All posts by z3u9t.icu

Wolves have endured a difficult 2022, with their promising form from the 2021/22 season quickly disappearing down the drain, with their shocking run under Bruno Lage continuing into the new campaign.

After the Portuguese manager was sacked early into the new season, Wolves struggled for far too long to find a new manager.

Indeed, both Julen Lopetegui and Michael Beale turned down moves to Molineux before the Spaniard was eventually convinced to make the move to England.

A poor run of form under interim manager Steve Davis has left the Old Gold bottom of the Premier League, and a much improved 2023 is needed if they are to avoid relegation back to the Championship.

While it has been a year to forget for lots of Wolves fans, only the true die-hard supporters will be able to get 10/10 on Football FanCast’s Quiz of the Year.

Have a go and share with your friends!

West Ham United have distinguished one of the Premier League’s most industrious presences to replace a likely outgoing phenom…

What’s the word?

Signing for Manchester City from boyhood club Leeds United last summer, Kalvin Phillips has been hampered by injury during his stay with the Sky Blues, and has been at the epicentre of claims that boss Pep Guardiola branded him “overweight” upon returning from World Cup duty with England.

And now, Football Insider state that sources have confirmed the Hammers’ interest; with coveted midfielder Declan Rice likely to depart at the end of the campaign, the 27-year-old Cityzen could be the player to adopt the role his compatriot has held so well in east London.

Phillips arrived at the Etihad Stadium in a £45m deal last year, and he would certainly not come cheap even if City were prepared to grant a departure, but the funds garnered from Rice’s prospective sale would free up space to make a move for someone of his ilk.

Perfect Rice replacement 

Since rising through the youth ranks at the Irons academy, Rice has cruised towards Premier League eminence, and is now being touted for a move to one of the country’s top outfits.

Indeed, with the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United among the clubs that might make a swoop for a player out of contract at the end of next season and showing no sign of agreeing a new deal, cashing in for a lucrative fee might be the best option for West Ham boss David Moyes.

In Phillips, the veteran Scottish manager would boast a robust and all-encompassing central figure to take the baton from Rice, and ensure that the stability and charge that his counterpart has created does not waver.

Granted, the east London outfit have been beset with a stark decline this term, miserably above the drop-zone on just goal difference following two European-clinching seasons in-and-amongst the elite of the Premier League, but the abundance of quality and affluence underpinning the efforts on the pitch should steer the club in the right direction once again.

As per FBref, Rice ranks within the top 4% for pass completion and the top 7% for interceptions when compared to positional peers in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year, while Phillips, despite lacking the same level of ball-playing assurance, ranks within the top 1% of players for tackles, the top 14% for interceptions and the top 4% for blocks.

There is a clear prowess in the anchored position of the pitch, also flourishing as a pivot when called upon, instigating positive transitions by timing challenges with pinpoint precision.

And with Phillips’ City career thus far blighted by injury, Sofascore record his rating in the Premier League last year at a solid 6.84, earning the transfer to the division’s champions by displaying his stellar consistency in a Leeds team that battled to stave off relegation last term.

Hailed as a “destroyer” by ex-England manager Steve McClaren, who waxed lyrical about the ace to Sky Sports News (via Leeds Live), Phillips might be wise to depart from Guardiola’s City, where he will likely struggle for consistent game-time, and flourish with the Hammers, who can return on course and challenge for Europe once again with a Rice replacement every bit as formidable as their current gem.

Everton will be looking for their first competitive win since October when they take on Brighton at Goodison Park on Tuesday night.

Frank Lampard needs a good start to 2023 or risks losing his job with the Toffees, as the Merseyside outfit currently sit just one point outside the relegation places in the top flight, and now look destined for another battle to retain their Premier League status.

After picking up an impressive point against Manchester City at the Etihad last time out, Lampard will be hoping to end the wait for three points against the Seagulls.

However, it promises to be another tough game considering Roberto De Zerbi has continued the good work done by Graham Potter at the Amex Stadium.

Here is how Football FanCast expects Lampard to line his side up against Brighton, with three changes to the side that started against Manchester City.

