All posts by z3u9t.icu

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Despite a seemingly positive update from their chairman regarding the club’s transfer budget, Sheffield United fans may have reason to be worried about their team’s chances in the Premier League next season.

Speaking to the Sheffield Star, co-owner Kevin McCabe has echoed Chris Wilder’s sentiment that the squad doesn’t need a huge turnover, which may show a lack of ambition.

What’s been said then?

The chairman has promised the fans and the manager a decent sized transfer budget, but how it is spent may not be very ambitious.

“Let’s just say it’ll be a healthy one. We’re not in the Premier League for fun and when you play in any market, you can’t buck it.” McCabe said.

“So it’s about considering everything carefully. We’re not going to be rash, we’re not going to be stupid.

“We’ve got to plan in the Premier League to have a nucleus of a squad that will maintain its position, but that if we did come on hard times, we wouldn’t go down with a massive, massive tumble.”

How can this be interpreted?

It seems that Sheffield United will approach this transfer window in a similar way to Cardiff this time last year.

Rather than signing huge names on big wages, the Welsh club brought in a batch of reliable players who would be happy to stay with the club whichever league they’re in.

McCabe saying that the squad needs a nucleus of players who will stay if the team are relegated shows that the Blades may not reach for the stars in terms of their signings.

The club may opt to bring in solid individuals who have a chance of keeping if they drop back down into the Championship.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

This doesn’t always work well in terms of staying in the Premier League, but it allows the Blades to not overextend themselves, leaving them with a strong squad in the second tier if they can’t beat the drop.

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Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor has claimed in the Daily Record ahead of the last Old Firm derby of the season on Sunday, that the corresponding 1-0 defeat at Ibrox back in December was the first time in two-and-a-half or three years that the Bhoys players didn’t turn up in a big game.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Scotland international has been speaking ahead of his side’s trip across Glasgow at the weekend, with both teams looking to put down an early statement ahead of next season with the title already tied up.

Former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers suffered his first derby defeat in 13 attempts on that day at the end of 2018, in what was a poor display by the visitors – they had goalkeeper Craig Gordon to thank for keeping the score down.

Controversial. Uncompromising. Leader. C’mon the Hoops’ Keith talks the future of Celtic’s evergreen captain Scott Brown in the video below…

McGregor has been speaking about that day, telling the Daily Record:

“I think the game at Ibrox was the one time in a two-and-a-half or three-year period when the boys didn’t turn up in a big match.”

How can his comments be interpreted?

Firstly, he appears to be backing up his teammates with many thinking this has been a below-par season for Celtic despite the fact that they remain on course for the treble-treble.

Secondly, his words suggest that the Bhoys aren’t used to failing to turn up on the big occasions, and that history isn’t going to repeat itself again at Ibrox on Sunday with the previous trip a one-off.

It will certainly be an interesting encounter given Rangers will be motivated and wanting to end their season on a high, while Neil Lennon’s men will be keen to prove why they are the deserved champions.

It is hard to call how things pan out on Sunday – and whether both sides can keep 11 men on the pitch – but you can bet your bottom dollar that the visitors won’t be anywhere near as bad as they were on that December afternoon last year.

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With mounting injury problems again taking the fore at Celtic and next week’s massive Scottish Cup Final looming, Sunday’s clash at home to Hearts has all the potential to be a dour dead rubber.

For Neil Lennon though there’s no such thing as a pressure-free game. An impressive performance and win is needed to further bolster his credentials of becoming the permanent Hoops manager.

Luckily for him he can both navigate squad problems and win over fans by deploying three of the most exciting teenage talents at Celtic right now – Armstrong Oko-Flex, Ewan Henderson and Karamoko Dembele.

On the chalkboard

Lennon has already confirmed in his pre-match press conference that both Dembele and Henderson have trained with the first-team this week, while Football Scotland report that Oko-Flex was also spotted at Lennoxtown training with the senior squad on Friday.

