All posts by h716a5.icu

Just as a moment of positivity is finally injected into Sunderland, it gets torn straight back down.

Their 3-0 win over Wimbledon courtesy of a Charlie Wyke hat-trick was superb but the brightest point of Lee Johnson’s tenure has undoubtedly been a 4-0 rout of fellow promotion rivals Lincoln.

Yet, there is a colossal negative right now. That happens to be their run of form at the Stadium of Light. Johnson has yet to see his side win at home since he was given the job. Given they’re playing in the northeast again on Saturday, it doesn’t bode particularly well.

Though, what starting XI will Johnson prefer when the Mackems meet Shrewsbury at 3pm this afternoon?

Well, we’re tipping the former Bristol City manager to make as many as three changes to the side that were beaten by Plymouth last time out.

Jordan Willis went off through injury just after half an hour in midweek but despite being a massive doubt for when Shrewsbury come to town, Johnson claimed that he should be alright to play during his Friday press conference.

Despite that, we’re tipping Dion Sanderson to keep his place but to move to left-back. We’ve already expressed our concerns over the performances of Callum McFadzean so he drops out.

Coming in at right-back will be Max Power. The 27-year-old started as a substitute last time out but considering his vibrant performance versus Port Vale in defence, he has to come in.

We think that Sunderland’s forward line of Aiden McGeady, Wyke and Aiden O’Brien should stay the same. Wyke’s hat-trick last weekend and O’Brien’s goals in successive midweek games dictate that they have to make the starting XI.

Meanwhile, we anticipate Johnson to potentially make two changes in the middle of the park. That sees Grant Leadbitter come in for Carl Winchester. The latter made his first start for the Black Cats since signing from Forest Green when they lost to Plymouth but the 27-year-old is immediately axed while he gets up to speed.

The one remaining change to go through is Elliot Embleton stepping in for Jack Diamond. Like Power, the former impressed against Port Vale so deserves a run out in the league.

AND in other news, Speakman could find Sunderland’s new Wyke with swoop for “fantastic” 27 y/o…

A fresh update over the future of Dele Alli at Tottenham Hotspur has emerged as the 11pm transfer deadline rapidly approaches…

What’s the word?

According to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 24-year-old’s move to Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain is definitely ‘not happening’ despite the player pushing to leave north London this window.

It’s claimed that Spurs have refused to let him go as they couldn’t find a suitable replacement.

“It’s over,” said Romano on Twitter.

Another Levy masterclass?

It has been quite the January transfer saga with Alli.

Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG had been interested in the summer and reignited their pursuit earlier this month, but there had been a contrast in views in the Spurs camp over his potential departure.

On the one hand, manager Jose Mourinho was happy to sanction his exit – it’s easy to see why given he’s restricted him to only 472 minutes all season – whilst chairman Daniel Levy was completely opposed to it.

That was the word from talkSPORT’s Jim White earlier today.

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This stance is almost a mirror image to the Tanguy Ndombele situation throughout the end of last season and into the summer, as reported by the Express.

So, Romano’s latest update should have the tough-negotiator delighted as he’s once again fought against a key Mourinho decision and now it’ll be on him to convince the 58-year-old into playing him more often.

No one could have predicted the sheer turnaround in form from the club-record £55m Frenchman as he now ranks among Spurs’ best players, he’s joint-third for average WhoScored rating this term (7.03).

He’s also already surpassed his two-goal tally from last season too.

Spurs remain in all league and cup competitions, of which they have a Carabao Cup final and the Europa League knockout stages to contend with, so Mourinho is going to need plenty of options throughout the remainder of the season.

An injury to Ndombele could certainly open the door to Alli becoming involved more often, especially with Giovani Lo Celso still on the treatment table.

If that does occur at some point, then Mourinho can thank Levy for keeping hold of the English attacking midfielder.

Even then, Spurs’ recent performances leave you pondering if Alli could make an impact. Alasdair Gold at football.london believes “Tottenham could do with a firing Dele Alli right now” – and indeed they could after two successive defeats in the league.

Now valued at €40m (£36m), Alli must repay Levy’s faith in him by putting his head down and delivering in training even despite the likely disappointment of not sealing a reunion with Pochettino.

