All posts by z3u9t.icu

By Wolves’ very high standards, they have been particularly abject this term. They haven’t scored enough goals and thus, European football is set to desert them.

Therefore, the transfer window will be incredibly important for the Old Gold.

What’s the word?

Wolves have been linked with a couple of forwards in recent weeks but arguably, none will be more appealing than Dwight McNeil.

The Burnley winger continues to catch the eye at Turf Moor and as a result, he’s someone the Molineux outfit are being urged to sign.

That’s courtesy of Wolves legend Steve Bull, someone who opened up on the winger when talking exclusively to Football FanCast last week.

“It’s very rare that talented players like that go under the radar, Leicester found one in James Maddison. So, yeah all day long I’d take him,” he began.

“Put him in a good side full of talented and skilful players like we’ve got and it might bring him on leaps and bounds,” Bull concluded.

Bye-bye Neto

Wolves were unable to convince Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota from leaving for the jaws of the Premier League’s big six last summer and they could face the same eventuality in a few months time.

Dynamic forward Pedro Neto has been linked with a massive £50m move to Manchester United and if that does happen, Nuno Santo should look no further than McNeil as his replacement.

Like Neto, the Burnley winger possesses a mesmeric left foot and has a wonderful final ball to add to that.

For the Clarets this term, the £47k-per-week earner hasn’t amassed the greatest of numbers but it’s hard to really nail down regular goal involvements when you play for a team that operates in a more defensive manner.

He has two goals and three assists to his name this term, but has 14 assists in the last three seasons, a handy number for a player who is so rampant down the left.

McNeil has averaged 1.2 key passes a match this season, a tally that puts him behind only Neto, Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho at Wolves.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-news-on-wolves-from-molineux” title=” Check out the latest news on Wolves from Molineux!”]

It’s hard to forget just how young he is too. The Burnley forward is still only 21 and has plenty of improvement left in his game. With that in mind, he ticks a pretty large box when Jeff Shi chooses who to sign.

Words from Harry Redknapp only add further appeal to his signature: “Dwight McNeil is such a good player, lovely left foot, doesn’t stop running,”

Redknapp added: “Every time I watch him he gets better and better, he’s got real quality and certainly a player that the top six to eight clubs will be looking at, and that’s no disrespect to Burnley because I don’t like saying that sometimes, but he is that good.”

Bearing those remarks in mind, Wolves must act quickly if they want to secure McNeil’s services.

It surely won’t be too long before he’s outgrown Burnley.

AND in other news, Wolves could find their new Goncalves with swoop for “unpredictable” 20-goal wizard…

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to footage on social media regarding youngsters Louie Barry and Aaron Ramsey.

The pair were in action at Villa Park against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday evening in the FA Youth Cup.

Both Barry and Ramsey helped Villa progress to the fifth round following a 3-0 win, with the latter of the two netting a brace in the second half.

Kaine Kesler-Hayden opened the scoring, with captain Ramsey sealing the victory with two goals in the space of six minutes.

It was Ramsey’s second effort which had plenty of Villa fans talking on social media. Barry picked up the ball and beat a few Brighton players before feeding it into Ramsey’s path, with the midfielder slotting an effort into the far corner.

Villa fans react

@academyavfc shared the third goal on Twitter on Wednesday evening, with the clip viewed over 24,000 times as of Friday morning.

This is what these Villa fans had to say, with one describing Barry’s run as ‘Jack-esque’.

“Jack-esque going forward like that. Love to see it.”

Credit: @JayVtid

“Barry’s turn of pace is something else”

Credit: @JAnnetts_

“The first team awaiting”

Credit: @Alanmccaugherr1

“That’s absolutely brilliant”

Credit: @nicknackjames1

“Love that run from Barry and the finish from A Ramsey”

Credit: @mickstewartssss

“There’s some Jack Grealish about this Louis Barry kid”

Credit: @MShauib1

In other news: Many AVFC fans react as FFP news emerges, find out more here. 

Fans of Sunderland have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which the Black Cats relayed footage of the club’s centre-back, Bailey Wright, reflecting on the recent defeat to Wigan Athletic.

Following the 2-1 loss to relegation-threatened Wigan on Tuesday evening, a result which saw Sunderland fall five points behind Peterborough United in the race for automatic promotion, Wright, who had only just returned to the side following a lengthy spell on the sidelines, stated his belief that the Black Cats were not good enough on the night.

