All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

Lots of Manchester United fans have been blasting the performance of Bruno Fernandes in their 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City on Saturday.

The former Sporting Lisbon maestro was not his usual self on the pitch and could be blamed for the first goal the Red Devils conceded as he failed to show enough effort to stop the cross which led to Eric Bailly heading the ball into his own net.

Fernandes lost out on five of his duels and failed to record a single shot on target, dribble, key pass or accurate cross in the game, while he also lost possession of the ball on 13 different occasions, the most out of any of his teammates (SofaScore).

At least he will be able to have a break with Portugal over the next fortnight before he gets back to playing for United, for whom he will hope to rediscover his best form.

Man Utd fans on Fernandes’ display

These Red Devils fans blasted Fernandes’ performance on Twitter, with one MUFC supporter even going as far as to claim that the 27-year-old was ‘shocking’ in the derby:

“When Fernandes gets frustrated he is horribly ineffective”

Credit: @MKnelmes

“If I was Ole I would find it very difficult not to strangle Bruno Fernandes. Shocking performance”

Credit: @UglyBear___

“Fernandes is supposed to be our attacking outlet and he can’t place a pass at the moment.”

Credit: @MarkXA

“All Fernandes has done is not stop crosses coming in and giving away possession.”

Credit: @stabestweet

“Lazy from Bruno!! You’ve got to stop that cross and get out to him”

Credit: @Nathan5483

“Fernandes like so many of his teammates has been so poor today.”

Credit: @FullMentalDevil

In other news, find out whose display against City was also slammed by numerous United fans

Manchester United suffered their second defeat on Merseyside in less than two weeks, after losing to Everton earlier this month and last night they were torn apart by Liverpool at Anfield in a 4-0 defeat.

Ralf Rangnick’s side looked completely deflated throughout the game, and this was reflected in their overwhelming lack of quality in the clash when you consider their overall statistics.

The Red Devils only managed to have an abysmal 28% of possession, only one shot on target, zero big chances created and less than half the completed passes of their fierce rivals.

It was a shocking performance that led to a scathing post-match report from the interim Man United boss.

Rangnick told the press: “It’s embarrassing, it’s completely disappointing and also humiliating.

“The team needs to be rebuilt — it’s clear. I think a game like the one today showed that in a very drastic way that this rebuild is necessary.”

Liverpool put four past their lacklustre opponents on Tuesday evening, with Mo Salah returning to form putting two past David de Gea alongside Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane who also got their names on the scoresheet.

The appointment of Erik ten Hag is reportedly imminent, so when it comes to taking a look at the much-needed changes in the team one player who must be considered for the chop is Marcus Rashford, who yet again completely let down his team-mates throughout the game.

According to SofaScore, the winger who was labelled “terrible” by Chris Waddle, barely turned up for the game making just 11 accurate passes over 90 minutes, as well as losing the ball every 2.1 touches.

He didn’t register a single shot on or off target and lost seven out of his eight duels at Anfield, proving that ten Hag has a decision to make on the player’s future.

It was reported by Fabrizio Romano earlier this year that Rashford was considering his future at the club due to lack of game-time and may look for a new challenge away from his boyhood club with Rangnick making it clear that if the reports are true then he will be free to leave the club this summer, but ultimately the decision will fall to the new manager.

With that being said, following this awful performance and season for the 24-year-old, it could be the perfect opportunity for both the player and club to mutually part ways at the end of the term.

AND in other news: Ten Hag must ruthlessly axe “difficult” £31.5m-rated Man Utd star, he won’t fit in

Rangers defender Connor Goldson is a potential transfer target for Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa, Pete O’Rourke has told GIVEMESPORT. 

The lowdown

Gerrard has been linked with a host of his former Ibrox players since he opted to move south of the border, including Ryan Kent, Glen Kamara and Borna Barisic, but Goldson’s case is unique because his contract is due to expire at the end of this season.

It’s possible that January will be Rangers’ last chance to cash in on the 29-year-old, who will otherwise be free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement ahead of the summer transfer window.

Football Insider have previously reported that, as per Ibrox sources, the former Brighton centre-back Goldson wants another crack at the English top flight.

The latest

O’Rourke thinks that Gerrard may deem Goldson to be Premier League standard and could look to engineer a reunion with the player in the Midlands, adding that the defender’s contract situation could lend itself to a ‘relatively cheap’ move in January.

