All posts by h716a5.icu

Glasgow Rangers continue their quest for Europa League glory with a trip to face Standard Liege in the Netherlands tonight. Steven Gerrard’s side recorded some impressive results last time around, before they were stopped by a Bayer Leverkusen side inspired by Kai Havertz in the knockout stage of the competition.

The 54-time Scottish champions have a strong track record in the European tournament and will be hoping their recent win over arch-rivals Celtic will give them the edge in this clash at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne.

Standard Liege are one of the most successful teams in Belgium, as they have won the Belgian league ten times so far, most recently in the 2008/09 season. Managed by former Nottingham Forest manager Philippe Montanier, they should be a tough test for the Gers.

Here at Football FanCast, we have given our verdict on how we think Gerrard will set his side up, including three changes from their last league outing.

As is often the case, Allan McGregor will resume his rightful place between the sticks, which means Jon McLaughlin will most likely remain on the bench. The veteran goalkeeper should start behind an unchanged back four from the first Old Firm derby of the season including Borna Barisic, Filip Helander, Connor Goldson and James Tavernier.

Moving further afield, Glen Kamara and Steven Davis will probably keep their places after impressing in the midfield against Celtic, but Scott Arfield may drop to the bench to make room for loan signing Bongani Zungu. Gerrard could give Zungu his long-awaited debut for the Gers in the Europa League.

This means that Ianis Hagi should slot into place alongside the 29-cap South African international on the right wing. As we previously discussed, the timing couldn’t be any better for the 21-year-old to make his mark in the same month that his father insisted that his son has a similar playing style to Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane.

Now then, if we take your attention to the top of the pitch, here’s where things start to get a little more interesting. Cedric Itten missed the Europa League qualifier against Galatasaray due to a knee injury, but he seems to have shaken off any lingering concerns after coming off the bench at Celtic Park.

And the 3-cap Swiss international could be in contention to start at the Stade Maurice Dufrasne as shot-shy Alfredo Morelos failed to register a single one all game, let alone one on target against Celtic at the weekend, as per SofaScore.

Gerrard may decide to ring several changes as he juggles the domestic and European competitions.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers have every right to be worried about Leeds target Ryan Kent…

Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson’s baffling admission about Eberechi Eze arguably poses more questions than answers.

What’s the word?

Palace completed the signing of Eze from London rivals Queens Park Rangers for £16m up front with £4m in potential add-ons in the summer, whilst QPR attached a 20% sell-on clause in the contract.

Speaking in the pre-match press conference, Hodgson said, as quoted by London News Online: “Once again it’s [about] competition. Jeff Schlupp isn’t exactly anything other than a very good attacking left-sided midfield player.

“So I had to make choices there. I’ve not been able to fit both in the team together – especially with the form of Andros Townsend on the other side.

“It’s been nothing more complicated than that. But again, like Jairo Riedewald, he has been excellent in training. He’s done really, really well. He’s impressed everybody – not just with his ability but his attitude and professionalism.

“His chance, I’m sure, will come very, very soon.”

Since the start of the season, the Eagles have a pretty average record of four wins in eight games in all competitions. Hardly something to sniff at, but there is certainly room for improvement. Eze has featured in seven out of eight of their top-flight fixtures but has only started three games so far.

Is he the right man for the job?

Palace have often been accused of being a side that lack ambition but you have to give credit where credit is due as Steve Parish put his money where his mouth is in the summer.

The Eagles have been ensconced in mid-table mediocrity for so long, constantly looking over their shoulder at the relegation battle below over the years. But Parish has signalled a statement of intent by bringing in Eze, Michy Batshuayi and Nathan Ferguson, who have added a breath of fresh air to an aging squad. Whilst Ferguson is yet to make his first-team debut, he is clearly one to watch for the future.

Granted, the 22-year-old started against Leeds, but it looks like it could be a case of too little, too late, as fans are reportedly growing frustrated by the lack of minutes he has gained under his belt. Per SofaScore, he has averaged just 46 minutes per game in the Premier League so far.