The 28-year-old claimed in his post-match comments that Sunderland are well aware of their capabilities, however, that Lee Johnson’s side “fell well short” of their own standards during the 90 minutes at the DW Stadium, before going on to say that, while the defeat “hurts”, he and his team now need to “regroup” ahead of “another important game on Saturday”.

However, after Sunderland relayed the footage of Wright on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing furious with the defender’s remarks.

So, what exactly did these Sunderland fans have to say in reaction to Bailey Wright’s post-match comments?

“Humiliating when you hear that, twice they’ve beaten us this season and comfortably beaten us on both occasions.”

@Itssamnthat

“Pretty rattled he said Wigan are a good side.”

@Jack_Tomlinson2

“‘Remain optimistic’, ‘We will put things right’, ‘It’s not over’. Empty gestures. You can’t put it right. It is over. You’re making us fans pessimistic when you bottle it consistently, season on season. Be better.”

@WhatTheFalkPod

“‘They made it difficult, they’re a good side’. OUR players made it difficult for themselves. OUR players made them look good. What an awful mentality that is.”

@kylemurg

“And that interview just about sums up how and why we’ve bottled it. Woeful mentality.”

@AJohno_

“There were times tonight this lad didn’t just look unfit but like he’d never played a game of football before. We don’t have access to the fitness levels and only have hindsight, but do have to wonder if Johnson should have gone with a different option having access to that.”

@davis0688

In other news: ‘Incredible’, ‘Never tire of watching this’ – Lots of SAFC fans buzz as ‘unreal’ footage emerges – find out more here!

Some Sunderland fans were left to blast the display of Callum McFadzean despite their 2-0 away win at Portsmouth in the EFL League One on Tuesday night.

Lee Johnson’s men raced into an early lead through Charlie Wyke before doubling their lead a few minutes into the second half as Jordan Jones ensured that all three points were going to the Stadium of Light faithful.

However, while there were some very good performances by the Black Cats, McFadzean’s flattered to deceive some SAFC supporters.

The former Sheffield United man lost out on seven of his duels in the game, and also failed to record a single successful dribble, interception, key pass or cross from the left-back position (Sofascore).

He also lost possession of the ball no fewer than 24 times in the match, the most out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch (Sofascore).

Sunderland fan reaction to McFadzean display

These Sunderland fans blasted his performance on Twitter, with one fan even going as far to claim that the 27-year-old is ‘useless’:

“I’d love to know what LJ thinks of Vokins, because McFadzean is literally scared of the ball… (and useless) #safc”

Credit: @lambo_82

“God help us if McFadzean is in the 11 at Wembley… #SAFC”

Credit: @RokerPark150705

“Someone teach McFadzean to complete a 5 yard pass please #safc”

Credit: @brettd1981

“McFadzean is definitely up with the worst players I have ever seen can’t pass can’t head the ball #safc”

Credit: @Safcftm2016

“10 minutes in and can already see McFadzean is an accident waiting to happen #PORSUN”

Credit: @j_rennoldson23

“They seen McFadzean is the weak link and targeting him. You’ll get something from that.”

Credit: @widger123

In other news, find out who else was slammed for his display against Pompey here!

After getting back to winning ways against Newcastle last time out, Leeds United will be hoping to clinch back-to-back victories for the first time in 2021 when they visit Leicester City on Sunday afternoon.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side ran out 2-1 winners against the Magpies in the Premier League last week, with goals from summer signing Raphinha, and Jack Harrison, proving enough to see off the Tyneside club.

Aside from the one enforced change the Leeds boss will have to make in the centre of defence – Diego Llorente has been ruled out for the next few weeks after pulling up with yet another injury – Bielsa may opt to make a couple more alterations to his line-up too.

And with that in mind, below is a look at how Leeds might line up when they take on Leicester at the King Power Stadium.

In front of first-choice goalkeeper Illan Meslier, Bielsa may look to move Luke Ayling in from right-back to partner Liam Cooper in the centre of defence.

That switch could then see Stuart Dallas move back to right-back, whilst the 39-cap Gjanni Alioski – once dubbed a “liability” by Noel Whelan – could also be dropped from the starting line-up, with 5 ft 11 man Leif Davis pushing to get a rare start at left-back, in what would be his first Premier League start of the campaign.

