All posts by n8rngtd.top

Lots of Manchester United fans have been slamming the display of Anthony Martial in their clash against Southampton on Sunday afternoon.

The France international did not have the best of games and was subsequently subbed off just before the hour mark for Jadon Sancho.

He only managed 13 touches of the ball in his time on the pitch, by far the fewest out of any of his teammates to have started (Sofascore).

Martial also lost possession on five occasions, meaning that he lost the ball every 2.6 touches on average.

Considering that he only managed one shot on target and no dribbles either (Sofascore), the striker will be hoping to do better to keep his place in the starting line-up going forward.

Manchester United fans on Martial display

These Red Devils supporters slammed Martial’s performance on Twitter, with one United fan going as far as to claim that the 25-year-old was ‘shocking’:

“Martial was absent all game. I’m very worried”

Credit: @PMLEGEND

“Martial stank up the place like I’ve never seen before”

Credit: @ZackblackMJ

“Martial’s nightmare is over!!!! He was only sharp enough to get to the ball today!!! Rest looked beyond him!!”

Credit: @neo2992

“Martial was a false player in this game”

Credit: @IamSeloma

“Sancho on Martial off. No surprise at all!! He doesn’t offer enough, simple as!”

Credit: @AzumaNelson

“Martial is shocking. Sell him off to Everton and be done with it”

Credit: @DeanConway3

In other news, this Man Utd player’s display was slammed against Leeds

Reliable reporter Kieran Devlin confirmed on Wednesday evening that Celtic are in discussions for VVV-Venlo striker Georgios Giakoumakis.

The Lowdown: Tuesday rumours

Reports on Tuesday linked Celtic with a move for Giakoumakis, suggesting a figure of £2.5m would be enough to take him from the Eredivisie.

Giakoumakis, on just €750-a-week (£639), has just come off the best goalscoring season of his career, netting 26 league goals in 30 appearances.

Ange Postecoglou has personally called the 26-year-old over a potential Parkhead move, and Devlin had his say on the links prior to Celtic’s 2-0 win over AZ Alkmaar.

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The Latest: Devlin confirmation

Devlin, Celtic’s correspondent for The Athletic, ran a Q&A with supporters on Wednesday, where he admitted Josip Juranovic and Liam Scales are pending incomings at Celtic Park.

He was also asked about the links to Giakoumakis, stating Celtic are in discussions for the Greece international.

“There’s definitely truth to them, club are in discussions as far as I’m aware. Think it’s interesting (but welcome!) that the club have gone from two weeks of only seriously pursuing loan deals to looking to spend money again.”

The Verdict: Edouard future to be resolved first?

You’d expect that a possible move for Giakoumakis could be with a view of replacing Odsonne Edouard.

The French forward has been working on a Parkhead exit since his move to Leicester City collapsed, however, he is holding out for £85,000-a-week at any new club.

His situation may need to be resolved one way or the other, ideally quickly, before the club either firm up their interest or pull out of talks for Giakoumakis, but it’s good to see the Hoops are touching base over a move for a free-scoring forward.

In other news: ‘I’m told’ – Anthony Joseph’s negative Celtic transfer update. 

Former Premier League striker Nigel Jemson, a Liverpool fan, insists that the Reds need to aim higher with their new signings than Nat Phillips.

The 24-year-old defender has been linked with a move away from the club this summer as the Reds restructure their squad.

Phillips has been seen as a potential option for both Southampton and Newcastle United, along with West Ham United.

The centre-back has come through the ranks at Anfield and has made a total of 21 appearances for the club.

Phillips stepped into the breach after both Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk were struck down with injuries last season and made 17 Premier League appearances, even scoring in the 3-0 win over Burnley at the back-end of the campaign.

And Jemson believes that Liverpool likely need to move him on in this transfer window, and expects the Reds to include a buy-back clause in any deal.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “I’m sure if they do let him go, there’ll be a buy-back clause or something like that if it progresses.

“If I’m being perfectly honest, if Liverpool want to win Premier Leagues or Champions Leagues, then we’re going to look a little bit higher than Nat Phillips.”

Tottenham Hotspur have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Barcelona wonderkid Ilaix Moriba, as rival interest from RB Leipzig has emerged this weekend [Sunday Express].