AND in other news, £35m-rated monster could become Jose Mourinho’s Van Dijk

Southampton’s form has suffered in recent weeks, which has seen them drop down the Premier League table, and with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl hinting at a reset, he should consider switching to a five at the back formation.

Following the 3-2 defeat against Newcastle United last weekend, the Austrian manager suggested that his side “must find the reset button” as they made it five consecutive losses in the top-flight.

In those games, the South Coast club have conceded 18 goals and scored just three times, suggesting that a tactical change is required by Hasenhuttl if he wants to stop the current rot.

Whilst his side were struggling a lot with injuries last month, they have now welcomed back the likes of Jannik Vestergaard, Oriol Romeu and Nathan Redmond after their respective injuries, whilst Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino has joined the squad, so it is perhaps a surprise that their dreadful form has continued.

Therefore, you could definitely suggest that a change in tactics is required, as opposition sides seem to have figured out a way to easily penetrate the Saints’ 4-4-2 formation in recent fixtures.

If the Austrian wants to start winning games, he will have to rediscover some of the defensive solidity his side showed earlier in the season, with the Saints having kept eight clean sheets in the top-flight so far this campaign.

One way he could do this would be to start playing a five at the back tactic, featuring Jan Bednarek, Vestergaard and Jack Stephens as the centre-backs, with the Englishman deserving to keep his place after filling in so well for the Danish international during his injury lay-off.

This would also allow full-backs Kyle Walker-Peters (once he returns from injury) and Ryan Bertrand to play further forward as wing-backs, which could be the key to unlocking their attacking potential, as they have just two assists between them this season.

It could also take some of the expectation off the likes of Redmond, Stuart Armstrong and Moussa Djenepo to track back as much and defend, and they could push further forward to support Danny Ings in the attack.

Southampton have conceded far too many goals in recent games, even if you exclude the 9-0 defeat to Manchester United, so making this tactical change could be the catalyst to stopping the rot and getting their season back on track, as their strong early season form already looks to have been undone by their disappointing form in 2021.

And, in other news… Saints missed out on signing international beast who could have challenged KWP

Leeds were, unsurprisingly, rather quiet during the January transfer window.

However, their efforts ahead of the summer are seemingly being ramped up as each week passes by.

What’s the word?

Leeds are reportedly eyeing a switch for Lille midfielder Boubakary Soumare.

That’s according to Football Insider sources, who suggest that the Whites are ready to join the race for a player that turned down Newcastle after a £35m bid in January 2020.

The player is now valued at around £20.7m via Transfermarkt but it wouldn’t be a shock to see a similar bid to Newcastle’s required in order to prise him away in a few months time.

After all, Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that Leicester were also stepping up their pursuit of Soumare, someone he claims might be worth around £30.3m.

Struijk upgrade

When Kalvin Phillips doesn’t play at the base of Marcelo Bielsa’s midfield, his team tends to struggle. Of the four games that Pascal Struijk has played in that part of the pitch as his replacement, Leeds have failed to win a single one of them.

In fact, in nearly every one of those games, they’ve been utterly demoralised, losing those outings by an aggregate scoreline of 15-6.

Even if the young Dutchman scored at the Emirates when playing in that role, he clearly doesn’t offer the same sort of presence and composure that Phillips does.

With that in mind, finding someone externally that’s capable of playing in that role has to be among Victor Orta’s priorities for the summer. Fortunately, they’d find a perfect remedy in Soumare, a player hotly tipped as one of the next big things in French football.

Compared to Paul Pogba, the 21-year-old is improving by the day and his enormous range of qualities make for eye-catching reading.

Speaking about the midfield general in 2020, Lille president Gerard Lopez commented: “He’s one of the very best at his job. He’s technical, with incredible physical power and wins a great deal of possession. He’s a modern No.6 or 8. We’ll see him in the France team very soon.”

Soumare is yet to be capped by his country but a quick look at the statistics tells you it might not be long before France come knocking. Certainly, a move to the illustrious Premier League will help his cause.

If we use Soccerment’s comparison tool, we can easily compare Soumare and Phillips. Above, the Leeds target’s statistics appear in blue while Phillips’ are in green. That means the French prodigy has a greater success rate when it comes to aerial duels, tackles, passing and dribbling.

