All posts by z3u9t.icu

Writing on Twitter, pundit and former Premier League striker Stan Collymore has been left thrilled by major news out of Tottenham Hotspur with Nuno Espirito Santo appointed as their new head coach.

The Lowdown: Spurs manager search finally over…

After two months of searching in what has been a long and drawn out process, Tottenham finally have their man in former Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Nuno.

Before opting to appoint the Portuguese, Spurs had held talks with Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte, Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso – with all four sets of discussions amounting to nothing (BBC).

Now, though, Nuno’s appointment marks the end of a very long wait for Tottenham’s new boss and the club can start preparing for next season.

The Latest: Collymore thrilled by Nuno news…

Writing on Twitter, Collymore has dropped his take on the big news out of Tottenham and believes this is an appointment Lilywhites fans can get excited about.

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“Looking forward to seeing Nuno at Spurs!” explained the former Liverpool man.

“Flexible at Val and Por, then Wolves around 3-5-2. Loves attacking width which Spurs have, a grafter and 2 creative in MF which Spurs have and 2 up top or 1 and 1, which Spurs have!

“I’d be excited, Spurs fans.”

The Verdict: Correct?

One caveat which has been mentioned through the media is Nuno’s footballing philosophy and whether he will truly bring back the Spurs way of playing open, attacking football (football.london).

Collymore certainly believes that he could, and that is reportedly backed by managing director Fabio Paratici as well.

Football.london reporter Alasdair Gold claims that Paratici has faith Nuno will encourage an exciting brand of football and even managed to persuade chairman Daniel Levy over his appointment.

Lilywhites supporters will be hoping both Collymore and the Italian are correct, but we’re not sure there would be too many complaints if a rigid 3-5-2 is what it takes to get the club back into the Champions League.

In other news: Spurs in seven-horse race to sign this ‘special’ player, Levy will have to pay over £25.8m…find out more here.

Aston Villa have reportedly joined some Premier League and European behemoths in the race to sign Denis Zakaria.

The Daily Mail listed the defensive midfielder as a player of interest to Steven Gerrard’s side on Saturday evening, and it has since had a number of Villa supporters talking on social media.

Zakaria, who plies his trade with Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach, is out of contract at the end of June. The 25-year-old is valued at £24.3m and has made 144 appearances for his current employers, attracting interest from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

However, it now seems as if Villa are also keen on the Switzerland international as they look to bolster their defensive midfield ranks following Marvelous Nakamba’s injury. The Daily Mail named 10 players who are of interest to Villa, one of which was Zakaria.

Villa fans react

The AVFC Faithful shared the links on Twitter regarding the 6 foot 2 beast, whose 90.1% passing accuracy rate is better than any player to have started a league match for Villa this term. Here is what these fans had to say in reply, with many keen to see a move materialise.

“FINALLY, WHAT WE’VE BEEN MISSING”

Credit: @OP4C

“Please be true man”

Credit: @BallyLDM

“OHHH ITS MUSIC TO MY EARS”

Credit: @charliepowellm1

“WAIT WHATTTTTT”

Credit: @LordMillman29

“Things you love to see”

Credit: @K6Lion1874

“Exactly what we need”

Credit: @AJJ8Villa

In other news: Villa’s rivals now set sights on signing 6 ft 2 beast who has ‘put on a lot of weight’. 

Liverpool are interested in signing dominant Torino centre-back Gleison Bremer in the summer transfer window, according to reliable journalist Neil Jones.

The Lowdown: Bremer shining at Torino

The Brazilian has become a key player for the Serie A side, starting 28 games in the league this season and proving to be a colossal presence, even being described as an ‘animal’ by teammate Mergim Vojvoda.

Indeed, Bremer has averaged a monstrous 4.1 aerial duel wins per game – Joel Matip (3.9) leads the way for Liverpool in the Premier League this season – as well as 3.4 interceptions per match.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bremer in the past and now a fresh update has emerged.

