All posts by z3u9t.icu

Southampton have been linked with a move for Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham recently, and if he were to join the Saints, he could perhaps be the key to unlocking Che Adams’ potential under Ralph Hasenhuttl.

Whilst the former Birmingham City man has now found the net in each of his last three games, before that, he had endured a run of 16 games without a goal in all competitions, with a lack of consistency having been a key issue for the 24-year-old during his time on the South Coast.

Of course, you could argue that he has had to play second fiddle to Danny Ings for most of his time at Southampton and that his hard work in attack often goes unnoticed because of the former Burnley man’s proficiency in front of goal.

However, with the 28-year-old reportedly looking to join a Champions League club in the near future, whilst his contract is set to expire at the end of next season, it is looking increasingly likely that he could depart Southampton this summer, so it is no surprise to see them already being linked with potential replacements, such as Abraham.

Whilst the England international is a goalscorer in his own right, having regularly shown his ability to find the back of the net during loan spells with Aston Villa and Bristol City, before establishing himself as a first-team regular at Chelsea, his style of play could really improve Adams’ goalscoring potential.

Southampton lack any sort of target man in their side, with Ings and Adams being two very similar players, which can sometimes make them predictable and easy to defend against, which has, unfortunately, proven to be the case regularly during the recent terrible run of form for Hasenhuttl’s side.

Abraham is six foot three and averages 1.9 aerials won per game in the Premier League this season, with only centre-back pairing Jan Bednarek and Jannik Vestergaard averaging more in terms of the current Southampton squad, which emphasises that they lack any sort of aerial threat in attack.

The 23-year-old, who reportedly earns £65k per week at Chelsea, could prove to be a focal point in Hasenhuttl’s side, with the £13.5 million-rated Adams making runs beyond him from flick-ons or playing off him if Southampton were to play the ball to his feet.

Rather than dropping deep, it could also allow Adams to use his pace more effectively and play on the shoulder of the last man, which would hopefully lead to more goalscoring opportunities for the Englishman.

Therefore, if Ings does leave in the summer, then Abraham could be a great replacement for Southampton to bring in, as it could really change the way they attack and help Adams evolve into a much more consistent goalscorer.

And, in other news… Semmens must avoid VVD repeat with £13.5m-rated “role model” who Ralph loves

Newcastle United full-back Emil Krafth shone for Steve Bruce after coming on to replace the injured Javier Manquillo in Saturday’s 3-2 win over Southampton.

Bruce opted to field Manquillo in the Toon’s starting line-up but soon lost the Spaniard after just 24 minutes, with the defender forced off after sustaining an apparent muscular issue.

Krafth had not featured in a Premier League match since producing a difficult display in a 3-0 defeat at Arsenal on January 18th, after which the 26-year-old was linked with a move away from St. James’ Park amid alleged interest from Super Lig side Istanbul Basaksehir.

Krafth was seen as believing that his recall to the side which lost at the Emirates served as a second chance, having started only his fourth top-flight fixture of the campaign in north London after being left an unused substitute nine times and omitted from four prior squads.

It turned out not to be the case with Bruce leaving the £3.5m-rated full-back on the bench in United’s following four matches, but Krafth more than took his chance to impress against Southampton when the Magpies needed him the most.

Much of the acclaim for the Toon seeing out their 3-2 win headed the way of Isaac Hayden, after the midfielder was again called on as a makeshift centre-back following a raft of injuries at the back.

The Chronicle and The Northern Echo both awarded Hayden a nine out of 10 rating for his performance against the Saints, as the Arsenal product produced an array of crucial clearances and did superbly well to repel an onslaught of late attacks.

Krafth, meanwhile, was given a six for his efforts by Chronicle Live and a seven from The Northern Echo, to leave the 24-cap outcast the unsung hero of only Newcastle’s second win in 14 games across all competitions.

Krafth has often struggled when called upon by Bruce of late, having turned in a horror show display against West Bromwich Albion in December and being run ragged at Arsenal last month.

But, even when walking on a knife-edge after being shown a yellow card in first-half stoppage-time, the £57,000-per-week full-back did not let Newcastle down against Southampton as he helped to batten down the hatches on Saturday.

