All posts by z3u9t.icu

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!”

Many Manchester United fans have been left slamming the display of Alex Telles despite their 2-0 win away at Villarreal on Tuesday evening.

Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho were enough to give Michael Carrick his first three points as interim manager and put the Old Trafford side through to the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League.

However, while a lot of the team stepped up their game, Telles seemed to struggle for large periods after being given his chance to impress.

The left-back lost out on two of his duels, and also failed to record a dribble, clearance, blocked shot or tackle in the match (SofaScore).

Some Red Devils were critical of his wastefulness from set pieces and crossing in general, as he only managed one successful cross in nine attempts, and the Brazilian was also guilty of losing possession of the ball on no fewer than on 18 separate occasions in total, double his next-worst teammate (SofaScore).

Man Utd fans on Telles display

These MUFC supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘liability’:

“Alex Telles is always a disaster waiting to happen. Him and Maguire on the same side is just a defensive suicide squad.”

Credit: @Denggiet1

“Ole got a lot of things wrong but one thing I can actually say he never got wrong was not starting Telles. Another abysmal half. Him and Dalot for me should be sold. Boring half of football”

Credit: @mungoTSO

“The good news is we haven’t conceded, need a much better 2nd half though. Telles, Martial, Sancho and Fred very poor, I could keep going.”

Credit: @DarthJango

“Telles and Fred are an absolute travesty.”

Credit: @p3pp3rmintkid

“Good cover by Lindelof, but I told you guys Telles is a liability #VILMUN #MUFC. JUST KEEP IT SIMPLE”

Credit: @IamMobstaz

“Telles is defensively horrible. Same breed as Dalot.”

Credit: @inaminute23

In other news, find out which title-winning manager could now snub United here!

Celtic have learned the ‘substantial’ fee that they would need to pay to sign Daizen Maeda from Yokohama F Marinos in January. 

The lowdown

The Hoops are looking to build upon the success of J-League import Kyogo Furuhashi, who is the joint-top scorer in the Premiership as it stands.

Maeda has enjoyed a prolific campaign himself, netting 22 goals in 35 league appearances to help his team to finish second in the table, and his links with Celtic now date back more than a month.

Journalist Stuart Hodge has described him as ‘a good player with bags of ability [and] bags of pace’, while Ange Postecoglou managed Marinos before he was appointed at Celtic, so he is certainly familiar with Maeda, who has played 50 times under the Australian.

The latest

The Daily Record’s Scott Burns reported that Celtic are ‘keen’ on Maeda.

However, he added that the Hoops would need to shell out £3m or more to reunite him with Postecoglou in Glasgow, a sum the report described as ‘substantial’.

The verdict

To put that fee into context, Celtic spent just over £20m in the summer and went above the £3m mark for three players – Furuhashi, Carl Starfelt and Liel Abada. That would suggest that Yokohama F Marinos’ demands are not insignificant, but they should be manageable for the Hoops.

Postecoglou may view Maeda as a more reliable alternative to Giorgos Giakoumakis, who has been limited to just two Premiership starts since his arrival in the summer amid injury concerns.

The manager’s argument might be that it is crucial to have dependable depth in forward areas, with Celtic potentially competing in the Europa Conference League as well as the Premiership and domestic cup competitions.

In other news, Kieran Devlin responds to yet another J-League rumour involving Celtic

Manchester United have made contact over a possible move for Atletico Madrid forward Joao Felix.

That’s according to Spanish newspaper AS, relayed by Sports Witness, and, as to be expected, the update has had a number of United fans talking on social media.

The 22-year-old is valued at £63m by Transfermarkt and is extremely versatile, capable of playing anywhere in attack. He’s scored 20 times in 88 appearances for Madrid after joining back in 2019 from Benfica in a deal worth £114m.

It now seems as if the Portugal international is on the club’s radar, with Sports Witness relaying claims suggesting United have ‘already asked for’ the forward.

Fellow Premier League sides Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United are also name-checked with an interest, with Felix’s contract not up until 2026.

A move away from Atletico may materialise, though, with the report revealing Felix’s representatives are now ‘studying various alternatives to try to convince’ Atletico to let the forward depart.

