All posts by z3u9t.icu

Glasgow Rangers fans were far from happy with Charles Green’s claim he tried to sign Steven Gerrard for the Gers in 2013.

Green was Rangers owner for just over a year after the Ibrox outfit went into administration (BBC) after entering financial difficulties. His ownership was far from settled, and doubts were cast over the assets of Green’s consortium by Craig Whyte, who was originally in charge when administration fell.

As such, Green is not the most popular man amongst Rangers supporters, and his latest comments have not gone down too well either. He told talkSPORT he tried to sign Steven Gerrard in 2013, even though the Gers were in the lower leagues at the time while Gerrard was fighting for the Premier League title with Liverpool. It is clear the Gers supporters do not believe the claim.

A video of the comments was shared on Twitter by talkSPORT’s official account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the comments from Green below

“Why does this guy still get air time when talking about rangers. It’s in the past. Leave it now”

Credit: @graeme_campbell

“Can’t believe you are still giving this man airtime . Did you ask him where the arsenal shares are please no more , im sure all rangers fans would agree”

Credit: @AlanSayers71

“Can we add talksport to the banned list? Constantly giving this old cretin airtime.”

Credit: @manno1990

“Aye, Gerrards wife gets home late and drunk. Pulls out a business card from her gucci handbag and tells Stevie we are off to Glasgow now. Stop giving this guy airtime.”

Credit: @yayacd

“Aye part of a midfield team with Nicky law, Ian black and dean sheils? I’m sure you did Charles, I’m sure you did.”

Credit: @Davidmc50660735

“As a proud @RangersFC supporter, this is the biggest load of tripe I’ve heard yet. In 2013 we were in the lower leagues and Gerrard was the captain of a side that just recently missed out on the league title. Can’t see him trading LA for away days at Arbroath.”

Credit: @OfficialRG90

In other news, Rangers fans react to this update.

A big update has emerged on Rangers and Gio van Bronckhorst’s transfer plans at Ibrox for the remainder of the January window…

What’s the talk?

A transfer has claimed that the Gers are working hard to source a new signing in attack before the end of the month.

Pete O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT: “They’re actively looking for options on the right flank, and it just seems they’ve been linked with a lot of players right now. So, it’ll all depend on who Van Bronckhorst sees as the best fit for his side going forward.”

Excitement

This news will surely leave Rangers fans feeling excited for several reasons.

Firstly, it shows that the club are still putting the work in behind the scenes and actively looking to add to their squad despite already making two signings in the form of James Sands and John Souttar.

Ross Wilson is seemingly keen to give van Bronckhorst as many tools as possible to ensure that they are able to secure a second Premiership title in a row. The Gers are also still in the Europa League and could be eyeing further progression in that competition as they prepare to face Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund next month in the first knockout round.

Therefore, supporters will be buzzing to read that they are not resting on their laurels and willing to go with what they have for the rest of the campaign. Continual improvement appears to be the way they want to go about it and it will be interesting to see if they have any more targets beyond a right winger for the current window.

The position in which Rangers want to make a signing will also get fans excited as it means that they can look forward to an attacking player coming in.

Bringing in a right-winger suggests that they want someone who can come in to score and create goals from out wide, which would surely get fans off their seats in excitement as they watch a new wing wizard causing havoc down the flanks.

Of course, there is no guarantee that they will be able to sign an effective forward who is able to deliver in the final third but, for now, fans can be buzzing with the prospect of a new attacker coming in to bolster the squad before the deadline next week.

AND in other news, Rangers could finally axe “really poor” lightweight by landing £2.8m-rated playmaker…

Liverpool have received no bids for unwanted Reds pair Loris Karius and Sheyi Ojo, according to reliable journalist Neil Jones.

The Lowdown: No future for duo

Jurgen Klopp has had a quiet summer window overall, only bringing in Ibrahima Konate and selling the likes of Gini Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri.

Two players with no future at Liverpool are Karius and Ojo, with the former fourth in the goalkeeping pecking order and the latter not playing for the Reds’ first-team since the 2016/17 season.

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The Latest: Jones provides key update

Taking to Twitter on deadline day, Goal‘s Jones claimed that there have been ‘no developments’ regarding Karius and Ojo moving on.

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The Verdict: Sell them on, Reds

Neither Karius or Ojo have any kind of future at Anfield, so it is for their own good that they find a new club before the transfer window closes.

If not, they risk stagnating further at Liverpool and enjoying no first-team football, with Klopp highly unlikely to even play them in the domestic cups based on how little action they’ve seen in recent seasons.

