All posts by z3u9t.icu

With Steven Gerrard preparing for his first fixture in charge of Aston Villa this weekend, there will undoubtedly be a number of positions in the 41-year-old’s first-team squad that he is not entirely sure which player is his best option.

Indeed, with the former Liverpool captain preferring to set his team up in a 4-3-3 formation, Gerrard must pick from the options of Jacob Ramsey, Carney Chukwuemeka, Morgan Sanson and John McGinn in the middle of the park – with both Marvelous Nakamba and Douglas Luiz appearing injury doubts for Saturday.

He will also pick from the likes of Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins, Leon Bailey, Bertrand Traore, Anwar El Ghazi and Emi Buendia to make up his three-man attack.

And, while £33m summer signing Buendia had somewhat struggled to nail down a starting spot under the leadership of Dean Smith this season, Gerrard simply must unleash the 24-year-old against Brighton & Hove Albion, as the winger undoubtedly has the ability to terrify the Seagulls.

Gerrard must unleash Buendia

Indeed, over his nine Premier League appearances so far for Villa – seven of which have come as starts – the £31.5m-rated man has already scored one goal, registered one assist and created two big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.9 shots and making 1.7 key passes per game.

These returns have seen the player who Daniel Farke dubbed an “outstanding” talent average a SofaScore match rating of 6.92, ranking him as Villa’s fifth-best performer in the league thus far.

However, while it is undeniable that Villa fans are yet to see the best of the Argentina international – something that is extremely exciting considering his already impressive metrics – the £80k-per-week winger proved his ability at the top level during his last Premier League campaign with Norwich City.

Indeed, over his 36 top-flight appearances back in 2019/20, Buendia scored one goal, provided seven assists and created nine big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 1.1 shots and making a whopping 2.3 key passes per game – the fourth-highest number in the league that season, behind only Kevin De Bruyne, James Maddison and Jack Grealish.

These metrics saw the 24-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.99, ranking him as the Canaries’ second-best performer in the Premier League.

As such, considering the huge upgrade in talent Buendia is now surrounded by at Aston Villa, Gerrard simply must afford him the game time to refind his previous form in the top flight, as, when up and running, the Argentine can terrify any defence in the league – starting with Brighton on Saturday.

In other news: Grealish 2.0: Gerrard could save AVFC millions with 18 y/o sensation dubbed “the best”

Wolverhampton Wanderers signed Fabio Silva for £35m in a record-breaking transfer for the club, but Silva has since only been given 36 minutes of Premier League football so far this season under Bruno Lage.

The Portuguese boss hasn’t been playing the 19-year-old forward often, with just two starts for the side in the league cup, during which he has bagged two assists for the side.

The Wolves manager did speak out last week about why he hasn’t been included in the side much this season:

“Fabio is important for us,” Lage said. “He’s a young talent. Me and my staff have a pathway for the youth. Luis (Nascimento) worked with Fabio before so we see potential in him.”

“He needs to continue to work and wait for that chance. He needs to work for today and work for tomorrow.”

The teenager played 37 games in all competitions last season under Nuno Santo, scoring four goals and assisting three times for the side but has become out of favour for game time since the arrival of new manager Bruno Lage, in the summer.

Silva has been predicted to be an “extraordinary striker” by Sporting CP legend, Manuel Fernandes and even compared the teenager to Ronaldo.

“When Ronaldo was 17, he played as a centre-forward for Sporting’s youth teams. I saw him doing things that I’m now seeing a boy from FC Porto do, Fabio Silva.”

One of the main reasons that Silva did get so much game time last season was due to the fact Raul Jimenez suffered a horrific skull injury a few months into the season in November 2020, missing the rest of the season for Wolves, meaning that the youngster had the opportunity to step into his shoes quickly.

Although the Mexican has made his return to the side, Lage will need to look at future prospects for Silva, who will be keen to break back into the first team.

Wolves will be looking to capitalise on their fantastic first half of the season, with the view to securing a European spot by finishing in the top half of the Premier League.

The number of attacking options in Wolves’ locker still hasn’t deterred the rumour mill from working overtime when it comes to the imminent winter transfer window, with Enner Valencia linked to a move to the Molineux.