With James Forrest and Jonny Hayes both absentees for the visit of Craig Levein’s side and Scott Sinclair struggling for form, Dembele and Oko-Flex are obvious replacements on each attacking flank – both have been stand-outs in the SPFL Reserve League this season.

Having already made five first-team appearances Henderson is also the perfect attacking midfield stand-in for Tom Rogic, who should be wrapped in cotton wool ahead of next week’s showpiece final.

All three have the ability to add an attacking energy to a Celtic team that has been severely lacking of late, reminding Celtic’s misfiring regulars that their place in the starting XI isn’t as secure as they might like to think.

Underwhelming Sinclair and Rogic

Rogic’s recent contribution at Celtic has been rather frustrating for all concerned.

It’s true that some of the Hoops’ best football this season has been played with the Australian in the side alongside Callum McGregor and Ryan Christie, but since the turn of the year he’s either been absent through injury or fairly anonymous on the pitch when selected.

Registering just one goal and one assist since his March return to the team, his overall performances have looked well off the pace recently.

Obviously he remains one of the squad’s best and most important players but a timely, crowd-pleasing Ewan Henderson appearance could be the perfect way to demonstrate his place in the team is not guaranteed.

Sinclair meanwhile badly needs competition too, having failed to score for nearly three months.

There’s no doubt Celtic need to enter the transfer market later this summer to find quality on the left flank, but a good performance from Oko-Flex could lead to usage in the earliest European qualifiers.

At lot has been made of these emerging academy talents. The time has now come to see whether they have made enough progress to shine at senior level and put some pressure on Celtic’s biggest names.

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Sunderland face Charlton at Wembley on Sunday, and Jack Ross should select a starting XI that has not started once together this season.

Ross has one of the biggest and best squads in League One, but combined with a spree of poorly timed injuries, this has led to never having one settled first choice XI.

The Black Cats usually rely on Lee Cattermole and Grant Leadbitter in midfield while Jon McLaughlin has started a whopping 54 games in goal, but almost every other position is seemingly up for grabs.

Now, with everything on the line, Ross simply must unleash this XI brimming with energy, flair and enthusiasm.

Ozturk’s physicality is needed at the back, with the error-prone Jack Baldwin dropping to the bench, while the energy of Luke O’Nien and Bryan Oviedo will dominate the flanks.

The tried and tested duo in midfield keeps the balance and defensive stability of the side, while the three behind the striker will cause absolute mayhem due to their versatility.

In truth, it doesn’t really matter where each of Morgan, McGeady and Maguire line up, as the creative trio can all interchange and play in any of the three roles behind the striker. George Honeyman is a notable absentee, but he simply doesn’t have the goal threat to warrant a place in an attacking role.

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Up front it simply must be Charlie Wyke who gets the nod, Will Grigg has not lived up to expectations and the former’s physicality will occupy defenders and leave space for the three M’s to operate in.

This XI has not started a single fixture together this season, could they make their collective debut on Sunday? Sunderland fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Admittedly, it was never going to be easy replacing Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle, but boy oh boy, new boss Graeme Souness didn’t help himself.

The date was January 2005 when Souness made one of the dodgiest decisions of his managerial career in signing defender Jean-Alain Boumsong.

Newcastle United were experiencing something of a blip in their history. The great Sir Bobby had departed and Graeme Souness, the world’s most miserable man, was elected the saviour to take the club forwards. His first move? Recruit £8million-rated Frenchman Jean-Alain Boumsong, of course.

Well, well, well. What can we possibly say about this move? Might as well start off with the basics.

The Guardian referred to the 800,000,000 pennies spent on the defender as an “extraordinary sum”. Not in the sense that they had pulled off a real transfer coup – oh no. But in the sense that they had just frittered away a silly amount of cash on a player who had moved to Rangers on a Bosman-free just months before.

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Then there was the fact that he just wasn’t all that good.

