All posts by z3u9t.icu

According to The Evening Standard, Tottenham left-back Danny Rose has dismissed accusations that Tottenham are mentally weak, after they crashed out of the League Cup semi-final to Chelsea on penalties. 

Tottenham, ravaged by injuries, held a slender 1-0 lead going into the second leg at Stamford Bridge, but that was erased by half time, as Chelsea led 2-0 at the break. However, a goal from Fernando Llorente made the scores level on aggregate, forcing the game to penalties. A miss from Eric Dier and a saved penalty from Lucas Moura meant Chelsea progressed to face Man City in the final in February.

Inevitably, the rhetoric surrounding Tottenham being bottle-jobs will emerge, as, after all, that was their third semi-final they have lost in a row, and the fifth in their last six.

However, since their first leg fixture, Spurs have lost Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Son Heung-min, as well as losing Ben Davies and Mousa Sissoko during the match. They have been ravaged by injuries and faced a Herculean task to get through. Furthermore, after going 2-0 down and being resoundingly outplayed during the first half, their task looked even greater.

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To come back from the position that they were in is an indication that Spurs may slowly be losing their reputation of being bottlers. Of course, they did lose, but given the position that they were in, to force the game to penalties was a very impressive effort. What’s more is that they actually had a number of chances to win through Llorente and Moura.

Mauricio Pochettino will still hope that his side get over the hurdle of the semi-final the next time it arises, but this performance, more than most in the past, actually offers Spurs some positives.

Wolves are back in action this evening with a Premier League clash against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park.

The Old Gold’s previous outing saw them secure a 2-1 victory over their Midlands rivals Aston Villa at Molineux thanks to an early strike from Jonny Otto and an own goal from Ashley Young.

On the chalkboard

One player that didn’t start against the Villans that should make a return to the starting XI on this occasion is Pedro Neto.

Since making his long-awaited recovery from injury back in February, the £39k-per-week winger has only started one league game for the Old Gold.

Unfortunately, that game saw Bruno Lage’s side fall to a 2-0 defeat at home against Crystal Palace.

Despite failing to score a goal or provide an assist since he’s returned to action, giving him the chance to start against the Toon could be a great opportunity for him to secure his first goal or assist for the season.

With Eddie Howe’s side conceding a total of 54 times in 30 league games this campaign, they could be susceptible to attacking pressure from the Old Gold, especially from a player such as Neto, who “plays as if the ball is attached to his boots with string,” according to journalist John Percy.

Labelled as a “superstar” by Jamie Carragher and a “wonderful talent” by Nathan Judah, the Portuguese international has scored ten goals and provided an equal number of assists in 85 appearances for the Midlands club since his arrival in 2019, showing how capable he can be in front of goal.

Francisco Trincao only managed to have one shot on target against Villa and complete 14 accurate passes in 74 minutes before making way for Neto which should make it a fairly straightforward decision for Lage as to who could make way for the 22-year-old to come back into the team.

Moving forward, if the former Lazio ace does get another chance to show what he can offer the team tonight and is able to find the back of the net, this could set him up for a very productive run of attacking form until the end of the season.

This would then surely be the difference in seeing Wolves secure European football for next season or not.

In other news: Lage handed huge boost as early NUFC team news emerges, it’s great news for Wolves

Sky Sports co-commentator Andy Hinchcliffe was full of praise for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice during the Hammers’ 2-1 victory against Everton on Sunday afternoon. 

The lowdown: Ever rising stock

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise to prominence over the last two seasons and has quickly become one of the first names on the team-sheet for both club and country.

Despite failing to make the headlines thanks to Aaron Cresswell’s stunning strike and the goalscoring return of Jarrod Bowen, the man recently heralded as a £150million player was at the heart of yet another workmanlike victory for David Moyes’ side.

As per Sofascore, the midfield enforcer enjoyed 95 touches, blocked two shots on goal and completed an outstanding 77/82 passes (94%%) in a 7.20/10-rated outing.

The latest: Praise from Hinchcliffe

Speaking during Sky Sports’ live coverage at the London Stadium, ex-Everton man Hinchcliffe was full of praise for Rice: “Such an important player. He provides that screen in front of the West Ham backline and gets back in time and time again. He reads the game so effectively.”

That reading of the game was evident in the performance against the Toffees as the 29-cap England ace completed three interceptions during 90 minutes (Sofascore) to help the hosts towards three points.