Karius has never recovered from his 2018 Champions League final nightmare, while Oyo simply isn’t at the level required to be a handy squad player, spending time at Wigan Athletic, Wolves, Fulham, Reims, Rangers and Cardiff City in the past.

In other news, one Liverpool player could leave on deadline day – find out who it is here.

Southampton have seemingly found their Jannik Vestergaard replacement, with Fabrizio Romano confirming on Twitter that they are set to sign Lyanco from Torino.

What’s the word?

The Saints have been in the market for a new centre-back ever since Vestergaard completed his move to Leicester City earlier this month, and a plethora of names have been touted as potential options for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

However, it seems as if that search is now over, with Romano sharing some news from Gianluca Di Marzio on Twitter. He outlined: “Southampton are set to sign Brazilian centre back Lyanco from Torino. Celta Vigo and Betis made proposals in the last weeks but Lyanco is ready for new Premier League chance.

“Deal will be completed for €7m, as per Di Marzio. Final details to be fixed soon.”

Will Lyanco be a good signing?

Romano is rarely wrong when it comes to transfer news, so it seems that Lyanco will be confirmed by Southampton in the coming days, but will he be a good addition to Hasenhuttl’s squad?

The Brazilian centre-back established himself in his home country playing for Botafogo and Sao Paulo before earning a move to Torino in the summer of 2017. After a loan spell with Bologna, the 24-year-old was able to establish himself as a regular with the Turin club, going on to make 53 appearances, in which he has contributed one goal.

The defender will likely compete with Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens for a starting spot on the right-hand side of the middle of Southampton’s defence, with Mohammed Salisu looking like a guaranteed starter on the left at this moment in time.

Although he primarily features as a centre-back, Transfermarkt suggests that he has featured at full-back and defensive-midfield on a number of occasions, which suggests that he is versatile and will be a brilliantly flexible addition to the squad at St Mary’s.

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If he can adapt to Premier League football, then there is no reason why Lyanco can’t be a success in the long run at Southampton.

In other news… Southampton dealt decisive blow with “unbelievable” Premier League beast, Ralph would’ve loved him

Everton are reportedly eyeing up a move for Stoke City defender Harry Souttar as new manager Rafael Benitez looks to freshen up his backline.

What’s the story?

According to reports, assistant manager Duncan Ferguson has scouted the highly-rated 22-year-old ahead of a potential move.

The report states that Souttar has been identified as a potential replacement for Yerry Mina after the Colombian centre-back expressed his desire to leave Goodison Park next summer.

It’s believed that Mina has his heart set on a move to Serie A with both Inter and Fiorentina keen to secure his services, while Souttar is continuing to impress in the Championship.

Benitez would love him

After departing boyhood club Dundee United to join Stoke back in September 2016, the youngster has enjoyed multiple loan spells away from the Bet365 Stadium.

A 12-month stay at Fleetwood Town during 2019/20 proved to be the turning point in Souttar’s career to date, though, and his eye-catching performances at Highbury Stadium were enough to secure a place in Michael O’Neill’s first-team plans.

“We drip-fed him in using the cup games to begin with and he found his way into the starting XI,” said O’Neill. “I said to him that he just has to keep up the levels he’s been doing. Sometimes young players drop off a little bit. He can’t allow that to happen.

“He’s a player blessed with great natural attributes. Obviously his height, but also, he’s got good game intelligence, and he’s a great user of the ball as well. That’s something which I think will set him apart from the other defenders in this league,” he concluded.

Souttar made 38 league starts for the Potters last term as he found his feet at the heart of defence and has continued his good form into the current campaign, making ten Championship outings as Stoke sit fourth in the second-tier table.

As a result, Everton’s director of football, Marcel Brands, must sanction a move for the Australian starlet if Mina departs for Italian football.

Benitez would surely relish the opportunity to work with such a talented young player, providing the Merseyside outfit with a solid defensive foundation for many years to come. After all, the Spanish coach has already been keen to blood young players in his team this season.

Jarrad Branthwaite, Anthony Gordon and Lewis Dobbin have all become more regular parts of the furniture this season. Souttar must join that talented crop coming through at Goodison Park.

And, in other news…Everton may find their new Rodriguez by signing £22.5m-rated gem, he’s a “big player” 

Talks between Everton and Belgian outfit Royal Antwerp over a deal for right-back Aurelio Buta are now at an ‘advanced’ stage, according to journalist Rudy Galetti. 

The lowdown

The 24-year-old has played every minute of Antwerp’s four Jupiler Pro League games so far this season. It has been a tricky start for the side who finished third last season; they’ve picked up only one win and incurred two defeats.