It may come as a surprise to see a defensive midfield usurping someone as busy as Phillips, but it only goes to show why he’d also be an upgrade on Struijk.

It is imperative that Leeds sign someone like this in the summer. It could be the difference between finishing in the top half and languishing in the bottom section of the table.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Raphinha: Leeds target who made 5 key passes should have Orta salivating…

Southampton will be looking to end their poor run of form in the Premier League when they travel to Elland Road to face Leeds United on Tuesday night, and one way in which Ralph Hasenhuttl can turn his side’s fortunes around is by restoring Stuart Armstrong to the starting lineup.

The Scottish international, who reportedly earns £50k per week at Southampton, missed the draw with Chelsea, with the Austrian manager suggesting that it was one game too many for the midfielder, but it looks as if he is in contention to return on Tuesday evening.

Although the Saints halted their run of defeats with a draw against Chelsea at St Mary’s in the absence of Armstrong, his recent performances have been excellent, and he deserves to start against Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

The 28-year-old’s work rate and tenacity in midfield mean that he could also have a big impact on the game from a defensive point of view, especially as he would most likely be up against one of Leeds’ most dangerous attacking players in Jack Harrison should he feature on the right-hand side of Southampton’s midfield at Elland Road.

The on-loan Manchester City man has contributed six goals and four assists in the Premier League this season, averaging a solid 6.96 rating, which ranks him as Leeds’ joint-fifth best performer in the top-flight, so it seems clear that he will be a danger to Southampton on Tuesday.

Therefore, restoring Armstrong to the Southampton lineup could be a smart move by Hasenhuttl, as the Scot has impressed with his tackling and interception numbers this season, despite playing as a winger.

We also saw in the game against Wolves recently how effective he can be from an attacking point of view, as he dribbled past several opponents before providing a perfect cross for Danny Ings to score, and it is his offensive contributions that arguably give him the edge over Moussa Djenepo, who has struggled for goals and assists since arriving from Standard Liege.

Therefore, if Armstrong is fit to make the squad on Tuesday night, then Hasenhuttl must consider starting him on the wing, as he could hold the key to the Saints earning their first Premier League win since early January.

And, in other news… Moussa Djenepo will be worried if Saints sign £15m wonderkid this summer

Dean Windass has told Football FanCast that Adam Armstrong is not good enough to lead the line for West Ham United.

The Hammers have been heavily linked with a potential move for the Blackburn Rovers striker as the summer transfer window approaches, with The Sun suggesting he could cost £25m.

The Irons are, of course, looking to qualify for the Champions League and are currently just two points behind Chelsea following the Blues’ win over Liverpool.

West Ham only have one out-and-out striker, in Michail Antonio, and are in need of a new forward when the window opens.

They have been linked with a clutch of attackers but Armstrong seems to have stuck as a potential link but Windass does not think that he is good enough, especially if they do finish in the top four, something the former Premier League striker has his doubts over.

The 24-year-old has scored 19 goals in 32 appearances for Blackburn in the Championship this season and is valued at £9m by Transfermarkt.

Windass was asked if Armstrong could be the answer for the Hammers and told FFC: “Nope. I think, for me, no.

“West Ham, I don’t think they’ll get in the top four. I might be wrong. But then, at the end of the day, they’ve had a wonderful season under Moyes, he’s probably sat at home with his wife, having a coffee, thinking, ‘wow, I can’t believe I’m in the top four at this present time with players like that’.”

Windass admits, though, that he got it wrong when it came to Jarrod Bowen, who has emerged as a key player under Moyes.

Bowen previously played for one of Windass’ old clubs, Hull City, and he has gone on to make 41 appearances for the Hammers, scoring six goals and laying on eight assists.

Windass added: “I might be wrong, I was wrong about Jarrod Bowen, I was working at Hull City as an ambassador, people asked me if he’d be good enough to play in the Premier League. I said no. He’s proved me wrong.

“He’s been absolutely magnificent for West Ham, has Jarrod Bowen. I might be wrong about the boy at Blackburn but I just think to push on again, like Arsenal want to push and play in the Champions League, you need better.

“I’m not being disrespectful to the boy but you need better players than that, unfortunately.”