Despite kicking off his Newcastle career pretty promisingly, and for that we will give him credit, it all came crashing down fairly rapidly, as basic defensive errors became an all-too-common feature in his game. Need we remind you of the Liverpool match in which he botched the most basic of clearances before rugby tackling Peter Crouch to the ground in the area in an attempt to make amends?

No? Well, here it is anyway (plus a few others).

As you can tell, he wasn’t the best.

Newcastle fans, what are your standout memories of Boumsong? Just how bad was he? Let us know in the comments below…

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Tottenham Hotspur fans have been left drooling over the prospect of Real Betis midfielder Giovani Lo Celso joining the club after he commented on Erik Lamela’s Instagram post.

Lo Celso, per the London Evening Standard, is a target for manager Mauricio Pochettino as he looks to reshape his squad this summer.

The Betis midfielder has enjoyed an impressive 2018-19 campaign, scoring 16 goals in all competitions in 45 outings, while also laying on six assists.

A 23-year-old who can play in attacking midfield as well as defensive midfield, he has an £88million release clause in his contract and the Standard claim that he is unlikely to be sold for below that amount.

Nevertheless, fans have been left in a state of excitement over the prospect of him rocking up at Hotspur Way after he wished Lamela all the best ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final between Spurs and Liverpool.

Take a look at the best of the reaction below!

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Tottenham Hotspur defender Kieran Trippier has revealed that he hopes to remain in the Premier League even if he leaves the club, per the London Evening Standard.

What’s the word?

The Standard report that Spurs are willing to allow the England international to leave the club after a disappointing season in north London.

The report claims that Serie A club Napoli have tabled a bid worth £23m for the defender, who started Spurs’ Champions League final defeat to Liverpool at the weekend.

He has confirmed that he will discuss his future with manager Mauricio Pochettino but he does not seem enamoured by the prospect of a move to Italy.

He said: “I want to stay in England, but what can you do?

“I’ll see what happens, and what the club wants, most importantly.

“I give everything for this club in training sessions, games. I don’t know [if I will be at Spurs next season]. I’ll go home now, spend time with my family and just recover after a long, difficult season.

“Everybody’s got a decision to make. Obviously, this club has been very good for me over the last few years, but I’ll enjoy my summer, come back in pre-season and that’s when I’ll sit down with the manager and have a talk about my future. I see a lot of speculation about me not being here.”

Trippier was not included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming Nations League finals.

Refresh your career

Trippier should take a leap of faith.

It is clear that he could depart Spurs this summer and he should jump at the opportunity to move to Italy.

A different league and a different style could see him resuscitate a career that is in serious danger of stalling in north London.

Staying in the Premier League, after all, is something of an obvious move but where exactly would he go?

The majority of top clubs have a starting right-back – Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea particularly – while Manchester United would surely want better and Spurs are never going to do business with Arsenal.

The opportunity to switch to a club that still features in European competition, then, and could challenge in the higher reaches of their league should be attractive for Trippier.

He should grab it with both hands.

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In the last few days a report from the BBC has detailed that West Ham United are interested in Fenerbahce captain and Turkey left-back Hasan Ali Kaldirim.

If the rumour is true, Manuel Pellegrini is undoubtedly trying to solve his team’s dilemma at left-back once and for all with the signing of a high-quality international.

For three seasons now, the first-choice left-back baton has been passed constantly between Arthur Masuaku and Aaron Cresswell in east London, with neither of them able to hold it permanently.

Masuaku was the man in possession at the conclusion of the 2018/2019 campaign, though that was only because of an injury to Cresswell, something which has been a common theme. The ex-England man is the better option but way too injury-prone.

Adding someone with the quality to make the spot their own would allow the Hammers to get rid of one of the underperforming duo and settle the debate for good.