The Lowdown: Moriba at the centre of a contract wrangle at the Camp Nou

No stranger to the limelight, Moriba has become something of a thorn in the side of the Barcelona hierarchy after failing to sign a new contract at the Catalan giants this summer [GOAL].

He has allegedly asked for around £100k-p/w to renew terms, angering Camp Nou chiefs and eventually being frozen out of their squad [Sport Bible].

The youngster is regarded as one of the most prodigious talents to come through the famed La Masia academy in a long time, once even labelled ‘the future of the club’ by Ronald Koeman [GOAL].

However, that future may lay elsewhere.

The Latest: Future set to be decided in the next 24 hours

Tottenham are set to find out the trajectory of the 6 foot 1 ace’s next move in the next 24 hours, with his current employers open to cashing in on his services due to their financial difficulties [Sunday Express].

RB Leipzig are also hot on his tail, potentially creating a problem for the Lilywhites due to the German outfit’s reputation of offering regular first-team football to young stars.

Though they are reportedly £5 million short of matching the valuation set by Barca, the Bundesliga side are said to have offered tempting personal terms which Spurs would be unable to match.

The Verdict: Tottenham should prioritise Moriba

Likely to cost a pretty penny in terms of wage expenditure, any advancement in Tottenham’s willingness to lure the 18-year-old to N17 should be on the premise that he features regularly in a senior environment.

Bringing a bustling presence in the midfield, the Guinean-born anchor man showcased his capabilities effortlessly last term, registering four goal contributions from 18 appearances from deep; one goal and three assists [Transfermarkt].

Backing up plaudits, his successful pass accuracy rate of 91.6% across the campaign would help to bring some control to the Spurs midfield, potentially being a vital asset in high-profile encounters [WhoScored].

He was once dubbed as ‘incredible’ by ex Barca B coach Garcia Pimenta, and surely improve further with more first XI exposure [SB Nation].

Should they be able to offer Moriba the guarantees of being an imminently important figure in their starting line-up, there is no reason why Tottenham should not look to close the deal and add another future midfield star to the signing of Pape Matar Sarr.

In other news, a Tottenham legend has dropped their verdict on a Lilywhites defender. Find out more here.

Gabby Agbonlahor has claimed West Ham United will lose Declan Rice soon after the midfielder scored his first England goal against Hungary.

The Lowdown: Rice continues to impress

The Three Lions overcame a slow first half to score four second-half goals in Budapest to win 4-0 in their World Cup qualifying fixture. Rice neatly tucked the ball away for England’s fourth in another impressive display for Gareth Southgate’s side.

Since making his debut in 2019 against the Czech Republic, Rice has missed only six games for his country and has become a constant figure in Southgate’s plans, partnering Kalvin Phillips in the European Championships.

With Chelsea linked with the holding midfielder, West Ham managed to keep hold of their man for the time being as they embark on participating in the Europa League group stages for the first time ever.

The Latest: A big move soon?

It won’t come as a surprise that Rice’s name is linked with some of the best teams in the country following his impressive performances for West Ham and England.

His goal on Thursday night will have the likes of Chelsea licking their lips after his right-footed curling strik was too powerful for RB Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and snuck into the bottom corner.

Speaking to talkSPORT on Friday morning, three-time England international Agbonlahor stated: “I watched Rice and Phillips last night, they were outstanding.

“But what was going through my head is, how long can these two players stay at their clubs? How long can West Ham keep hold of Declan Rice?

“They’re all going to be talking whilst they’re away. ‘We’ve got Villarreal, Atalanta. We’ve got PSG (in the Champions League),’ and you’d have banter about it.

“I just can’t see them staying more than the season at their clubs. I feel like they’re going to want to go and play at the top. They’re getting it with their country, they’re going to want to get it with their clubs.”

The Verdict: Will Rice move on?

Given that Rice is competing in Europe for the first time in his career, it isn’t surprising he hasn’t forced a move away from the Hammers this summer. But Agbonlahor’s statement on Rice wanting to play at the top at club level will be a fear for West Ham fans.

The 22-year-old has always shown his quality and has come on leaps and bounds since his senior debut back in 2017. His 87% pass completion and 2.06 interceptions per 90 minutes set him up as a perfect replacement for Jorginho at Chelsea, for example.

Dubbed ‘an outstanding talent’ by BBC Pundit Chris Sutton this week, the time may eventually come for Rice to take his game to the next level if a huge offer comes in from a Champions League outfit, but it feels unlikely he would ever force his way out in acrimonious circumstances.