While Hayden was praised for his clearances, Krafth registered a joint-game high seven of them alongside Paul Dummett as they worked in tandem to protect Karl Darlow’s goal and United’s lead, per WhoScored.

Krafth, like Hayden, also registered an interception but unlike his 25-year-old teammate, the first-half introduction further won possession with each of his two attempted tackles. Hayden, meanwhile, failed to claim the ball with his only attempted lunge as one of just three Toon members to have been dribbled past by a Saints player.

The 6ft full-back and Hayden also won possession in the air twice from three and two duels and committed two fouls each, with the only aspect in which Krafth – who also won four of six ground duels, per SofaScore – truly lacked was in retaining possession as he completed just 46% of his 13 passes by prioritising keeping danger away from Darlow rather than pinpoint accuracy.

Krafth did not do enough to steal the headlines on a day Miguel Almiron hit a brace, Joe Willock scored on his debut and Allan Saint-Maximin registered two assists, but his efforts deserve a lot more acknowledgement than they’ve received.

AND in other news, Newcastle saw an £11.5m bid rejected for a 22-year-old talent protected by a £53m release clause in January…

Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter which relayed a report regarding the Hammers’ interest in a summer move for Adam Armstrong.

According to a report by The Sun, David Moyes has been personally checking on the progress of Armstrong – who has scored 19 goals and provided three assists over his 31 Championship appearances this season- ahead of a potential summer swoop for the striker, whom Blackburn Rovers value at £25m.

However, the report also states that the Irons had only intended to offer £10m for the 24-year-old, and have been left shocked by the Championship side’s asking price for a player whose contract expires in the summer of 2022.

After West Ham News & Views relayed the report on Twitter, fans of the club flocked to have their say on the matter, with many begging West Ham’s GSB ownership to avoid making a move for the £17,000-a- week man this summer. One commented that signing him would be a “waste” of transfer resources.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to the club’s link with a move for Adam Armstrong?

“£25 million for a player that’s out of contract in 12 months – I ain’t entirely sure about that. Understand why Blackburn have slapped that price tag on him though.”

@AzamWHUFC

“Can demand all they like they won’t get it. £15 million absolute tops.”

@RichardGSBOUT

“Would prefer Toney.”

@Reece_WHU_

“Never heard of him.”

@RobertM57362312

“That should put pay to that then, move on.”

@TOrwell2

“No thanks, good player but £25m is a bit over the top.”

@Jinglis01492553

“No chance they get that fee in my opinion. He will go for a lot cheaper than that, and hopefully to us. Post [pandemic], potential failure to reach the play-offs, out of contract the following year – all key factors with this one.”

@WHUFCFZ

“In that case step away completely & wait 6 months for a cut-price deal or simply wait till the contract is up. The truth is the 40% is Blackburn’s. If I was a club I would simply refuse to pay that for him especially in the last year & wait it out.”

@scout_mike

“That’s a waste.”

@oliver90820149

In other West Ham United news, many fans wanted this Premier League ace after a contract claim – find out more here!

If you thought things couldn’t worse for Sheffield United, their defeat to Everton just about summed things up.

The Blades held proceedings at 0-0 for the vast majority of the game but let a crucial point in their bid for survival slip away late on.

With ten minutes to go, Iceland international Gylfi Sigurdsson popped up for the Toffees to seal all three points for the visitors.

It was a gut-wrenching blow that piled even further pressure on Chris Wilder and his side. Sheffield United still only have a point to their name and are seemingly fading away without a trace.

It was another tough night for the South Yorkshire side which wasn’t helped by the withdrawal of David McGoldrick in the second half. He may not have been his usual bullish self but he received very little help from George Baldock on the right-hand side.

The wing-back was impressive during his first season in the Premier League but has unfortunately seen his performance levels drop in 2020/21. This was a display that typified it, losing possession a colossal 16 times as he struggled to ever really get his foot on the ball properly.

Baldock registered a meagre pass success rate of 62% and was bullied by a rampant Ben Godfrey, someone who surpassed the Sheffield United defender on multiple occasions. In total, the Blades wing-back was beaten for pace three times so it’s no surprise to see that he completed just a solitary tackle.

