All posts by z3u9t.icu

It’s not often that the Celtic faithful take to a loan player easily but as a boyhood Hoops fan himself, Shane Duffy has defied expectations already in Scotland.

The 28-year-old joined from Brighton at the start of September and has quickly cemented his name down as the aggressive leader in the middle of Neil Lennon’s back three.

To make it an even bigger fairytale, the Londonderry-born colossus bagged a goal on his debut during a 5-0 whitewash over Ross County. It’s no wonder he’s adored by many at Parkhead.

Duffy is averaging 6.4 aerial duels won, 4.8 clearances, one interception and 0.6 tackles per game in the Scottish Premiership this season (via WhoScored) and this form has continued onto the international stage for the Republic of Ireland.

During their most recent Nations League stalemate with Wales, Duffy heralded the defence despite going down to ten men, ensuring that the Boys in Green weren’t conceding on Sunday.

Per FotMob, the Bhoys loan star recorded five recoveries, three clearances and three blocks, and also won 80% of his aerial duels and enjoyed a passing accuracy rate of just under 90%.

It is performances like this that should have alarm bells ringing in Peter Lawwell’s ear as he’s only secured the £40k-per-week man on a season-long loan and he cannot afford to have another Fraser Forster situation on his hands come next summer.

The colossal goalkeeper, another favourite with the Hoops fanbase, was a player that Lennon desperately wanted to keep hold of after an impressive season on loan last term.

However, a permanent move for him quickly fizzled out and the club signed Vasilis Barkas instead.

Lawwell must now plan ahead and do everything in his power to sign Duffy next year, given his age and quality, you have to foresee that other teams could come knocking to Brighton.

He could well be a Virgil van Dijk-like stalwart for years to come in Glasgow.

AND in other news, Celtic suffer another cruel blow ahead of the Old Firm clash…

A source close to the proposed takeover of Newcastle United has given a rather positive update on the prospective £300m deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian (KSA) group.

According to The Independent, the source said that “we don’t see a legitimate reason to stop the sale”, which should encourage members of the Toon Army.

The source also played down any worries that the lack of urgency from the Premier League, as well as some of the negative publicity surrounding the bid, would make the Saudis think twice, claiming that “the decision making-process (leading to the involvement in the sale) was very deliberate. They (PIF) do not make knee-jerk decisions.”

Indeed, the buying side consists of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) as well as the KSA crown prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS), the businesswoman and head of PCP Capital Partners Amanda Staveley, in addition to the billionaire Reuben brothers, who are originally from India but are now based in London.

As the whole saga has been dragging on for a number of months now, coincided with the fast-approaching end to the 2019/20 season, there have been fears that the takeover would not be given the green light by the Premier League as it would be in danger of fizzling out.

However, given that England’s highest division could essentially put this season to bed once the league finishes, perhaps they could then concentrate on making their final decision on the deal.

Nevertheless, everything is all speculation up until this point in time until they make this decision followed by an official announcement, but for now Newcastle fans will be left hoping for the best until the situation becomes clearer.

Geordies, are you more confident after hearing this update? Comment below with your views!

Leeds United are back in the Premier League after a long 16 years away and in preparation for the new campaign, you’d imagine Andrea Radrizzani, Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa will be doing all they can this summer to ensure it’s not a short run at the big time.

Those at the top have already hinted at the prospect of bolstering the playing squad but akin to that of Sheffield United rather than Aston Villa or Fulham.

Although that doesn’t mean the Yorkshire giants won’t splash the cash, it just means they are thinking in depth about the right additions for a good crack at the top-flight.

Here’s how United could look come the end of the transfer window…

Illan Meslier is all signed up for the new campaign and whilst there could be additions between the sticks, he’s earned the right for the number one spot for the time being.

Bielsa’s biggest task will be trying to replace loan star Ben White, who doesn’t feature in this line-up. It’ll take a lot for Brighton to sell, which is why the club could plump for reported target Lucas Martinez Quarta. He’s available for just €15m (£13.5m).

Skipper Liam Cooper should be there ready with Luke Ayling also keeping his spot at right-back whilst United could land themselves a new left-back in Liverpool starlet Yasser Larouci, who’s valued at £1.6m by Transfermarkt.

Kalvin Phillips’ England hopes will be granted a boost now the club is in the big time and he will, of course, continue to herald that backline.

In front of him could be Pablo Hernandez, who has been instrumental to Leeds’ fortunes since the return to action and despite his advancing years, could still cut the mustard at an elite level.

Bielsa could land fellow compatriot Emi Buendia after fielding an enquiry last month. It’s likely to cost £30m to prise him away, though.

Jack Harrison’s loan is expected to be extended, so he’s likely to remain in the starting XI but he could switch over to the more natural right-flank with Leeds managing to land quite a coup in Brentford winger Said Benrahma.

His 17 goals and ten assists will be all too much to ignore – he too could cost £30m, but he’ll be more than worth it.

