All posts by z3u9t.icu

This is set to be one of the busiest and most critical summers in the history of Crystal Palace Football Club.

Not only will the south London outfit have to contend with the departure of former manager Roy Hodgson, but over a dozen first-team players are currently heading for the exit door when their contracts expire at the end of the month.

Under Hodgson, the Eagles secured four mid-table finishes in the Premier League, but the former England boss has left behind an unstable side with the oldest average age in the top-flight.

Several big names have been linked with succeeding the 73-year-old at Selhurst Park, including Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and Nuno Espirito Santo. However, a move for Swansea City boss Steve Cooper may be a more realistic option.

The young tactician has done a brilliant job in his two years with the Swans, guiding them to consecutive play-off finishes in the Championship, and he may feel ready to take the next step in his promising career.

With that in mind, if he did take the job, how would Cooper’s starting XI look next season once the summer transfer window has concluded? Here’s our prediction…

Cooper often played 3-4-1-2 throughout last season at the Liberty Stadium, but we’re tipping him to change to a slightly more cautious formation should he take charge of Palace.

In goal, Vicente Guaita didn’t have his best season in 2020/21, though his previous heroics should be more than enough for the Spanish shot-stopper to keep his place between the sticks.

We’re tipping mass changes to occur across the backline and not just because of the different system. The likes of Gary Cahill, Mamadou Sakho and Scott Dann are all set to become free agents at this moment in time.

However, the high-quality performances of Cahill last term should be enough to earn him a new deal, and reported transfer targets Joe Worrall (£10m) and Victor Nelsson (£9m) would provide the pace to cover for the ageing 35-year-old star.

Central midfield is another area of the pitch where Palace could lose key men, with James McCarthy and James McArthur yet to be offered a new deal.

Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher (£15m) is thought to attracting interest from Palace chairman Steve Parish after an impressive loan spell at West Bromwich Albion and he could partner fellow target Jon Moncayola (£10m) in the capital club’s engine room.

The dynamic duo would provide the legs and energy needed to play in Cooper’s set-up, and the experience of club-captain and set-piece specialist Luka Milivojevic sitting just behind them will add stability.

Promising academy graduate Tyrick Mitchell may just get the nod in the left-wing-back position ahead of Jeffrey Schlupp due to Cooper’s track record with young players, while the sale of Wilfried Zaha would be enough to fund a move for Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga.

Zaha has continuously been linked with a £40m move to either Tottenham Hotspur or Everton this summer as the 28-year-old aims to fulfil his ambition of playing in Europe.

With money tight at Palace and any potential manager needing a significant transfer kitty to rebuild the squad, his departure could finally be on the cards.

Boga himself would likely cost at least £30m, meaning a strike partnership of Christian Benteke and Jean-Phillippe Mateta would bear the burden of scoring enough goals to avoid relegation.

And, in other news…Parish must sanction swoop for £18m-rated wizard this summer, Palace need him 

West Brom are set to hold talks with Chris Wilder following the news that Sam Allardyce will leave the club this summer…

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph’s John Percy, the former Sheffield United manager is high on the Baggies’ shortlist to replace the departing 66-year-old and is believed to have already been approached.

The Midlands outfit will be back in the Championship next season but do not want to splash out compensation on a manager who is already in a job as it would damage their transfer budget, meaning that former Albion player and coach Michael Appleton – currently in charge of Lincoln – is effectively ruled out.

Wilder is said to be an increasingly attractive option for The Hawthorns gig.

Dowling must strike

If sporting director Luke Dowling and the West Brom hierarchy are wanting an out-of-work coach that has vast experience in the lower leagues, then there will not be a better candidate out there than Wilder. The 53-year-old is largely responsible for the Blades’ phenomenal rise in recent years, going from League One to the Premier League, all whilst on a tight budget.

Slaven Bilic’s reign was tarnished by a lack of spending power in the transfer market, so appointing someone with past experience in improving teams with as little money as possible is a hugely attractive factor.

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You only have to listen to Martin Keown’s glowing praise to understand just how good a job Wilder did at Bramall Lane, as he told Match of the Day (via Daily Express): “[He is] Their Messiah. Their Alex Ferguson. When you think of what he’s done for that football club. He’s their leader.”

Aside from playing an intriguing tactical system, one which includes overlapping centre-backs, the former Sheffield United boss could fix a big problem in the Midlands – conceding goals.

Yes, they may have finished rock bottom this campaign, but last season, the Blades were among the most solid teams in the top-flight. They conceded only 39 goals, better than the likes of Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and Leicester City, who all finished above them in the table.

