All posts by z3u9t.icu

After enjoying a pretty impressive run of games following the Premier League’s restart, Newcastle have tasted back-to-back defeats in quick succession.

A 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City was followed by a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Watford on Saturday afternoon, and it was a performance that left a lot to be desired.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Having gone in front, Steve Bruce’s side shot themselves in the foot, twice, giving away a couple of penalties in the second-half and watching Troy Deeney flip the game completely on its head.

And following the defeat, Newcastle fans flooded to Twitter to share their anger and frustrations at Bruce in particular.

A couple of fans brought Rafa Benitez’s name into the conversation, with one supporter in particular insisting that the Spaniard had a “game-plan”, whilst Bruce does not.

Another couple of Magpies supporters took issue with Bruce’s tactics, questioning why he moved a right-back to left-back, and why Fabian Schar started in central midfield at Vicarage Road.

With the Magpies still awaiting confirmation of whether the club’s takeover has gone through, Bruce’s future at St James’ Park is surely still in major danger.

Reports in recent weeks have already suggested that the likes of Mauricio Pochettino has been lined up by the Saudi consortium to take over, and so the dismal defeats in Newcastle’s last two games have done little to suggest Bruce is the right man for the job.

There’s an ominous transfer saga evolving at Tottenham Hotspur already and the transfer window is still a week away.

It has been well reported that Jose Mourinho is a keen admirer of Southampton midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg with the Dane even wanting a move to north London over anywhere else this summer.

However, Spurs appear to be losing in the race to land him after Everton had a £25m bid accepted earlier in the week. It’s claimed that Daniel Levy is unwilling to match the offer as of yet.

The Champions League runners-up were declared the Premier League’s richest club after a study by University of Liverpool football finance expert Kieran Maguire earlier in the year, eclipsing both Manchester clubs with annual profits of £461m.

Yet, we’re supposed to believe that the club cannot afford transfer fees this summer? The Evening Standard claim that Mourinho will be limited to free agents, swap deals and mere funds from any player sales.

Though, Everton can stump up £25m for Spurs’ top target? It’s a bit puzzling.

Levy has been chairman at Spurs for nearly two decades and in that time he’s returned one League Cup.

He lauded Mourinho has one of the “most successful managers in football” upon his appointment, which in some ways was a subtle hint that the Portuguese would be the man to bring something Mauricio Pochettino couldn’t – silverware.

But that’s never going to happen if he’s not backed in the transfer market.

The former United boss has already expressed his desire to land a defensive midfielder, of which Hojbjerg meets the profile, having averaged 2.4 tackles, 1.5 clearances and 1.4 interceptions per game this season (via WhoScored).

Spurs starters Moussa Sissoko and Harry Winks aren’t a scratch on the 24-year-old’s figures, managing just 1.3 tackles each match this season. They are also averaging fewer interceptions and clearances too.

Hojbjerg has also been lauded as a “great leader” by his current Saints teammate Angus Gunn, which only bolsters his suitability for Spurs and their manager.

If Mourinho can’t get the players he needs to complement his system, then Levy is arguably setting him up for failure before he’s even had a full season in charge, thus rendering his appointment pretty pointless in the first place.

AND in other news, Tottenham fans split on latest Willian update…

The Premier League (EPL) have been put under more pressure to give answers as to why they took so long to make their final decision on the proposed takeover of Newcastle United as a Member of Parliament (MP) has written an official letter to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee, according to The Chronicle.

As per the outlet, MP Ian Lavery’s letter has called for the league’s chief executive Richard Masters and his fellow EPL chiefs to explain why the hopes of the Tyneside club with regards to the prospective takeover hit the buffers.

The MP for Wansbeck has asked as to why the £300m deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group just collapsed rather than pushing for a decision either way.

However, with Parliament currently in recess, the possibility of an investigation into the takeover process by the Premier League and its CEO may not be able to take place until next month at the earliest when all of the MPs return.

Indeed, the Saudi-led consortium, which consists of the Middle Eastern crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), his country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), businesswoman/head of PCP Capital Partners Amanda Staveley and the billionaire London-based Reuben brothers, have made their intent clear that “the fight must go on” with regards to getting their bid over the line.

