All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United did not hesitate to back Jesse Marsch in the two transfer markets that he was at the club, investing heavily in the American who had taken over from Marcelo Bielsa and guided them to safety.

Whether his football was sustainable or not, it almost felt compulsory that he be given money considering the club had lost Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha for mouth-watering fees just last summer.

However, with hindsight and seeing how his tenure quickly turned sour, once again leading them into a relegation battle, it seems that this blind faith was somewhat misguided.

This is now a team crafted by numerous managers with wildly varying styles, with the pragmatic Javi Gracia expected to knit that into some kind of survival form.

The Spaniard has already taken great strides forward with wins over Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers but has not been aided by Marsch's biggest signing; Georginio Rutter.

How much did Georginio Rutter cost Leeds?

Seeking a striker stand-in given Patrick Bamford's fitness woes and patchy form, the obvious decision would be to turn to experience and sign someone with a proven record in the Premier League; like West Ham United did with Danny Ings.

However, whether it be through naivety or misguided faith, the former RB Salzburg boss instead opted to unload a club-record fee of £35.5m on a 20-year-old who had never stepped foot in England and hardly boasted the goal record needed to be their saviour.

Across 15 Bundesliga games this campaign Rutter had scored just twice, and although his potential remained sky-high he was far from the man they needed in January.

He has since gone on to prove this, with neither Marsch or Gracia really keen to hand him starts in the bigger matches.

The £35k-per-week struggler as such is averaging just 27 minutes per game, with an average rating of 6.50 to go alongside it. Even in his only league start, against Chelsea, journalist Beren Cross showed visible sympathy for him whilst branding him a "non-entity" against the towering defence he faced.

It is clear he is far from ready to star in English football, with a lack of experience completely overriding his undeniable talent.

One day in the future Rutter is certainly destined to be a top player, yet despite flashes of brilliance he is simply not what they needed in another battle for survival.

Gracia could be made to pay for this monumental transfer blunder of Marsch's, who has hung his successor out to dry by not signing the experienced striker everyone knew the Whites needed.

Greg O’Keeffe has name-dropped last summer’s target Mohammed Kudus as the type of player Everton need to be signing.

The Lowdown: More goals are needed at Everton

Everton are the league’s joint-lowest scorers in the Premier League this season, which may not be a surprise given that the Toffees have been without star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin for the majority of this campaign.

The Everton board clearly knew they needed more firepower in the final third because of Calvert-Lewin’s shocking injury record and that they’d sold Richarlison by targeting Ajax star Mohammed Kudus.

While it was reported that Kudus was keen on leaving Ajax for Everton in the summer, his form this season has shown why he was indeed right to stay in the Eredivisie as he will have bigger clubs pushing for his signature.

The Latest: Kudus-like player is what Everton need

Despite his scintillating form for Ajax this season, O’Keeffe name-dropped Kudus on the All Together Now podcast as the player Everton could target and if not him, then someone of a similar mould, despite Ellis Simms’ latest heroics.

He said: (19:00) “It’s dead interesting because I think he’s [Ellis Simms] not the kind of striker if we all, well I can’t speak for everyone, but if I had my choice, I’d want Everton to be in the market for like Mohammed Kudus. I know he’s not a striker but I’m sure he could [play there], a Richarlison or those sorts of players.”

The Verdict: Everton are desperate for a proven goal scorer

While O’Keeffe and many other Evertonians would likely love to have someone such as Kudus in their squad, after his stunning season for Ajax, coupled with the fact he starred for Ghana out in Qatar last winter, he will probably have loftier ambitions having proven himself to be a ‘goal threat’.

Last summer was the chance for Everton to go all out, back Frank Lampard and land a proven goal scorer, but they decided to save their cash and instead brought in Neal Maupay who’s netted just once in the league this term.

Everton managed to get £60 million for last season’s hero Richarlison from Tottenham Hotspur over the summer and at no point did they replace him or even bring in a player similar to him and the qualities he brought to the side, which is simply negligent on Everton’s behalf.

Everton yet again find themselves fighting for survival in the Premier League this season and Sean Dyche has now been tasked with the challenge to ensure they don't fall into the Championship.

The Toffees are just two points clear of the relegation zone in 15th and just like last season, the club faces a real threat of falling into the second tier if the tide doesn't turn over the remaining ten fixtures.

There are several variables that can be pinpointed to Everton's struggles over the last 18 months with Richarlison's exit in the summer particularly playing a huge part in the side's lack of goal contributions this term.

Everton have the joint-worst goal tally in the entire Premier League with summer signings Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil failing to convert enough chances in front of goal to compensate for the Brazilian's departure. That is further made worse by Anthony Gordon's shock move to Newcastle United in January.