To emphasise how poor the 27-year-old’s night was, he lost a hefty 69% of his duels, winning only one of eight contested on the ground. Baldock was slightly better in the air – winning three of the five duels attempted but overall, it was a disappointing outing.

It was a performance that will have left Wilder frustrated, especially having conceded such a late goal. Perhaps it’s time for Jayden Bogle to come into the side permanently?

The former Derby defender found the back of the net against Brighton and looked assured going forward on his only league appearance of the season. It’s safe to say that Baldock lacked those qualities on Boxing Day.

Time will tell how patient Wilder is.

AND in other news, EXCLUSIVE: Dean Windass drops bombshell over Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United future…

Liverpool face Manchester United for the second time in a week on Sunday, as they travel to Old Trafford to face the Red Devils in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The third-round win against Aston Villa’s youngsters remains Liverpool’s only win of 2021 so far, with Jurgen Klopp’s side having been far from good enough in recent top-flight fixtures, which has seen them drop off the top of the Premier League table.

Thursday’s home defeat against Burnley, which brought an end to the Reds’ impressive undefeated record at Anfield, was perhaps the clearest example that Liverpool are not the force they were last season, and they will have to perform significantly better on Sunday if they want to beat Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Klopp’s side to line up against Manchester United, with four changes from the side that started against Burnley…

Alisson unsurprisingly keeps his place in goal, and he will be hoping for a similarly impressive performance against United this time out.

There is one change in defence, as Klopp rests Trent Alexander-Arnold after some woeful recent displays, with Neco Williams given the opportunity to impress.

With Jordan Henderson reportedly unlikely to feature, Thiago starts in the defensive-midfield role once again, with Curtis Jones coming in for Xherdan Shaqiri in midfield, despite the Swiss international being one of the better performers in recent games.

In attack, there are two changes, as both Divock Origi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who earns £120k per week at Anfield, drop to the bench after poor performances against Burnley.

Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino replace them to start at Old Trafford, and Klopp will be desperate for his front three to rediscover their goalscoring touch against Liverpool’s old rivals.

And, in other news… “Of course he would” – Exclusive: Pundit suggests PL beast would join LFC

Manchester United midfielder Fred may be in the firing line after he was sent off against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, but that doesn’t hide from the fact that Bruno Fernandes was strangely ineffective.

The Portuguese magnifico has turned out to be a total revelation for United after joining on a five-and-a-half year deal from Sporting Lisbon as he was quickly rewarded for his efforts with the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award.

But it’s safe to say that this was far from his finest hour as Fernandes ultimately toiled in vain as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side saw their four-game winning streak snapped by the French Ligue 1 giants.

Fred was abysmal, Anthony Martial wasn’t much better, but Fernandes seriously let Solskjaer down with a wasteful performance.

SofaScore gave the 26-year-old a low grade of 6.6 out of ten for his efforts – he lost possession 20 times, failed to win a single ground duel from seven attempts, was dribbled past three times and took just one shot on target.

The Mirror gave Fernandes a 6/10 rating and claimed he “tried to inspire United once again and had some nice touches, but lacked usual influence” whilst 90min went even further, insisting he ‘drifted in and out of the game, not as influential as usual.’

All style, no substance, eh?

We still can’t quite work out why the Portugal international played the full 90′ minutes despite his obvious struggles, as Solskjaer’s decision to replace Marcus Rashford with Paul Pogba makes very little sense, especially when you consider the fact that the 23-year-old was named Man of the Match for his performance.

Not only was he lacklustre, but he was uncharacteristically lightweight as well with Fred and Scott McTominay winning more ground duels than the attacking midfielder.

Maybe he’d have actually been better off replacing Fernandes with the French World Cup winner instead.

With Pogba waiting in the wings, perhaps Solskjaer could start the Frenchman further up the pitch and give Fernandes a rest as the Red Devils get ready to travel to West Ham at the weekend.