In light of this, three Football FanCast writers give their verdicts on whether West Ham should sign Kaldirim…

Charles Jones

“I’m not sure that’s the type of deal West Ham should be pursuing. Ali Kaldirim isn’t a clear upgrade on Cresswell and Masuaku at left-back. Historically, imports from the Turkish league haven’t fared too well in the Premier League, and with Fenerbahce having their joint-worst season in 30 years any club should steer clear of signing players from the Istanbul outfit.”

Harry Sherlock

“No. West Ham have two perfectly suitable left-backs in Cresswell and Masuaku and there is little point pursuing another one, as they’d surely have to cash in on one of the two they already have. Indeed, there are a number of other pressing issues that need addressing; West Ham need at least one striker, a couple of midfielders and potentially a centre-back too. Signing a left-back simply makes no sense, regardless of how good Ali Kaldirim may be.”

Jack Saville

“Ali Kaldirim has proven to be a genuine threat from full-back this season by scoring three goals and providing five assists in all competitions, but his lack of experience in the Premier League is a serious worry. West Ham have lacked a cutting edge on the overlap and it’s a problem that needs addressing, but I don’t think this is the answer. Pellegrini should turn his attention towards an alternative target to strengthen at full-back.”

Liverpool are heading into the summer on the back of landing a sixth European Cup after the Reds finally got their rewards for two years worth of superb football.

The Reds and manager Jurgen Klopp are in a good place in all honesty, and barring a disaster in terms of losing some their top players, not much is needed in terms of squad investment to ensure the club remain right at the summit of the game.

However, if there was one position that could do with adding too, it’s in goal, where number two Simon Mignolet is nowhere near on the level of main stopper Alisson, who has been simply superb since being brought into the club last summer.

This weekend then has seen the club linked with a move for Southampton stopper Alex McCarthy, and here in the Tavern, we couldn’t think of a better signing for the club.

McCarthy might have lost his place in the Saints XI to Angus Gunn, but the 29-year-old had earlier in the campaign displayed the type of form which showed he can play at the very top, earning himself an England call up along the way.

Belgian Mignolet has never ever produced the goods for the Reds either, and his onrunning battle with Loris Karius last season was blamed for the club’s lack of success in the end, with both ‘keepers deemed untrustworthy by Klopp.

The signing of McCarthy then would represent a welcome boost to the squad, and crucially, would relieve some of the game time Alisson has to put himself through. McCarthy is also good enough to ensure the Brazilian number one cannot rest on his laurels either, and Liverpool fans could be safe in the knowledge that they have a steady pair of hands ready to jump in should Alisson be missing.

It is probably fair to say that Kurt Zouma had a pretty strong season out on loan at Everton.

At the heart of the Toffees’ defence, the 24-year-old looked good, making more interceptions (1.7) than any other central defender at the club (as per WhoScored).

The Merseyside outfit now appear to be keen on turning that loan spell into a permanent one, with The Telegraph reporting that they have opened negotiations with Chelsea as they look to strike a deal.

It would be pretty stupid, though, if the Stamford Bridge hierarchy went on to sanction a sale in this moment of time. Rather, they should leave the decision down to their next manager whenever he is appointed.

While Maurizio Sarri, of course, often used a central defensive partnership of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger, there is nothing to suggest Frank Lampard, who is set to succeed the Italian, will go down the same path.

He might, for example, want more of an aerial presence there — and Zouma would be just that. Last season, the Frenchman won 3.1 aerial duels per game, which is more than Rudiger’s 2.5 and Luiz’s 2.3.

On the other hand, he might be more concerned with how his centre-halves are in possession. With a pass success rate of 83.6%, Zouma would fall short compared to Rudiger (91.5%) and Luiz (88%) in that regard (also per WhoScored).

But the main point is that it would be silly to sell the France international before knowing what exactly their next manager wants from his central defence.

Furthermore, Chelsea should hold off from making any decisions and leave it to their next man in the dugout.

Chelsea fans, does Zouma have a future at Stamford Bridge? Let us know what you think below!