCult

“LORD MAKE IT STOP”

Credit: @kyannaskrdj

“Championship here we come”

Credit: @haavardanm

In other news, Liverpool loanee hailed as “excellent” after featuring out of natural position.

David Moyes has confirmed that West Ham United will boast a near fully-fit squad when they travel to Fulham on Saturday looking to do the double over their London rivals.

The Irons beat the Cottagers 1-0 when the sides met in November, with a 91st-minute strike from Tomas Soucek all that could separate the two after Ademola Lookman’s Panenka-style penalty was easily saved by Lukasz Fabianski.

The result ended a three-game winless run for West Ham and sparked a turn of fortunes that has helped the Hammers push for a European qualifying berth for next season, while Fulham have won just one of their following 13 Premier League fixtures.

Moyes will hope he can extend Scott Parker’s dire run when the Hammers visit Craven Cottage on Saturday. And, with that in mind, here’s a potential XI West Ham could field…

Moyes will not be expected to tinker too much with his starting line-up at Fulham this weekend with West Ham only losing once in 2021, claiming seven wins in eight across all competitions.

The one change the former Manchester United boss is likely to make will come in midfield with Ryan Fredericks stepping aside for Jarrod Bowen to return, after the £40,000-per-week defender featured against Aston Villa to provide additional support for Vladimir Coufal against Jack Grealish.

Bowen fell out of the side as a result but would doubt a second game on the bench, having scored five goals in 22 top-flight appearances to date this term – only Soucek (8) has found the back of the net more often for the Irons.

Fulham do not possess players with the same skill as Aston Villa’s £100m talisman Grealish, so Moyes would be expected to go for the jugular rather than play things cautiously at Craven Cottage.

This opens the door for the tantalising prospect of a front four featuring Bowen beside Michail Antonio, Said Benrahma and midweek hero Jesse Lingard, who scored a brace on his Hammers debut following a late winter move from Manchester United on loan.

The quartet will also be joined by November’s match-winner Soucek and his pre-emptive runs into the box, and offered cover by Declan Rice in front of West Ham’s back four.

West Ham will be expected to name an unchanged defence of Aaron Cresswell, Angelo Ogbonna, Craig Dawson and Coufal with Fabianski in goal against Fulham.

Dawson endured a difficult night against Aston Villa in midweek, but had scored his side’s third in a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace last month and found the back of the net against Liverpool for his third goal for the Irons since joining on loan from Watford.

Arthur Masuaku remains sidelined after knee surgery but is Moyes’ only absentee for West Ham’s visit to Craven Cottage, and has returned to light training ahead of a potential return next month.

AND in other news, David Moyes can give a £3.5m-rated outcast a new lease of life at West Ham with one decision…

One of Daniel Levy’s summer transfer decisions has turned out to be an absolute stroke of genius for Tottenham Hotspur.

Spurs needed a back-up striker to play second fiddle to Harry Kane before the 2020/21 season got underway and as a result, they were mooted with many names across Europe.

Indeed, the north London outfit suffered in the Englishman’s absence last term – following his injury on New Year’s Day, they crashed out of both the FA Cup and Champions League and only won three of eight matches in the Premier League.

On his return, he bagged seven goals, five of which coming in the final three matches to launch Spurs into European qualification.

So to ensure that didn’t happen again, a new forward was high on the agenda – eventually, they settled with a very wise loan-to-buy deal involving Benfica colossus Carlos Vinicius.

His hat-trick in the FA Cup last weekend showed exactly why they got the decision right. In resting Kane, the Brazilian powerhouse stepped up to the plate, making it six goals and three assists from only ten appearances this campaign, per Transfermarkt.

But it could’ve been so much different as Spurs were among the names linked with a move for former Gent talisman Jonathan David.

After scoring 23 times last term, it’s no surprise to see why so many teams were keen to sign him, including the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, though it would be Ligue 1 outfit Lille that won the race, splashing out a record €30m (£27m).

Levy can count his lucky stars that he didn’t sanction that sort of transfer as he’s quickly become a massive flop. David has clearly struggled with the difference in quality between the Belgian top-flight and one of Europe’s elite five leagues.

He has scored just twice all season and has failed to bag in the Europa League despite starting all six group games, per Transfermarkt. The 21-year-old has seen a decrease in shots and dribbles per game in the competition too, which reinforces the above viewpoint.