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former West Ham striker Marlon Harewood has hailed Tomas Soucek as the “best signing” the Premier League has seen in the last two years.

Soucek, who originally joined West Ham on loan from Slavia Prague last January, signed permanently in the summer of 2020 and has not looked back, playing an instrumental role in his side’s Champions League push.

Despite being a holding midfielder, the 26-year-old has managed to score an impressive eight goals in English football’s top flight this season, though that is not the only thing to have caught the eye of Harewood.

Discussing the impact £27m-rated Soucek has had since arriving at the London Stadium, the ex-West Ham player told FFC:

“Hands down the best signing in the Premier League in the last two years, I would say. He has been absolutely phenomenal. I was watching the game [West Ham v Leeds United] last night and his stats, you really overlook stuff like that because obviously you got the elite players that you look at week in, week out, but his stats and how he’s performed this year has been absolutely fantastic. 

“He is an absolute pleasure to watch. His passion, his dedication… I love football and I’ve missed that.”

On the topic of recent Premier League signings, Bruno Fernandes’ impact at Manchester United since joining the club has been massive; the Portuguese attacking midfielder is the Red Devils’ top scorer in the Premier League this term with 16 goals. Understandably, not as prolific being a more defensive player, but Soucek has arguably become just as essential to West Ham.

As well as the goals he has been providing from midfield, the Czech Republic international has also done a great job sweeping up for the Hammers. Averaging 1.9 successful tackles per league game, the second-highest average in David Moyes’ squad (via WhoScored), Soucek is proving to be the complete package.

Southampton have seemingly been in contract discussions with Ryan Bertrand for some time now but considering the left-back’s disappointing performances this season, Ralph Hasenhuttl may well be best served by letting him go in the summer rather than handing him a new deal.

The 31-year-old’s contract with the South Coast club is set to expire at the end of the season and he has reportedly attracted some interest from Arsenal in recent months.

Southampton’s only other senior left-back, Jake Vokins (excluding the injured Sam McQueen) was sent out on loan to Sunderland in January, which suggests that Hasenhuttl has a lot of faith in Bertrand as the first-choice option in his side.

The former Chelsea man has been a regular in Southampton’s team since joining permanently in 2015 and has gone on to make 236 appearances for the Saints, contributing eight goals and 20 assists.

However, his performances have certainly declined in recent seasons, with his average rating of 6.42 in the Premier League this season the worst he has produced in the last decade.

It is also the 15th-best of any Southampton player in the top-flight this season, which suggests that he has been of the poorer performers in Hasenhuttl’s squad, especially in recent months, where a run of awful form has seen the South Coast club slide down the Premier League table.

You could definitely argue that the 31-year-old has been a weak link in the Saints defence, with Jannik Vestergaard, Jan Bednarek and Kyle Walker-Peters all having been some of Hasenhuttl’s best performers so far this season.

It was suggested last year that Southampton were keen to offer Bertrand a new three-year deal, which seems extremely excessive when you consider that he will turn 32 this year and is already looking way past his best, so he could potentially still be at the club when he is 35.

The former England international also reportedly earns £70k per week at Southampton, which makes him one of the highest earners, and a new contract could see that wage increased further, which, considering his performances so far this season, feels undeserved.

Although Hasenhuttl doesn’t really have any options, other than perhaps Vokins, to replace the £9.45 million-rated Bertrand in his side at the moment, it could prove a costly mistake to extend his deal this summer, so the Austrian manager should just get rid of him and look for an alternative option in the transfer market.

And, in other news… Semmens can deliver Saints’ Ings replacement with bargain swoop for in-demand 24 y/o

Celtic’s search for a new manager will take a back seat this weekend. Of course, with the Old Firm derby taking place on Sunday, all eyes will be on Glasgow.

For John Kennedy, this will be a phenomenal opportunity to showcase why he deserves the chance to manage the Hoops on a permanent basis.

What’s the word?

One of the managers linked with Celtic in recent weeks has been American Jesse Marsch. He is currently the head coach of RB Salzburg in Austria but openly admitted over the last few days that it was an honour to be lined up for the Bhoys vacancy.

That being said, there has now been a major twist in Celtic’s pursuit of Marsch. According to German reporter Christian Falk, the 47-year-old has told the Hoops hierarchy that he won’t be available in the summer.

