All posts by n8rngtd.top

When it comes to Leeds’ academy prospects, not a great deal of them secure regular first-team football.

Marcelo Bielsa is a wonderful coach but when assessing his team selection, he’s a rather stubborn man. Unless there are injuries, he rarely changes his team and thus, it’s usually the same collection of players we see in the starting XI.

Unfortunately for the Argentine, he has had to tinker this term. Injuries to Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente and Robin Koch have meant a makeshift defence often operating for Leeds.

Fikayo Tomori has reportedly tempted them in the transfer market but on Sunday they’ll need internal solutions, rather than external ones.

Luke Ayling and Pascal Struijk kept a clean sheet against Burnley but were picked apart by a free-flowing Tottenham team last weekend.

They’d unlikely have too many problems in the FA Cup against Crawley on Sunday, but given their inferior opposition, it would be an ideal time to utilise some fringe players.

One such individual is Charlie Cresswell. The 18-year-old centre-back has been forced to watch on from the sidelines this season and has only made one start – a Carabao Cup penalty shootout defeat to Hull City.

It was a game that Noel Whelan described the teenager as “exceptional” in, but that’s not the first time the pundit has waxed lyrical about Cresswell.

After the defender signed a new contract last year, he called him “fantastic,” before suggesting the youngster “is the future” of the football club.

It’s not hard to see why either. Cresswell is competent on the ball and during that clash against Hull, he was a pillar of solidity.

After the U23s struck seven goals past Fulham this term, Leeds Live typified the centre-back in their match ratings:

“His security on the ball was convincing, even indulging in a Cruyff turn inside his own defensive third to evade danger in the second half. Perhaps the best action of his during the game was the frequent interceptions he made. Cresswell read the play excellently, seizing on forward passes as Fulham looked to break, turning the visitors’ attacks into countering opportunities for the Whites.”

Although Premier League action is perhaps too soon for the talented young defender, an FA Cup clash with League Two opposition surely suits him perfectly.

It would be a shame if Bielsa doesn’t unleash him on Sunday afternoon – he needs to prove that he’s ready for more senior football.

AND in other news, Forget De Paul: Orta must seal Leeds swoop for “revelation” who lost possession 28x…

West Brom are about to embark on a new era as Sam Allardyce has replaced Slaven Bilic at the Hawthorns.

The Croatian was sacked less than 24 hours after guiding the Baggies to an impressive 1-1 draw against Manchester City on Tuesday evening.

And now the 66-year-old has returned to management after two-and-a-half years out of the game.

The Midlands outfit officially announced his appointment on Wednesday afternoon with the former England manager signing an 18-month contract.

Allardyce has also managed the likes of Bolton, Blackburn West Ham and most recently, Everton.

But how might West Brom’s starting XI look once he has implemented his own ideas?

Here’s what we are predicting…

Allardyce is typically known as a direct and counter-attacking manager, but one who can get the most out of players by playing exactly where they should be played.

We could well see a similar 4-4-2 to what we saw during his time at Bolton – incorporating a target man as well as a creative attacking midfielder (Jay-Jay Okocha) that’s given the freedom to operate out wide.

The other two in the middle were often industrious box-to-box types (Kevin Nolan and Gary Speed) whilst only one of the two full-backs (Ricardo Gardner) were allowed to bomb on up the pitch.

West Brom appear to have the players to fit this style.

Sam Johnstone will stay between the sticks whilst a no-nonsense duo of Kyle Bartley, when fit, and Branislav Ivanovic will partner up in the middle of defence. They will keep it simple with passes out wide or into midfield.

Darnell Furlong may act as the Baggies’ version of Gardner with Kieran Gibbs the defensively-minded option on the other flank.

Jake Livermore and Conor Gallagher could form a hard-working partnership in the engine room whilst Matheus Pereira is an easy comparison to Okocha, he’ll be given the keys to drift out wide with Furlong overlapping throughout.

Grady Diangana may be utilised on the other side with Albion outcast Charlie Austin returning as the ‘target man.’

He’ll partner Karlan Grant in attack as Allardyce looks to find his new Nicolas Anelka and Kevin Davies.

It does mean that there is no place for Slaven Bilic favourite Semi Ajayi or Romaine Sawyers, whilst academy stars Kyle Edwards and Rekeem Harper continue to be frozen out.