However, it's not just poor transfer business that has been plaguing the performances at Goodison Park as the Merseysiders racked up the worst injury record in the entire top flight last season with numerous players unavailable for selection for months at a time.

It is without a doubt that the most impactful injury concern has been Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with the striker constantly picking up injuries ever since he suffered a toe fracture and quadriceps injury back in August 2021.

How much has Dominic Calvert-Lewin cost Everton?

The 26-year-old has become one of the Premier League's most recognisable number nines over his career at Everton and even earned a place in the senior England squad after impressing Gareth Southgate with his performances under Carlos Ancelotti's guidance back in 2020.

However, in the last two seasons, the striker's injury troubles have put his promising career on a downward spiral with the player only making 30 appearances and scoring just six goals in all competitions since the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign.

To be exact, it has been 81 weeks since the Everton talisman – dubbed "frustrating" by Henry Winter – suffered the first major injury that left him in recovery for the rest of 2021 and has earned £100k-per-week or £8.1m in total since then, despite his lack of contribution and constant unreliability.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville recently slammed Everton's mentality for still depending on Calvert-Lewin to be their saviour in the relegation fight this season following the 2-0 loss to Liverpool:

"They’ve [Everton] got to stop talking about Dominic Calvert-Lewin, it’s as if they’re waiting for something to sort of save them – it might never come.

"For me, this idea that they always mention, ‘when we get Calvert-Lewin back we’ll be okay,’ no you won’t. You can’t wait for him. You’ll be relegated if you’re waiting for him."

Neville's comments present a harsh truth for the Goodison faithful and for Dyche when he assesses the next steps, should Everton survive relegation this season, as the club can no longer wait for the striker to make a comeback and instead must look at their options in the transfer market to ensure they can improve next season.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Everton finally accept that their beloved goalscorer could potentially never reach the heights he once and instead invest his wages or a potential transfer fee that could provide them with a prolific and reliable striker next season.

Arsenal could be set to lose 21-year-old striker Folarin Balogun over the summer as the youngster gains interest ahead of the transfer window.

Could Arsenal sell Balogun?

The English striker is currently playing his football out on loan with Ligue 1 side Reims, where he is enjoying a rich vein of form having returned 17 goals in 27 league appearances (via Transfermarkt).

However, he is set to return in the summer ahead of the transfer window, where his future will be decided by those in north London.

Balogun has hit the headlines in recent weeks amid the international break with the striker potentially switching his allegiance to play for the United States in the future.

And speaking on the House of Champions YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has provided an insight into the striker's potential options in the summer:

"He will be back at Arsenal at the end of the season. There are already 3-4 clubs interested in signing Balogun in the summer, but Arsenal will decide at the end of the season.

"Now, they are only focusing on the Premier League and I think it's absolutely fair. So it will take some time, but I think in the summer it's going to be a crucial moment to understand more on Balogun on both transfer and national team this season."

What could this mean for Nketiah's future?

Over the summer, Mikel Arteta saw Gabriel Jesus arrive in north London in a big-money deal as the Gunners looked to bolster their options up top.

In addition, Arsenal secured the future of their other young striker, Eddie Nketiah, as the 23-year-old inked a new deal which will see him earn £100k per week.

This does raise the question of where Balogun may fit in when he does return to the Emirates Stadium in the summer.

Jesus has had his injury issues this season which has seen him miss a big chunk of the campaign, during which Nketiah has stepped up as his replacement.

However, the 23-year-old has only been able to provide a return of four goals in his 23 Premier League appearances this season (via Transfermarkt).

Arsenal have invested big in Nketiah, not only financially but by rewarding him with the famous number 14 shirt.

But it cannot be ignored that during his time in Ligue 1, Balogun has shown his potential having returned more goals than both Neymar and Lionel Messi.

Thierry Henry hailed Balogun's braveness for leaving England as "refreshing" as he left in search of some more regular first-team football.

And in doing so, he may be asking a question of Arteta as to whether Nketiah has done enough to maintain his spot in the first team in north London ahead of Balogun.

Despite not scoring anywhere near as many goals as Balogun this season, Nketiah has provided the Gunners with some impressive work off the ball, having recorded an average of one tackle per 90 minutes (via FBref).

But the striker had failed to score in his six league games before picking up an injury, whereas Balogun has returned seven goals in his last nine games.

A big decision lies ahead of the Gunners, but on the back of the season Balogun is having, it is unlikely he will be short of potential suitors.

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has been slammed after walking straight down the tunnel on Sunday as his teammates offered their appreciation to the travelling fans.

