All posts by z3u9t.icu

Newcastle United failed to win in the Premier League for the 19th time this season as a late Joao Pedro goal for Watford denied the Magpies a vital three points in the hunt for survival on Saturday afternoon.

Eddie Howe’s side had taken the lead early in the second half as Allan Saint-Maximin scored his fifth goal of the campaign, but they couldn’t hold on for what would have been just their second league victory of the season.

It was Kieran Trippier’s first Premier League game for the Tyneside club after making his debut in the 1-0 FA Cup loss to Cambridge United last weekend, while it was Chris Wood’s debut for the club after his £25m move from relegation rivals Burnley during the week. Unfortunately for the New Zealand international, it was one to forget.

According to SofaScore, the 30-year-old lost possession 14 times whilst making just 35 touches as he struggled to get into the game, losing the ball once for every 2.5 touches. The £5.4m-rated striker also committed three fouls and didn’t manage to get a shot on target as Newcastle were once again frustrated.

Wood had netted three goals in 17 Premier League games for the Clarets this season prior to his move to Tyneside with a further 50 goals in 148 games after making the move to Turf Moor from Leeds United in August 2017.

Newcastle have the top flight’s fourth-worst goal return, having scored just 20 times in as many games. It’s certainly an area where they need to improve if they are to retain their Premier League status.

Moreover, losing points from winning positions in the manner that they did against the Hornets, particularly given that Claudio Ranieri’s side are also in the battle to avoid relegation, is a terrible habit which will need to be broken in order to ensure top-flight survival.

Wood will be heavily relied upon to start scoring, particularly with the absence of Callum Wilson who has scored six league goals this term but will miss eight weeks of action through injury. If that is to happen, though, the 30-year-old will need to improve on today’s tepid debut performance, which was the type of one which could cost Howe and Newcastle their Premier League status by the season’s end.

AND in other news, Newcastle are also eyeing a move for this player who’s been dubbed the “new Vidic”

A major update has emerged on Marc Overmars, regarding the possibility of him joining Newcastle United.

What’s the talk?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, the Ajax director of football has opted to reject the chance to return to England with the Magpies, having been at Arsenal during his playing career.

The report claims the Dutchman was one of the club’s top candidates to become the sporting director at St. James’ Park, but he has decided to remain in the Netherlands to continue with the Dutch giants.

Gutted

Newcastle fans will surely be gutted by this news as it means that Overmars has rejected the club, rather than PIF deciding to go with another option. It was reported earlier this month that he was unlikely to join the Magpies, but it was unclear whether that was down to him or the club.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-newcastle-howe-ter-stegen” title= “Read the latest Newcastle news!”]

Ornstein has now made it clear that Overmars has turned down the club’s advances and PIF will now need to scour the globe to find a good alternative. The Dutchman has done a sublime job with Ajax and it is easy to see why he was a top target following the takeover.

Ajax have reached a Champions League semi-final and a Europa League final since Overmars became the director of football, whilst he has also overseen the progression and sales of players like Hakim Ziyech, Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch giants are currently top of the Eredivisie and have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, which could be why he has opted against a move to Tyneside as he still riding the crest of a wave in Amsterdam.

His successes at Ajax illustrate exactly why this news could be gutting for not only Newcastle fans, but also their new manager Eddie Howe who was confirmed on Monday. After all, he has proven that he can set up a club to run well as a business, academy and football team, with Ajax selling academy products de Jong and de Ligt for over £150m combined whilst still making progress on the pitch.

Supporters will surely be disappointing that a man with such an impressive background will not be taking over as sporting director at Newcastle. However, it will now be interesting to see who PIF do go with to take the role, with Eddie Howe now confirmed as the club’s new manager.

AND in other news, Howe could land Krul 2.0 for NUFC in £120k-p/w gem with “incredible development”…

 An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s interest in Hellas Verona attacking midfielder Antonin Barak…

What’s the talk?

According to L’Arena, via Tutto Hellas Verona, the Magpies are interested in a deal to sign the Serie A midfielder in the January transfer window.

The report claims that West Ham are also showing an interest in the Czech international, with the Italian side wanting £21m (€25m) for his services.

Imagine him & Willock

Eddie Howe must land Barak in January as he could help Newcastle secure a dream midfield with the Verona beast playing alongside summer signing Joe Willock.

Barak is a box-to-box midfielder who can play in a typical number eight role or in the hole as a number 10, with the ability to score and create goals in the final third. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.05 for Verona in the Serie A this season, scoring four goals and providing two assists.

Last term, he produced seven goals and three assists on loan with the club, whilst also winning 4.2 duels per game for his side, averaging a rating of 6.91. He then signed permanently and has continued his fine form, attracting interest from Newcastle.