AND in other news, Forget Johnstone, West Brom dynamo who won 10 duels stole the show against Man City…

Manchester United will be all too aware that they can move above Manchester City in the Premier League as they prepare for today’s clash at Southampton.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side currently sit behind City in the table but can move above their fierce rivals if they beat the Saints on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Devils return to Premier League action for the first time since beating West Bromwich Albion in a 1-0 win at Old Trafford as they travel to St Mary’s to take on Ralph Hassenhuttl’s side, who are unbeaten in their past seven games in all competitions so far this season.

United battered Istanbul Basaksehir on Tuesday evening and may look to keep most of the same team in place for what could be another big game for Solskjaer.

You’d expected United to get at least something against the Saints; after all, they haven’t lost in the last nine times the two sides have met.

Here is our predicted line-up for Manchester United this afternoon.

Solskjaer could hand second-choice goalkeeper Dean Henderson his first start for his boyhood club in the Premier League amid reports that he is expected to replace David de Gea between the sticks.

It’s hard to imagine many changes to the back four, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Alex Telles and Harry Maguire likely to start. Maybe Victor Lindelof could keep his place, although there are concerns over his match fitness, so we’re backing Axel Tuanzebe to earn a recall as he has impressed in the Champions League so far this season.

Both Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba reportedly face a race against time to be declared fit to face Southampton at St Mary’s, whilst Jesse Lingard has returned to first-team training after completing a period of self-isolation.

Whilst Sunday’s game may come too soon for Pogba, it’s unlikely the Frenchman will start, which provides Solskjaer with the perfect opportunity to test Donny van de Beek.

Edinson Cavani offered very little going forwards against Istanbul in the Champions League, so switching Marcus Rashford back to the left and bringing Mason Greenwood back into the starting line-up on the right could be a shrewd move, whilst Anthony Martial is likely to lead the line.

AND in other news, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must unleash Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek vs Southampton…

Sunderland’s capture of former Plymouth Argyle defender Callum McFadzean finally came good when handed his Black Cats debut in defeat to Mansfield Town during Saturday’s FA Cup First Round tie.

McFadzean moved to the Stadium of Light at the end of the transfer market to answer manager Phil Parkinson’s search for depth, having been released by the Pilgrims earlier this summer after 30 appearances during a one-year spell at Home Park.

Parkinson had opted against awarding the 26-year-old his chance to impress in the North East during his first weeks as a Sunderland player, despite hinting the wide defender who can also play at centre-half could feature in October’s defeat to rivals Portsmouth.

McFadzean finally saw game time in red and white this Saturday when the Black Cats visited Mansfield hoping to kick off their FA Cup campaign with a win. But while Sunderland lost, he was the clear silver lining.

Sunderland bowed out of the FA Cup after a poor second-half display from too many of Parkinson’s men, with chances to score few and far between from a side featuring the likes of Will Grigg and Danny Graham – two players with a combined 192 career goals.

Mansfield defended well to thwart the Black Cats in most, and eventually broke the deadlock through George Lapslie in the 49th-minute to begin Nigel Clough’s reign with the League Two Stags’ first win in any competition this term.

McFadzean presented a consistent threat during an impressive debut as he strived to help find a way back into the tie, with his series of excellent deliveries worthy of more than seeing Graham smash the crossbar from a few yards out.

The former Bury wing-back also forced Stags shot-stopper Marek Stech into action late in the first half, and impressed Parkinson during his time on the field.

“He’s only been with us a couple of weeks but with Denver [Hume] and Goochy [Lynden Gooch] being out, we decided to play him,” Parkinson said, via quotes by the Sunderland Echo.

“I had to protect him by bringing him off towards the end, because we don’t want him getting injured going forward. But he showed what he’s all about, and put in three or four top-class deliveries.

“He’s different to Denver in the way he gets into those areas, but he can be equally effective. I think he’ll be a good signing for us.”

Parkinson will no doubt be hopeful of seeing similar performances from McFadzean down the stretch, and may consider fielding the 26-year-old enforcer again when Sunderland visit Fleetwood Town in the Papa John’s Trophy on Tuesday night.

AND in other news, Phil Parkinson has confirmed a major blow for a Sunderland gem he begged to “let his football do the talking”.