Will United still finish in the top four?

It was a dismal display at St. James' Park from Erik ten Hag's side who comfortably beaten by Newcastle United and that was acknowledged by the Dutch manager: “Today the best team won, I hate to say it,” he said after the defeat.

The loss on Tyneside saw Eddie Howe's men climb above the Red Devils in the table and up to third spot with Tottenham Hotspur playing their game on Monday night.

United still have games in hand over the north London club so the defeat has not put too much of a dent in their hopes, however, it was the manner of the defeat which will hurt most.

And for the travelling fans, the least they will expect is to be thanked by the players on the back of such a poor display away from home.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Alex Crook learned the £250k-per-week Martial was a player to ignore the fans as he headed for the dressing room which enraged the pundit:

(0:35) "That is shocking from the Manchester United players. If they're not wanting to salute the away fans, Martial in particular, where have you been all season, fella? You make one appearance and think you can skulk off down the tunnel. Unbelievable!"

Does Martial have a future at Old Trafford?

The Frenchman's big-money arrival from Monaco has failed to really match the expectations set on him, however, this is something which is unlikely to go down well among the fans.

Martial now has just over one-year remaining on his current deal with the Red Devils and it could certainly be envisaged that a potential move could be lying ahead in the summer.

Having made 10 appearances this season in the Premier League, Martial has returned three goals and two assists (via Transfermarkt).

Considering he has only played 489 minutes of league action, this is actually not too shabby of a return, however, it is evident he is not in the immediate plans of Ten Hag.

It is apparent why Martial will have frustrations over his lack of game time and on the back of a dreadful display from all in a red shirt.

He came on with around half an hour remaining, but he failed to provide much of an impact having only recorded 16 touches of the ball (via SofaScore).

But failing to acknowledge the travelling fans will certainly fail to endear the Frenchman with the United faithful ahead of what could be a pivotal summer in his career.

Newcastle United's season has been unprecedented, as somehow Eddie Howe managed to carry their blistering form from the second half of last campaign and turn it into a genuine push for Champions League places.

Such has been their impressive work, amidst the disappointment of that EFL Cup final loss, the Magpies are now firmly in the driving seat to remain in that coveted third-placed spot which has been hotly-contested.

Should they achieve this unthinkable accomplishment, fast-tracking the development of a club still buoyed by their new ownership, it will likely widen their opportunities for player acquisition too. Previously, money was no object, but now with the promise of European football assured, suddenly Tyneside once again becomes an attractive proposition for Europe's top talent.

That would therefore explain the shift in focus to this summer, which promises to be an enthralling transfer window for a team that has already bolstered with intelligence.

The likes of Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes were immediate hits at St James' Park, but Alexander Isak has had to bide his time before truly showcasing his talents. His return to fitness has proved vital, and now the hulking forward cannot stop scoring.

That makes the links to Moussa Diaby all the more frightening, as adding another top-quality asset to this ever-improving outfit could not only push the team even further forward, but offer a fine creative presence to provide for the Swedish international.

Could Newcastle sign Moussa Diaby?

Having been noted among the favourites to acquire the Frenchman earlier in the week, this new development almost encourages them to act with haste among the growing list of suitors. They will likely still have to overcome the reported €75m (£66m) price tag that was touted in January too.

The interest this tricky wide man has drummed up hardly comes as a surprise given the consistency of the 23-year-old, who continues to thrive for Bayer Leverkusen.

Explosive with his turn of pace and possessing lightning-quick feet, these intangible qualities gave way to what has also been a fine goalscoring season for the former Paris Saint-Germain star. He boasts nine goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga, seeking to surpass his 13-goal and 12-assist tally from the season prior.

Such consistency across various campaigns only adds to the intrigue of this potential move, which Isak would likely endorse given the space and added chances someone like Diaby would command.

With five goals in his last five games, the club-record acquisition has thrived even when surrounded by the likes of Jacob Murphy and Sean Longstaff. Although both have impressed this season, to instead replace them with the talent being mentioned could see the 6 foot 4 finisher explode on Tyneside.

After all, his potential new teammate does average 1.9 key passes per game alongside the 46% dribble success rate that likely spurred journalist Julien Froment to laud him as someone who "creates gaps and danger as soon as he touches the ball," back during his time in the French capital.

With the future on Tyneside brighter than ever, and a calibre of players like Diaby potentially on the horizon too, Isak must be licking his lips at the prospect of this future superteam he will spearhead.

Referee David Coote and his VAR team may have made a big mistake in the most recent Arsenal draw after missing a Declan Rice handball.

What's the latest on VAR and Arsenal?