However, whether the letter sent by Lavery to the DCMS puts any more pressure on the EPL is another question, but nevertheless the pressure is certainly starting to crank up.

Geordies, can you see the takeover being resurrected? Comment below with your views!

One of Tottenham Hotspur’s January targets has reportedly been made available for transfer this summer and given the departure of Jan Vertonghen, it could well be wise to revisit his credentials…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, West Ham are prepared to offload central defender Issa Diop for £45m with two Premier League teams interested in his signature.

The 23-year-old is one of the low earners at the London Stadium and could welcome a move elsewhere.

Kavel Solhekol reported back in December that Spurs were keen on the Irons colossus and saw him as a potential replacement for Vertonghen or Toby Alderweireld – though, the Hammers valued him at £50m back then.

Defensive reinforcements

It is no secret that Spurs are probably in need of a new centre-back following the Belgian’s exit. Jose Mourinho’s backline leaked a total of 47 goals this season, the second-most of any top seven side in the PL.

But is Diop worth it at £45m?

The 23-year-old is quite the imposing figure, standing at 6 foot 4 inches, and has enjoyed a pretty decent season for the Irons aside from battling relegation.

Per WhoScored, he averaged a whopping 5.1 clearances, 1.5 interceptions and 0.8 tackles per game and also won 2.5 aerial duels per match too.

Those in north London should know the Frenchman pretty well after he put in a masterclass display against Spurs towards the end of the 2018/19 season.

Diop contributed towards a clean sheet against an attack led by Heung-min Son and Lucas Moura, who both failed to get a sniff at the goal. No Irons player recorded a higher rating (8.0) via SofaScore.

The powerhouse notched eight clearances, six interceptions, two tackles and won 80% of his duels, leaving Son with a paltry 6.5 rating and less than 30% duels won.

Mourinho has also previously been a fan of the Frenchman, calling him a “monster” who “dominated every duel” whilst FourFourTwo magazine described Diop as “a tremendous athlete, excellent in the air and quick across the ground.”

Diop and Spurs could be a match made in heaven, so Levy shouldn’t baulk at their £45m asking price this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs target £15m upgrade in La Liga star who crosses more than Messi…

It still feels like Jose Mourinho is trying to mould the Tottenham Hotspur squad to his liking but in order to do that and buy the necessary personnel, Spurs will first have to sell some of their players. According to an exclusive report from The Sun, Manchester City are lining up a shock transfer bid for Harry Winks with the Special One actually considering to let it happen.

The 24-year-old has signed a fresh five-year contract with the club just last summer but that was also when Mauricio Pochettino was still at the helm and his future looked to be at Spurs. Now, however, he seems largely unsettled under Mourinho.

This is also reinforced by the arrival of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg which could limit his first-team chances even more so than usual. The same source claims Pep Guardiola is a fan of the player and is lining up a £40m bid to lure him to the former Premier League champions.

Of course, Spurs never like to sell their players to one of their main rivals but Mourinho needs the funds so he can reinvest it into the squad immediately. Winks is a valued asset but if Manchester City can match what they’re asking for, it is not inconceivable that he indeed leaves the club in the immediate future.

It is worth noting that he has been a regular presence in the lineup so this would come as a bit of a shock but the same paper claims he is unsettled and the Portuguese manager is considering this deal.

Verdict

It remains to be seen what exactly will Hojbjerg bring to the team but losing Winks does seem like a big blow to Spurs. Of course, if Mourinho thinks he is replaceable then that’s a different story.

Predicting his plans can be an unforgiving task but it does seem like he has a plan for the ongoing summer transfer window in place.

The fans will have to trust the process.

Tottenham Hotspur’s striker pursuit has taken an interesting new twist this week and if reports are to be believed, then a year-long issue could be ironed out completely in north London…

What’s the word?

According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, Spurs are set to make a dramatic late move for talismanic Brentford striker Ollie Watkins and will battle Premier League rivals Aston Villa for his signature.