West Bromwich Albion’s decision to sell Chris Wood in 2013 has turned out to be an absolutely woeful piece of business and over seven years on, it could be coming back to haunt them.

The Baggies are back in the big time and are seemingly playing without a recognised no.9 – Charlie Austin and Kenneth Zohore are edging closer to the exit door and their pursuit of Huddersfield Town talisman Karlan Grant continues to stumble over finances.

If only they gave a chance to Wood, who proved himself in no fewer than six loan spells away from the Hawthorns. Instead, ex-Albion boss Steve Clarke decided to cash in on him for a pathetic £1m as Leicester made his final temporary switch into a permanent one.

Where is Wood now?

The 28-year-old has gone on to become one of the most underrated forwards in the Premier League as he now plies his trade under Sean Dyche at Burnley.

In each of his last three Premier League campaigns, Wood has netted at least ten goals with his best coming last year having bagged 14 times in 32 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

He’s even played and scored in the Europa League all whilst Albion languished in the Championship.

His best spell to date, though, came at Leeds United where he started to make a name for himself as a prolific goalscorer – in his first campaign, he delivered 13 goals before he found the net a whopping 27 times in 44 matches in 2016/17.

That form earned him a £15m move to Turf Moor where he has been ever since, and that’s a fee that CIES Football Observatory still values him at.

Wood has been that thriving that much in the top-flight that this summer he was tipped as a surprise candidate to join Spurs before they eventually decided on Carlos Vinicius.

The New Zealand powerhouse has certainly been the one that got away in the west Midlands and in time of desperate need, perhaps the Baggies shouldn’t have given up so soon.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Hal Robson-Kanu talks West Brom and tumeric…

Glasgow Rangers are trying to stop Celtic from winning a tenth title in a row this season and they are on course to do so as Steven Gerrard’s side are still unbeaten in the league so far.

But Rangers haven’t balanced the books which could come back to haunt them later on.

If you cast your mind back to the start of the summer, Steven Gerrard’s side made some solid deals in the transfer window – signing Bongani Zungu from Amiens on a season-long loan could be considered quite the coup by the club in several months’ time whilst Calvin Bassey, Cedric Itten, Ianis Hagi, Jon McLaughlin, Kemar Roofe and Leon Balogun have settled down to life at the Ibrox outfit.

However, Ross Wilson has spent a combined total of £10.35m via Transfermarkt, without any sizeable outgoings of any note, which has since turned out to be an unforgivable mistake.

Gerrard has excluded Jermain Defoe from the Europa League squad which has allowed him to create some space for Bongani Zungu and Kemar Roofe. The 38-year-old has had a solid start to the season, having scored one goal and supplied one assist in three games in all competitions so far, but has fallen down the pecking order behind the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Cedric Itten.

The £1.26m-rated ace has had his sights set on signing another new deal but the Gers shouldn’t even entertain that idea. While there were some rumours that Morelos may have been sold if a reasonable offer had arrived in the summer, the fact that he is still at the Ibrox and that the club have brought in two new strikers may leave some wondering why they even gave him a new deal in the first place. In fact, his European snub has raised further questions about his future at the club.

Let’s face it, Gerrard is hardly short of options up front. But Defoe is one of the best paid players at the club, so having him sat on the bench for some of the biggest games in the season would seem rather silly – if not ridiculously expensive. Therefore, the Gers may well find themselves caught in a conundrum of their own making.

The former 57-cap England international is arguably entering the twilight of his career. It would have made most sense to sell him before the start of the season but the board decided to give him a permanent contract. Whether or not Wilson will sell him in the winter transfer window remains to be seen. Get him gone, Gers.

AND in other news, Rangers must make bargain swoop for ex-Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge…

Key information about Ibrox Stadium

Ibrox Stadium was built in 1899 and is now the home of Rangers FC. The ground is located on the south of the River Clyde over in Ibrox in Glasgow and is the third-largest football stadium in Scotland.

Its current maximum capacity stands at 50,817, all being seated, and it has a pitch that measures 105m by 69m. The surface is covered with natural grass, it has undersoil heating installed and no running track surrounding it.

The record attendance at Ibrox Stadium was set in 1939 when 118,567 supporters watched the derby against Celtic.