However, Lage could make smarter moves by saving millions and forgetting about the aforementioned target, utilising Silva in the team instead.

In other news: Hatfield hints at an early exit for Traore

Everton have made two great signings already with Rafa Benitez attracting the likes of Nathan Patterson and Vitaliy Mykolenko to the Toffees during this transfer window, but he could be heading for a disaster if he was to sign a certain player who has recently been linked with a move to Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Inter Milan have offered Everton the opportunity to sign Alexis Sanchez on a free transfer during this winter window.

The 33-year-old has fallen out of favour since Antonio Conte left Inter Milan after winning the Serie A last season, and is no longer a consistent starter under new coach Simone Inzaghi.

The situation was then discussed on GIVEMESPORT by transfer insider Dean Jones who spoke of Farhad Moshiri’s desires for the squad when asked about Sanchez this week: “We’ve seen that at various times over Moshiri’s time there that he really does like having that superstar feel to his team if he can get it.”

Rodriguez disasterclass 2.0

Alexis has been in the headlines this week for scoring in extra time for Inter as they won Supercoppa, describing himself as a “monster” post-match, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’d be a good acquisition.

Everton have become well known for their reckless spending since the arrival of owner Farhad Moshiri, who has signed over 40 players and spent north of £500m during his half-decade at the club, with no progress or trophies since, in fact, the side are just six points away from the relegation zone currently, after enduring a struggle in the first half of the season.

Although Sanchez, who was once dubbed “inconsistent” by Joey Barton, has been a phenomenal player in the past and made a great impact on the club he has played for – helping Conte secure a league title in the Serie A last season with seven goals and seven assists in the league – he is currently on £350k-per-week and in the last years of his career at 33-years-old.

The signing of the outspoken Chilean forward could head in the same direction as the disasterclass that became of the James Rodriguez signing.

He started spectacularly for the Toffees, seeing himself involved in six goals in his first five outings, but soon became injured, inconsistent and as a result, unable to deliver at the level he was expected to. Thus, he became an expensive headache on £140k-per-week which eventually led to his departure on a free transfer in September last year.

If the rumours are true that Everton are interested in signing Sanchez, it will be disappointing to fans who would be hoping that Moshiri has learned some lessons over the last half a decade owning the Merseyside club.

Wasting money has got them nowhere in terms of being successful on the pitch and Benitez should work hard to make sure that the club spends money on wages more wisely rather than splashing them on a player who is out of his prime and unlikely able to start every week.

In other news: “Everton are interested” – Journo drops big transfer update that’ll leave Rafa gutted…

Tottenham Hotspur are one of multiple Premier League teams lining up a move for Kieran Trippier in what would be a sensational return to north London…

What’s the word?

According to 90min, as many as nine English top-flight sides have made an enquiry to Atletico Madrid over the 31-year-old right-back, who joined the LaLiga outfit from Spurs for around £25m back in 2019.

The Lilywhites are said to have asked about his availability heading into the January transfer window.

Manchester United, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are among the many clubs thought to be keen on the England international, though it remains to be seen how much he would command with his release clause being in the region of £50m.

Transfermarkt, however, value him at just £18m.

Bye-bye Doherty?

A move for another right-back this season would surely spell the end for Matt Doherty’s time in north London as sporting director Fabio Paratici already signed Emerson Royal to replace Serge Aurier in the summer.

Indeed, it’s thought that the Northern Irishman, who was signed by Jose Mourinho for £15m, is on the chopping block next month.

“Spurs would be interested in moving on Dele Alli and possibly Matt Doherty, and there are others they would listen to offers for,” revealed The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke this week.

Trippier was a regular part of Diego Simeone’s side as they clinched the LaLiga title last season. As per WhoScored figures, he ranked as his second-best player with a rating of 7.20.

On top of providing six assists from defence, the Englishman also led the squad for tackles (2.2 per game) and interceptions (1.4 per game), and was also a major influence in the final third, managing the second-highest number of key passes (1.4 per game).

Despite heading towards his mid-thirties, it’s evident that Trippier has still got it and he would be a mighty fine addition to Conte’s squad.

Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate has regularly lauded the right-back in the past. In the summer, he was dubbed a “defensive animal” and a “warrior” for his form and contribution at Atletico in recent times.

Spurs fans have always held Trippier in high regard, so they would surely be excited by the prospect of bringing him back to N17, whilst on the above evidence, he would be the perfect signing for Conte.

His ability to contribute at either end of the pitch is exactly what’s required in his wing-back system, so sporting director Fabio Paratici must look to seal the former Lilywhites star this winter – at all costs.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Eric Dier: Spurs eyeing swoop for £45m-rated “top player”, Conte “wants” him…

Flocking to Twitter, many Southampton fans are buzzing over a fresh transfer update out of St. Mary’s Stadium involving Fulham forward Fabio Carvalho.

Saints transfer chief Martin Semmens has kept his role as chief executive even after Serbian-born businessman Dragan Solak completed his £100 million takeover in early January (Sky Sports).

As such, the Southampton CEO is still tasked with overseeing recruitment strategy as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side become linked with a few signings.

Their main priority appears to be wrapping up a permanent deal for loanee Armando Broja, who has impressed since joining on a temporary transfer from Chelsea (The Guardian).

However, that doesn’t mean other moves aren’t in the pipeline, with an update emerging involving Fulham forward Carvalho.

According to Eurosport journalist Dean Jones, speaking to Give Me Sport, Southampton are in pole position to sign the exciting Championship talent who has seven goals and two assists this season.

As per the ‘transfer insider’, Semmens and have ‘really been leading the race’ for Carvalho despite interest from Liverpool, West Ham and Tottenham (TEAMtalk).

Saints fans buzzing…

Flocking to this claim, many Saints supporters have been left buzzing on Twitter, with one fan calling him a would-be ‘unreal signing’.

His brilliant Championship form at the tender age of 19-years-old just shows how much potential Carvalho may have to become a really top level player, and the fact he could leave as a free agent as things stand is even more of a reason to swoop.

Here’s how Southampton fans reacted on social media as their club lead the way:

“Perfect signing if we pull that off”

Credit: @Charlie_Mercer_

“This is an incredibly inspiring move. Another youngster who can shine in a young talented team”

Credit: @LH_SFC

“PLEASEEEE”

Credit: @danthemanmfer

“This excites more than any potential deal for Broja tbh. #saintsfc”

Credit: @andrew2021k

“Get this done”

Credit: @Ross_Hodgson98

“YES YES YES”

Credit: @sfcrxbbo_

“This would be an unreal signing. Instantly replaces Redmond and brings energy in those winger positions”

Credit: @sfchenry_

With Leeds United’s injury crisis not easing up, Marcelo Bielsa will have to use the full extent of his squad when his side take on Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Reports have suggested that the Whites will be without Patrick Bamford after last weekend’s goalscoring hero suffered a hamstring injury – it’s not yet clear how long the England international will be out for.

While the 28-year-old’s absence will no doubt be a big blow given his form since the club’s return to the Premier League, Bielsa should have no hesitation in turning towards one of his club’s brightest young academy talents in Joe Gelhardt.

The 19-year-old has had a taste of Premier League football this season, coming on in back-to-back games against Southampton and Wolves, before being handed a starting berth  against Spurs a few weeks ago.

Leeds Live’s Beren Cross has already suggested that, for a reported £1m, the teenager could well be the best piece of transfer business the Whites have done in a number of years, saying: “As I’m sure we’ll find out in the years ahead, Gelhardt may well be the best bit of business the club has done in the last 20 years, if not ever, because he just looks absolutely outrageous, very, very good player.”

Writing in his post-match player ratings after Gelhardt’s superb match-saving cameo against Wolves in recent weeks, Cross said: “Excellent home debut for the teenager in the time he had on the field with the team playing as it was. As the pressure was poured onto the visitors in the last half an hour, Gelhardt was the man at the sharp end with the openings to bury. Denied an unforgettable debut strike by a good Jose Sa save. Won the penalty too.”

With seven goals in nine games at Premier League 2 level this term, Gelhardt is as prolific as ever in the academy and should be full of confidence knowing that Bielsa firmly has him in his plans.