For all of Hodgson’s good qualities, he’s never been particularly great at managing a squad – flashbacks to his short-lived Anfield reign will send shudders down the spines of Liverpool fans.

Sticking with Jeffrey Schlupp who has struggled for consistency this season seems like a bit of a pointless endeavour, especially when you consider the fact that the 27-year-old is dispossessed 2 times per game in the Premier League, via WhoScored. By comparison, Eze, who reportedly earns wages worth £30,000-per-week, has only been dispossessed once per game, as per WhoScored. If those stats aren’t enough to go by, he scored a goal and supplied an assist against Leeds United, which is more than Schlupp has managed this season.

If Hodgson wants to stick with his senior players he needs to be a bit more savvy about when to do it as he has badly misjudged this one so far. Starting Eze against Chelsea and Everton is almost setting him up for failure right from the start.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace may forever regret not signing now-Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk…

This feels like a make or break period for Sunderland.

Supposedly buoyed by the news that Stewart Donald would finally be relinquishing his majority stake of the Black Cats, they have failed to win since.

A defeat to MK Dons was followed by a pretty dismal draw with Doncaster last weekend and thus, Phil Parkinson is feeling the pressure again with his side five points off the top of the table.

In the grand scheme of things, that isn’t a huge amount, but it’s concerning that promotion once again is far from certain.

However, that pretty much sums up the state of the north-east side right now. Nothing is clear and real clarity has been lacking for a considerable period of time.

The thought of fresh faces, investment and ideas entering the football club, therefore, should have been seen as a blessing.

Nearly two weeks ago now it was reported that Donald had accepted a bid from a consortium led by Juan Sartori and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus to buy the club.

It will see Donald keep at least a 15% stake at the Stadium of Light but are their prospective owners set to follow in his footsteps? Unfortunately, it could already be the case.

This week it was reported by France Football, an outlet close to Dreyfus’ beloved Marseille, that he had yet to perform much due diligence.

As a consequence, the report states that he isn’t ‘really aware of the gravity of the economic situation’, citing the complicated finances at Sunderland.

One of the first things Donald and Charlie Methven had to do when they first arrived at Sunderland was to sort out and streamline the club’s cash flow.

In spending £4m on Will Grigg and continuing to pay Aiden McGeady £31k-a-week, they have failed to address some fundamental flaws in the sustainability of the football club.

If Dreyfus isn’t aware that these burdens are currently draining Sunderland then he is in for a real shock.

Add that to the fact that there is now a salary cap in the EFL and things get even tougher.

Sunderland’s prospective owners need to be sure of two things; that they can’t break the bank immediately and that things won’t be an easy ride.

This already feels like a lethargic takeover attempt. The Black Cats deserve better.

In other news, check out who we thought Sunderland’s STAR man was against Doncaster…

It’s fair to say the last week or so has been one of the most interesting periods of Miguel Almiron’s Newcastle career so far.

The Paraguay international’s agent came out and revealed that his client could have left the club in the summer, and that European giants like Inter and Atletico Madrid were interested in his services.

Then, Magpies boss Steve Bruce hit back with some explosive comments of his own, branding it as “outrageous” and slamming the agent as being “so amateurish”.

Almiron of course didn’t start last time out against Chelsea in the Premier League, although that was perhaps more to do with his late return from international duty with Paraguay.

But with reports since claiming that he could potentially leave St James’ Park in the near future, it really does feel like the 26-year-old is almost entering a really significant moment in his Newcastle career already.

His start to the new campaign has been pretty much a follow-on from the rest of his time on Tyneside, with just one measly goal to show in 11 games.

On form, Almiron perhaps doesn’t warrant getting a start in Newcastle’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace tonight, but you just wonder whether the whole spat between his manager and agent could have just lit a fire under him.

The Paraguayan has a point to prove and can really do his side of the talking on the pitch, and Bruce must surely consider giving him the opportunity to do so.