There has been some news on the contract front involving Declan Rice…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been left furious as they will likely be without Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino between September 10th-14th.

After the chaos during the Brazil and Argentina World Cup qualifying game on Sunday, when Brazilian officials stormed onto the pitch over disputes about quarantine rules, there is now even more Brazilian FA disruption coming the way of several Premier League sides.

As per Paul Joyce on Twitter, sharing his piece for The Times, English clubs have been told by FIFA that they will be unable to select their Brazilian players for a five-day period after refusing to release them to the national team, or face future sanctions.

The decision comes after the Brazilian FA asked FIFA to enforce the rule to prevent the eight players from featuring in this week’s Premier League game and the midweek Champions League games.

It means Liverpool will be without Fabinho, Alisson and Firmino for Sunday’s clash with Leeds United – with Marcelo Bielsa also without Raphinha for the same reason.

More confusion has also come about due to the fact Everton will be able to select Richarlison due to ‘good relations’ with the Brazilian FA.

Liverpool fans fuming with news

These Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to express their frustrations at the news of losing three key players, with some claiming it ‘makes absolutely no sense.’

“Due to good relations” So basically the Brazil FA are picking and choosing who the rules apply to”

Credit: @Davido31120310

“They literally wouldn’t have been able to play the Brazil games anyway due to the 14 day quarantine going out there. I hope the prem clubs ignore this and play the Brazilians”

Credit: @jameswtweet

“Paul please say this is a joke”

Credit: @adamcallaghan55

“I want Liverpool to play the lads anyway to make a point – what an absolute farce. Obviously we couldn’t send them. Did the fact Argentina v Brazil got called off 5 mins into the game because of the players who travelled from England not PROVE THIS?!”

Credit: @empireofthekop

“Man City & Liverpool players can’t play but an Everton player can. So corrupt it’s a joke. Stinking”

Credit: @daneustice

“This is ridiculous”

Credit: @dhardayal

In more news, Liverpool fans have expressed their anger at update on summer target. Find out more here.

Kristjaan Speakman has revealed Sunderland’s transfer plans for the January transfer window.

What’s been said?

In recent comments made on the SAFC Unfiltered podcast (cited by Chronicle Live), the Sunderland sporting director claimed that he and his transfer team at the Stadium of Light have already started planning for the winter window, despite the fact that Lee Johnson is happy with his current crop of players.

Speakman said: “We’ve already started the process of looking ahead to the January window, we’ve begun that this week.

“At the moment everyone is comfortable [with the squad], but it doesn’t mean we will still be comfortable in December – there will be injuries, suspensions, and the natural things that happen within our industry, and we will do everything we can to get ready for next time, but we will do it in a calm and patient manner.”

Johnson will be delighted

Considering the fact that, although the season is still extremely young, Sunderland’s summer transfer business appears to have served the club extremely well, with the Black Cats currently topping the League One table, Speakman’s claim that he has already started planning for January will nevertheless have delighted Johnson.

Indeed, as the sporting director suggests, over the course of a season, players pick up injuries, suspensions and drop out of form, meaning that, if Sunderland wish to maintain their position at the top of the league, they will more than likely need to open the chequebook once again this winter.

And, with it appearing that Speakman is more than aware of this fact – something that is certainly not the case at some Premier League sides, let alone in the third tier of English football – Johnson is safe in the knowledge that the Mackems’ boardroom will back him to finally end the club’s spell in League One.

Having said this, should the 40-year-old find his side struggling for decent results at any point during their campaign, Speakman’s summer backing could well increase the pressure on the manager’s position at the club – although, considering their impressive start to the season, Sunderland appear to be heading in the right direction under the former Bristol City boss at present.

In other news: Sunderland handed potential injury boost ahead of Accy clash, Johnson will be buzzing

Former West Ham striker Frank McAvennie has admitted his concern for Leeds United star Diego Llorente after the development of yet another injury issue.

The Lowdown: Llorente suffers fresh blow

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were beaten 3-0 at home to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, meaning they are still without a win in the Premier League this season.

Not only did Leeds lose, but they also saw Llorente suffer another injury setback, as he limped off in the first half.

The Spaniard has struggled to rid himself of constant fitness issues since arriving at Elland Road and he is now set for another spell on the sidelines.