A history of Ibrox Stadium

It goes without saying that Ibrox Stadium is one of the most historic and most popular grounds not only in Scotland but also in Europe. Before actually moving into their current home, Rangers played their football over at Glasgow Green, which was followed by various public pitches after that, until finally, Ibrox Stadium, or Ibrox Park as it was known between 1899 and 1997, was opened in 1899.

The very first game Rangers ever played at their new home was a 3-1 triumph over Hearts on 30 December that same year. But Ibrox Park is a completely different ground from the current iteration of Ibrox Stadium. The initial improvements and boosts saw the capacity rise up to 75,000 and by 1902, it was ready to host its first major event with an international clash between Scotland and England.

But, disaster struck and part of the wooden terraces collapsed, causing 125 people to fall to the ground 50 feet below the terracing and killing 26 in the process. The incident led to the new rule that prohibited the use of wood terracing and clubs had to install terraces with a base of earth banking. The removal of the wooden terraces also meant the capacity was reduced by 25,000.

Following that redevelopment, the next major change was in 1928, a year that saw the erection of a new Main Stand and Ibrox Stadium would see another surge of attendances, culminating with 118,567 flocking into the ground to watch the clash against Celtic in 1939. Still, the next couple of decades brought little changes and it wouldn’t be until another disaster occurred that Ibrox Stadium was redeveloped once again.

In 1971, 66 people were killed following a crush that happened at one of the exits after the match against Celtic. This, along with the previous incidents and Ibrox Stadium’s worst fan safety record in Britain, prompted major reconstructions and the eventual conversion into an all-seater over time, starting with the North Stand.

This was followed by the erection of the three new stands: Copland Road Stand in 1978, West Stand in 1979 and a new Govan Stand in 1981. This huge project meant the stadium was largely improved and modernised in an expensive project and only the main stand remained unchanged.

Still, in the 1990s, Ibrox Park finally became Ibrox Stadium and was further refurbished in the 21st century and in recent years. Most of the changes, however, were still minor and recent redevelopments meant that both Celtic Park and Hampden Park would eclipse it in both size and modernity. There has been talk of potentially improving Rangers’ home but nothing major has been done yet.

Tickets to watch Rangers FC at Ibrox Stadium

All tickets to watch Rangers FC play at Ibrox Stadium can be found on the club’s official website. The prices will vary but an average adult ticket can be bought for around £20 to £30. Concessions and children can get their ticket for a cheaper price.

Rangers FC also offer a season ticket scheme and more information can be found on the aforementioned website.

Related links

https://www.rangers.co.uk/ – Official website of Rangers FC

https://www.rangers.talent-sport.co.uk/PagesPublic/Home/Home.aspx – Tickets to watch Rangers FC at Ibrox Stadium

Burnley have begun transfer talks with a French midfielder who has drawn comparisons with two-time Premier League winner N’Golo Kante.

The Daily Mail reported that the Clarets have held talks with Ligue 1 side Angers over a move for Baptiste Santamaria, who is valued in the region of £12m and has drawn comparisons with his fellow countryman at Chelsea.

As per Daily Mail, Aston Villa had targeted the 25-year-old earlier this year, with Leicester and Everton also having their attention piqued by the midfielder.

Santamaria has been a mainstay of Angers’ first XI for the last four years, racking up 146 appearances for the club, with 134 of those coming in the French top flight. He started all 28 of their Ligue 1 games last season before the league was curtailed amid the global pandemic, scoring once and providing one assist (as per TransferMarkt).

Kante’s ball-winning abilities as a midfield anchor have been lauded by the likes of Eden Hazard and Sir Alex Ferguson, and Santamaria also stands out for his knack of breaking up opposition attacks. He won 3.3 tackles per game in Ligue 1 last season and even that was only a slight improvement from 3.1 the previous campaign, along with averaging 1.6 interceptions per game in 2019/20 (as per WhoScored).

To put that in context, nobody at Burnley last term had a higher tackling average than 2.4 per game, while only two men (both defenders) had a better interceptions average than the Angers midfielder (as per WhoScored). The 25-year-old is no slouch when he gets the ball, either, with his passing success rate of 81.5% bettered only by Josh Brownhill (82.5%) among Sean Dyche’s squad.