By contrast, no Premier League team has leaked more goals than West Brom this year (73), not even the rock-bottom Blades.

Wilder has drawn further acclaim from his peers over the last few years, too. Jurgen Klopp described their tactics as “special” and also lauded the 53-year-old’s “exceptional” work, via Liverpool ECHO, whilst Pep Guardiola suggested that had Wilder been in charge of a team like City, he would be challenging for the title rather than facing relegation, as per Goal.

All in all, if Dowling and co want to revive the Baggies from their woeful exploits this term, then there will not be a better candidate than Wilder out there. They need someone with experience and know-how in one of the toughest divisions in England, and the former Blades chief is surely that man.

Albion must secure him as soon as possible.

AND in other news, 0 tackles, 33% duels won: West Brom disaster badly let the Hawthorns crowd down vs West Ham…

Celtic fans may now have to wait until next week for the club to announce Eddie Howe as their new manager, according to the Daily Record.

The Lowdown: Bournemouth’s exit opens up door

Howe’s former employers, Bournemouth, crashed out of the Championship playoffs on the weekend, which appeared to have played into Celtic’s hands.

The Cherries lost 3-2 to Brentford on aggregate, with reports suggesting Howe’s move to Parkhead was on shortly after that semi-final tie.

The 43-year-old was poised to bring Richard Hughes, Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone with him to Scotland, but four days on, a deal is still yet to be announced.

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The Latest: Announcement update

Reports on Sunday claimed that an announcement was expected by the end of the week.

However, the Daily Record dropped a potential delay to an official unveiling on Tuesday evening.

They ran a story on Kristoffer Ajer’s Parkhead future, and in there, suggested that Howe is ‘poised to check in by the end of this week or start of next with Celtic chiefs finalising the minor details of the new look management team.’

The Verdict: McKay playing a dangerous game?

In our opinion, new CEO Dominic McKay is playing a dangerous game, should a deal not be officially announced by the end of the week.

There have been concerns from multiple media sources that Celtic’s waiting game in the manager hunt is becoming tiring and even claims it is disrespectful to the Hoops fans, while the club themselves reportedly have fears that Crystal Palace could look to scupper a move for Howe.

Surely, then, they would look to get a deal announced as soon as possible.

Bournemouth’s playoff exit last weekend gave them the perfect chance to do just that, but it appears as if Hoops fans may have to wait a little longer for a deal to go through.

They’ve been waiting long enough for a new first-team manager, so we’re sure a few more days won’t hurt, but let’s just hope there are no more hiccups.

In other news: Olivier Ntcham contract speculation refuted, find out more here. 

Peterborough Director of Football Barry Fry has exclusively told Football FanCast that his former striker Ivan Toney and Jesse Lingard could fire West Ham into the Champions League next season.

The Hammers are within touching distance of the top four following an excellent campaign under David Moyes, but recent defeats to Newcastle and Chelsea have damaged their hopes of reaching the Champions League for the first time.

Jesse Lingard, who’s been involved in 13 goals in 11 Premier League games since his January loan from Manchester United, has been the spearhead to their chances of reaching Europe ‘s elite competition – with the Londoners losing just four times since his arrival.

Such is Lingard’s form, Moyes is already keen on bringing the England man back permanently next season.

But if West Ham want to be considered as top four contenders once again, a striker needs to be top of Moyes’ priority list this summer.

And the Hammers, along with a number of Premier League sides are closely monitoring Brentford striker Toney, who could cost £35m this summer according to Football League World, with West Ham failing to replace Sebastien Haller.

Meanwhile, Michail Antonio’s hamstring problems have come to the front once more, and Fry believes that Lingard and Toney would be a major step in the right direction for West Ham.

He told Football FanCast:

“They should go and buy Toney no matter what is costs, and Lingard – then they will definitely get in the Champions League!”

West Ham United will be looking to bolster their claims for a place in Europe next season when they head to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League this evening.

David Moyes’s side have lost three of their last four games and have dropped to sixth place, but they know that three wins in their final three games will be enough to secure at least a Europa League berth.

Last time out, they were narrowly defeated 1-0 by Everton at the London Stadium, but they should be buoyed by the fact that the Seagulls have nothing left to play for and will be without several players through injury.

Of course, the Irons have had their own problems in recent months, so what sort of line-up could we see from Moyes on the south coast? Here’s our predicted XI, along with the latest team news from Rush Green…

There could be three changes from last weekend’s defeat, with Moyes welcoming back two players from injury.

According to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee Declan Rice “should play” after missing their last six matches with a knee problem sustained during international duty. He could come straight back into the lineup, taking the place of Manuel Lanzini, who was withdrawn with a muscle issue during the first half against Everton.