In midfield, Dallas’ return to the back-four could see Bielsa stalwart Mateusz Klich come back into the team after being named on the bench for the victory over Newcastle.

Elsewhere, Bielsa is likely to stick to the same personnel that got Leeds all three points against the Magpies, with Raphinha and Jack Harrison out wide, and Patrick Bamford once again the lone striker up front.

Predicted XI: Meslier; Dallas, Ayling, Cooper, Davis; Phillips, Raphinha, Klich, Rodrigo, Harrison; Bamford.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa must surely be fuming after this latest transfer update…

While Leeds United remain in the hunt for a surprise European place for next season, attentions already seem to be turning towards how the Premier League side can strengthen ahead of the new campaign.

Reports in recent days have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side have earmarked Torino centre-back Nicolas Nkoulou as a possible new addition, with the Cameroon international’s contract at the Serie A club coming to an end this summer and thus being available to join on a free transfer.

Bielsa may feel that Nkoulou could form a centre-back partnership alongside summer signing Diego Llorente, whose debut campaign in English football at Elland Road has been severely restricted by injuries – he’s only managed a measly three appearances in the Premier League.

Given the money they spent on Llorente, there’s no questioning that if he does get his fitness back, Bielsa will be keen to get him into the starting line-up.

And in Nkoulou, he could find him the perfect partner. The 6 foot powerhouse has got a tonne of experience playing for the likes of Torino, Monaco and Lyon, whilst it was at Marseille that he played under Bielsa himself.

He played 26 games in all competitions for the Argentine back in the one season that the duo were at the Stade Veledrome, with Nkoulou a permanent fixture in the starting line-up when fit – the only games he missed were as a result of suspension, injury and being involved at the African Cup of Nations.

In that 2014/2015 season, Nkoulou proved he’s the ultimate Bielsa centre-back, being superb at reading the game and being aggressive, and having a fine ability to play out from the back.

The Cameroonian arguably played the best football of his career under Bielsa, with his defensive numbers from that campaign really telling the full story.

As per Whoscored, he managed a career-high 3.3 interceptions per game in Ligue 1, while in only his first two seasons of professional football did he make more than the 2.1 tackles per match that he recorded in that 2014/2015 campaign – to compare that to Leeds’ players right now, no-one can match those interception numbers, while only four others have made more tackles.

But, not only was he a defensive stalwart, but Nkoulou also looked assured with the ball at his feet. He averaged a 90.8% pass accuracy and 48 total passes per game, which are both significantly higher than his career average.

The defender played his best football under Bielsa, and so the Leeds boss will be fairly confident that he could get the best out of him once again at Elland Road. And that could see him partner Llorente come the start of next season.

James Tavernier deserves a huge amount of credit for the role he has played in Rangers’ title win this season and considering his current contract is set to expire at the end of the next campaign, Steven Gerrard and Ross Wilson must both make it his priority to ensure that the captain signs a new deal to stay at Ibrox.

Although the 29-year-old has missed the last month of action through injury, he was enjoying an incredible season for Gerrard’s side earlier in the campaign and has been a huge factor in their title win.

In 29 Premiership appearances, the defender has contributed a remarkable 11 goals and nine assists, averaging a superb 7.76 rating for his performances.

This comfortably ranks him as Rangers’ best performer in the league so far this season, with Joe Aribo’s 7.44 average rating the closest to the captain, which again highlights just how important he has been in the title success.

It is not a surprise that Tavernier has been attracting interest from the Premier League, with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Newcastle United all reportedly interested in signing him.

Whilst the Gers were able to keep hold of their captain in the winter transfer window, they may struggle if some of the top Premier League clubs come knocking in the summer, especially because they are not in a strong position with Tavernier’s contract.

As it stands, the right-back’s contract with Rangers will expire at the end of next season, meaning he could potentially leave on a free transfer, whilst foreign clubs could potentially negotiate with him in January 2022, with the view to signing him on a Bosman transfer deal.

Considering Tavernier is valued at £7.2 million by Transfermarkt, which is only second to Alfredo Morelos in the Rangers squad, the club will be desperate not to lose him on a free transfer or for a reduced fee.