AND in other news, Manchester United must avoid signing injury-prone Barcelona flop Ousmane Dembele at all costs…

After completing a perfect Europa League group stage campaign with a 4-2 win over Dundalk on Thursday, Arsenal return to Premier League action when they take on Burnley on Sunday evening.

The Gunners have made a terrible start to the top-flight, struggling to pick up wins, and not even managing to click going forward – ahead of the game against the Clarets, they have just 13 points from their opening 11 games and scored just ten.

Mikel Arteta will be desperate to pick up a win ahead of a busy Christmas period, and with Burnley starting the game in the bottom three of the Premier League, it may give them the perfect chance to do so.

Below is a look at how the Gunners might line up on Sunday night.

After making wholesale changes for the clash against Dundalk, Arteta is likely to revert back to a stronger looking eleven, with Bernd Leno restored as the side’s number one goalkeeper.

And having gone back to a back-five on Thursday, the Arsenal boss may stick with that against Burnley, with the formation of course serving them well in winning both the FA Cup and Community Shield over the summer.

That could see David Luiz, Gabriel and Kieran Tierney line up as the central defensive trio, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Hector Bellerin on either side at wing-back.

In midfield, Dani Ceballos and Granit Xhaka could rekindle the partnership that dominated towards the end of last season, especially with Thomas Partey of course going off injured against Tottenham last weekend.

And in a front three, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette could be joined by Emile Smith Rowe, who looked likely against Dundalk and can provide a more creative option.

Predicted XI: Leno; Bellerin, Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney, Maitland-Niles; Ceballos, Xhaka; Smith Rowe, Lacazette, Aubameyang.

Steve Bruce has suggested that Newcastle have already begun the process of scouting potential targets ahead of the January transfer window, but he also revealed that scouts not being able to view targets live is an issue.

The Magpies invested around £35M in the squad over the summer, and it is thought that Mike Ashley will make funds available for Bruce again in January irrespective of what happens surrounding the takeover saga, per Chronicle Live. That assurance comes after Newcastle opted not to invest in the squad during last season’s winter window.

Scouting challenges for Newcastle revealed

It has been reported that Newcastle have been preparing to operate ‘business as usual’ behind the scenes in January, with the likes of Ashley, Bruce and head of recruitment Steve Nickson drawing up plans for potential targets, per Chronicle Live. However, those plans would be subject to change were any developments over the takeover to emerge.

In the absence of any such developments, Newcastle will continue to identify and scout the targets that Bruce is seeking in January. In the summer the Magpies boss was insistent on ensuring that players brought in would arrive with prior Premier League experience, in order to avoid having to wait for players to settle into English football, per Chronicle Live. He may opt for the same approach this coming window.

Speaking in his press conference ahead of Newcastle’s meeting with Everton, Bruce revealed that the lack of access scouts have into grounds at the moment makes signing players more challenging. He also admitted signing players without having viewed them is not something he wants to do.

He said: “The scouting team have set themselves up at St James’ Park. They’re there for three days a week.

“The difficulty is, of course, it’s never quite the same so it’s very difficult just to watch a video and I think I’ve seen something like 10, 12 games this week. We’ve got to be careful we don’t over saturate that but that’s a different story.

“On the scouting ones, they are doing a lot by video and a lot with the technology we’ve got where we can watch any game in the world.

“The technology today is quite remarkable but it’s not quite the same as seeing people live so we’re identifying the targets that we would look at and hopefully get the chance to see them live because buying someone without seeing them live is certainly not my cup of tea and it’s certainly not Steve Nickson’s, either.”

Steve Bruce might have take transfer gambles to strengthen his squad

Newcastle were looking to add further to their squad before the summer window closed, but they missed out on both Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Ross Barkley. The need to add more bodies in midfield has only been heightened by the recent hernia injury for Jonjo Shelvey, while there are also other areas of the squad which need addressing during the winter window.

Whilst the current situation of scouts not being able to view players firsthand is challenging, the Magpies could negate that somewhat by looking for readymade Premier League players as they had done in the summer. That would enable the Magpies to have more faith in the players being signed, but what they cannot do is use it as an excuse not to add to their squad at all.

In other news, find out what this club’s stance is over a £23m-rated rising star is amid Newcastle’s interested here.