We’ve seen in recent windows that the likes of Wesley and Mbwana Samatta struggled to hit the ground running in the Premier League, so it is certainly a bullet dodged for Spurs.

Despite being dubbed a “phenomenon” by former coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck, David has cost Lille around £14m per goal, when also factoring in his reported £46.5k-per-week wages.

A total waste of money.

Even Vincent Janssen was more worth his salt despite a tumultuous stint in N17 – in a largely bit-part role, he scored six goals in 42 appearances having cost a fraction of the price at £17m.

Could you imagine if Levy pulled the trigger at £27m only for him to struggle behind Kane?

That would have been devastating, all in comparison to the shrewd acquisition of Vinicius, who is only costing a €3m (£2.7m) loan fee upfront with an option of €45m (£40m) as per Benfica’s official statement, via The Sun.

Six goals for just £2.7m upfront looks a masterstroke in comparison to David costing Lille £14m per goal thus far.

Levy certainly dodged a massive bullet in not following through with Spurs’ interest in the Canadian flop this summer.

AND in other news, £140kp/w “revelation” was SO costly in Spurs’ draw with Fulham…

Liverpool crashed out of the FA Cup and continued their dreadful start to the new year as they were beaten 3-2 by Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

A brace from Mohamed Salah was not enough for Jurgen Klopp’s side, as goals from Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes earned the home side the victory, to set up a fifth-round tie with West Ham.

Whilst young Rhys Williams struggled on his return to the side, it was perhaps the performance of Andrew Robertson that will concern Jurgen Klopp the most, with the Scottish international nowhere near his best on Sunday afternoon.

As per SofaScore, the left-back would pick up a dreadful 5.9 rating for his display, which was the second-worst of any player on the pitch, with only Williams rated lower.

The 26-year-old was caught way out of position for United’s first goal of the game and couldn’t get back to stop Greenwood from scoring, and resorted to shouting at the young forward, presumably in an attempt to put him off.

It seems as if Greenwood had the better of Robertson throughout the game, as he was rated as United’s best player, earning an 8.3/10 for his performance.

The former Hull City man was also dribbled past on four occasions, suggesting that he struggled defensively during the game at Old Trafford.

Robertson also failed to win any of his five duels during the game, meaning he was the only outfield player from either team who started the game and didn’t win a single duel.

The £67.5 million-rated left-back also struggled when going forwards, as he lost possession on 11 occasions, played no key passes and failed to find a Liverpool shirt with any of his crosses.

For comparison, the Scottish defender has averaged 1.9 key passes per game in the Premier League this season, emphasising that United were able to completely nullify his attacking threat on Sunday afternoon.

Therefore, whilst Williams struggled, he is only 19-years-old and was thrown into a pressure situation by Klopp so it was always going to be tough for him, whereas Robertson has plenty of experience in these sorts of matches but he also produced a really poor display, one that Klopp would not have been expecting.

And, in other news… one ex-PL player suggests Klopp should try to re-sign this former Liverpool star…

If Leeds conclude any transfer business this month it would be somewhat surprising.

After the sagas surrounding both Daniel James and Jean-Kevin Augustin in recent years, it’s a feared time for both Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they shouldn’t get the cheque book out.

What’s the word?

Leeds have been linked with a number of players in recent days from PSG star Julian Draxler to promising Toulouse midfielder Kouadio Kone.

Adding bodies in that part of the pitch is clearly a priority if you believe reports. The Whites, of course, failed to sign Michael Cuisance in the summer after he failed a medical so perhaps Orta is looking for cover in that third of the pitch once again.

One target that’s emerged on the Whites’ radar is one of the stars of the Championship; Michael Olise.

The Reading attacking midfielder has an £8m release clause in his contract and according to The Sun, Leeds are one of the sides who could look to trigger it.

Unfortunately, they face competition with Crystal Palace now said to be leading the race to sign him this year.

Hernandez heir

This would be an exceptional piece of business from Orta if he can pull it off. To sign one of the most impressive young talents in the Championship for just £8m would be an almighty coup and he simply needs to get it done.

Draxler might be the more eye-catching transfer in January but considering his wages of £119k-a-week, he’d set the club back significantly.

Thus, Olise offers a cut-price option and someone that can allow them to build for the future. With Pablo Hernandez’s contract expiring at the end of the campaign, the Leeds target has the chance to be his perfect successor. His football brain is immense and he has the ability to pick passes that very few players at Championship level can achieve.