Taking to Twitter, Falk said: “According to my information Jesse Marsch has told the board of Celtic FC that the interest is an honour, but he will not be available in the summer for the job in Glasgow.”

Desmond tearing his hair out

Marsch had to be up there near the top of Celtic’s shopping list. The American has done an incredible job in Austria and currently has a win percentage of 65%.

Of course, you may expect a team the size of Salzburg to dominate Austrian football, but he’s achieved eye-catching results on the European stage as well.

During the group stages of the Champions League last season, his team managed to score three goals at Anfield against Liverpool. The Reds ultimately prevailed 4-3 but it was a clear demonstration of his striking approach to football.

Salzburg combined relentless pressing with a desire to attack and take the game to their opponents. It’s not often visitors to Anfield manage that, but Marsch wasn’t intimidated.

Given how Celtic’s season has gone, they could undoubtedly do with a mentality like that. He has led a revolution in Salzburg and has made them a team to be reckoned with in Europe.

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Certainly, with the 26-goal Patson Daka in tow, anything is possible. Marsch has a habit of developing forwards, bringing Erling Haaland and now Daka into the limelight. Odsonne Edouard would have been licking his lips if the American came to Parkhead.

Thus, it’s incredibly bad news that his future looks to be in Austria rather than Glasgow. This is a bitter blow to Dermot Desmond’s aspirations and he will have to look elsewhere for Lennon’s long-term successor.

AND in other news, Celtic must ruthlessly axe £15k-p/w “enigma” this summer, Lenny hated him…

Steve Bruce has confirmed that Newcastle United will be without top scorer Callum Wilson against Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday night due to his hamstring injury.

The 10-goal forward has missed the Magpies’ last five Premier League fixtures as a result of the issue sustained late in the first half of February’s 3-2 win at home to Southampton.

United are yet to secure all three points without the ex-Bournemouth forward leading the line at some stage, with defeats to Chelsea and Manchester United followed by draws with Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa.

Newcastle’s form in recent weeks has seen the Tynesiders let slip a nine-point lead over the relegation zone to now sit just two points clear of 18th-placed Fulham but holding two games in hand over the Craven Cottage natives.

Bruce would have hoped to have had Wilson available for Saturday’s trip to 16th-placed Brighton, but while the £20m frontman and Allan Saint-Maximin (groin) will both be absent, Miguel Almiron is in contention for a return from a knee injury.

“They’re both back on the grass. We still think with Callum that the international break is at the right time. He’s well into his rehabilitation, he’s back on the grass,” Bruce said on Friday.

“The same goes for Almiron, who trained for the first time yesterday [Thursday], so we’ll see how he is, but things are obviously improving, given the time.

“The same goes with Saint-Maximin, but we know with Saint-Maximin and Callum, in particular, were nasty muscle injuries, which are obviously going to take time. You have to let nature take its course.

“[Almiron]’s got a chance. We’ll see.”

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Bruce being without Wilson at the Amex Stadium on Saturday will see Newcastle face Brighton in a relegation six-pointer without the man responsible for 35% of his team’s 28 goals in the Premier League this season.

Wilson also accounts for 27% of the Toon’s 18 assists, having provided a team-high five in 21 games – only Saint-Maximin (three) has also provided more than two thus far.

Dwight Gayle and Joelinton have each taken on the role of filling in for Wilson since his injury, although neither have found the back of the net in their recent appearances to remain on one goal each in the top flight this term.

Joelinton struck his only effort of the campaign in a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in November, some 14 appearances ago, yet impressed Bruce with his overall performance in the right-sided split striker position during last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

“I thought Joelinton, arguably, had his best game in a Newcastle shirt,” Bruce said, via quotes shared by The Shields Gazette. “I thought he was terrific on the night. But, of course, a striker has to top it off by scoring a goal. He understands that, but his overall performance was very, very good. I thought he led the line very, very well.”

As Joelinton is now expected to once again start in place of Wilson against Brighton, Bruce must see the £40m Brazilian step up and end his long-running dry spell if Newcastle are to seal a crucial win in their fight for Premier League survival.

AND in other news, Newcastle’s hopes of signing a “standout performer” have taken a major blow…