It was just this summer that the Magpies boss waxed lyrical about the dynamo, saying: “Almiron is a manager’s dream. He’s bright, he’s tough, he trains every day and he’s been carrying a thigh injury but doesn’t want to tell anybody.

“The last 20 minutes on Sunday (against West Ham United) he was limping about the pitch. In 18 months he’s proved to be a really top, top player.”

Friday night could well be the making of Almiron at Newcastle if he’s given his chance.

Glasgow Rangers once again gave away a two-goal lead against Benfica in the Europa League, and James Tavernier was not at his best on the night at Ibrox.

In Portugal, the Gers were pegged back to 3-3 after leading 3-1 with under 15 minutes left. It appears they didn’t learn much prior to Thursday evening, with Benfica once again levelling things up from a two-goal deficit. All in all, it is not the end of the world – the Gers are top of the group and remain unbeaten in 22 games in all competitions – but it will be frustrating for Steven Gerrard that they were unable to close the game out.

Captain Tavernier was not at his best. It was his own-goal that got Benfica back into the game, and he lost possession 20 times overall throughout the match. He is the club’s top goalscorer so far this campaign, but that did not stop a number of supporters slamming his display. They took to Twitter to do so.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Tavernier below

In other news, this Gers man has been tipped to depart Ibrox soon.

According to Football Insider, Wolves are lining up a potential move for Stoke City starlet Tyrese Campbell.

What’s the story?

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side of course suffered a major blow after Raul Jimenez’s horrific clash of heads with Arsenal’s David Luiz left the Mexico international requiring surgery for a on a fractured skull.

Now, Football Insider claim that Wolves and Burnley are among the clubs considering a potential move for 20-year-old forward Campbell, who’s shown his versatility this season by playing all across the front-line.

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The report adds that Stoke are adamant that they won’t sell one of their star players in the January transfer window, but it remains to be seen whether he will still be with the Potters by the end of it.

Easing the pressure on Jimenez

When Jimenez is able to make his return back to the first-team, the most important thing Wolves can do for him is to make sure that he isn’t burdened with the task of having to fire in the goals straight away.

Easing him back into the side would be the best way to go, and bringing in an “explosive” player like Campbell would help with that massively.

His manager at Stoke, Michael O’Neill, said of him back in the summer: “Tyrese is a great finisher. If you are a good finisher you have to get in the positions and he did that today. He is a young player who is still developing. When he is in that mood, defenders are frightened at this level.”

With seven goals and six assists in 18 games this season, Campbell is showing signs of having a real breakout year, and if Wolves can snare him before he makes an even bigger name for himself, they could land another perfect project signing for Nuno,

This has not been the best of periods for Tottenham. A few weeks ago we were talking about them as title contenders but they have now failed to win their last four outings in the league.

A defeat against Leicester was a mere blemish in the copybook but a late draw with Wolves on Sunday evening will ask further questions of Spurs’ credentials.

For the most part, they were compact with their three-man defensive system but Harry Kane and Heung-min Son were managed well by Wolves. Thus, they failed to create much and ultimately laboured to a 1-1 draw.

Romain Saiss popped up with a late equaliser which on the balance of play, was no less than Wolves deserved.

Tottenham struggled to control the middle of the park and with Harry Winks picked over Moussa Sissoko, it was hardly surprising. This was his first Premier League start since September and after this display, it’s unlikely Mourinho will call on him again in the immediate future.

Winks has been accused of being a sideways passer for a long time and this was yet another performance that failed to provide a spark. Indeed, at full-time, Tottenham reported Dan Kilpatrick claimed that the midfielder was “often wasteful in possession.”

The 24-year-old is usually safe and secure with the ball but he completed just 79% of his passes, being dominated by the likes of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves in the middle of the park.

Very rarely did Winks stride forward or attempt to inject some energy into Mourinho’s side, lacking the qualities that have seen Sissoko become so important over the last 12 months. That was evident in the fact that he only won 33.3% of the duels he contested, winning two out of six battles on the ground.