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The Latest: Pundit concerned by ongoing issues

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie admits he is surprised Leeds even signed Llorente and didn’t pick up on something during his medical:

“I don’t understand that. Is this not something the medical team will have picked up on? How did he pass a medical?

“It can’t be something so simple as just warming up before games, surely?

“The same thing has happened to Llorente three times since he’s been at Leeds. That has to be a huge concern.

“That will always be a doubt now won’t it? Any time he plays people will be wondering if he can finish the game.

“You would think they would be able to sort it with all the technology they have, it’s a strange one. They don’t have a big squad either Leeds, it’s a worry.”

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The Verdict: Developing into a big problem

While Llorente is an excellent defender, his injuries are now becoming a genuinely major cause for concern, with the 28-year-old unable to string together a prolonged spell in the team.

He has now failed to finish a game three times in his last 17 Premier League appearances, which speaks volumes about how unreliable he is.

It may be that Bielsa has to start forging a centre-back pairing out of other squad members such as Pascal Struijk, Liam Cooper and Robin Koch, rather than relying on Llorente to stay fit.

In other news, one Leeds player has been tipped to leave the club. Find out who it is here.

Former Manchester City star Michael Ball believes that the club could sign a new striker in January as they look to win both the Premier League and the Champions League.

The club spent the entirety of the summer searching for a new forward, as they lost Sergio Aguero to Barcelona on a free transfer.

Harry Kane was reported to be a target throughout the transfer window but City were unable to reach a deal with Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy.

Reports claim that a bid worth £75m plus £25m in bonuses was tabled for the England captain but he ended up remaining in north London after the two clubs were unable to reach a deal.

In the final week of the transfer window, City were said to be exploring a deal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus.

He ended up moving to Manchester United, instead, and has scored in every game he has played for the club thus far.

And Ball believes that the club could look to bring a new striker in during the January window as City look to retain their title and also go one step further in the Champions League, having reached last season’s final.

He said: “I feel that the City players who are there need to step up or they find a solution in January with either a striker or other key areas to make that difference to get over the line and bring that trophy home.”

This has been a sluggish start to life at Celtic for the Hoops’ new manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Australian knew things weren’t going to be easy at Parkhead. After all, the size of the rebuild required in Glasgow is colossal.

On the chalkboard

Despite the pure amount of work that needs to be done in order for Celtic to regain their status quo of being Scottish champions, this has been a very poor start to the campaign.

In fact, it’s the worst start to a season that the Bhoys have had in the last 23 years.

Performances are only getting worse and the swashbuckling, exciting attacking football that Postecoglou engrained in the early weeks of the campaign has disappeared.

He is struggling with an injury to Kyogo Furuhashi and Callum McGregor’s absence in the middle of the park has also been huge.

One of the biggest reasons for the club’s downfall in recent weeks has been the balance of the midfield.

David Turnbull’s performances have been questionable with just one goal in his last nine outings since a hat-trick against St Mirren.

Ismaila Soro and James McCarthy have also been poor this term but Tom Rogic isn’t delivering either.

The Australian looked like a player reborn after Postecoglou’s arrival on the scene, being described as “majestic” by the cast of ACSOM. Sadly, his displays have been abject in the last few weeks.

He’s contributed just a solitary goal in his last 11 matches and is struggling next to Turnbull in the middle of the park.

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Their pairing simply hasn’t worked but after the Hoops sold Ryan Christie and got rid of Olivier Ntcham this summer, they are lacking options in a central area.

Rogic seems to be getting worse and that was typified by a laboured showing against Dundee United last weekend.

Celtic drew 1-1 and the Aussie midfielder failed to provide them with much penetration or impetus.

He did produce four key passes for his teammates but ultimately, it was a troubled day at the office where he was too slow in possession and surrendered the ball on a regular basis.

During the course of the stalemate, the £16k-per-week earner lost the ball on 21 occasions. That happened to be the second-worst tally of any Celtic player on the pitch.

When the Hoops take on Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League on Thursday, Postecoglou will need a far more reliable midfield pairing.

He cannot afford to play Turnbull and Rogic in the same team against the Bundesliga side; it sounds like a recipe for disaster.

The former is still capable of producing magical moments so it’s the latter that should be axed instead.

AND in other news, Forget Rogic: Postecoglou must unleash Celtic’s “first-class” rarely-seen 19 y/o…