The Latest: Reds eyeing up move

According to Goal‘s Jones on Twitter, the Reds are ‘tracking’ the 25-year-old ahead of a potential summer move. Inter Milan are the front-runners to sign him currently, however, with numerous clubs showing an interest.

His current Torino deal expires in the summer of 2024.

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The Verdict: Goodbye, Joe Gomez?

It looks as though Liverpool’s interest is genuine, given Jones’ reliability, which surely suggests that one current centre-back could be moving on this summer.

With Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate all undisputed key men, that points towards Joe Gomez potentially enjoying a new challenge.

Reports have suggested that the 24-year-old could leave due to being desperate to make England’s World Cup squad, and it is hard to see that happening if he stays put, sadly.

Gomez is an excellent player but his current situation is unlikely to change unless injuries to others occur, meaning a summer exit makes the most sense.

In other news, an Italian source has made a Liverpool transfer claim. Read more here.

Many Everton fans have been left fuming as some transfer news has emerged on Ivan Perisic.

According to a report from earlier in the week by L’Interista, which has since been shared by EFC DAILY on their Twitter page, the Goodison Park faithful have ‘probed the ground’ about a potential move for the Inter Milan winger, along with AC Milan and AS Roma.

Perisic is one of the most decorated players of his generation, winning the UEFA Champions League as well as several of the biggest league titles in European football with some top clubs (Transfermarkt).

However, he is 32 years of age now, certainly past his best and hardly the type of signing to take the Blues into a new era under Rafael Benitez.

Given that both Andros Townsend and Demarai Gray moved to Merseyside in the summer transfer window as well, wingers should not be a priority for the manager either when it comes to strengthening his squad in January, with right-back perhaps a much more pressing need, as well as the middle of the park.

Everton fans on Perisic transfer news

These Toffees fumed as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to claim that Perisic is a ‘finished player’:

“He’s about 56”

Credit: @mxrganhulme7

“He must be nearly 40….planning for the future our Brands!”

Credit: @johntsheedy1

“We’re not and it would be a hard pass for me.”

Credit: @joshwilbert1

“What are yous gonna do for that spare 15 mins a year when he retires? Link him to a coaches job here?”

Credit: @Pau85122588

“Finished player”

Credit: @amir_nazir1

“No thanks, he’s old”

Credit: @toblueforyou123

In other news, find out what other transfer news left Evertonians erupting here!

Liverpool have the chance to reach their second cup final of the season today as they take on Manchester City in the semi-final of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium.

Their previous outing saw the Reds draw 3-3 against Benfica at Anfield in the Champions League on Wednesday, securing their place in the next stage of the competition.

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Speaking after their midweek draw, Jurgen Klopp said that Reds winger Diogo Jota picked up a knock against the Portuguese club but that “everybody should be fine” to play in today’s showdown.

With that in mind, here’s how we think Liverpool will line up this afternoon.

In goal, despite conceding three goals in midweek and two in the 2-2 Premier League draw against Pep Guardiola’s side last weekend, it seems likely that Alisson Becker will keep his place in the team.

For the back four, we think Trent Alexander-Arnold will come back in for Joe Gomez at right-back next to Joel Matip.

Having been described as looking “nervous” on the pitch at times this season, we predict that Ibrahima Konate will make way for Virgil van Dijk on this occasion.

At left-back, we think that Klopp will make a big call and keep Kostas Tsimikas in the team ahead of Andy Robertson given how the Greek international provided two assists in midweek.

Moving onto the midfield, having rested Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara in midweek, we can see those two coming back in for James Milner and Jordan Henderson, with Naby Keita keeping his place this time around.

Finally for the front three, it seems likely that Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane will make a return to the starting XI this afternoon to try and attack City’s defence.

Then, with Jota picking up that issue against Benfica, Klopp may not want to risk him this time and instead keep Luis Diaz, who the Reds boss described as being “crazy,” in the team.

Moving forward, with the Merseyside club having already won a trophy at Wembley this season when they secured the Carabao Cup back in February, the Reds will undoubtedly jump at the chance to make it to another final.