His lack of pace saw him caught out regularly by the rapid Wolves attack, losing possession 13 times and being dribbled past on three separate occasions. If Sissoko had started, it’s unlikely Spurs would have been surpassed so much.

Winks has had to remain patient for three months to start in the top-flight but it was not worth the wait. He has to be dropped immediately.

AND in other news, Levy must swoop for £31.5m-rated BEAST who “always plays well”…

When Kieran Tierney left Parkhead behind it was a sucker punch to their ambitions.

Yet again, a Celtic player was leaving for the Premier League, and once more, it was one of their star men.

The Hoops have been no strangers to seeing their most valuable assets leave. From Victor Wanyama to Moussa Dembele and Virgil van Dijk, a plethora of their top players have left in search of a top-five league.

Tierney is the most recent example, swapping Glasgow for London, joining Arsenal for £25m – a record sale for an SPFL player.

He has taken to the English top-flight like a duck to water, scoring and assisting in a rampaging display against West Brom last weekend. It was the type of performance that will have Celtic supporters craving a return.

However, for the time being, they have to settle for Greg Taylor and Diego Laxalt at left-back, two players who seldom replicate what Tierney can offer down the left flank.

Fortunately, they could be on the verge of finally landing the Scot’s true replacement. That happens to be Charlton winger Alfie Doughty.

Capable of playing as a left-back or further forward in attack, he has been continuously linked with the Bhoys since last summer. Though, in order to sign him, they will now have to fend off interest from Rangers.

Doughty is out of contract in the summer and thus, can be signed on a pre-contract agreement for a fee of absolutely nothing.

But why is he similar to Tierney? Well, a glowing review from The Athletic’s Nick Miller tells all: “Pace is the first thing you notice about Doughty. Remarkable pace. Relentless pace. The sort of pace that makes defenders cower and do very silly things indeed,” he wrote.

That is a frightening assessment, one that could well describe their former left-back. He demonstrates sheer speed on a regular basis, and like Doughty, makes defenders do rather strange and peculiar things.

Tierney showed that vs West Brom, taking Darnell Furlong for a walk before finding the back of the net in emphatic style.

Aged just 21, Doughty is the future and could well inspire Celtic to greater things.

AND in other news, 83 aerials: Celtic can sign big Bitton upgrade in 7-cap tank, he’s a “complete player”…

David Sullivan can deliver West Ham United a star in the January transfer window by signing Borussia Monchengladbach striker Alassane Plea.

What’s the word?

According to the Mirror, Plea has emerged as a potential option for the London Stadium natives to target this month as David Moyes strives to sign a replacement for Sebastien Haller.

The Irons are keen to find the right target but for the right price as they refuse to be held to ransom, having already taken a £25m hit by selling Haller to AFC Ajax for £20m just 18-months on from the Ivory Coast international’s club-record £45m arrival.

West Ham’s reluctance to overspend has thrown a spanner in the works of any deal to sign AFC Bournemouth’s Joshua King, as the forward is adamant that he is given a lucrative contract in lieu of the sizeable payday that a free transfer in the summer would otherwise deliver.

Plea has two-years to run on his £63,000-per-week contract at Monchengladbach, where the one-time France international has scored seven goals in 18 games this season, including a hat-trick against Shakhtar Donetsk and a brace against Inter Milan in the Champions League.

The 27-year-old has also provided five assists, including setting up both of his side’s goals in a 2-2 draw with Real Madrid in October.

That’s despite missing parts of the season through injury and testing positive for coronavirus, as Plea continues to build an impressive record in Germany after a 10-goal, 11 assist campaign in 2019/20.

West Ham’s Harry Kane

Sullivan striking a deal with Monchengladbach to lure Plea to the Premier League this month could see the West Ham co-owner deliver Moyes a real star in their search for top-level competition for Michail Antonio following Haller’s exit.