Jordan Pickford certainly played his part in the draw against Pep Guardiola’s side so unsurprisingly, he keeps his place in between the sticks for this one.

Lampard should revert back to a 4-3-3 formation for a home game, which sees the “fantastic” – as dubbed by Carlo Ancelotti – Ben Godfrey drop out, as to start him in quick succession after only just returning from injury would be a big risk by Lampard, especially after such a good performance against City.

Therefore, Conor Coady and James Tarkowski maintain their partnership in the middle, while Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko continue at right-back and left-back respectively.

There is one change in midfield, as Idrissa Gana Gueye is rested and makes way for the more attack-minded Abdoulaye Doucoure, who starts alongside Alex Iwobi and Amadou Onana.

With Godfrey benched, there is space for another attacker in the lineup, so Dwight McNeil comes in on the left wing, with Demarai Gray also keeping his place after his wonder goal last time out.

The final change sees Dominic Calvert-Lewin dropped as his goal drought continues, with Neal Maupay handed a start in the hope that he can continue the age-old tradition of footballers scoring against their former sides.

Manchester United have been in sensational form under manager Erik ten Hag since a spluttering start to the season, having clinched victory across the past eight successive matches, but further additions are still integral to the team’s success…

Despite the discernible increase in both form and performance, with United indeed fourth in the Premier League and still competing for silverware across every front, Ten Hag is set on supplementing the recent efforts with an injection of further quality.

And according to talkSPORT, the Red Devils are poised to enter a transfer battle with Chelsea to secure the signature of Southampton’s flourishing right-back Kyle Walker-Peters, who has impressed following his initial loan move from Tottenham Hotspur, since signing on a permanent £12m deal.

With the English ace reportedly rejecting Saints’ wishes for a new contract to secure his future at St. Mary’s for the coming years, the pathway is now illuminated for a move to a European-challenging outfit…

Forget Dumfries…

The right-sided full-back position has been one of great interest to United’s Dutch manager, who is certainly fixated on bolstering the club with signings that can lead the ascension back towards major honours once again, with the Theatre of Dreams last tasting silverware in the Europa League in 2017, when United beat Ajax Amsterdam 2-0 in the final.

Diogo Dalot has certainly come into his own down the right flank after making a steady rise following his £19m move from FC Porto in 2019, but Walker-Peters could hold the key to maximising the competitive contest for the No. 1 spot in the side, consequently raising the game of both individuals.

The Red Devils’ other right-back option, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, has failed to stake his claim to a starting berth following his £50m move from Crystal Palace in 2019, now shackled to the bench with regularity under Ten Hag, making only six appearances all season, albeit having started the past three Premier League fixtures.

Regardless, Walker-Peters has been a pillar of strength in a Saints outfit that are desperately trying to stave off the threat of relegation this season, having won just three league games all season and now confined to the bottom spot.

The 25-year-old has made 17 appearances across all competitions this season, scoring one goal, and has impressed with his defensive pedigree and offensive aptitude, averaging 0.4 shots per game, 0.7 key passes, making 1.7 tackles and 1.4 clearances.

Should the Red Devils forge a transfer, it might prove to be a prudent move in the grand scheme, with Premier League experience and a rounded arsenal leaving Walker-Peters well-placed to slot right into the fold and boost the side’s chances of returning to the forefront of European football.

His signature would be far better than that of Denzel Dumfries, with Old Trafford touting the Inter Milan ace as another potential avenue this winter.

One Spanish source has reported that the Dutch sensation would require a bid of roughly €55m (£48m) for his signature, and while he is an offensive whiz down the right border, this could be a ludicrous fee to pay for a player that might fail to usurp Dalot’s throne.

In the £18m-rated Walker-Peters, a much more affordable and sensible deal could be struck, one that would promote healthy competition and leave United with a “big talent” – as once dubbed by journalist Alex Crook – to continue the meteoric rise after years of instability.

Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch will be without two experienced squad members for their FA Cup clash with Cardiff City this afternoon, according to Phil Hay…

What’s the latest?

The Athletic’s ever-reliable reporter claimed that the Whites would be without the “usual suspects” when they make the trip to Wales, where they will begin their latest cup campaign in the third round.