Angelo Ogbonna was named on the bench for the game last weekend but, having enjoyed an extra week of preparation, he may also return to the heart of the Hammers’ defence, with Moyes opting for a centre-back three.

On the left, Aaron Cresswell should recover from a dead leg, whilst Vladimir Coufal is preferred to Ryan Fredericks on the right.

In midfield, “special talent” Rice – in the words of Mark Noble – will likely partner Tomas Soucek, whilst Jesse Lingard keeps his place from Sunday.

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There’s no place for Said Benrahma or Pablo Fornals, however. After failing to hit the target once against the Toffees despite all their domination (68% possession), Moyes could look to freshen things up with the inclusion of Jarrod Bowen, who makes his first start in three outings.

The former Hull winger will have a point to prove and could be a decent gamble to make over the 25-year-old Algerian this time around. Meanwhile, Michail Antonio will lead the line as usual.

AND in other news, Sullivan must seal West Ham swoop for “silky” 10-goal “genius” who’s shades of Payet…

Wolves’ transfer business in recent windows has left more than a lot to be desired.

After losing Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty last summer, they welcomed Fabio Silva and Nelson Semedo through the door.

On paper, they were statement signings. Silva is a wonderkid, an expensive one at that. He cost the Old Gold £35.6m but has only scored three goals since arriving. As for Semedo, he has been nothing short of a defensive liability after his move from Barcelona.

Their January business was hardly any better. They chose Real Sociedad’s Willian Jose as the man to replace the injured Raul Jimenez but he simply hasn’t delivered.

The Brazilian hasn’t scored in Wolves colours and is doing himself no favours if he wants a permanent Premier League switch.

Their decision making only gets worse when you consider they passed up the opportunity to sign Jesse Lingard on loan.

A perpetual meme, the Englishman was being courted by Wolves, Tottenham, Arsenal and Newcastle four months ago. He joined West Ham United instead who are reaping the rewards.

Lingard is now one of the most in-form players in the top-flight and has gone from perennial scapegoat to a player who now looks a shoo-in for a place in the squad at the European Championships.

This has all happened in the space of a few months. The 28-year-old has put in some ingenious displays, combining quick thinking and clever feet with an unrelenting attitude.

In just eight outings for the Hammers, he has scored six times while providing four assists. There has only been one match, a 0-0 draw with Fulham, where he’s failed to register a goal involvement for the Irons.

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Lingard has become a feared prospect again, registering a mighty 2.9 shots per game in claret and blue. For context, that’s higher than every player at Wolves this term, including star striker Jimenez.

It’s rather bemusing that this information has come to light just days after he tortured Wolves at Molineux. As West Ham won 3-2, it was Lingard who ran the show in the Midlands, scoring a sensational solo goal after picking up the ball on the halfway line. If that wasn’t enough, he also assisted a strike too.

His form has been scintillating and there are few other players in the Premier League that defenders would hate to face right now.

Described as “intelligent” by Rio Ferdinand, Lingard has taken his football to the next level after swapping Manchester for London.

His performance against Wolves a few days ago showed what they are missing; a player capable of turning defence into attack in the blink of an eye.

It’s evident that Jeff Shi made a pretty big howler failing to bring the £75k-per-week earner to Molineux in January. He could have revived their season.

AND in other news, Wolves star who “blew everybody’s mind” has seen his value rise by 200% in 4 years…

Frank McAvennie has exclusively told Football FanCast that West Ham captain Mark Noble would be “annoyed” if David Moyes ever opts to pick a youngster instead of him while Declan Rice is out.

The Hammers have one of the most settled midfield partnerships in the Premier League in Rice and Tomas Soucek, but the former has been ruled out for around four weeks with a knee problem sustained on international duty.

Prior to West Ham’s game with Wolves last week, the pair had played every minute in the Premier League season, with that run finally coming to an end at Molineux.

Mark Noble was the obvious choice to replace Rice, with 21-year-old Conor Coventry, who was an unused substitute for the recent defeat to Manchester United, their only other senior recognised central midfielder in the squad following the summer departures of both Carlos Sanchez and Jack Wilshere.

But McAvennie told Football FanCast that playing a youngster ahead of Noble wouldn’t sit well with the Hammers skipper:

“Nobes would be annoyed at him because you automatically want to get in.

“Sometimes you say ‘right Nobes, you go and sit in in front of the centre-halves and don’t let them get in’. But it’s so defensive. Because it’s so good to watch West Ham at the moment because they’re so quick and lively.