The verdict: Colossus

Even in light of the eye-watering valuations being branded about, Rice continues to justify the plaudits with each passing display.

Seemingly capable of taking each and every game in his giant stride, the £67.5million-valued star has blossomed as a player under the tutelage of Moyes in east London and so far this season has added eight direct goal contributions to an already well-rounded game (Transfermarkt).

With the dominant Englishman in this kind of form, West Ham supporters may feel a tilt at the Premier League top four and possible Europa League glory is not beyond the realms of possibility.

In other news, West Ham suspends fresh contract talks with star player. Find out who it is here.

West Ham United currently have the second-oldest squad in the Premier League with an average age of 28.9 according to Transfermarkt.

Two of the oldest outfield players in David Moyes’ squad are centre-backs Angelo Ogbonna (33) and Craig Dawson (31).

In terms of what sort of transfer business the east London club could be involved in during the upcoming summer transfer window, it seems as though the Hammers could be set to wave goodbye to one of their defensive players, but not one of their more senior ones.

According to a recent transfer report from L’Equipe, the recent Europa League meeting between West Ham and Olympique Lyon gave the two sides the chance to discuss a potential summer deal for Issa Diop that would see the defender swap east London for France.

Since joining the Hammers back in the 2018 summer transfer window for a then club-record fee of £22m from Toulouse, the centre-back has made 121 appearances across all competitions.

In those appearances, the Frenchman has managed to chip in with eight goals and three assists.

Despite being one of West Ham’s youngest players, it would be a good idea for the club to cash in on him this summer if they can.

Having started just 10 Premier League games in this campaign, the 25-year-old has found himself down in the pecking order behind Dawson and Kurt Zouma who have both played more often than Diop.

Also, when he has been able to get on the pitch, the defender has failed to show Moyes that he has what it takes to potentially become a first-choice centre-back.

With an underwhelming overall performance rating of 6.46/10 from WhoScored, Diop is currently listed as the third-lowest rated Hammers player to start more than one league game.

To highlight his lack of effectiveness at the back for his team, the Frenchman has only won three of the nine tackles he’s attempted and gotten dribbled past on eight different occasions.

Even though he was previously described as being a “monster” by Jose Mourinho in terms of winning his duels against Paul Pogba back in 2018, Diop has been anything but that this season, losing 20 of the 39 aerial duels he’s been involved in.

Taking all of this into account, this summer would be the ideal time for Moyes to finally axe Diop from the club and get his hefty £61k-per-week wages off their books.

In other news: “Gives West Ham the edge…”: Insider drops huge transfer claim, Moyes will be buzzing

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has shared news involving Manchester United chief scout Jim Lawlor on Twitter.

The Lowdown: Ten Hag announced

It looks set to be a summer of change at Old Trafford, with Erik ten Hag now confirmed as Ralf Rangnick’s replacement at the end of the season.

Romano revealed in the early hours of Thursday morning that ‘contracts and paperworks’ were ready for the Dutchman following a full agreement last week, with Ten Hag now penning terms until June 2025.

The 52-year-old previously demanded to be 100% involved in new signings, outgoings and fresh contracts, and he’ll be working with a new scouting team in England.

The Latest: Lawlor to leave

News emerged on Wednesday regarding Lawlor, who has been on the books at Old Trafford for 16 years. He is set to leave the club over the summer, while head of global scouting Marcel Bout is also departing.

Romano took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to drop the key exit news on social media, saying:

“Manchester United revolution begins as chief scout Jim Lawlor leaves the club.”

The Verdict: Revolution needed?

Lawlor and Bout worked together for seven years and made a number of high-profile signings, which you could say largely haven’t worked out.

They’ve spent over £1.1bn on 37 players since 2014/15, with Paul Pogba the most expensive of those, who now looks set to leave for nothing this summer.

Hopefully, Ten Hag will be heavily involved when it comes to incomings and outgoings with a new scouting setup, in what could be an extremely busy first summer on charge.

In other news: Big news: Man Utd now eyeing signing of ‘absolute beast’ for Ten Hag in potential £100m+ deal. 

Phil Hay has been reacting to Leeds United’s £15m bid for RB Salzburg attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson.

The Lowdown: Aaronson links

Victor Orta has been busy when it comes to possible additions at Elland Road this month, with a defensive and attacking midfielder on the radar.

Multiple players have been linked with a move to Yorkshire, including Aaronson, who has contributed to 22 goals in 51 Salzburg appearances.