The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: “One of the names in the frame would be Connor Goldson, who is yet to sign a new deal at Rangers. I think his contract is up in the summer, so Villa might be able to get him for relatively cheap in January.”

The verdict

There’s no escaping the reality that Goldson would be a big loss for Rangers as they look to retain their Premiership crown.

He has started 18 of their 19 league matches so far this season, and his average SofaScore rating of 7.19 ranks him fifth in the Rangers squad, indicating that he’s a hugely dependable performer.

Goldson helps the Gers to build attacks with his ‘next level’ passing, and Gerrard was also keen to point out his intangible attributes, such as the ‘incredible leadership’ he provides. Therefore, it’s little wonder that the 41-year-old wants to team up with the defender once more, so Rangers best be ready for an approach to come their way.

In other news, some Gers fans were buzzing over this news ahead of the upcoming Old Firm derby

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has revealed the latest regarding the future of Trezeguet, who is currently competing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for Egypt.

What’s the latest?

According to the Birmingham Mail, Gerrard has hinted at the possibility of a move away from Villa Park for the winger this month.

Speaking to the media, the 41-year-old said: “Trezeguet’s a unique situation. He’s been out for seven months or roundabout. He’s come back and has obviously had a short cameo and has gone to the African Cup of Nations.

“We hope he stays fit, healthy and plays well and we’ll analyse that situation as the weeks go by. We’ve had a conversation in terms of what he needs next and he obviously needs game.

“He could find that challenging here so we’ll be respectful to him and we’ll see what lands from now until the end of the window but, as it stands now, he’ll be returning after the AFCON.”

As of yet, there has been no indication as to where the 27-year-old could end up. However, with the acquisition of Philippe Coutinho, Emi Buendia improving his output and Leon Bailey still to return from injury, it appears that the Egypt winger is now well down the pecking order at Villa Park.

Gerrard must axe Trezeguet

With Villa looking to make the next step with marquee signings such as that of Coutinho, lesser-seen players Trezeguet will probably fall further down the reckoning.

The Egyptian recently returned from a long-term knee injury and came off of the bench in Villa’s 2-1 defeat to Brentford to make his first appearance of the season before departing for AFCON. However, despite being on the pitch for just ten minutes, the 27-year-old went viral for a shocking dive.

In attempt to win a penalty, the winger flung himself to ground despite minimal contact, with Alan Shearer labelling the act “embarrassing”.

With Villa currently paying Trezeguet £47k-per week, the Midlands club could save money by axing the 27-year-old, especially with him becoming a fringe player in Gerrard’s squad and frankly stealing a living.

Since his move to Villa Park from Turkish outfit Kasimpasa in July 2019, the Egyptian has made 64 appearances and scored just nine goals whilst registering a further five assists. However, prior to the Brentford game, the 27-year-old hadn’t played a single minute of football since sustaining a knee injury in a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool back in April, while he made just 12 league starts last season.

With Gerrard and Villa looking to make ambitious signings, current squad players look set to see their game-time further decrease. Trezeguet is one of those, so the time could be right for the club to get him off their books if a decent offer comes in.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano drops major Villa transfer update which will have fans buzzing

Anthony Joseph has dropped a teasing update regarding Celtic’s business on transfer deadline day.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, the Sky Sports journalist revealed that, while a host of incoming signings aren’t expected on the final day of the January transfer window, Ange Postecoglou will be keeping a very close eye on the market in case a player becomes available who is too good for the Bhoys to pass up.

In his tweet, Joseph said: “In terms of Celtic, I’ve been told not to expect incomings, unless someone becomes available who’s too good to miss out on. Could see some fringe/younger players heading out – more likely on loan.”

Fans will be excited

While Celtic have already been one of the busier clubs in the January window, having already sealed the arrivals of Matt O’Riley, Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi, Daizen Maeda and Johnny Kenny, the news that the Hoops could still be active on deadline day is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful excited.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-celtic-news-2″ title=”Check out the latest Celtic news”]

Indeed, there are a number of areas within Postecoglou’s first-team squad which could still do with greater strength in depth, particularly at left-back, attacking midfield and on the wings.

The Bhoys have been linked with the likes of Lee Buchanan, Callum Styles, Danny Mandriou and Albert Gudmundsson this month. Should any of those become available during the closing stages of the January market, it would indeed seem advisable for the Celtic manager to sanction a late swoop in the window, as each player would very much appear to improve the club’s chances of reclaiming their Premiership crown this season.