United fans react

Well-known page @utdreport shared the claims regarding Felix on Twitter on Thursday. These United fans were all buzzing at the news, with one labelling it as ‘serious’.

“Swap with Rashford.”

Credit: @DinkTony

“Get him at whatever the cost”

Credit: @CessiLUHG

“I AM ON MY KNEEEEEESSSSSSSS”

Credit: @choloo_la

“Would be unreal but doubt it’ll happen”

Credit: @OllieBest_

“spend everything u have”

Credit: @richie_r2

“PLEASE”

Credit: @MUFCJosh98

“OMG, let this be true… I legit wanna rep Joao Felix.”

Credit: @Ab_Oktober

In other news: ‘Not surviving the Rangnick era’ – Many MUFC fans slam ace who lost the ball 19 times vs Young Boys; ‘sell him’. 

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…

Manchester City fans have been reacting to the news that the Citizens are set to make a late move for Bayern Munich defender David Alaba.

Alaba has been one of the best defenders of the 21st century. He has made 419 appearances for Bayern throughout his career to date (Transfermarkt), helping the Bavarians win nine Bundesliga titles as well as two Champions League trophies, while he has also been named the Austrian Footballer of the Year on no less than seven occasions.

However, he will be playing for another club next season after confirming he will leave Bayern (Goal.com). A number of clubs have been linked with a move for the £49.5m-valued 28-year-old (Transfermarkt), including Real Madrid (The Guardian), but The Daily Star is now reporting the Citizens are to make a last effort to sign him. The Austrian is said to be looking for a salary of £400,000 a week.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Chief, and the fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Alaba news below

“Am not sure we need this guy at City he is 28yrs now soon hitting 30 that’s why he wants a club with money so that he can pile up some money for himself, trust me he will not be committed in playing for City, he is just looking for money bcos soon he is hitting 30”

Credit: @Rex05633603

“Almost half a million pounds a week. That’s a crime. Sometimes I want to stop watching football just for this reason.”

Credit: @faitcher82

“that salary is absurd……would wreck the whole teams salary structure…..”

Credit: @CaliBearcat

“We need to be careful with our wage bill , if haaland or messi on the cards too”

Credit: @cst1894

“400k a week..I’d say sign him because his free transfer anyway..his valued at 45M plus.. this will compensate his wages anyway if city were to sign him on a 3 to 4 year contract.”

Credit: @phillip23193875

“Wouldn’t mind having him plus Zinny and Mendy would learn a lot from him”

Credit: @Ortega04187965

In other news, Man City fans have been reacting to this £128m transfer claim.

Sky Sports have provided an on-air update regarding the future of Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.

The Lowdown: Exits galore

Pogba is out of contract at Old Trafford at the end of the season and looks likely to leave the club ahead of Erik ten hag’s arrival.

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The French midfielder could follow Nemanja Matic and Edinson Cavani out the exit door, and the 29-year-old may have already played his last game in a United shirt.

Ralf Rangnick admitted last week that an injury Pogba picked up against Liverpool looks likely to rule him out for the remainder of the season, and an update on his future has now emerged.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports presenter Mike Wedderburn shared more news on Pogba on Tuesday, saying:

‘We at Sky Sports News have been told that his final choice will be a football decision and Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG and Juventus are all interested.

‘Staying in the Premier League has not been ruled out either. There has been no new offer from Manchester United since last summer.’

The Verdict: Interesting

Sky Sports also added that a possible wage he’ll pick up in Europe wouldn’t match the offer he had from the Red Devils last summer.

He may now be regretting the decision to snub a new United deal in 2021, which could have given him the opportunity to play a key role under new manager Erik ten Hag next season in a major Old Trafford rebuild.

It looks as if a departure is inevitable over the coming months though, so it will be interesting to see where the central midfielder ends up ahead of the 2022/23 campaign. He may not be short of offers but it seems they won’t be as big as the one United made last year.

In other news: Man Utd now leading race to sign ‘absolute beast’ in club-record deal following Ten Hag request. 

Fulham extended their recent unbeaten run as they earned an impressive 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.