Reports over the festive period claimed that a move to Marcelo Bielsa’s side was unlikely due to Salzburg’s qualification to the last 16 of the Champions League, but that hasn’t stopped Leeds from launching a formal offer.

The Latest: Official bid; Hay reacts

Hay shared news of Leeds’ £15m bid for Aaronson on Twitter on Tuesday evening.

Unfortunately, the Austrian side have turned down the Whites’ opening offer, however, Leeds are intent on signing the American before the end of the month.

He then added his own personal view regarding Aaronson, saying:

“Like the sound of this one if it happens. Good age, operating at a high level already, playing in an area where Leeds need more resources.”

The Verdict: Exciting times

Leeds are yet to make a permanent central midfield addition with Bielsa in charge, but it seems as if that may finally change over the coming weeks.

As Hay mentions, Aaronson is already playing at a high level and has Champions League and international experience under his belt at the age of 21.

You’d expect that a swoop for the Salzburg man could benefit the club in both the short and long term. Should he arrive, he’d provide Bielsa with a much-needed attacking midfield option for the second half of the season, something Leeds currently don’t have.

And, should he continue his impressive form in Yorkshire, Leeds would most likely be in line to make a huge profit further down the line.

In other news: ‘Leeds have also’ – Journalist shares more transfer news after Aaronson bid. 

Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Sean Walsh has now shared a major midweek update on Antonio Conte’s future at the Premier League club, and it’s exactly what supporters need to hear.

The Lowdown: Conte eyeing PSG?

The Italian, who reportedly has a clause in his current Spurs deal which would allow him to leave at the end of this season, has been at the centre of claims linking him with a move to Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain.

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Former Lilywhites manager Mauricio Pochettino is allegedly set to depart the French capital despite their Ligue 1 title win, prompting rumours of a possible Conte move to succeed the Argentine.

Le Parisien claimed last week that the 52-year-old is seriously interested in a PSG switch, even apparently telling their club chiefs that he is considering the job.

Amid these worrying developments, Walsh has now taken to social media with a positive update Spurs supporters may need to hear.

The Latest: Walsh makes major midweek Conte claim…

According to the reporter, who covers the north Londoners for 90min, Tottenham are ‘confident’ Conte will stay despite the PSG updates.

He goes on to say that former Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane is actually their top target, not Spurs’ man.

Walsh explained (via Twitter): “Understand that #THFC are confident that Antonio Conte will stay this summer despite reports linking him to PSG job. PSG’s top managerial target remains Zinedine Zidane.”

The Verdict: Great news for Spurs fans

Zidane, currently out of work and a proven Champions League-winning manager, is arguably a shoe-in for the Parc des Princes given his availability and how the fans there would idolise the France legend.

He would certainly be an easier appointment than Conte and one with just as much pedigree.

Taking this into account, Walsh’s update certainly makes sense and PSG director Leonardo may be best placed leaving Spurs’ manager and prioritising a move for Zidane.

In other news: Source: Tottenham edge closer to ‘top signing’, he really wants to join Conte! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are leading the race to sign Memphis Depay this summer…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, who claim that several Premier League teams are eyeing up an English return for the Dutch international after slipping down the pecking order under Xavi at Barcelona, despite being their top goalscorer on ten goals.

Spurs are thought to top the list of potential top-flight suitors and are said to be interested in signing him. The report even goes as far as suggesting that a bid has been made.

French outfit Lyon, who he left to join the Nou Camp giants on a free transfer, are keen to bring him back, whilst there are plenty of Italian teams also interested, including AC Milan, Inter and Juventus.

It remains to be seen how much it would take to entice the Catalan side into a sale, though CIES Football Observatory currently value him in the region of €50m (£42m).

Conte’s next talisman?

Tottenham being on the lookout for another striker should surprise no one as manager Antonio Conte does not have sufficient options in his attacking department – it’s really only Harry Kane.

And if you look at the success he’s had more recently, with Inter, you’ll see that his tactical system was on the basis of two strikers being deployed in tandem.

One of which being Romelu Lukaku and the other being Lautaro Martinez.

There are some parallels to be drawn between the latter and Depay, so it’s a foreseeable situation that the Barca outcast could pair up with the England skipper to form a similar partnership in north London.

Once described as a “special talent” by Marco van Basten, the 28-year-old has earned a very respectable goalscoring record over the course of his career.