In other news: Ange must seal Celtic deal for £4m gem dubbed “one of the best”, he’s a big upgrade

[ad_pod ]

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has reiterated how vital it is that he and his squad focus on themselves in the run-in of the Championship campaign.

The Blades are currently in the thick of the Championship title race, along with Norwich City and Leeds United. Wilder believes that his side must concentrate on what they have to do themselves, without getting distracted by what’s going on around them.

What he said

As quoted by The Star, the Bramall Lane boss said “I’m not interested in what Leeds do or what Norwich City do…All I want to do is focus on ourselves and make sure we get results because that’s something we can influence. We can’t influence what other clubs do so it’s a waste of time worrying about that.”

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Wilder will know that these external issues, if they’re allowed to distract his squad, could see his own side’s title ambitions crumble as the Blades take their eye off the ball.

Wilder’s words will reassure fans that the team are focused, but the manager’s comments should also be taken heed of by his players.

What he meant

Wilder’s address was likely aimed at his own squad as much as anyone else. By publicly stating the importance of keeping their concentration, he adds extra weight to his message. 

The Blades are in for a nervy couple of months, as the title fight is likely to go down to the wire. Wilder must do all he can to keep his squad calm and attentive to their own jobs. Relaying this message via the media is a smart way of reinforcing its importance.

Rangers boss Gio van Bronckhorst could be on his way to having a very busy summer at Ibrox if he fails to win the title.

Failure to secure the league title would suggest that the squad is not in the right place to dominate Scottish football, and this could lead to off-season surgery being performed by the Dutch head coach and Ross Wilson.

We published an article explaining why Borna Barisic is one player who should be sold in the summer. The Croatia international has attracted interest from the Premier League and is said to be worth £5m, which suggests that Wilson may be able to rake in a respectable amount of money for him at the end of the season.

This would add £5m to the club coffers and save £18k-per-week in wages, but it would leave Van Bronckhorst without any left-back competition for Calvin Bassey.

However, instead of forcing Wilson to enter the transfer market to sign a defender to bolster the squad, the Dutchman can save millions by unleashing one of the players in the academy – Kevin Ciubotaru.

The 18-year-old Romanian joined the club earlier this year and has already played for his country at multiple youth levels.

Speaking about himself, Ciubotaru said: “I think my qualities are speed, dribbling and stamina. I style myself like Theo Hernandez from Milan, although I have a lot of work to do with my right foot. I still have a lot to learn of course.”

This is some comparison from the youngster, as Hernandez has been in phenomenal form in Serie A this season for the Rossoneri. He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.22 and produced 10 goal contributions in 25 appearances, which shows that he has been consistently delivering top-class performances.

If Ciubotaru can get even close to that level, he will be a fantastic player for Rangers in the future, whilst he will also be exciting to watch for the supporters as he attempts to burst forward in attack to create goals.

The full-back previously described himself as a “robot” in the way he focuses solely on football to improve himself as a player. This suggests that he has the mentality required to make it at the top level, as he is not allowing himself to be distracted by anything else and is driven to achieve his goals.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst must offer him a chance to show that he can make the step up to the senior team. If the 18-year-old can make that leap, he will save Wilson millions in the transfer market with any money they can make from the sale of Barisic.

AND in other news, Was £2.7m, went to £162m: Rangers fumbled deal for “alien” who’s the “god of football”…

Liverpool have been plagued with injury problems for the last 18 months, with the defence heavily effected last season and now the midfield having an injury crisis this season.

The Reds have been dealt a number of injury blows to their midfield this term with Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones all picking up issues over the first three months of the campaign so far.

Thankfully, Thiago, Fabinho, Henderson and Milner are all back available for selection, with James Milner pictured in training ahead of the Champions League game against Porto tonight.

The 35-year-old took to Twitter on Tuesday evening to confirm his availability for the European clash accompanied with a number of training pictures:

The tweet simply captioned; “Back and ready for Porto #ucl #YNWA”

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-liverpool-news” title=”Check out the latest Liverpool news!”]

Milner was a free transfer for Liverpool back in 2015 and has certainly proved he’s worth his weight in gold by being part of winning the first-ever Premier League title for the side in 2020 and contributing to the Champions League win in 2019 too.