Juventus and Czech Republic legend Pavel Nedved previously hailed Barak and claimed that he had the ability to play at a higher level than Udinese, prior to his move to Hellas Verona. He said:

“If we talk about Czech talents, we do not have to try a lot. Udinese has Barak and Jankto, two I like. They are doing well, but I think they can play at a higher level.”

He could form a dream partnership with Joe Willock for the Magpies, as the former Arsenal man is similar in his box-to-box style. Willock scored eight goals and made 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game for Newcastle in the Premier League last season, showing that he also has the quality to make an impact at both ends of the pitch.

This means that Howe could have a midfield duo capable of covering ground defensively and contributing in the final third when they break forward to support the attack. Therefore, the pair could provide a balance to the midfield and form a platform upon which Newcastle can build their attacks and stop the opposition.

AND in other news, NUFC must seal record-breaking £67m deal for “extraordinary” gem, fans would love it…

With Antonio Conte’s career as Tottenham Hotspur manager having got off to an impressive start – picking up seven points from a possible nine in his first three Premier League fixtures – the 52-year-old will undoubtedly be hoping for yet another three points when Norwich City visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

However, while it has undoubtedly been less of a problem since the Italian’s arrival in North London, Spurs’ inability to put the ball in the back of the net has been a rather worrying issue for the club so far this season – with their 13 league goals scored ranking them as the joint third-worst attack in the league.

And, while it is has been well documented that Tottenham are in the market for a new centre-forward in the January transfer window, perhaps Conte already possesses a player whose introduction to the side could change Spurs’ fortunes in front of goal – in the shape of Tanguy Ndombele.

Conte must unleash Ndombele

While a performance against the lowest-ranked side in the UEFA Europa Conference League may not be the best barometer of a player’s creative and attacking capacity, particularly as it was a fixture that Tottenham ultimately lost, there was nevertheless clear evidence in the 2-1 defeat to NS Mura that the 24-year-old could well be the missing link between Spurs’ midfield and attack.

Indeed, over his 76 minutes on the pitch, Ndombele enjoyed 81 touches of the ball, made one key pass and completed five of his seven attempted dribbles, very much appearing to be the player who was most likely to make something happen for his side on the night.

The £40.5m-rated man also made one tackle, two interceptions, blocked one shot and won six of his nine attempted duels, proving that he is also not afraid to do the dirty work in the middle of the park.

His efforts saw the player who Jose Mourinho dubbed both “magnificent” and “phenomenal” earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.0, ranking him Tottenham’s second-best player to start the fixture.

As such, with bottom of the table Norwich City up next, now would very much appear to be the time to unleash the France international in the middle of the park, as the 24-year-old could well prove to help light the spark that is needed in front of goal for Spurs.

In other news: Huge blow: Spurs dealt injury setback ahead of Norwich clash, Conte will be gutted

Manchester City will be looking to bounce back from defeat in the derby by picking up three points against Southampton at the Etihad on Wednesday evening.

Pep Guardiola’s side saw their 21-game winning run come to an end against Manchester United but they are still comfortable at the top of the Premier League and can extend their lead with another three points against an out-of-sorts Southampton side.

The South Coast club had picked up just one point from their previous nine Premier League games before getting an important three points against Sheffield United at the weekend, but they will be without star striker Danny Ings for the trip to the Etihad, after he picked up an injury at Bramall Lane.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up against Southampton on Wednesday, with six changes from the side that started against United…

Ederson keeps his place in goal, although he perhaps should have done better with Bruno Fernandes’ penalty on Sunday.

There are two changes in defence, as Kyle Walker comes in for Joao Cancelo at right-back, after the Portuguese international struggled at the weekend, whilst Aymeric Laporte replaces John Stones at centre-back, with the Englishman rested.

Rodri drops out of the midfield, with the experienced Fernandinho coming in as his replacement, alongside Ilkay Gundogan.

Kevin De Bruyne is also rested, with Bernardo Silva restored to the side in an interchangeable trio that also includes Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez, with Raheem Sterling also dropping to the bench after a poor display vs United.

Finally, after the number of missed chances at the weekend, Guardiola should select Sergio Aguero up top, in the hope that he can help City rediscover their goalscoring touch against the Saints.

And, in other news… Txiki disasterclass: City may regret transfer decision with 6 ft 5 beast starring in the PL

Tottenham Hotspur legend Gary Mabbutt has told Football FanCast that Luka Modric will go down as one of the best ever signings in the club’s history.

Spurs face Dynamo Zagreb in the last-16 of the Europa League on Thursday, a meeting with the team from whom they signed the Croatia international.

Spurs paid £16.5m to acquire Modric’s signature back in 2008.

Sky Sports reported at the time that Spurs had beaten off competition from the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal to secure Modric and he went on to become one of the most indispensable players of that era.