With the Champions League to come next season, Gerrard will also be desperate to keep his captain around, having described him as “unstoppable” earlier in the season.

Therefore, both Wilson and Gerrard must work hard to try and convince Tavernier to sign a new deal with Rangers, otherwise, you worry that his head could be turned by the prospect of playing in the Premier League on what would presumably be a much higher salary.

And, in other news… Rangers could be set to receive a huge boost on £11k-p/w beast Gerrard dubbed “world-class”

Gabriel Jesus returned to action for Manchester City against Birmingham on Sunday afternoon and whilst he failed to find the back of the net, it was a classy overall performance from the Brazilian.

The striker had been out of action after testing positive for the coronavirus but was handed a start by Pep Guardiola against the Championship strugglers.

The Citizens eased to a 3-0 win as a brace from Bernardo Silva and a goal from Phil Foden proved enough to see them through to the fourth round.

Despite having scored just once in his last nine games for Man City in all competitions now, Guardiola will likely be delighted with the 23-year-old’s contribution against Birmingham on Sunday.

As per SofaScore, Jesus completed 30/33 of his passes against the Championship side, resulting in an impressive pass accuracy of 91%.

The Brazilian international was also successful in all three of his dribbles during the game, whilst he also contributed two key passes during his time on the pitch.

Perhaps most impressively though, was that the striker was able to win all five of his duels during the game, suggesting that he regularly had the better of the Birmingham defenders during his time on the pitch.

He was replaced by young Liam Delap with around 20 minutes remaining, so it would not be a surprise to see him start again in City’s midweek game against Brighton, where he will be hoping to end his Premier League goal drought.

In December 2020, Guardiola was full of praise for the impact Jesus has in this City side, saying:

“I want his goals, but his contribution is the best striker in the world at doing things any other striker can do for the team. Regaining the ball, pressing high, opponent 18 yards box – he helps us to do it.”

Therefore, he will no doubt be happy with the 23-year-old’s impact against Birmingham, as the only thing really missing from his performance was a goal.

And, in other news… Forget Silva: £110k-p/w beast who made 111 passes was Guardiola’s start vs BCFC

Liverpool produced a near-perfect display to see off Leicester City 3-0 at Anfield on Sunday night and although Andy Robertson will pick up a lot of plaudits for his part in the win, the Scottish international’s display wasn’t as good as you might think.

Although he picked up an 8/10 rating for his performance from SofaScore after contributing an assist for Diogo Jota’s goal in the first half, as well as helping Jurgen Klopp’s side to a clean sheet, his passing was sloppy throughout the 90 minutes.

As per SofaScore, the former Hull City man lost possession 24 times the night, which was the most of any Liverpool player on the pitch.

The 26-year-old also won just four out of eight of his ground duels and had a pass success rate of just 77%, with 15 of his 65 attempted passes going astray, whilst he was also dribbled past by Leicester players on two occasions during the game.

Although he was impressive at times going forward, playing three key passes during the game, he also struggled to find the mark with his long balls, with only one out of seven attempted long balls finding their mark.

His crossing was also arguably not as consistent as usual, as only four out of 11 of his crosses were accurate against the Foxes.

Fortunately for Klopp, Leicester were unable to make the most of the Scottish defender’s sloppy passing on the evening, although this may be a cause for concern in the future if teams are able to capitalise on his slack passing.

The Scotsman earned a lot of praise from former Liverpool left-back Fabio Aurelio earlier this year, with the Brazilian suggesting that:

“He’s kind of the complete player because physically he’s well capable of going forward and going back he defends very well.

“He’s quick, so his one-v-one is good and defensively that’s very important in the scheme Klopp plays. He goes forward very easily.

“One thing that calls my attention is that he’s always improving, he’s not comfortable in his situation being first choice. You will see that in every game he plays as his last one, so that’s courage.

“The two full-backs of Liverpool right now are unbelievable. We can contest in any kind of way.” (per Liverpool FC)

Overall though, it was another solid display from the left-back, who continues his impressive start to the 2020/21 Premier League season, with his season average rating now standing at a solid 6.79/10 (per WhoScored).

It will be interesting to see if Robertson is rested for Liverpool’s next game, as they face Atalanta at home in the Champions League, with summer signing Kostas Tsimikas perhaps pushing for a starting spot after recovering from injury.

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…