The Clarets were linked with another tough-tackling midfielder in recent days in Huddersfield’s Lewis O’Brien, whose match averages of 3.2 successful tackles and 1.2 interceptions are impressive yet slightly below Santamaria’s level. However, the Terriers man often plays in an advanced midfield role, in contrast to the Frenchman’s position at the base of midfield.

Santamaria’s statistics certainly suggest that he would make Burnley’s midfield a sturdier unit and one which will not be bypassed easily by opposing teams. Also, at 25, the Frenchman boasts plenty of top division experience and yet is only set to come into the peak years of his career now.

Just as Kante was plucked from Caen by Leicester five years ago, Burnley could yet pull off their own left-field raid on Ligue 1 if they can complete a deal for Angers’ no-nonsense midfielder.

Burnley fans, do you think Santamaria would be a good addition at Turf Moor for £12m? Comment below with your views!

Even though their season was not as steady and as straightforward as it usually is, Juventus have still managed to clinch another Serie A title at the end of 2019/20. But their campaign finished in flames as they were eliminated from the Champions League by underdogs Lyon, resulting in Maurizio Sarri losing his job as well.

Now the legendary Andrea Pirlo has taken over the Bianconeri but another problem looms: their wage bill is apparently through the roof and the Italians might be forced to sell some of their stars this summer. Which brings us to the latest report from La Gazzetta dello Sport that says Paulo Dybala is back on the market and Tottenham Hotspur might be given a second chance to snatch him away from Turin.

Of course, this is a story of old and the Argentine was close to making a move to the Premier League last year, having fallen out of favour at Juventus, but in the end, remained and thrived in the team instead.

The same source, however, claims that it would take around €100million (£90m) to snatch him away from the Italian champions. Manchester United are also mentioned as potential suitors but seeing how they are busy chasing Jadon Sancho and have already brought in Bruno Fernandes, the path is clear for Spurs.

This would indeed require Daniel Levy to open the warchest and spend more than ever before but Dybala seems worth every penny.

Will they finally pull the trigger? Only time will tell.

Verdict

It does seem like Spurs have an ideal situation here and all they have to do it spend some money. It’s almost impossible to get such high-quality players without actually spending the big bucks and therefore, Levy shouldn’t be afraid to invest this time around.

Dybala’s performances have increased his value once again but that also means Spurs would be getting an incredible player in return.

West Ham United may finally get the chance to fill the void left behind by Marko Arnautovic this summer amid emerging links to a hugely prolific and exciting talisman.

What’s the word?

According to Corierre dello Sport, via Sport Witness, the Irons have begun putting the wheels in motion to try and secure Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata.

It is claimed that the Serie A outfit have so far rejected all advances for the 29-year-old following a €30m (£27m) plus Mattia Perin bid from Juventus alongside the Hammers’ approach.

They go on to suggest that a move for Zapata could prove too difficult whilst it remains unknown what sort of fee might tempt them into a sale.

Aranutovic successor?

Arnautovic left the London Stadium last summer, joining Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG for £22.4m, and no player is yet to step up into his mould having departed after an impressive 15-goal contribution season.

Sebastian Haller has struggled with the pace and the physicality of the Premier League – even despite scoring seven times this year, he doesn’t seem like the best fit for David Moyes.

Meanwhile, the likes of Manuel Lanzini, Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko have all failed to impress the Scottish boss, resulting in them reportedly being on the chopping block this transfer window.

It’s no wonder that Zapata is on the list of targets this summer as he can bring that brute force presence and pace that the Austrian provided to the Hammers.

The Colombian has provided 20 goals and six assists in all competitions for Atalanta, who have emerged as a rather exciting outfit, making the UCL knockout stages.

He’s also averaged 3.1 shots, 1.8 aerial duels won, 1.4 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per game whilst he’s even fouled 1.6 times each appearance too, via WhoScored.

Zapata’s skipper at the Nerazzurri, Papu Gomez, has described the prolific marksman as a “beast” and claimed that “when he is feeling good he’s like a train – you throw the ball forward and ‘ciao!”

Given his £32.4m valuation by Transfermarkt, it’ll take a lot for GSB to snatch him away from Italy, but if they can do so, then Moyes is going to get an Arnautovic-like weapon who could wreak havoc next season.

AND in other news, West Ham MUST sell this Slaven Bilic signing during the summer…