He revealed:

“It was quite telling, I thought, that Jesse Marsch said on Friday that Leeds (or Angus Kinnear) had told him that they want a cup run. That’s clearly removed the scope for Marsch to weaken his line-up drastically this afternoon.

“The usual suspects are likely to be missing again – [Patrick] Bamford, [Adam] Forshaw etc – but Cardiff are not having a great season and Leeds should be confident of making this tie theirs.”

A big blow to Marsch

Given the recent comments from Kinnear to Marsch, it will come as a frustrating blow and bad news that he will not be able to call upon two of the club’s most experienced stars – and more – in a competition that has been a cause for concern in recent times.

Indeed, the Yorkshire giants have a diabolical record in the FA Cup, having been knocked out at this very stage in each of their last five attempts and that includes embarrassing defeats to lower league opposition like Newport County and Crawley Town, both of whom are in League Two right now.

Patrick Bamford has endured a rough time with injuries since the start of the 2021/22 campaign and recent surgery has ruled him out of action thus far in 2023. Leeds could certainly do with the man who bagged 17 goals in their first season back in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, Marsch’s current first-choice engine room are all signings from the summer transfer window, with Mateusz Klich departing for pastures new.

Marc Roca and Tyler Adams, with all respect, will not understand what this competition means to fans in England, at least in comparison to Forshaw, who has made an FA Cup appearance for four different teams.

The Whites have also struggled massively in the league, finding themselves languishing down in 14th place, just two points above the relegation zone and with only two wins in their last 15 in the top-flight.

Game-changers such as Luis Sinisterra are also likely to be missing in the Welsh capital, only further adding to Marsch’s frustrations, with the Elland Road hierarchy clearly looking for a run in this competition to offer supporters some respite from their league woes.

As such, the American has got to be frustrated to have the likes of Bamford, Forshaw and Sinisterra unavailable, not just because they are all valuable in their own right but because their involvement could have also handed valuable rest to those that have been playing in their place each week.

AND in other news, Marsch has unearthed “an absolute star” at Leeds after he gave West Ham “nightmares”…

BBC pundit Chris Sutton has claimed Antonio Conte may as well sign him if he wants ‘personality’ in the dressing room after the Tottenham Hotspur manager’s comments on Hugo Lloris.

What’s the word?

It was a day to forget in the north London derby this weekend when Spurs took on Arsenal in front of their own fans. Indeed, two-first half goals saw the Gunners claim a fairly routine 2-0 win over their local rivals.

Martin Odegaard added a second for his side but Arsenal were handed the opener when goalkeeper Lloris fumbled Bukayo Saka’s cross into his own net.

Unsurprisingly, the Spurs number one has faced a lot of criticism since then but his manager came to his defence after the game. Indeed, the Spurs boss insisted that his captain is in the team due to his ‘personality’.

In reaction to this, though, while speaking on BBC Radio Show 606, Sutton said: “Conte backing Hugo Lloris. And I can understand that to some extent, but where are you on this, Spurs fans?

“He says, ‘I consider Hugo one of the best goalkeepers in the world. It can happen, Hugo for us is one of the players who is really important for the dressing room, for his personality.’

“Well, if he wants personality in the dressing room, he might as well sign me on a five-year deal.”

Time to move on?

As much as it was a bad afternoon for all the Spurs players, Lloris stood out as one of the worst performers. For instance, in the football.london player ratings, Alasdair Gold gave him a 3/10 for his efforts and claimed: “his mistake turned the match and they’re becoming too frequent”.

It’s easy to see why certain parts of the media are begging to lose faith in the goalkeeper. After all, according to Squawka, with ten mistakes, Lloris has made more errors directly leading to goals in the Premier League since the start of the 2016/17 season than any other player.

And so, while Conte may like his personality in the dressing room, it’s surely more important that he can step and up and deliver on the pitch when needed. It’s no wonder, the club have been linked with Brentford shot-stopper David Raya recently.

Pundit Tam McManus has claimed a potential Celtic exit for Giorgos Giakoumakis is all in his hands.

The Lowdown: Giakoumakis could leave Celtic

In the past week, it’s been reported by Sky Sports that the Scottish Premiership forward has had a fee of an initial £3m agreed by the Bhoys with Urawa Red Diamonds.