However, Buta has been one of their shining lights so far, his average WhoScored rating of 7.11 the fifth-highest in the squad. He has contributed two assists as well as averaging 4.5 tackles and 2.3 clearances per 90 minutes.

Journalist Aster Nzeyimana has hailed the Portuguese defender as ‘one of the best full-backs’ in the division, adding that the 24-year-old is ‘very gifted’ technically and has been ‘instrumental’ to Antwerp’s successes in recent years.

The latest

Galetti tweeted that negotiations have progressed to the bidding stage, with a €4m (£3.4m) Everton offer presently ‘under discussion’.

He added that it is an ‘evolving situation’, so further developments should be expected soon.

The verdict

It was reported by The Athletic in July that Everton were hopeful of signing another right-back this summer as a long-term successor to club captain Seamus Coleman.

Clearly, the search has dragged on. For instance, Denzel Dumfries was one name under consideration, but he has now sealed a transfer to Italian champions Inter.

Buta may not be enormously high-profile but £3.4m looks like a bargain for an all-action full-back whose figures suggest he can chip in going forward while also defending diligently. They might even have unearthed a gem if they get this one over the line at such a low cost.

In other news, this Everton player came under fire against Southampton. 

Newcastle United are reportedly now targeting a move for Moussa Dembele in the January transfer window alongside both Kieran Trippier and Sven Botman.

The Lowdown: Goalscorer

Wherever he has been, Dembele has always been a goalscorer, as he has found the back of the net on no fewer than 119 occasions in total for various clubs over the course of his senior career so far, and has even notched up 23 strikes at youth level with France (Transfermarkt).

He first started to catch the eye at Celtic, which then got him his big £19.8m move to Lyon. At the Hoops, Dembele scored 51 times and made a further 18 assists in 94 games over all competitions across three consecutive seasons at Parkhead (Transfermarkt), and even received high praise from Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who once dubbed him ‘exceptional’.

Nonetheless, after a largely unsuccessful loan spell at Atletico Madrid last term, in where he winning the La Liga title, the striker could well be on the move again.

The Latest: Targeted

As per The Daily Mail, the St. James’ Park faithful are now targeting a move for Dembele in the January transfer window, alongside pursuing Trippier and Botman.

However, due to their involvement in a relegation battle in the Premier League, they may only be able to strike a loan deal, with an option to buy at the end of the campaign once they learn their fate.

Lucas Digne is another player who has been discussed, but the Everton left-back is reportedly holding out for other teams to show interest.

The Verdict: Perfect on loan

A loan deal for Dembele would be perfect, as if they do get relegated, the North East club could just then send him back to Lyon.

Nonetheless, he would offer a viable alternative to Callum Wilson, who needs help up front as their top scorer this season with six goals.

The 25-year-old could also link up well with another former France youth international in Allan Saint-Maximin, and given that he has the experience of playing in English football already with Fulham, he should be able to hit the ground running straight away.

In other news, find out which new Director of Football candidate has emerged here!

Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has reacted to Manchester United’s interest in Kalvin Phillips, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Manchester United ‘working on a deal’

Phillips has been linked with a number of clubs in recent months, with Aston Villa, Newcastle United and West Ham all showing an interest.

Manchester United have become the latest side to be name-checked when it comes to Phillips, with the Red Devils now ‘working on a deal’ for the England international.

The 26-year-old is in the process of changing agents and is keen to stay at Elland Road, however, Kenny feels a move to Old Trafford shouldn’t be ruled out at this stage.

The Latest: Kenny’s comments

Kenny was talking to FI about the update on Manchester United’s move for Phillips. He claimed that Leeds fans ‘will be devastated’ if a move materialised, labelling it as ‘a difficult one to turn down’.

“He’s Leeds through and through but we saw that with Jack Grealish didn’t we?

“He’s Villa through and through but he decided to sign for Manchester City last summer.

“If an offer like that comes in, it might never come again. Can you afford to say no?

“It’s like Lampard at Chelsea. He didn’t know if it was going to work out but that offer might not come again, you have to take it.

“It will be interesting to see if this move happens. The fans will be devastated if he does go.

“As a player, you have to look to the future and Leeds are a big club but Man United are one of the biggest in the world.

“It’s a difficult one to turn down, that’s for sure.”

The Verdict: Surely not…

Phillips is a boyhood Leeds fan, so he’ll know all about the fierce rivalry between the two clubs.

The Red Devils may not even be in a position to offer him Champions League football either next season, so a move across the Pennines doesn’t look too appealing as it once did.