He made 160 appearances for the club, becoming a focal point of Harry Redknapp’s Spurs team and helping the club qualify for the Champions League for the first time in the Premier League era.

A metronomic passer, capable of splitting defences apart, and a tireless worker too, he played in the same Spurs team as Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart, as Spurs reclaimed the tag of being one of the most entertaining teams in the Premier League.

He did not win a trophy before his move to Real Madrid but he has gone on to become one of the very best players in the world.

Modric has won the Champions League four times, again linking up with Bale in Spain, along with La Liga twice.

He even broke the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly as he won the Ballon d’Or after helping Croatia to the World Cup final in 2018.

Speaking to FFC ahead of this week’s clash with Zagreb, Mabbutt was asked where Modric ranks among the best Spurs signings of all time.

He was effusive in his praise and said: “I’ve been talking to a lot of Spurs fans who are over the age of 70 in this last year, and you talk about our greatest ever signings, and they’re talking about the Jimmy Greaves’ of this world. Then you’re coming up, the Paul Gascoignes of this world, the Jurgen Klinsmanns, the David Ginolas.

“But yeah, for me, I loved Luka, as a player, I got on very well with him. I did a few club tours with Luka and he’s a fantastic guy. Fantastic player. And he’s gone to Real Madrid, I think he’s showed Real Madrid what a great player that he is.

“So yes, he will be regarded as one of our best signings because, certainly for myself, I enjoyed Luka, both as a character and as a player.

“And he has gone on and he’s shown not only the Premier League, but obviously Real Madrid, what a great player that he is.”

Modric, 35, is out of contract in the summer so it remains to be seen whether he will be at the Santiago Bernabeu next season.

Perhaps one last link-up with Bale can’t be ruled out.

Tottenham Hotspur will make the trip from north to west London this evening to take on Brentford as Antonio Conte’s men look to strengthen their hold on a place in the Premier League’s top four.

Spurs are currently fourth but their place in the Champions League spots is feeble, with goal difference the only factor separating them and fifth-placed Arsenal.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-levy-conte-paratici-thfc” title= “Read the latest Spurs news!”]

Having been dealt a setback last weekend when losing 1-0 to Brighton, Conte’s men can’t afford to slip up again against the Bees.

It is a must-win for the Lilywhites and so here is how Football FanCast believe Spurs will set up.

Tottenham XI: Lloris, Romero, Dier, Davies, Emerson, Sessegnon, Betancur, Hojbjerg, Kulusevski, Son, Kane (3-4-3)

In terms of formation, we expect Conte to stick with his preferred 3-4-3 set-up at the Brentford Community Stadium, with Sergio Reguilon dropping out of the XI in favour of the £58k-per-week Ryan Sessegnon.

The Spaniard returned to the starting lineup against the Seagulls having come on as a substitute the week before against Aston Villa, with Matt Doherty sustaining an injury that has since ruled the wing-back out for the remainder of the season.

However, it was a poor display from the 25-year-old who completed just 63% of his passes whilst failing to provide a single interception, clearance or block whilst making only one tackle.

Labelled as “pathetic” by journalist Tom Young, the £43m left-wing-back has featured in six of Spurs’ last seven matches having regained his place after Ryan Sessegnon sustained a hamstring injury.

The 21-year-old has since returned from his setback, making the bench for the north London outfit’s last two games and could be in contention for a return to the starting lineup.

Prior to his injury, the Englishman had arguably his best run of games in a Spurs shirt, featuring in seven out of eight matches from late January to early March.

Tottenham insider John Wenham was full of praise for Sessegnon after a 3-0 win over Norwich City, calling the wing-back “amazing.”

Conte will have to get his team selection spot on against Brentford with there being no more room for slip-ups with just six games to go.

AND in other news: Conte must finally unleash “absolutely fantastic” Spurs sensation, he’s a “big talent”

What a revelation Ismaila Soro has been for Celtic.

Since coming into the starting line-up for the first time in the Scottish Premiership against Kilmarnock earlier this month, the 22-year-old has looked completely at home in that holding midfield role.

He was given the chance to start again in the 3-0 win over Dundee United on Wednesday afternoon, and he absolutely delivered on his manager’s faith.

As well as scoring a superb long-range strike to open the scoring and setting up David Turnbull’s goal, Soro put in an exceptional display in the middle of the park to both stop Dundee United making any headway, and keeping things ticking over for the Hoops too.

As per Sofascore, he boasted an incredible 96% pass accuracy, provided two key passes, and made two tackles. That’s not to mention he also completed both of his attempted dribbles, and won five out of his eight total duels.

Speaking after the game, Lennon said: “He played brilliantly. I thought he passed the ball really crisply. It means a lot to him to get his first goal. I’m really pleased with his contribution.”