With Bamford likely to be out with a hamstring injury for the clash against the Blues today, the Leeds manager must surely turn towards the teenager once again to lead the line.

Given that Chelsea won’t have seen much of him, as well as the impressive displays he’s already put in during his short time in the first team, Gelhardt could well terrify Thomas Tuchel’s side with his fearlessness.

Meanwhile, Bielsa could find his Kalvin Phillips replacement in this Leeds starlet…

Celtic followed up last weekend’s Old Firm victory with a blistering 7-0 thrashing against St Johnstone at Parkhead this afternoon.

The Hoops were 3-0 up and cruising at half-time thanks to goals from Reo Hatate, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Daizen Maeda. The second half saw a penalty from Josip Juranovic, a brace from substitute Matt O’Riley and a clinching goal from Liel Abada put the icing on the cake for Ange Postecoglou’s side.

Despite this emphatic victory and plethora of goals for the home crowd to enjoy, not every player wearing a Celtic shirt delivered a strong performance.

Having scored the equaliser against Rangers last weekend which eventually helped the Hoops to secure all three points at Ibrox, Tom Rogic found himself in the starting XI once again today.

However, with just 50 touches of the ball, nine fewer than goalkeeper Joe Hart, the Australian failed to have much of a positive impact for his team on this occasion. The 29-year-old ended up losing possession of the ball 16 times during the first half before he was replaced by O’Riley at the interval.

Rogic, who has been described as being like a “ballet dancer” in terms of his midfield play in the past by A Celtic State of Mind pundit Kevin Graham, also failed to complete two of the three dribbles he attempted.

Off the ball, things weren’t much better for the midfielder, who lost 86% of his duels, committed one foul and getting dribbled past on one occasion.

This display ultimately earned the Old Firm derby hero an underwhelming overall match rating of 6/10, making him the lowest-rated player in a Celtic shirt according to SofaScore.

Given how O’Riley had an instant impact on the scoreline in the second half, it turned out to have been a masterstroke from Postecoglou to put him on for Rogic at the interval.

The Hoops boss may well feel let down by what he saw from his compatriot this afternoon and will be hoping that the 29-year-old can improve on this less than stellar performance.

In other news: £2.7m down the drain as Celtic had a howler on “difficult” £450k-rated Parkhead flop

Arsenal are reportedly hopeful that 18-year-old striker Khayon Edwards will sign a new contract with the north London club, according to Football London, with the youngster starting to make a serious impression for the Gunners’ youth sides.

The English youngster is currently on a scholarship deal that is set to expire in the summer and talks regarding an extension have been ongoing over recent months.

However, it is believed that both parties are nearing an agreement, with Edwards sharing the same agent as Hale End product Bukayo Saka.

The question is, can the 18-year-old be the next player to step up into Mikel Arteta’s first-team plans?

In the pipeline

Having scored 16 goals and registered five assists in 16 appearances in the U18 Premier League this term, it’s no surprise that Arsenal are incredibly keen to keep Edwards on their books.

The 18-year-old has also played twice for the U23s in the Premier League 2, scoring once.

Academy chief and former Arsenal player Per Mertesacker recently discussed his vision for creating ‘Strong Young Gunners’, with Edwards firmly part of that vision.

The former defender said: “Strong Young Gunners means this is our vision where we want our players to stand strong in every scenario they will face. We are passionate about creating youngsters who can rise to any challenge and we have a rich history and heritage we want to pay tribute to and carry on.”

Arteta has done brilliantly to integrate youngsters into the first team, with both Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe strong examples given their Hale End credentials.

Saka (20) and Smith-Rowe (21) have both scored ten goals across all competitions this season and have also scored for the England senior team, with the former heavily involved in the Three Lions’ run to the European Championship final last summer.

Moreover, 18-year-old midfielder Charlie Patino was awarded an appearance against Sunderland earlier this season in the EFL Cup and scored.

Edwards, who was dubbed “deadly” by Football.London’s Kaya Kaynak, will undoubtedly want to replicate the duo’s fortunes and make his own pathway into the first team over the coming seasons.