It’s claimed that Jose Mourinho wants a new forward with the Bees star able to provide cover for Harry Kane and can also play out wide on either flank.

Daniel Levy will have to fork out £22m to clinch him but they could offer wages in excess of £70k-per-week to trump the competition. Meanwhile, it’s been suggested elsewhere that Thomas Frank would sell Watkins, but only for £25m.

Long-term problem

Having an alternative in attack is something that Spurs have rued all season following last summer’s departure of Fernando Llorente. It’s no secret that they struggled when Kane picked up an injury, crashing out of all cup competitions.

Their top-six rivals all have strength in depth – Arsenal have both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette while Chelsea have Timo Werner, Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham, for example.

Watkins would be an expensive backup, but one that could well genuinely compete for a starting spot amongst Mourinho’s XI. The 24-year-old scored a whopping 26 times for Brentford last season as they failed to clinch promotion at the final hurdle.

He also averaged 2.7 shots, 1.5 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per appearance, via WhoScored, so there’s certainly more than just goals to his game.

Trevor Sinclair believes Watkins has a bit of ex-Spurs star Jermain Defoe about him, claiming he’s “lethal” whilst his former Exeter boss Paul Tisdale claimed the enigmatic talisman has “got everything” and has the “perfect attitude”.

In reality, it seems like a matter of time before Watkins is in the top-flight and Levy must ensure it’s for them rather than someone else otherwise it’ll come back to haunt them – and not for the first time either.

AND in other news, Mourinho must unleash the next Sol Campbell this season…

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi could continue the youthful revolution at the club with yet another impressive move in this summer’s transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to L’Equipe, the Midlands outfit are one of three Premier League teams looking at Dijon wonderkid Mounir Chouiar, though he is also courted by teams from all five of Europe’s elite divisions.

Leeds United and Arsenal are the only other teams mentioned.

They claim that the 21-year-old would be available for just €20m (£18m), which would be the Ligue 1 outfit’s record sale by some margin. Lens would also be due 20% of any fee.

Bargain given his potential

Nuno Santo’s squad is brimming with young talent which has been a key aim of the Fosun ownership group – the likes of Pedro Neto and Ruben Vinagre have broken into the first-team setup whilst £35m club-record signing Fabio Silva will be expected to follow suit.

Chouiar, who can play on the left as well as through the middle, would be yet another ambitious signing with a ton of potential and one that looks quite the bargain at £18m.

Get French Football News have dubbed him a “dribble-king” which is hardly a surprise considering he pulled off more successful attempts (63%) than the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Houssem Aouar last season.

Whilst his manager Stephane Jobard believes the France U19 international is a “serious talent” who “can destabilise the defence in one-on-ones” and is “capable of making the final pass and can even score.”

The Dijon boss also added: “He has the whole arsenal of a modern footballer.”

Chouiar also created 2.6 chances per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 last term, which is better than the 2.6 key passes that Joao Moutinho averaged per 90 minutes in the Premier League, via WhoScored.

Shi swooping for the French attacker would just be yet another shrewd move from the Molineux outfit.

AND in other news, one Wolves misfit outshone Raul Jimenez and Joao Moutinho this week…

Is Daniel Levy getting the band back together at Tottenham Hotspur? It certainly seems that way after a sensational claim on deadline day…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Spurs have been offered the chance to sign Christian Eriksen on loan in a cut-price deal from Inter Milan, just ten months after selling him to the Italian outfit for around £16.9m.

The Serie A giants are reportedly keen to trim their wage bill and raise funds through player sales, so much so that they’d be willing to pay half of the 28-year-old’s £200k-per-week wages.

It’s also claimed that the Danish playmaker has been offered to several of Spurs’ top-flight rivals though it remains to be seen if Levy would sanction a shock return.

Levy masterclass

This could be an outstanding swoop from Levy and another sign of him sprinkling his magic. He sold Eriksen with just six months to run on his contract, and now could sign him for free on loan.

Only £100k-per-week would need to be paid if the aforementioned claim is to be believed. That would be one hell of a masterclass from the Spurs chairman.

It can be argued that the club are still yet to replace the attacking midfield dynamo after a prolific seven-year stint in north London.