Whilst in the attack, the saga surrounding Jean-Kevin Augustin may rumble on, meaning there’s a need for a new striker to compete with Patrick Bamford and that could come in the form of Gent talisman Jonathan David.

The Yorkshiremen would be getting another prolific option after the Canadian bagged 23 times this season for around €30m (£27m).

AND in other news, Leeds can resolve huge Bielsa headache if Orta lands £15m target…

From the moment that Harry Kane went down injured against Southampton in the Premier League, things just began to take a turn for the worse for Tottenham.

In the eight top-flight games that he missed due to his thigh muscle rupture, Spurs won just three games, and it was no surprise to see them fall to eighth place in the table when football was finally postponed.

But what this break has allowed for, is for injured stars like Kane to try and fully recover in time for the Premier League’s restart, and judging by the training footage he posted on his official Twitter account, the England international looks raring to go.

And after seeing the video, Spurs fans flocked to the replies section to share their thoughts about their talisman’s potential return.

One Spurs fan meanwhile admitted that Spurs are going to miss Kane if he decides to leave for a new team to start winning trophies.

There’s no questioning just how much of an influential figure Kane is for his side.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

With 181 goals in total for the club already, having him back for the business end of the current campaign could well be the difference to ensuring Spurs put up a real fight to finish in one of the all-important Champions League places.

As per Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers are working with a “major” transfer budget this summer as they look to close the gap at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

The ‘Gers have already made three signings during the off-season, with Ianis Hagi, Calvin Bassey and Jon McLaughlin all making the move to Ibrox. That will unlikely be enough for Steven Gerrard to get his hands on a first piece of silverware but the good news is that, despite the coronavirus pandemic, the 54-time Scottish champions still have a significant budget at their disposal.

This is a positive sign not just in terms of transfer fees, either – there could also be plenty of room for spending in term of wages. Kevin Phillips has previously spoken about McLaughlin’s switch north of the border and he explained that Sunderland offered him a new deal as well – the Light Blues’ package, therefore, was probably bigger.

Ross Wilson and the rest of the boardroom team at Glasgow Rangers deserve plenty of respect and praise for the way they have put the club in a strong position despite the difficult current climate. It is a far cry from less than a decade ago when the ‘Gers were demoted to the fourth tier after going into administration. They will now be hoping this translates itself to impressive performances on the pitch as well.

‘Gers fans, do you expect plenty more summer spending after hearing this news? Let us know what you think by commenting below!

As is the case nearly every summer at Celtic, at least one high-profile first-team star gets linked with an exit from the club.

Last year saw local hero Kieran Tierney make the switch down south to join Premier League side Arsenal, and now, it appears Odsonne Edouard is the latest man to be touted with a potential move away.

Arsenal are once again said to be interested in making a raid on Celtic Park, and are keen on luring Edouard to the Emirates regardless of the future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Best of the Decade: Top scorers & creators – Can you name them?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

It all means that Peter Lawwell and the recruitment staff will have to be at their very best when it comes to the transfer market this summer, and that even if Edouard were to stay, they make sure they’re well covered up front.

And that’s exactly why it’s absolutely imperative they beat bitter rivals Rangers to the signing of Clermont Foot striker Adrian Grbic.

Reports in recent days have suggested that both Neil Lennon and Steven Gerrard’s respective sides “have checked on him” this season, although they could face major competition from the likes of Crystal Palace and Brighton.

Grbic may not be a household name in European football, but his exploits in Ligue 2 this year, suggest he could absolutely be a hidden gem and the kind of rough diamond that Lennon could mould into a top centre-forward.

He has struck an impressive 17 strikes in just 26 games in French football’s second tier, and has been one of the big reasons why Clermont are just four points off first spot – in fact, his tally of goals means he has scored almost half of his team’s total in the league (35).

At just 23, Grbic still has plenty of time to grow, and Celtic taking the risk and beating Rangers to the punch could be the key to ensuring they either have a decent replacement for Edouard, and soften the potential blow of losing their current talisman up front.

Edouard’s performances this season have already banished the painful memories of losing Moussa Dembele. Now it could be Grbic’s turn to do the same.

Meanwhile, Charlie Nicholas has claimed this Celtic star will leave the club.

It’s fair to say Tanguy Ndombele has had a roller-coaster of a season at Tottenham this year.

The Frenchman joined the north London side from Lyon last summer, and after enjoying a stunning goal-scoring debut in the Premier League, has seen his form and fitness go downhill.

Best of the Decade: Top scorers & creators – Can you name them?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

The midfielder has played just 19 times in the top-flight, whilst he has come under scathing public criticism from current Spurs manager Jose Mourinho.

Reports in recent days and weeks had suggested Barcelona are interested in ending his Spurs nightmare, but now, according to French publication Foot Mercato, Premier League rivals Liverpool are keen on taking him to Anfield.

And after hearing about the Reds’ surprise interest in the midfielder, Spurs fans took to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the situation.

A couple of fans jokingly suggested Liverpool offer the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in return for Ndombele.

What a turn of development this is.