Speaking to The Athletic about the 19-year-old, former Reading manager Jose Gomes said: “Michael is really special. He can see, even before receiving the ball, more options than regular players. His technical ability and speed, decision capacity is really, really good.”

He is a lot younger than Hernandez but the ability to make quick decisions on the field is something that’s made the Leeds playmaker such a standout individual.

The Spaniard produced nine assists last season and Olise is well on his way to achieving a similar number. He’s already got eight this term and has scored a further four goals.

Olise is as dynamic as they come and would be perfect for Leeds’ high tempo style of football. Orta must sign him.

AND in other news, Leeds eye swoop for £16k-p/w flop, Orta could repeat their Jean-Kevin Augustin howler…

Celtic have a golden opportunity to resurrect their turbulent season as they face Hearts this afternoon on the road. The Championship side will host the struggling Hoops in what could turn out to be another historic achievement for Neil Lennon and his men.

The two will lock horns in the Scottish Cup final and a win for Celtic will see them secure the ‘quadruple treble’. But they mustn’t underestimate Hearts. The Bhoys have had a wretched time trying to keep up with Rangers in the league this season, currently trailing by a hefty 13 points.

Lennon may have to make peace with the fact he will not finish top of the Premiership this term, but he can rectify his mistakes by guiding his team to some silverware this afternoon.

Football FanCast has predicted how he will set up to face Hearts later today…

After stepping up the plate in Celtic’s hour of need, Conor Hazard has more than earned the opportunity to start against Hearts today. Whilst Scott Bain and Vasilis Barkas have both disappointed this boss this season, the reserve ‘keeper has come to his team’s aid. Hazard should be one of the first names on the team-sheet.

Lennon’s usual back three should start in order to give the 22-year-old shot-stopper some confidence. Just in front of them, Scott Brown could return to the lineup in order to rally his troops and provide that sense of authority in the middle of the park.

But alongside him we could see Ismaila Soro return after impressing in his last two games. This means that the £20,000 per week Callum McGregor will take a rare seat on the bench. He has started every single game for the Bhoys this season, but Lennon could be looking to seriously shake things up.

Diego Laxalt missed out on a starting spot against Kilmarnock, but he should return today. On the opposite flank however, Ryan Christie may feature whilst the fruitful attacker in David Turnbull could start just ahead of him.

Football FanCast recently fought the corner of Leigh Griffiths, who could be looking at his final season of seeing much of the Celtic action. The least he deserves for all his hard work is to help the Hoops win a trophy, and for that reason, Lennon should start the Scot over Odsonne Edouard, who has hit a slump recently.

In other news, Lawwell making smart decision by offering Conor Hazard new deal…

Fulham and Newcastle United have both been linked with a January move for Schalke midfielder Nabil Bentaleb, but the Cottagers must avoid signing him.

According to the Sunday Mirror (via Tribal Football), both clubs are taking an interest in the Algerian international ahead of the January transfer window.

The former Spurs man spent the second half of last season on loan with the Toon but struggled to have much impact whatsoever, averaging a disappointing 6.47 rating across his 12 appearances in the top-flight (per WhoScored).

His performances this season have been even worse, with the 26-year-old averaging a shocking 6.12 rating from his seven appearances in the Bundesliga so far this campaign.

The midfielder was dropped to Schalke’s U23 side last year for disciplinary reasons, whilst back in 2016, German newspaper Sports Bild (via Sport Witness) labelled the Algerian as a “slacker” and criticised his “arrogance”.

Therefore, it seems strange that Fulham may be considering a move for the 26-year-old, as he has clearly been a bad influence and a troublemaker at times during his spell with Schalke.

Since joining Die Königsblauen in a permanent deal in 2017, having spent the previous season on loan, he has managed just 105 appearances for the club, contributing 19 goals and nine assists (per Transfermarkt).

Whilst this isn’t the worst record, his transfer value in recent seasons has significantly decreased, suggesting that he is no longer the player he was in his early days with the Bundesliga side.

Fulham are arguably already well-stocked in central midfield, so adding the £3.6 million-rated Bentaleb would surely just give Scott Parker a selection headache.