Now behind the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ferran Torres and Ousmane Dembele, he still leads the squad on 20 appearances, in which just 15 have been starts.

Back in Lyon, the former Manchester United ace provided 76 goals and 55 assists in 178 appearances, which included a career-best of 20 in the season prior to his departure, as per Transfermarkt.

Just like Martinez, Depay stands at 5 foot 9 and can act as the smaller forward that plays off a Lukaku, or in this case, a Kane. If anything, the Spurs striker’s ability to drop deep and be just as effective will only benefit the 28-year-old, should he make the move to N17.

In the search for a new frontman, sporting director Fabio Paratici could do little wrong in signing Depay this summer. He could well become Conte’s next Martinez at Spurs next season.

AND in other news, £68m down the drain: Spurs dud has stolen a living for over 130 weeks, he must be sold…

Everton midfielder Tom Davies could be on the sidelines for much longer than initially feared as the 23-year-old recovers from a thigh injury sustained in November.

What’s the latest?

According to injury expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries website, Davies could be out until April, after Everton initially suggested that the midfielder would be out for just one month.

Before his sacking this week, ex-Toffees boss Rafa Benitez stated that the 23-year-old could now be out for “one or two months” after having surgery to correct his issue.

However, speaking to Football Insider, Dinnery revealed: “Given what we know about players and how they recover after going under the knife, any return in that timeframe would be an amazing outcome.

“The return to play data has us in and around that 100 to 105-day mark. So we may be talking closer to three or four months for this type of procedure.

“So it could be we’re looking more towards April time rather than the February-March return that they might have been targeting.”

Everton fans will be fuming

Although Davies isn’t a regular in the Everton side, the Goodison Park faithful will always want as big a pool of available players as possible for every game and the situation is no different with the midfielder.

Prior to sustaining his injury, the 23-year-old had played just five league games out of a possible 11, starting just one.

However, that was under former manager Rafa Benitez and now, with caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson in charge, there may have been an opportunity for the Englishman to have a run in the side as the blue half of Merseyside look to get themselves as far away from the dreaded drop zone as quickly as possible.

Moreover, Everton aren’t particularly blessed with midfield options with Fabian Delph sidelined, and the only other regulars being Allan, Abdoulaye Doucouré and André Gomes, whilst Jean-Phillipe Gbamin has featured just five times in all competitions this season.

Next up for the Merseyside outfit is a home game against Aston Villa and should one of the aforementioned trio also suffer an injury, the Toffees will be on the brink of a midfield crisis and will need Davies back as soon as possible in order to maintain depth in the middle of the park.

In other news: Everton must avoid another manager disaster with “arrogant” 58 y/o, he’d be Rafa 2.0

According to Daily Mail reporter Sami Mokbel, Antonio Conte believed he could turn Tanguy Ndombele’s Tottenham career around, but that is now no longer the case.

The Lowdown: Ndombele booed off…

The club record signing has been at the centre of reports linking him with a move away from Spurs after he was booed off during the Lilywhites’ 3-1 FA Cup third round win over Morecambe.

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Ndombele slowly walked off the pitch and headed straight down the tunnel, drawing the wrath of Tottenham’s home supporters as he refused to vacate the pitch with any real haste.

The Frenchman, among other players who could potentially leave, has his future up in the air under manager Antonio Conte with the Spurs head coach now making a major decision behind-the-scenes.

The Latest: Conte performs Ndombele U-turn…

According to Mail reporter Mokbel, the former Chelsea manager is ‘no longer convinced’ by Tottenham’s midfield man despite originally thinking he could ‘get a tune’ out of the player.

In his report, the journalist explains that Conte ‘had originally planned for Ndombele to stay at the club’ but is now ‘ready to cut his losses’ this month – greenlighting his January exit.

The Verdict: For the best?

Averaging more completed dribbles per 90 than any Spurs player in the Premier League last season (WhoScored) whilst proving his undoubted ability in flashes, doubts have mostly surrounded his application and attitude.

On a reported £200,000-per-week, one of the club’s highest earners, chairman Daniel Levy and managing director Fabio Paratici could be looking for ways to cut the club’s expenses and fund much-needed new additions by offloading Ndombele this month.

If a willing buyer comes in, it would arguably be foolish of Tottenham not to entertain selling before January 31 and indeed cut their losses on a player who has already been given time to prove his worth.

In other news: Spurs agree £33.4m option for sensational player after loan spell with EPL rivals! Find out more here.