The Gunners were unable to hold on to a two-goal lead for the second time in as many games as they drew 2-2 with West Ham United on Sunday.

Indeed, Mikel Arteta saw his side score twice inside the first ten minutes through Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard only to then concede two in the remainder of the game.

First, Said Benrahma netted a penalty to change the atmosphere at the London Stadium, before Jarrod Bowen netted an equaliser shortly after Bukayo Saka missed a penalty.

However, if we go back to the first goal scored by West Ham, it appears Rice uses his hand to win the ball off Thomas Partey in the build-up to the goal.

Indeed, as seen in this footage, and this image, there is plenty of evidence online to suggest VAR could have denied the goal.

Did Rice use his hand against Arsenal?

Arsenal midfielder Partey was too relaxed when picking up the ball on the edge of his box and Rice did well to close him down. The ball then quickly fell to Lucas Paqueta who was fouled and so referee Coote pointed to the spot.

However, as the image above shows, West Ham certainly wouldn't have won the ball back in such a way without the use of Rices' hand.

VAR did check the incident but deemed that it wasn't enough to overturn the penalty decision – a call that will no doubt have Arsenal fans feeling pretty exasperated.

Journalist Jack Holmes slammed Partey for his "looseness" on the ball during the passage of play but did point out that it "probably" was "a handball" from the West Ham midfielder.

These two dropped points will no doubt be hugely disappointing for the Gunners, as their lead at the top of the table over Manchester City has now diminished to just four points.

When speaking to BBC Sport after the match, Arteta didn't blame the handball but rather slammed his team for being sloppy, saying: "We started incredibly well, dominated the game, dominated the pitch, and scored two beautiful goals. After that, we made a huge mistake; not to continue playing, to score the third and the fourth.

"We started keeping the ball and giving sloppy passes away. We allowed them [West Ham] transition moments, and did not dominate the direct play. And then it's game on. If you concede the goals that we conceded, the first one and the second one, and on top of that you don't score a penalty, in this league you are in big trouble."

It seems clear that whoever takes over at Chelsea in the summer has a huge job on their hands if they are going to transform the Blues back into challengers at the top of the Premier League.

The decision to appoint Frank Lampard as an interim manager has certainly not paid off after four defeats from four, which has left the west London outfit languishing in 11th position in the top flight, with no trophies to compete for.

The millions spent by Todd Boehly has not produced the expected results, while his gamble on Graham Potter did not pay off, which has left the American with a significant decision to make in the summer if he wants to restore Chelsea to their former glory.

If he wants to build for the long term, then former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann could be the ideal man to take over from Potter at Stamford Bridge.

What's the latest on Chelsea's interest in Nagelsmann?

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, journalist Dean Jones provided his thoughts on the potential appointment of Nagelsmann at Stamford Bridge.

He wrote: "Sources have explained how Nagelsmann is seen as an improved version of Graham Potter and that Chelsea believe his style of coaching could mean that groundwork already put in over past months is less likely to be abandoned under his leadership.

"They have put in work too to understand exactly why his Bayern Munich reign did not work out and learnings at this moment suggest they do not feel the reasons would impact on them if he took charge of Chelsea.

"Managing so many personalities and egos is a potential problem in this situation and as part of the process Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley have been undertaking key conversations around recruiting a manager that can handle this.

Would Nagelsmann get Chelsea back to their best?

Nagelsmann would certainly arrive at Chelsea with a big reputation, having first taken Hoffenheim to the Champions League before the age of 30, which saw him described as a "genius" by the Athletic's Raphael Honigstein.

The 35-year-old averaged 1.53 points per game in his time at Hoffenheim, before steering RB Leipzig to a hugely impressive 1.94 points per game in his time with the Bundesliga outfit.

That remarkably saw the club leapfrog perennial runners-up, Borussia Dortmund, into second place in the German top flight, suggesting he knows how to get the best from his players.

This earned him a move to Bayern and despite him averaging a phenomenal 2.31 points per game there, he was sacked earlier this year.

Nagelsmann had achieved great things again in Munich, leading the German powerhouse to the top of the league and a Champions League quarter-final.

Given Potter mustered just 1.42 points per game at Chelsea, it definitely seems fair to suggest that Nagelsmann would be an improved version of the Englishman, with his attacking style and youth policy – something seen at Leipzig – also making him an ideal target for Boehly who has invested so heavily in the stars of tomorrow.

Thus, if the German is given time to adjust to Premier League football and is able to trim the squad accordingly, then he could be the ideal man to get the best out of the incredible players Chelsea have at their disposal.

He has already proven in Germany he can do exactly that; it's now time to transfer and hone those skills in English football.