Giakoumakis hasn’t featured in Ange Postecoglou’s last two games, missing the clashes with St Mirren and Greenock Morton.

The Greek forward has fired in six goals and provided one assist in the league for the Hoops from 19 appearances, he also has two goals in the League Cup and one in the Champions League.

The Latest: The decision is up to Giakoumakis

McManus spoke to PLZ Soccer and said that a fee of £2-3m would be poor business from Celtic, while arguing the club could give him an attractive financial offer that could well see him stay in Glasgow.

He said: “I don’t think he’s going to get the money he’s looking for at Celtic.

“If Celtic were to let him go for £2-3m, I don’t think that’s great business.

“I think he’s a better player than that. I think he’s showed, particularly domestically, that he’s a very, very good striker for Celtic.”

“If Giakoumakis wants to stay at Celtic, then I think he will stay, the ball’s in his court.”

The Verdict: Celtic need to find a replacement

Should Giakoumakis decide to call it a day on his time at Celtic, they must find a replacement as he’s been such an important player for them.

Since joining the Bhoys, the forward has netted 26 times in all competitions and assisted on two occasions from 57 matches – when you consider the club paid £2.5m for him, that’s a fantastic bit of business.

We would be gobsmacked if Postecoglou’s side were to allow the player to leave the club for a very similar fee to which they bought him for.

Time will tell on the future of Giakoumakis at Celtic, though they may have to act quickly this month and find his replacement if they decide to let him go, so time is running out to seal a deal.

Aston Villa are creeping towards a stature that head coach Unai Emery will be satisfied with following his arrival in October, and could complete the jigsaw with a successful January bid for Olympique Marseille’s Matteo Guendouzi…

What’s the latest?

According to a report from 90min earlier this month, the Villans had registered an interest in the former Arsenal star, but the Midlands outfit would be expected to part with a sum in the region of €50m (£44m) to secure his signature.

More recently, according to journalist Dan Bardell, Villa are expected to make an official transfer bid for the player, with Guendouzi deemed to be the perfect star to shape the club’s fortunes and dictate from the centre as Villa seek a top-half Premier League finish.

Speaking on Sky Sports, he said: “From my understanding, it sounds like Marseille have a suspicion that a bid is coming.

“So hopefully over the next few days – because I know Villa fans are keen for this one – there’ll be that concrete offer from Villa, because he’s a player that’s worked with Emery before. You get the sense now that Emery’s very much in charge of everything at Villa now, he has the final say on everything, he’s in control, and Guendouzi’s someone who would fit in very nicely into that hybrid wide/central midfielder role.”

Huge Nakamba upgrade

While Emery has found much success on the transfer front this month, clinching deals for Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran and reportedly looking to complete the signing of Gerard Deulofeu, the addition of a central midfielder of first-rate quality would go a long way towards continuing the fantastic form that has seen Aston Villa clinch victory across five of the seven league matches with the Spaniard at the wheel.

And with Guendouzi indeed flourishing out in France, the dynamism and intensity that he would instil from the centre of the Villa Park midfield would go a long way toward riding a vein of form that could be maintained, among the prominent outfits of the English top-flight.

Emery once hailed the seven-cap France international as “unique”, and it is this distinctive set of skills that will serve him well in the pursuit of prominence.

This season in Ligue 1, the 23-year-old has averaged 1.2 tackles and 0.9 intersections per outing, also completing 0.8 key passes per match in a bid to serve from multiple areas of expertise, consequently chalking up an average rating of 6.93, as per Sofascore.

As per FBref, Guendouzi ranks among the top 20% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for rate of assists, the top 12% for progressive passes received and the top 13% for touches in the attacking penalty area, which would provide a layer of creativity on top of his defence and deep-lying presence.

With this in mind, it appears a no-brainer that Villa technical director Johan Lange ensures a massive upgrade on Marvelous Nakamba is completed, with the 29-year-old yet to make an appearance for the Claret & Blue this season despite sitting on the bench on multiple occasions.

And with the Zimbabwean midfielder failing to record an average rating of over 6.63 across any completion while in Villa colours, his departure would continue the upswing that Emery is looking to surge the club into riding.