“They’ve got players there, it’s how they do it. Do they bring Nobes in or bring a youngster in and play the same way, that’s why David Moyes is given the big bucks. I know for a fact that Noble will want to play, but whether he can or not I don’t know.”

Celtic ace Marian Shved is keen to seal a summer move away from Parkhead to join Belgian side KV Mechelen.

That’s according to Belgian outlet Gazet van Antwerpen, cited by Sports Witness, who claim that the two clubs are in discussion over a second season-long loan deal.

The report suggests that the wide midfielder ‘would also like to stay’ at the club, with Celtic’s stance on any possible deal not currently known.

Shved has made 17 appearances for Mechelen this season, scoring four times and registering three assists. The 23-year-old, who can play on either flank, has only made three appearances for the Hoops since joining for £1.8m two years ago.

Transfer Tavern take

The Ukraine international remains under contract with Celtic until 2023, so another loan deal in the Jupiler Pro League may be best for all involved.

It would give Shved the chance to impress for the second season in a row, and if he does, the Hoops could be in line to make a profit in 2022.

However, should Celtic refuse a second loan spell in Belgium, they would have to make a decision on his future – either include him in their 2021/22 plans or cash in with two years left on his deal.

In other news: Scott Brown expected to seal Celtic summer exit in coming days after post-Rangers development, find out more here. 

Former Newcastle midfielder Keith Gillespie has exclusively told Football FanCast that Adam Armstrong would be an excellent signing for West Ham.

The Hammers are enjoying a brilliant campaign under the guidance of David Moyes, but are struggling upfront having failed to replace Sebastien Haller, whilst Michail Antonio has missed parts of the season with different muscle injuries.

Since Haller joined Ajax in January, Antonio has missed just one Premier League match – with Jarrod Bowen playing as a false-nine in their victory over Sheffield United in February.

But with the prospect of European football at the London Stadium next season, Moyes is likely to add to his strike department in the summer, with Blackburn’s Armstrong reportedly on former Manchester United manager’s wish list, with The Sun reporting he’d cost £25m.

Armstrong has struck 19 times in the Championship for Blackburn this season, but the striker failed to score in 11 previous Premier League appearances at Newcastle.

But Gillespie believes that Armstrong would be a success should be move to the London Stadium. He told Football FanCast:

“No doubt. I think in terms of West Ham, if Antonio is not fit, who is a ready-made striker to lead the line?

“They got rid of Haller, and are going to want to strengthen there. Antonio has had injury problems at times over the last few seasons where he doesn’t play every week.

“I think he’s a great asset to them, but Armstrong has that pace as well where he can run in behind and he can finish. You could see him coming into that West Ham side. And the way they play with somebody in behind Antonio, can Armstrong play up alongside the likes of Antonio?”

Armstrong wasn’t given a fair crack at Newcastle, but since leaving St James’ Park in 2018 has worked his way up through the EFL to prepare himself to make the step back to the Premier League.

Leeds suffered their fourth defeat in five Premier League games on Monday night, going down 2-0 to West Ham at the London Stadium.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side looked a dangerous threat in the opening exchanges and saw a goal chalked off. The Hammers would then seize control thanks to goals from Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson, and the Whites’ inability to convert their chances once again proved to be their downfall – they managed more total shots than the home side (17 to 16) but couldn’t find the back of the net once.

One man who really let Bielsa down with his display was Helder Costa.

The Portuguese flier was once again handed a Premier League start after getting one against Aston Villa, but delivered yet another ineffective performance, just like last time out.

Barring coming up with that ‘assist’ for Tyler Roberts’ disallowed goal, Costa was rather anonymous for Leeds, drifting out of the game after a promising opening.

He managed just nine passes in the time that he was on the pitch, and only had 19 touches in total – significantly lower than goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who made 35 passes and had 51 touches.

He also provided no key passes or crosses whatsoever, and failed to complete any of the three dribbles that he attempted – he just wasn’t a presence in attack at all.

In fact, such was Costa’s ineffectiveness, that Bielsa decided to take him off at half-time and replace him with Jack Harrison.

With just two goals and three assists in the Premier League all season, Costa really hasn’t been hitting the heights that Leeds need, and it’s no surprise that he’s come under a lot of criticism.

Speaking after his dreadful display against Villa, Noel Whelan said: “Costa was given his opportunity and once again he did not take it. We are talking about a £16m player here who did not affect the game in any way shape or form.

“He needs to show consistency. You need to make that position your own when your manager puts his trust in you from the start.”

His latest performance against West Ham just showed once again why the £70k-a-week earning man appears to be holding his side back.

Meanwhile, this Leeds man has been a passenger for weeks…