As well as this, the 26-year-old’s contract with Schalke is set to expire at the end of the season, suggesting that it would also make no financial sense to sign him for a fee in January when they could potentially sign him on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Therefore, Tony Khan would do well to avoid signing Bentaleb, who earns €96k (£86k) per week at Schalke, in January, as there is very little to suggest that he would be a worthwhile addition to Parker’s squad.

And, in other news… one Fulham star badly let Scott Parker down against Manchester City…

Crystal Palace were on the receiving end of a 2-0 drubbing by Wolves as Roy Hodgson’s side started off slowly at Molineux on Friday night. Palace loan signing Michy Batshuayi struggled to make much of an impression before he was replaced by Christian Benteke – although he was by no means the only player at fault for the poor performance.

What’s the story?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Palace are facing an exodus of players with thirteen of them coming out of contract next term. Hodgson has some big decisions to make as several senior members of the squad have entered the final few months of their deals.

It’s claimed that former Aston Villa frontman Benteke could be departing Selhurst Park along with Connor Wickham when their contracts run out in the summer. So, Palace chairman Steve Parish must return for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard in the winter transfer window.

Bye Benteke

Reports in recent times revealed that the Eagles were interested in signing the £13.5m-rated centre-forward as a potential Benteke replacement. The report by The Times suggested that Palace were prepared to sell the Belgium international in the summer, but a move failed to materialise, so they went back to the drawing board.

Hodgson and Parish embarked on a summer spending spree, splashing out on the likes of Batshuayi and former Queens Park Rangers winger Eberechi Eze, whilst they also brought in Nathan Ferguson from West Bromwich Albion.

Goals have started to dry up in spite of the new signings, as Batshuayi has failed to find the back of the net so far, although in fairness that isn’t for want of trying, whilst Wilfried Zaha is the club’s leading goalscorer in all competitions, having scored five times in total, via Transfermarkt.

But the 17-cap Ivory Coast international needs someone who can share the burden of scoring goals and Edouard is a player who can do precisely just that.

Once hailed as an “exceptional” player by football journalist David Tanner, Edouard was recently described by Celtic boss Neil Lennon as a “special talent” after his hat-trick against Hamilton.

The 22-year-old has bagged 66 goals in over 100 appearances for the Bhoys, via Transfermarkt. By comparison, Benteke has only scored 23 goals in 118 games for the Eagles.

Just imagine the chaos he could cause alongside Zaha – it almost doesn’t bear to think about. Getting rid of the Belgian would make room for the 6-cap France U21 international in the first team instead.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must convince Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell to sign new contract…

Aston Villa’s congested schedule continues with a midweek trip to the south-west as Dean Smith’s side look to advance in the EFL Cup.

They’ll face in-form Championship outfit Bristol City later this evening at Ashton Gate but will the 49-year-old make any changes for the game?

The Midlanders head into this one on the back of a 1-0 victory over ten-man Sheffield United on Monday night.

Here’s the lineup we think Smith could run with tonight…

We’re expecting there to be pretty much an entirely different XI now that the Premier League is fully underway with Tyrone Mings the only player keeping his place from earlier in the week.

Penalty-saving hero Emi Martinez is rested with Orjan Nyland being handed the ‘cup’ keeper gig whilst Tom Heaton is out through injury.

In defence, we could see a return for Frederic Guilbert at right-back with Kourtney Hause partnering the 6 foot 5 English colossus in the middle. Neil Taylor played in the Burton victory and should feature here again.

Marvelous Nakamba is also in line for a start in favour of Douglas Luiz in that defensive midfield position. Smith has solid depth options to rotate here.

Just like the last round, he could be joined by Henri Lansbury and young academy starlet Jacob Ramsey, who is very highly-rated at Villa.

Sean Kimberley believes “he will have a bright future in the game” but only “if he continues to match his undoubted technical ability and eye for a goal with the desire and energy to reach the next level.”

Skipper Jack Grealish won’t be featuring this time around. The home-grown playmaker signed a new £140k-per-week contract earlier this month but will earn a rest in Bristol.

Instead, Anwar El Ghazi is gifted a rare start whilst there could even be a debut for latest summer signing Bertrand Traore.

In attack, 22-year-old striker Keinan Davis could be handed the reigns with Ollie Watkins also being rested.

It means there’s no place for Trezeguet, Conor Hourihane or Ahmed Elmohamady.

AND in other news, Aston Villa could land a speed demon in £36.5m talent…