The Red Devils could do with midfield additions over the summer, though, so it could be a real coup if they managed to persuade Phillips to move to Old Trafford over the coming months.

In other news: ‘Ten Hag has’ – Fabrizio Romano now drops Man Utd twist after what he’s heard from Old Trafford. 

Sunderland were held to a 1-1 draw in a frustrating clash away at Shrewsbury Town in League One on Tuesday night.

The Black Cats sit sixth in the table and five points off league-leaders Rotherham, albeit they have one game in hand on the Millers.

Lee Johnson’s side went into half-time against Shrewsbury with a 1-0 lead and the hosts down to 10 men, following Luke O’Nien’s opener and David Davis’ dismissal. However, a second-half equaliser from Daniel Udoh ensured that the points were shared.

Forget Pritchard

Alex Pritchard caught the eye in the number 10 role as he provided the assist for O’Nien’s opener. It was his second assist in 14 league matches this season and he created three chances in total throughout the match. However, another player stole the show for Sunderland in the midfield – Dan Neil.

The 19-year-old from South Shields put in a sublime performance in the middle of the park and ran the game for the Black Cats. Whilst Pritchard managed an assist and showed off his creativity in the hole behind the striker, Neil managed to outshine him with his display.

On the ball, he was excellent. Per SofaScore, the wiz had a whopping 91 touches of the ball and completed 96% of his passes as he created four chances for his teammates – one more than Pritchard. He also completed an impressive 11 of his 13 attempted long passes, showing off his passing range along with his ability to set up his teammates.

His control of the match was highlighted in his possession statistics. He completed a high percentage of his attempted passes and enjoyed a huge number of touches, with his chance creation and long pass attempts also showing that he was not playing simple, easy, passes to boost his numbers.

Defensively, he was also solid. Per SofaScore, he won six of his 11 individual duels and made three tackles during the game, whilst only being dribbled past once. He also made one clearance and committed one foul in the 90 minutes, proving that he can perform well at both ends of the pitch – defending his own goal and driving forward to make an impact in the final third.

Therefore, his complete performance ensured that he ran the game for Johnson and is why he was the real star of the show over Pritchard. Hopefully, the youngster will continue to produce displays of this standard throughout the rest of the season and will be able to lift the club further up the table.

AND in other news, Sunderland must unleash “dynamic” 21 y/o beast in 2022, he could save Kld thousands… 

Kalvin Phillips won’t be joining one of Leeds United’s biggest rivals this summer – for now…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, who delivered a 12-word update on his future at Elland Road amid reports linking him with a move away in the off-season.

The England international has been linked to several Premier League teams in recent weeks and months, ranging from Liverpool and Manchester United, to Newcastle United and Aston Villa.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News claimed earlier this week that the Red Devils were working on a deal to sign the xx-year-old as a new defensive midfielder would be a priority under likely incoming boss Erik ten Hag.

However, Nixon has thrown cold water on those reports, suggesting that isn’t the case, at the moment.

“Manchester United DON’T have Kalvin Phillips on their wish list for now,” he told followers of his Patreon site.

Good news

Ultimately, this is a huge source of encouragement for anyone associated with Leeds, and not just because it’s the Old Trafford outfit being ruled out of a move.

Phillips is undoubtedly one of the Whites’ most integral players, even post-Marcelo Bielsa, and whilst he is yet to start for manager Jesse Marsch since returning from injury, he will surely play a key role going forward.

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“I said it after the match that both [Phillips and Liam Cooper] will have a big effect on our group both on the pitch and off,” the American told reporters (via the Yorkshire Evening Post) after his comeback cameo against Southampton. He then added:

“And then to have Kalvin on the pitch, I think everybody saw that it brought poise to our group, that he helped settle the game down. I heard him say after the game that he didn’t do much but, just by being on the pitch for us, I think that that presence meant a lot.”

Also dubbed a “wonderful talent” by ex-Leeds man Michael Brown, there isn’t a player in the current squad that possesses the same skillset as Phillips – defensively a rock, averaging 2.1 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game and he often starts many an attack, averaging 3.1 long balls and an 82.6% passing accuracy, via WhoScored.

Losing a player of that calibre, not just to any top-flight team, but an arch-rival rival like the Red Devils would be a bitter blow, following in the footsteps of Eric Cantona and Rio Ferdinand, whose reputation in west Yorkshire plummeted.

Nixon’s update will delight many around Elland Road, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Signed for £5m, now worth 740% more: Leeds struck gold with £42m-rated “rare talent”…