His touted replacement, Giovani Lo Celso, has turned out to be a deeper option having only provided four goals and three assists in 42 appearances, per Transfermakt.

The majority of goals have been scored or created by striking duo Heung-min Son and Harry Kane – you could only imagine the damage that Eriksen would do behind these with Gareth Bale, Tanguy Ndombele and Sergio Reguilon all likely to play too.

Eriksen arguably enjoyed his best season in 18/19 where he delivered eight goals and 12 assists in the Premier League, whilst also averaging 2.4 shots, 2.1 key passes and 1.2 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, his Argentinian successor is only averaging 1.5 key passes per game whilst Ndombele, who is also of the creative nature, is managing just 0.3 key passes from two top-flight starts.

Despite not being around him much, Jose Mourinho was a fan, once claiming “he shows clearly the quality he has” whilst ex-manager Mauricio Pochettino has dubbed him “amazing” as well as “outstanding” in the past.

Transfermarkt value the Inter Milan misfit at £54m, so this could certainly be an outrageous coup from the tough-negotiator himself, Mr Levy.

AND in other news, £100k-per-week flop could be Spurs’ desperate Milan Skiriniar alternative…

Having omitted him from their Premier League squad list for this season, Newcastle must show no mercy when it comes to Henri Saivet’s future at the club.

What’s the word?

Since arriving from Ligue 1 side Bordeaux a few years ago, Saivet has been an unmitigated disaster at St James’ Park, barely getting a look-in and spending most of his contracted time out on loan.

Now, it appears the end is near for him on Tyneside, having been one of the players omitted from their final squad list sent to the Premier League.

With his contract expiring in the summer of 2021, the Magpies must surely cut their losses on the midfielder in January.

Bruce must make ruthless decision

With a total of eight appearances to his name in a Newcastle shirt, it’s not a stretch to say that Saivet has arguably been one of the worst – if not the worst – signings of the Mike Ashley era.

Earning a reported £35k-a-week at St James’ Park, the Magpies’ failure to offload him in the summer transfer window just gone by means that they will having to pay his wages until January – a complete waste and drain on resources.

New signings are all well and good, but Steve Bruce must surely make it his priority to get rid of Saivet once and for all. It would be the only way for them to make the best of a bad situation.

And in other news, Lee Ryder has delivered a major boost to Steve Bruce and Newcastle.

Crystal Palace have been dealt a devastating blow after they failed to sign Watford winger Ismaila Sarr on transfer deadline day…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, Watford rejected a £25m bid from Palace for the Senegal international. The Hornets were holding out for nearly double that figure, having signed him for a club-record £40m fee from Rennes in 2019.

Sarr had been tipped to move to Palace, amid interest from Manchester United after failing to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund. However, a move failed to materialise, which has forced him to stay at Vicarage Road.

Missed trick?

Sarr, 22, impressed in his debut season in the Premier League, as he scored five goals and supplied five assists in the top flight, via WhoScored.

Despite his young age, he still managed the same amount of shots per game as Wilfried Zaha (1.6), whilst he averaged more key passes per game than Jordan Ayew (0.9) last term.

It’s safe to say that Sarr has often divided opinion, with some like Darren Bent insisting that he is too “inconsistent”, whilst others argue that he simply needs time to grow and develop as a player.

Whatever the case may be, the fact remains that Roy Hodgson has shown that he can get the best out of young players, as Eberechi Eze and Tyrick Mitchell have established themselves as first-team regular starters in recent weeks.

Zaha has played as a striker in the past – just think of all the chaos a front three consisting of Sarr, Zaha and Eze could cause.

Once lauded as a “top player” who will “only get better” by Kevin Phillips, you can’t help but feel like Palace may regret the missed opportunity to strike while the iron is hot.

Whilst Sarr may not be the finished article now, there is certainly a lot of potential there. Either way, Hodgson has missed out on the chance to give Palace their dream attack for years to come.

Whether or not the Eagles will try again in the winter transfer window remains to be seen.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace re-sign former Liverpool defender Nathaniel Clyne…