Therefore, whichever players Klopp decides to put out will all be hoping to secure a win against the reigning Premier League champions by any means necessary.

In other news: In talks: Liverpool eye move for “ice cold” £31.5m-rated gem, he’s Klopp’s next “star”

Celtic’s Giorgos Giakoumakis has persistently struggled for fitness during his career, The Athletic’s Kieran Devlin has revealed. 

The lowdown

Having led the Eredivisie scoring charts last season, Giakoumakis joined Celtic on the final day of the summer transfer window for a fee of up to £2.5m.

He was brought in as a replacement for Odsonne Edouard, who left to join Crystal Palace, but as we pass mid-October, the Greece international has only played 33 minutes of football for the Hoops.

Giakoumakis has apparently looked ‘rusty to put it mildly’ in Ange Postecoglou’s training sessions and suffered a calf injury in the warm-up for the Premier Sports Cup tie against Raith Rovers last month.

The latest

In a Q&A for The Athletic following the weekend win over Motherwell, Devlin was asked by a Celtic supporter to shed some light on ‘why it has taken so long for [Giakoumakis] to be fit’.

In reply, he said ‘that fitness issue is an ongoing thing’ for the 26-year-old.

‘Speaking to people who have known him before’, Devlin was left with the impression that Giakoumakis’ largely healthy 2020/21 season – he started 30 of VVV Venlo’s 34 Eredivisie games – was ‘an anomaly with his form and fitness’.

The verdict

This is very worrying to hear for Celtic fans. It suggests that the club may struggle to get their replacement for Edouard, who scored 86 goals in 179 appearances at Parkhead, fit and firing.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if Giakoumakis’ prolific 2020/21 season did prove to be an ‘anomaly’ in terms of his form, either, as he only netted three goals in 48 outings for his previous club AEK Athens.

Could this prove to be a costly recruitment mistake from Celtic? Let’s hope the Greek striker doesn’t end up being too injury-prone to get a proper chance to prove himself in Glasgow.

In other news, the stats show these were Celtic’s poorest performers at the weekend

Manchester United appear to have turned a corner in terms of their recruitment since the arrival of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and one purchase stands out amongst them all.

For years, it appeared as though the Red Devils hierarchy were playing a game of Football Manager when it came to their dealings in the transfer market.

Whenever a big name became available, such as Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao, or Bastien Schweinsteiger, United snapped them up without any consideration as to whether they would fit in the current manager’s plans.

However, after many seasons spent meandering post-Sir Alex Ferguson, the arrival of Bruno Fernandes back in January 2020 marked a new era for the English giants.

After joining the Old Trafford outfit via a £46.5m move from Sporting Lisbon, Fernandes couldn’t hide his love for the club and promised to inspire Solskjaer’s charges to silverware.

“For me to now play for Manchester United feels incredible,” said the Portugal international. “My love of Manchester United really started when I used to watch Cristiano Ronaldo play and ever since then I have been a big fan of this great club.

“I have worked hard to get to this moment, and I can promise the fans that I will give everything for the badge to help bring us more success and trophies.”

And Fernandes certainly delivered on his pledge to give everything. The now 27-year-old produced an astonishing return of eight goals and seven assists in his first 14 Premier League games for United, impressing a whole host of onlookers, including Roy Keane.

“He’s lifted everybody at the club. It’s as if he’s been there 20 years. He’s got pure quality,” claimed the Sy Sports pundit and former United legend.

“The big plus for Ole over the last year or so is that the recruitment seems to be getting better. He looks like he’s going to be a big player for United for the next few years.”

Fernandes has continued in the same vein ever since, taking his tallies up to 44 goals and 28 assists in just 90 outings for the Red Devils, an outrageous output that has seen his market value skyrocket to £81m.

There’s no doubt that United struck gold over the £180,000-per-week beast, but now he must deliver on his promise to secure a major trophy, ending the club’s longest drought in over 30 years.