Reigning Champions League holders, and Premier League leaders Liverpool are interested in taking Ndombele to Merseyside this summer. If anything, the Reds’ interest in the Frenchman just goes to show that there is still a highly-rated player there, and that Spurs would be foolish to cut their losses on him just a year into his arrival.

Whether Liverpool are genuinely in the running to sign him or not however, remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Spurs fans react to update on this striker target.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking to Football Insider, Noel Whelan has indicated that Mark Noble will look to get West Ham United going again during the international break.

What did he say?

The Hammers have gone on a run of seven games without a win in all competitions, which has been made to look even worse by the fact they conceded three against both Newcastle United and Burnley.

This means there will be various parts of the team’s game that they will be looking to improve during the international break in order to turn things around.

It is unknown what method Manuel Pellegrini will use to do this, but Whelan feels that Noble will play a large part in getting the team together.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan said: “West Ham need the players to turn things around, I watched them against Burnley and they were woeful. They could have lost 5-0 and that will be a big worry for Manuel Pellegrini.

“There are some fantastic players in that team, and it’s unfair to heap all the blame on the manager.

“Mark Noble is the captain and the senior player, and basically the manager on the pitch. I’m expecting him to get the dressing room together and remind the players of their responsibilities.

“They will all respect him and what he’s achieved. The international break is perfect timing to take stock and have meetings to put things right.

“Yes, some players will be away on international duty, but plenty won’t be. I’m sure there will be things going on in the dressing room to assess what’s happened and how to improve it.”

Alarming over-reliance on his leadership

Whelan is most likely correct, as it is probable that many of West Ham’s players will be looking to the captain for direction and inspiration.

It is an important part of the club that there is a figure like Noble, who can be relied upon so often to get his teammates going.

However, there is a danger that his leadership is being relied upon too much now, as there should be various leaders in the dressing room and players should be able to get themselves motivated, rather than needing someone else to do it for them.

This was indicated in Declan Rice’s comments on the Hammer’s official website, before the Sheffield United match, in which he said: “Nobes will get us fired up, the manager will get us fired up and we’re going to go out there wanting to put on a performance to make everything right.”

More players in the squad need to be stepping up to lead the team forward, rather than letting Noble burden much of the responsibility.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

As the January transfer window edges ever closer, the regular rumours also ramp up and become that much more frequent.

And this is especially true if you are a big club that attracts a lot of attention from the media.

Needless to say, Barcelona are one of those teams that often get the juiciest stories out there. Just recently, a report coming from 10sport.com (via Sport) stated the Catalans have actually taken an interest in Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and would be willing to acquire him as someone who could give Luis Suarez some much-needed competition.

But looking at the player in question and the club’s needs, this is one deal the Catalans should definitely be staying away from.

Watch Spanish Football Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Even though Arsenal have been struggling for the majority of the ongoing campaign, failing to win their last five games prior to the visit of Southampton, Aubameyang’s ability is rarely in question.

He netted eight times in the first 12 games he played in the Premier League and has been one of the shining pieces of Unai Emery’s puzzle.

The same source claims he has no intention of prolonging his contract at the Emirates and is waiting for the Catalans to make their move.

But he is already 30 years of age and even though his goalscoring capabilities are definitely admirable, Barcelona don’t need someone like him at the moment.

[ad_pod ]

After all, they have a young winger in Ousmane Dembele who must be given some regular football if he is to develop and if they are really looking for someone to relieve Suarez and give him some competition, young blood would definitely be advisable.

Otherwise, they could just end up with two forwards, likely on big wages and long contracts, on the wrong side of their 30s that could become problematic to shift once they pass their sell-by date.

Barcelona have spent some big money in recent times and not to mention they have a certain Antoine Griezmann, who has played the majority of his career as a centre-forward, according to Transfermarkt’s games they have in their database. Going for Aubameyang, therefore, would just be throwing money down the drain.

His quality and lethality in front of goal for Arsenal have been immense and had this transfer arrived some years ago, it might’ve made sense but now, it simply doesn’t and Blaugrana should stay away.

Looking at it from the Gunners’ point of view, Aubameyang really does seem like someone Emery can’t afford to lose and they will most likely be hoping Barcelona change their mind and leave the player alone.

Lots of Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to reveal their love for VAR, after it stopped more fuel being added to the agenda against Wilfried Zaha for diving.

The Ivory Coast international was booked for simulation by Martin Atkinson against the Gunners after he was upended by Calum Chambers, although VAR helped to overturn the decision – Zaha’s yellow was retracted, and a penalty was awarded.

Luka Milivojevic converted the spot-kick, but a lot of Palace fans on Twitter have pointed out how the technology has helped Zaha’s reputation on this occasion, whereas in the past, a lack of VAR has created an unwanted opinion of the forward.

The Palace No.11 is arguably one of the trickiest players in the league – he is fouled 3.3 times per game – and the reputation he has picked up does seem an unfair one at times.

On this occasion, the newly-implemented technology has stopped that reputation becoming even stronger.

Let’s take a look at what the Palace supporters have been saying…