Plea has proven to be a physically imposing centre-forward in the Bundesliga over the past two-and-a-half seasons despite his 5 ft 11 stature, with a robustness to his game that has sparked comparisons to Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane.

The Spurs talisman, now rated at £108m, is one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever strikers with the ninth-most goals (154) of all-time and counting, and will easily be expected to surpass second-placed Wayne Rooney (208) and chase down Alan Shearer (260) if he spends his entire career in England.

Praise, meanwhile, falls at Plea’s feet in Germany for his willingness to run in behind defences or hold play up to allow teammates to push forward, with the unpredictive nature of his game an aspect that sets the £31.5m-rated gem apart from others in his position.

Gladbach coach Marco Rose would no doubt be loath to lose such a weapon, having spoken so fondly of his abilities in the past.

“I’ve never seen such a degree of quality so often. If he gets a shot off in or around the penalty area, you can almost get ready to celebrate,” Rose said.

Plea also puts the side above himself to play out wide if the need arises, even though he admits the position is not his favourite.

“Everyone knows I prefer playing through the middle. On the left, I’m not entirely at home, but I do it for the team. I’m a fighter, not a guy who sulks. Who am I to refuse to play on the wing?” he noted.

Plea’s attributes and rationality should see that he makes the switch from Germany with far more success than Haller, who managed just 10 goals in 48 Premier League games, and prove a welcome addition in east London if a deal can be struck this month.

AND in other news, a £4.5m-rated brute was West Ham’s true star of the show vs Burnley.

West Brom flop Kenneth Zohore is due to return to the Hawthorns following a quite underwhelming loan spell away at Championship outfit Millwall later this week.

The 26-year-old, who cost former Baggies boss Slaven Bilic £8m in summer 2019, was shipped out to the Lions in October for a short-term stint until January 16th.

It means new Albion boss Sam Allardyce now has a major decision to make over the Dane’s future at the club.

Whilst the 66-year-old veteran is in dire need of options upfront, he absolutely shouldn’t turn to Zohore.

Indeed, West Brom currently do not have a fit senior striker available at the club. Charlie Austin has been sent out on loan himself, whilst Karlan Grant is set to miss at least five to six weeks with a broken foot.

It leaves Callum Robinson as the only real choice and he is winger by trade.

Though, even in these desperate times, it would be better for Big Sam to offload the returning Zohore once again – either permanently or on another loan spell.

Millwall boss Gary Rowett remained coy over the potential of keeping him at the Den. He told reporters (via NewsAtDen):

“We haven’t really had that discussion yet because it’s more important for Ken to stay fit. If he stays fit, then we’ll obviously ask the question,” before he added: “We’ve spent a lot of money having him here and [he’s] not [been] available, so we also need to think about what’s sensible for us as a club.”

In 17 league appearances in the Championship last term, the former Cardiff man could only muster up three goals. His tally of one strike from five outings this term surely shows that he’s barely cut out for the second-flight, let alone the Premier League. Not only has he struggled to stay fit, but when he has played, he’s hardly set the world alight.

Zohore has actually played in the big time before, but one goal in 19 matches is far from inspiring either.

Once dubbed a “manager’s dream” by Neil Warnock, Zohore has struggled to make any sort of impact for West Brom since that big-money move last summer and considering he’s on wages thought to be around £50k-per-week, as per The Sun [print version 13th September 2020, p61], he’d be better off elsewhere.

His salary could go towards a new signing, one who is actually fit enough, and good enough, to feature in the top-flight.

The Telegraph’s John Percy has played down the chances of any arrivals that exceed a transfer fee of £2m, so having Zohore off the bill would certainly help tenfold.

Millwall are thought to be playing less than half of his wages too (£17.5k-per-week), meaning since his arrival nearly 78 weeks ago, he’s cost around £13.4m and counting.

In total, that is around £2.7m per goal.

He has bled the Baggies dry for far too long. It’s time to get rid of him permanently.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Pereira: West Brom must seal bargain swoop for “creative” star…