Indeed, compared to the French midfielder in question, Nakamba ranked in the worst 10% of players in just the Premier League last term for assists, the worst 11% for progressive passes and the very worst percentage for touches.

Bearing this in mind, the “warrior” that is Guendouzi – as dubbed by Robert Pires – is undoubtedly the better fit to ensure that the recent purple patch does not fade away, and Villa’s newfound confidence and swagger can be maintained over the coming campaigns, perhaps returning the club to a position in-and-around European contention.

Liverpool will put their ‘full focus’ on completing the signing of Jude Bellingham in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg.

The Lowdown: Bellingham the No.1 target

It has been made clear in the past year or so that the midfielder is arguably the Reds’ primary target (Sky Sports), having already become one of Europe’s premier midfielders, being called a ‘superstar’ by none other than Roy Keane.

Bellingham is a key man for both Borussia Dortmund and England, despite only being 19, and he looks set to have a potentially legendary career ahead of him.

A summer saga over a move away from Dortmund looks nailed on as endless reports claim that Liverpool are in pole position, and Plettenberg has now shared his latest insight.

The Latest: ‘Full focus’ this summer

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Sky Germany’s Plettenberg said that no signings would come in this month at Anfield but Bellingham will be focused on once the summer arrives:

“News LFC: As reported and now confirmed via Klopp: ‘Nothing will happen in this transfer window.’ Gakpo in January. Now full focus on top target #Bellingham for summer!”

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The Verdict: Simply has to happen

At this point, Liverpool simply have to get a deal over the line for Bellingham, with the thought of missing out on him unbearable after so much speculation along with the decision to sit on their hands this month.

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He is someone who could have a transformative influence on Jurgen Klopp’s team, having scored ten goals for Dortmund this season as well as averaging 3.2 tackles at the 2022 World Cup, ranking him as far and away England’s best tackler in Qatar.

The £49,000-a-week-earning prodigy looks like the complete midfielder, both on and off the ball, and he could excel in that right-sided No.8 role that Jordan Henderson has struggled in this season, as age has caught up with the Reds skipper.

It is worth stressing that the England star won’t solve Liverpool’s midfield woes on his own, however, considering he is still learning his trade, and at least another couple of signings are needed there to freshen things up in that area.

Tottenham Hotspur’s proposed deal for the Sporting CP right wing-back, Pedro Porro, has hit the rocks with just hours before the transfer deadline.

What’s the latest?

On Saturday night, Fabrizio Romano reported the deal to bring Porro to north London had been agreed upon and the player would be heading for London following their game against Porto.

However, on Monday morning, David Ornstein broke the news that the proposed deal had hit an issue as Sporting reneged on the details of the deal.

The report suggests the player has been left distraught having been told by the club’s president he would be allowed to leave following their League Cup final on Saturday.

And speaking on Sunday night via his YouTube channel, journalist Alasdair Gold suggested if this deal was to hit the rocks – as it has done – it may take the player to cause an issue with Sporting to see it go through:

“Obviously, we know Porro wants to come and I do wonder if Sporting do make it difficult in the final stages whether he then has a problem with that because he does seem from everything I’ve heard to be quite keen to make the move.”

Late frustration

This is a deal which has been in the offing since the beginning of the January transfer window with the north London side having identified Porro as their main target.

Talks have proceeded since the early stages of the window with reports suggesting Sporting were intent on Spurs coughing up the player’s £39m release clause if they were to sign him.

Nevertheless, Spurs continued to negotiate and it was believed on Saturday night the two clubs had agreed on a deal which would see Spurs pay a fee close to the release clause.

And yet, with hours to go, it seems as if Sporting are now wanting more money for the deal with Gary Jacob suggesting the Portuguese side wants a further £2.6m out of Spurs.

With this in mind, we do wonder whether the player could be forced to kick up a stink in Portugal in an attempt to force through a move late on in the window.

This is a deal which Spurs have spent the entire month working on and it appears the player is desperate to make the move to north London.

We have already seen the likes of Leandro Trossard cause an issue over his future before making his move and although it is not always pretty, it can often be effective.