Such was Soro’s exceptional performance, that many Celtic fans took to Twitter to insist that the midfielder is “undroppable”, and it’s fair to say he delivered an emphatic statement to his manager.

With the Old Firm clash against Rangers on the horizon, Lennon has been sent a major message by one of his rising stars. Anything other than Soro being on that starting team-sheet at the weekend would be an unforgivable disaster.

Southampton travel to Anfield on Saturday night looking to complete a historic double against Liverpool, and Saints manager Ralph Hasenhuttl should unleash Mohammed Salisu in order to give his team the best chance of victory against Jurgen Klopp’s side.

The Ghanaian produced arguably his best display in a Southampton shirt in their 1-1 draw with Leicester City last time out, as he came on as an early substitute for Nathan Tella following Jannik Vestergaard’s red card and was vital in Hasenhuttl’s side earning a point, making a whopping 11 clearances.

Although the Denmark international has subsequently had his red card overturned, meaning he will be available for the game at Anfield tonight, Salisu’s performance still warrants him a start against the Reds, even if he is deployed at left-back.

Following the game against Leicester, Hampshire Live journalist Tom Leach was full of praise for the 2020 signing, saying: “He was heroic tonight. He steps up explosively, getting out and to the ball with unrivaled enthusiasm. He is a monster in one-on-one situations and is, in all honesty, one of the fastest defenders ever to wear Southampton colours.”

Ryan Bertrand’s absence through injury means that the 22-year-old is a likely candidate to start at left-back and he could prove to be a key factor in the result, as he will most likely be up against Liverpool’s danger man Mohamed Salah.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-southampton-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=” Latest Southampton news, transfer rumours and more!”]

The Egyptian has been one consistent performer in a disappointing campaign for the Merseyside club, which sees them battling for a top four spot after winning the title so comfortably last season.

Salah has 20 Premier League goals this season and will be a huge threat down the right-hand side with his pace and dribbling, so it would make more sense to go with Salisu there than Jack Stephens, who started in that unfamiliar position against Leicester.

The Englishman is not blessed with pace and is naturally right-footed, so he would likely struggle up against against Salah if Hasenhuttl keeps his faith in him at left-back at Anfield.

Therefore, after his superb performance last time out, Hasenhuttl should definitely start Salisu on Saturday night. If he can keep Salah quiet, then the Saints have a decent chance of earning three points which would secure their Premier League status for next season.

In other news… Southampton suffer huge transfer setback to “exciting” £9m-rated gem, Hasenhuttl must be fuming

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho could be without at least one of his regular options this evening as his side head to Championship outfit Wycombe Wanderers in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Speaking ahead of the encounter, the Spurs boss told reporters, via the official website:

“Matt Doherty was not involved at Sheffield United and I’m not sure if he will recover. Dele hasn’t trained for the last couple of days with a small problem in the tendon and Serge Aurier, not really well.”

Dele Alli seems likely to be out but that doesn’t come as a major negative to the Portuguese manager as he’s barely utilised the 24-year-old this term, indeed he’s played only 472 minutes in all competitions, of which six were starts, in all competitions per Transfermarkt.

However, the potential of having both his right-back options in Serge Aurier and Matt Doherty would be a killer blow to their fortunes, especially the Ivorian, who has emerged as Mourinho’s first-choice option over the course of the season.

The 28-year-old has started ten of their 18 league outings this campaign as well as half of their cup outings too. His turnaround in form has led to the club planning to offer him a longer-term contract as he’s entered the final 18 months of his £120k-per-week deal, per Football Insider.

So clearly, he’s a big part of Mourinho’s plans right now.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-news-and-rumours” title=”Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, injury latest and more!”]

What makes this news even worse is the possibility of not having his back-up, Doherty, either. The Irishman, who joined for £15m in the summer, has played 17 times in all competitions, primarily in the Europa League and this very tournament, so you’d imagine he’d be in line to feature once again if fit.

That said, the 29-year-old has struggled to replicate the sort of form that caught the eye at Molineux. His last league appearance against Leeds was a disaster as he badly let the Spurs boss down with a shocking display – as we further outlined in this Performance In Numbers article.

It leaves Mourinho with a tricky selection headache going into tonight’s clash as without either of the duo, he will either have to turn to Japhet Tanganga, who has played the bulk of his appearances at centre-back, Moussa Sissoko, a midfielder-by-trade who has been somewhat a utility player down that right flank or even a vastly-inexperienced academy player.

Tanganga, who has been dubbed “hungry to play” by Ledley King, seems the most viable option should both of the regular first-team options be absent at Adams Park, though it certainly makes Spurs a weaker prospect as they hold the second-best defensive record in the Premier League so far this term with either Aurier or Doherty starting at right-back.

AND in other news, Levy struck dream deal over £45m-rated “born leader” who’s been a Spurs “steal”…