David Moyes would jeopardise any hopes of West Ham United glory with a potential move for Sporting CP’s “powerful” rough diamond Jovane Cabral.

What’s the word?

According to A Bola, the Irons remain interested in a potential deal to lure Cabral to the London Stadium having failed to secure the winger’s services this summer.

The Cape Verde international is widely sought-after with clubs in England, France and Germany all sounding out Cabral’s situation ahead of the January window, as discussions over a new contract continue to drag on.

Both parties are said to be miles apart in reaching an agreement to extend the 22-year-old’s deal, which currently features a €60million (£53.6m) release clause though Cabral was available for €35m (£31.3m) in the previous market.

But West Ham refused to match Sporting’s demands and allowed the Southampton, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur target to remain at the Jose Alvalade Stadium, where Cabral has since recorded two goals and one assist in seven games across all competitions.

Sporting chiefs have met with Cabral’s representatives to discuss a new, long-term contract that features a better salary and a more lucrative release clause, but continue to be at loggerheads over key factors – namely the winger’s potential wage – despite a mutual willingness to commit.

Jeopardise any hopes of glory

Sporting entering negotiations with Cabral’s representatives after West Ham’s failed pursuit appeared to have given the east London outfit a narrow escape this summer, as his form since the market slammed shut has done little to suggest he would have improved Moyes’ squad.

Had West Ham matched Sporting’s demands of €35m, they would have been instantly regretting the decision as his arrival would jeopardise any hopes of Moyes making the Irons a successful side this season or in the immediate future.

The 22-year-old has only started four of his six Liga NOS appearances this term, in which he boasts a mere 0.7 shots per game, plus 0.9 key balls, 0.6 successful dribbles, 1.3 ground duels won, 9.7 accurate passes and is dribbled past 0.4 times, per SofaScore.

It took until the final Portuguese top-flight fixture before the November international break for Cabral to score his second of the season, too, having been benched after losing six of his eight ground duels, turning over possession 15 times, taking just one shot and making one successful dribble at home to Gil Vicente last month.

Moyes would have needed to see Cabral’s talent develop at a rate he does not appear capable of producing, despite former Sporting boss Jose Poseiro deeming the forward to be a rough diamond waiting to be polished.

“Ambition has, quality has, he is a powerful player who is not easy to find in football,” he told Antena 1 via quotes by Bancada. “He is evolving and at a good time. He is still learning but has potential for Sporting, for Portuguese and international football.

“Very early we realised that he had talent. He is a pearl, a diamond to be cut.”

AND in other news, a £67k-p/w ace who David Moyes is “always demanding more from” has dealt a titanic blow to a West Ham flop.

Liverpool are ready to face off against Arsenal for the second time in a week as they prepare to lock horns in the Carabao Cup.

The two sides will once again meet at Anfield, but a place in the quarter-finals is at stake this time round. The Reds will hope to continue their fine start to the 2020/21 season with another win in the bag.

Jurgen Klopp fielded a team of all but one fringe player in the previous round against Lincoln City. Virgil van Dijk was the only senior man to start the match against the League One side, and it will be interesting to see if that is the case again this evening.

However, Arsenal boast some already impressive youngsters in the form of Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Eddie Nketiah. Liverpool must be sure to inject some more experienced talent into the starting lineup tonight, and one man at the top of the pecking order should be Diogo Jota.

The club’s newest recruit enjoyed his first goal on his Premier League debut after firing a volley past a bamboozled Bernd Leno in their last outing against the Gunners. With the win fresh in his mind, the £45m Anfield signing could be the ideal option to start in Klopp’s attack.

Jota needed less than ten minutes after coming off the bench to open up his Liverpool account and score their third goal of the game. He also squandered a big chance to score following his three shots at goal (via Sofascore) – displaying his hunger to find the back of the net, albeit perhaps also showing some nerves.

If Klopp is to rest his usual front three, Jota should be one of the first names on tonight’s team-sheet. After enjoying his first goal at Anfield, the striker’s instinct in him will be ready to grab the next batch. There’s arguably no better time to re-deploy him than after he’s just played the exact same side at the same ground.