He has currently achieved 258 appearances for the side, with 26 goals and 43 assists, playing in a number of key roles in the team over his six-year stint in Merseyside.

Despite slowly coming to the end of his career, Milner has been an important and reliable part of the team yet again this season, filling in for missing starters in a number of positions already, offering his experience and presence in games where younger and less experienced players are starting alongside him. Thus, the club’s manager will undoubtedly be buzzing to see such a valuable asset back and ready to use.

It would make sense to add him into the starting line up straight away this evening against Porto. Although Liverpool have qualified for the last sixteen already, Jurgen Klopp will undoubtedly still want to maintain his system, style of play and hold lots of possession in the game, something Milner is extremely familiar with.

If Klopp does intend to play a much weaker side, which we imagine will be the case due to his comments in his press conference yesterday, Milner will be a fantastic addition to a midfield that is likely to not include starters like Fabinho and Thiago who have only recently returned from injury, where an opportunity is there to give them both a break.

Liverpool have already qualified for latter stages alongside Manchester United, Chelsea, Juventus, Ajax and Bayern Munich, but Jurgen Klopp will still be hoping to remain unbeaten in the competition.

In other news: Liverpool predicted Champions League XI vs Porto

Newcastle United are reportedly now ready to make a ‘huge offer’ to sign Jesse Lingard in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Developing story

The Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has recently revealed that the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘working’ on a loan deal for Lingard, but sources are saying that Manchester United are apparently ‘reluctant’ to let him leave at this moment in time.

However, with just over a week of the window left, both clubs will have to come to a decision over the player, and Lingard’s lack of game time may just be a factor in whether or not he moves to the North East.

The Latest: Offer ready

As per 90min journalist Graeme Bailey, the Tyneside outfit are now readying a ‘huge offer’ for Lingard, and the Red Devils are ‘likely to accept’ their approach.

However, it is not clear if the player himself would be willing to move this month, or wait until the summer, when his contract at Old Trafford expires.

The Verdict: No-brainer

If the Magpies can get Lingard in before the January deadline hits, then it is surely a no-brainer for all parties.

With seemingly no route to regular first-team action in the northwest, Lingard will surely be desperate to play, and the Toon should jump at the chance of bringing a player of his quality in.

Described as ‘phenomenal’ by talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham during his time on loan at West Ham United last season, Lingard showed what he can do when given his opportunity, scoring nine goals and making a further five assists at the London Stadium.

Nonetheless, he would offer another dimension to their attack, and could be the difference in turning draws like the one they picked up against Watford into wins.

In other news, find out which ‘unplayable’ ace Lionel Messi called ‘frightening’ NUFC are now eyeing here!

According to a report in the print edition of the Sunday Mirror, a shock West Ham transfer update has emerged involving Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard.

The Lowdown: Moyes in forward hunt…

Irons boss David Moyes has set his sights on improving West Ham in January as they become linked to many new attacking additions.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-developments-2/” title=”West Ham developments” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Antonin Barak, Jesse Lingard and Adam Hlozek have been mentioned most recently with West Ham now having to compete in Europe as well as on the domestic front.

The Evening Standard claim West Ham will be backed to bring in a new striker, top centre-half and potentially Lingard but it’s the Mirror who have now come out with, what perhaps is, the news of the day.

The Latest: West Ham ‘leading chase’ for Hazard…

As per their information, West Ham and Everton are ‘leading the chase’ for Hazard as he gets told to pack his bags and leave in January.

Real are desperate to get his £416,000-per-week wages off the books, so much so they are willing to accept half of their original £43 million asking price for the player.

Indeed, if any club can convince him to join on loan in January with an obligation to buy later, they will accept a final fee of £21m.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Signing Hazard for just £21m would have been unthinkable a few seasons ago, with West Ham legend Tony Cottee dubbing him ‘unplayable’ back in 2018 (Sky Sports).

However, after a spell of injury woes and failing to rekindle his previous Premier League form (The Mirror), the Belgium international is now in a totally different spot.

So much so, we believe West Ham are actually better placed looking elsewhere, especially considering the 30-year-old winger has been accused of laziness and a bad attitude in training by former teammates (John Obi Mikel to beIN Sports via Sky).

The last thing Moyes needs is a player of this nature disrupting the harmony of his squad, no matter his obvious quality in past seasons.

In other news: Journalist hints West Ham now in pole position to sign ‘world class’ striker, find out more here.