Jose Mourinho’s side looked to be in control after Harry Kane’s first-half header but a superb second-half display from Scott Parker’s side saw them deservedly leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a point, following Ivan Cavaleiro’s second goal of the season.

There were lots of impressive performers for the Cottagers in North London, with Alphonse Areola making some superb saves in goal, whilst Ademola Lookman starred from the bench, but it was perhaps Tosin Adarabioyo who impressed the most.

The centre-back, who joined from Manchester City during the summer transfer window, picked up a 7.0 rating from SofaScore for his display, which was the joint-best of any Fulham defender, with only Harrison Reed, Cavaleiro and Bobby Decordova-Reid rated higher of the Fulham players who started the match.

As per SofaScore, the 23-year-old centre-back would block one shot, make three tackles, and perhaps most impressively, make as many as nine clearances, in what was a superb defensive effort.

Whilst the Fulham man has averaged a strong 6.1 clearances per game in the Premier League so far this season, it was clear that he stepped up to another level on Wednesday night making almost three more than his average in 2020/21.

The young centre-back, who earns £60k per week at Fulham, would also win 100% of his aerial duels during the game, which is impressive when you consider the threat that Harry Kane poses in the Spurs attack.

Whilst the England captain was on the scoresheet, Adarabioyo’s impressive display limited his impact on the game, as he was only able to win 1/9 of his aerial duels during the game – he won 3/5 in Tottenham’s 3-0 win against Leeds United last time out in the Premier League as a comparison. Kane was also limited to just 44 touches, which was the lowest of any Spurs player who started the game.

As a result, he earned a 7.12 rating from WhoScored, which is well below his average rating of 7.86 in the Premier League so far this season and is also his worst home top-flight statistical performance since the opening day defeat against Everton.

Therefore, it is clear that the Fulham defence often had the better of Kane on what was a frustrating night for the 27-year-old, and Adarabioyo was a huge part of that. He dominated the prolific forward in the air throughout the 90 minutes, which will definitely have delighted Parker as the London club picked up another vital point in their Premier League campaign.

And, in other news… Fulham handed huge boost in chances of signing “outstanding” winger; Khan must act

Alan Hutton has dropped a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United after the Toon Army avoided relegation from the Premier League.

The Lowdown: Newcastle survive

The St. James’ Park faithful were confirmed to be staying up in the top flight for at least another season after Fulham lost 2-0 at home to Burnley on Monday night, meaning that they are mathematically impossible to catch, as they are currently 12 points above the drop zone with just three games left to play (Sky Sports).

It also means that Mike Ashley can likely still sell the North East club for his desired price if a deal is revived, and gives an incentive for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group to relaunch their bid.

The Latest: Hutton sees takeover positive

Hutton, who is now a pundit after a stellar playing career in the English and Scottish top flights, has since given his thoughts to Football Insider on the Tyneside club avoiding the dreaded drop, suggesting that it will indeed serve as a positive for the potential deal between Ashley and the KSA consortium:

“It’s absolutely huge. I think if they did go down, the takeover is off the table.

“It is what it is. Staying up was obviously huge, it means that a possible takeover will still be there.

“I just think for all the fans, Steve Bruce, everybody, that’s what it needs.  Obviously, they’ve not been happy for a long time with who’s in charge at the moment.

“I think it’s best for everybody if a new party comes in. Then you’re talking about the investment.

“We know how big a club Newcastle are and where they can get to with the right funding.

“If they do get the money, obviously the takeover has to happen first, but we’re talking about two different pathways.

“We can see two totally different teams if the takeover happens or if it doesn’t.”

The Verdict: Survival vital for potential takeover

It was clear that avoiding being relegated down to the EFL Championship was always going to be vital in terms of whether the potential takeover of the Magpies could still be revived or not.

Ashley will not have to lower his asking price now that they remain in the division where all the money is, and the attraction of still being a PL club will certainly still be there from the perspective of the potential new owners.

However, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to get the bid back on track, with arbitration cases pending this summer and Ashley recently launching additional legal proceedings – Tyneside is going to have to remain patient.

In other news, find out what insight from sources Liam Kennedy has dropped on the timescale of the potential takeover here!

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…