The teenager could find himself on the end of an opportunity to impress the Arsenal boss soon, particularly with striker Alexandre Lacazette still yet to sign a contract extension ahead of the expiry of his deal in June whilst the same applies for Eddie Nketiah.

However, if the English youngster is to sign a new contract with Arsenal, there will certainly have to be a belief that the 18-year-old can eventually work his way into the first-team plans and become the next Saka.

He’s certainly exciting and confident enough to do exactly that.

AND in other news: Arteta must ruthlessly axe “shocking” £18m-rated AFC liability, he’s “not world-class”

Liverpool had no issue in keeping their unbeaten run in the Champions League going after last night’s 2-0 victory over FC Porto at Anfield.

Goals from Thiago Alcantara and Mohamed Salah secured the win for Jurgen Klopp’s side in front of their home fans after convincingly beating Arsenal 4-0 at the weekend in their previous Premier League fixture.

However, one player that started in midweek that did not take the opportunity to shine with both hands was Takumi Minamino.

Despite playing the full 90 minutes of the game against the Portuguese club, Minamino only managed to have 33 touches of the ball, which was fewer than the 51 touches Reds goalkeeper Alisson Becker had throughout the game.

In addition to this, Minamino failed to have much of an attacking impact as well, despite starting through the middle in between Salah and Sadio Mane.

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The Japan international failed to register even one shot at goal, only completed one of the two dribbles he attempted, make just 14 accurate passes and get caught offside on two occasions.

Minamino also managed to win just 35% of the 14 duels he was involved in and lose possession of the ball on nine occasions, ultimately earning himself a rather uninspiring overall match rating of 6.7/10, making him the lowest-rated Liverpool player that started the match according to SofaScore.

Given how Minamino scored in the 4-0 win against Arsenal after coming off the bench to replace Diogo Jota who picked up a knock to the knee against the Gunners, it’s easy to see why Klopp gave him the chance to shine from the start.

However, looking at his performance, it’s safe to say he didn’t fully use this opportunity to really stake a claim for a place in the team next time around for their upcoming Premier League clash against Southampton at the weekend.

With Roberto Firmino still out with a hamstring injury, it’s likely that Minamino will get the chance to prove himself again in the coming weeks and months for Liverpool and when he does, he will have to make sure he puts in a more assured performance than the one he delivered against Porto.

Otherwise, questions may start getting raised about his suitability to play a prominent attacking role in this team on a regular basis.

In other news: Edwards must avoid LFC catastrophe on £100k-p/w “wild animal”, Klopp would be furious – opinion

Liverpool are “big admirers” of Leeds United star Raphinha amid rumours the club are keen on signing him.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks had revealed that Jurgen Klopp’s side are very much interested in a move for Raphinha, amid speculation that Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich were set to sign him this month.

Now, journalist Pete O’Rourke has delivered an update on the Reds’ current stance on the exciting winger.

He said: “He figures on the list of a lot of clubs. The likes of Liverpool, big admirers of the Brazilian.”

Anfield would be rocking

Dubbed as “star dust” and a “match-winner” by The Athletic’s Leeds correspondent Phil Hay, Raphinha has simply been a revelation for Marcelo Bielsa’s side since his arrival from Rennes.

This season has seen him score an impressive eight times in 17 Premier League games as well as provide one assist too, including netting against the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea recently too.

Raphinha’s displays had Leeds teammate Patrick Bamford hailing him after the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace last year, with the Englishman telling Sky Sports: “I think, to be honest, he has been a steal for Leeds. I am surprised. As soon as he came in, you saw him in training, you know sometimes with players whether they are good or they are top class, and he really was. He stood out straightaway.

“I am surprised that bigger teams, more established Premier League teams I should say, haven’t taken a punt on him because he really is someone special, and he is young.”

As per Whoscored, Raphinha averages a whopping 3.1 shots and 2.4 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season, both of which rank him very highly compared to the rest of the division – in fact, only Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah shoot more often than him, while only Lucas Moura, Allan Saint-Maximin and Adama Traore complete more dribbles.

The £36m-rated star would surely get Anfield absolutely rocking with his direct and exciting style of play.

Meanwhile, this Liverpool target has shades of Steven Gerrard…