And, in other news…Report reveals worrying Man United update that should leave Ole feeling concerned 

Newcastle United journalist Liam Kennedy believes that the club are happy with Joelinton after his adaptation to life in England.

The striker has struggled at times during his time with the Magpies and has not exactly been a prolific presence up front.

The Brazilian made 31 appearances in the Premier League last season and scored just four goals, while providing two assists.

It remains to be seen how many minutes the 24-year-old will have this term, after Callum Wilson was signed from Bournemouth last summer.

But Kennedy believes that the club are confident he has the ability to provide proper back-up to Wilson this season, after showing signs of improvement in the back-end of the season.

He said: “Joelinton is a player who is starting to get used to the physical aspect of the English game. And I think from March onwards last year, we actually started to see a player where you’d say ‘he can add value to the team’, so I think they’re okay with having him as a stand-in.”

Joelinton has scored a total of 10 goals in 80 games for the club, and has never hit double figures in a single campaign, while also laying on seven assists.

Steve Bruce’s side begin their season against West Ham United this weekend.

Following on from their disappointing 2-1 defeat against Norwich City, things didn’t go to plan when Southampton took on Liverpool at Anfield where Ralph Hasenhuttl chose to go with a formation of three centre-backs, two wing-backs, two central midfielders and three forwards, which ultimately led to a 4-0 defeat against the Reds.

Next up for the Saints is a midweek league clash against Leicester City who are currently five places and four points above them in the league table.

On the chalkboard

One player that didn’t start against Liverpool but managed to make a good cameo appearance off the substitutes bench that should now be in the team to take on Leicester from the start is Nathan Tella.

After replacing Che Adams at the start of the second half at the weekend, Tella did his best to make an impact on the game and managed to show his attacking and defensive capabilities.

Even though he didn’t have a shot at goal, Tella created goalscoring opportunities for his teammates by making two key passes and one accurate cross, creating one big chance in the process, a wonderful opportunity at the back post that Adam Armstrong somehow spurned.

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The 22-year-old, who is currently valued at £1.8m according to Transfermarkt, also did his bit from a defensive point of view in the second half against Jurgen Klopp’s rampant Reds by making two interceptions, one tackle and one clearance to stop Liverpool from scoring even more goals on the day.

Labelled as an “energetic” player in the past by Hasenhuttl, this latest performance earned Tella an overall match rating of 6.9/10 according to SofaScore, making him the highest-rated Southampton player on what was a rather disheartening day for the south-coast club.

Looking ahead to the Leicester match in midweek, not only would it be in Southampton’s best interest if Hasenhuttl didn’t go with the same formation that he went with against Liverpool, he should definitely reward Tella for his second-half contributions against Liverpool with a place in the starting XI on Wednesday.

With Armstrong failing to impress against Liverpool, missing that gilt-edged opportunity from Tella’s supply line, perhaps he could be the one to make way on this occasion.

In other news: Gao could replicate Adam Armstrong masterclass at Southampton with “elite” 16-goal ace – opinion

Michael Ball has called for Manchester City to spend their money wisely and not pay over the odds for Harry Kane.

Kane has been among City boss Pep Guardiola’s top summer targets since the England captain publicly confirmed he was eager to leave Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to challenge for more silverware.

The Sun reported Kane was set to get his wish and join the current Premier League champions in a £160million deal after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy sanctioned the move. However, City dismissed claims of the transfer, which would break the British transfer record, being agreed.

Kane finished last season as the Premier League’s Golden Boot winner and also registered the most assists, resulting in him snapping up the Playmaker award.

Guardiola is looking to strengthen his attacking options after seeing club legend Sergio Aguero depart following the expiry of his contract and join Spanish giants Barcelona.

While he believes Kane is the ideal replacement for Aguero, former City left-back Ball does not feel the 28-year-old is worth £160million.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, he said: “I hope they don’t pay £160million but I hope Harry Kane still goes to Manchester City.

“They need that type of player to push for that Champions League, which is what they’re craving.

“If they feel £160million is worth it to make that happen, so be it.”