Leeds United boss Javi Gracia will not hesitate to continue to make surprising team selections in light of his choice to omit Junior Firpo from starting in the Whites' defeat against Fulham last weekend, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What's the latest news involving Junior Firpo and Javi Gracia?

Last Saturday, Gracia opted not to select Firpo to play against Fulham at Craven Cottage, instead fielding Maximilian Wober on the left-hand side of the defence in what ended up being a disappointing 2-1 defeat for the Yorkshire outfit, as per BBC Sport.

Before the clash in west London, Firpo had started Leeds United's last 11 Premier League matches, as per Transfermarkt, meaning that his omission may have come as a surprise to the away support.

Nevertheless, the 26-year-old's form has dipped of late, none more so than in Leeds United's 6-1 loss to Liverpool at Elland Road last Monday. As shown on WhoScored, Firpo endured a torrid time in the affair and picked up a match rating of just 5.35/10 for his exploits.

Gracia has already been recently been pressed on his selection choices of late, particularly that of his failure to field Wilfried Gnonto from the start in their last three matches.

As cited by Leeds Live, the Spaniard spoke about the youngster's fitness before his side's match against Fulham last weekend, stating: “Gnonto is ready. He had a little issue, he had some problem, but now he's ready. He's training from the last weeks and, in the beginning when he came back, it's true I tried to protect a little bit, but now he's ready and available."

Journalist Jones is adamant that Gracia will continue to pick whoever he sees best fit to help Leeds United claim the results they need to secure Premier League survival.

Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones said: "I mean, they've made a lot of changes like that [Firpo omission]. I haven't seen enough of Firpo directly to know whether he would have made any difference in that precise game.

"But Gracia hates the fact that he keeps getting questioned on his team selection. He says I know what I'm looking at, there are different teams for different scenarios."

Can Javi Gracia keep Leeds United in the Premier League?

It looks right now like it could go down to the wire; nevertheless, Leeds have a huge opportunity to put some distance between themselves and their relegation rivals when they face off against Leicester City at Elland Road on Tuesday night.

Securing all three points would take the Whites four points clear of the relegation zone while would also boost morale massively following a three-game losing streak in the Premier League.

On the other hand, losing out to the Foxes at home could have severe consequences, as not only would Leicester leapfrog them in the table, but Everton could also plunge the Yorkshire side into the relegation zone with a victory over Newcastle United on Thursday evening.

Realistically, it's all to play for at this point and events during this midweek round of English top-flight fixtures may go a long way to deciding who manages to avoid the drop come the end of this term.

Newcastle United are on course to secure Champions League football as they currently sit third in the table and nine points clear of fifth, with five games left to play.

The Magpies were able to avoid the drop down to the Championship after PIF completed their takeover and provided Eddie Howe with the funds to sign the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn, and Kieran Trippier.

Last summer, Alexander Isak, Sven Botman, and Nick Pope were among those added to the group to push on, and they have played key roles in the club's European charge.

However, their success this season has not all been down to recent funding from PIF and one of Howe's crucial players is a player who cost the club nothing – Sean Longstaff.

The local lad came through the academy system at St. James' Park and was handed his first-team opportunity by former Magpies boss Rafa Benitez, who saw the potential in him.

Newcastle gave the academy graduate a four-year professional deal in 2018 with the Spanish coach saying that the Englishman has "great potential" and is "keen to learn".

Since then, the midfielder has made 135 first-team appearances for the Toon Army and contributed with eight goals and nine assists from the middle of the park.

How much is Sean Longstaff worth?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie recently told GIVEMESPORT that Longstaff should be valued in the region of £50m. That merely illustrates the ace's meteoric rise since coming into the senior team in 2018.

This season, the 25-year-old has made 32 Premier League outings and has been a reliable operator in midfield – completing 83% of his attempted passes.

Ex-Arsenal star Paul Merson praised his "outstanding" play and the role the dynamo has in the Magpies team, saying: "He's probably one of the first names on the team sheet. People might raise and eyebrow there and say 'don't be silly.' He's got the legs in midfield, he's an unsung hero.

"He does a lot of the hard graft for them and that's why they are where they are. Defensively, when Southampton really asked the questions they were solid as a rock."

Longstaff's rise to prominence in a team on course to secure Champions League football this season is vindication for Benitez and the faith that the Spanish boss had in the youngster five years ago.

The former Liverpool coach believed in the maestro's potential and Eddie Howe, who replaced Steve Bruce in the dugout, has been able to unlock his quality in the top flight this term.

Hopefully, there is more development to come from the Englishman, and he can continue to be a key player for Newcastle moving forward.