All posts by z3u9t.icu

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David Ginola could play a little bit.

The midfielder’s first taste of English football came with Newcastle United between 1995 and 1997, before he made the switch to Tottenham Hotspur.

Ginola played 100 league games for Spurs during his three seasons at the club and it would be fair to say that the supporters enjoyed watching him.

The Frenchman was an extremely talented technician, but also brought personality to the teams that he represented.

Ginola turned 52 on Friday and Tottenham’s official Twitter account was on hand with a special birthday message for the former France international.

As expected, that led to a number of the Spurs supporters lavishing praise on their former hero, with many claiming that they wish they had him now.

Indeed, Tottenham are currently struggling with injuries and Ginola could probably still do a job in the Dele Alli position until the Englishman returns in March (BBC Sport).

Ginola, who also turned out for Aston Villa and Everton, perhaps would not have the pace or fitness – and that is being kind – to compete at this level in his 50s, but his use of the ball would still be very special indeed.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the adoring Tottenham fans can be seen below:

Playmaker FC Exclusive: “Wolves absolutely spanked you” – Jermaine Jenas gives damning verdict of Arsenal’s season. Check out the video below…

Former Leeds United defender Danny Mills has spoken of his delight at Junior Firpo’s ‘crucial’ return from injury for the Whites.

The Lowdown: Firpo makes injury return

The left-back moved to Elland Road from Barcelona in the summer but his time at the club has been injury-plagued so far.

Firpo has only managed six appearances in the Premier League, and five starts, meaning Stuart Dallas has had to slot into an auxiliary role at times.

Fortunately, the 25-year-old is now back fit again and may be expected to feature in Sunday’s trip to Tottenham, as Marcelo Bielsa’s side look to make it four league matches unbeaten – the Spaniard is still working on his match fitness but has recovered from his injury, per BBC’s Adam Pope.

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The Latest: Mills delighted with news

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-Leeds man now BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Mills spoke of his happiness at the news, saying it will bring a much-needed balance back to the Whites team:

“It’s all about balance, that’s the most important thing. To have a left-footed player on the left-hand side makes a world of difference and is vitally important.

“Having your strongest players back is crucial.”

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The Verdict: Big boost for Leeds

Firpo may not have set the world alight yet for Leeds but his return is an undoubted boost, with his left foot bringing a natural balance to the side, as Mills alludes to.

Dallas will always do a job but the former Barcelona man can offer more natural attacking thrust from left-back and could give the Whites an extra attacking dimension at Spurs, having averaged one key pass per game in the league this season.

It is a further sign that Leeds’ injury problems are easing, and the sooner they can have their strongest team available, the faster they will hopefully rise up the table.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly preparing a bid for one player. Find out who it is here.

Celtic have been dealt a late fitness concern ahead of their upcoming Europa League clash.

What’s the latest?

In recent comments cited by Jo Hendry, Ange Postecoglou revealed that Georgios Giakoumakis’ knee injury requires further investigation, something which could rule him out of Celtic’s trip to Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday evening.

According to the journalist, the 56-year-old manager said: “Giakoumakis [is set] to have further investigation on a knee issue.”

Fans will be gutted

Considering how impressive Giakoumakis was in the Netherlands last season, the fact that the centre-forward has played so few minutes since his summer switch to Celtic, as well as looking likely to miss out in the crucial Europa League clash with Bayer this evening, is sure to have left fans gutted.

Indeed, despite VVV-Venlo’s relegation from the Dutch top flight last term, the £2.25m-rated man highly impressed over his 30 Eredivisie appearances, scoring 26 goals, registering one assist and creating three big chances for his teammates, in addition to taking an average of 3.2 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the player who journalist Jeroen Kapteijns dubbed a “phenomenon” earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.35, ranking him not only as his club’s best performer but also as the joint sixth-best player in the division.

As such, once he is fully fit and firing, Giakoumakis would very much appear to be a player who could easily become a pivotal cog in the Celtic attack.

However, with the 26-year-old once again looking unlikely to feature in Germany, fans’ patience regarding the striker’s fitness may be beginning to wear rather thin.

In other news: Ange must unleash “brilliant” £15k-p/w Celtic dynamo vs Bayer, he “always shows up”

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has told Sky Sports that it is ‘unlikely’ he’ll have any of his injured players back against St Johnstone.

The Lowdown: St Mirren struggle

The Hoops failed to back up their Hampden Park triumph in the Scottish Premiership after being held to a surprise 0-0 draw with St Mirren.

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Postecoglou was without Joe Hart, David Turnbull and hero Kyogo Furuhashi from the League Cup final, while Carl Starfelt was suspended.

Celtic failed to make a breakthrough despite having 31 shots and 83% possession, with St Mirren missing 11 players due to Covid-19. That result leaves the Hoops six points behind rivals Rangers, with one final game before the winter break.

The Latest: Sky Sports post

Sky Sports shared an interview with Postecoglou on Twitter ahead of the trip to St Johnstone, which is available to view here.

The Hoops manager was asked if there were any further updates on those who missed St Mirren and if they would be available for Boxing Day, to which he said:

“Unlikely with the short turnaround. We might get one or two but at this stage I think it’ll be a similar sort of team that went out last night.”

The Verdict: Worrying…

Celtic struggled without top scorer Furuhashi and the creative Turnbull, and it appears as if they could be without them once more in what is a crucial game prior to the winter break.

They won’t want Rangers’ lead to stretch any further ahead of their meeting on February 2, meaning they’ll need to find a way to score despite being without a number of attacking players.

Liel Abada was used in a central position against St Mirren but didn’t have a single shot on goal, so perhaps Postecoglou will tinker with his setup.

He could use attacking midfielder Tom Rogic in a false nine role, as he did recently against Motherwell with Turnbull, which would then allow Abada to return to a natural wide role. Postecoglou doesn’t have many options, though, with Celtic desperate to get back to winning ways on Sunday.

In other news: ‘Get that done in January’ – Celtic pundit buzzes at transfer insider’s Parkhead update. 

Newcastle United are reportedly the latest club to join the race to sign Fiorentina defender Nikola Milenkovic as Eddie Howe looks to bolster his defensive options this window.

What’s the story?

According to The Sun, Newcastle are interested in signing the Serbian centre-back this month, however, it has been reported that PIF would have to pay £37.5m to secure the 24-year-old’s services.

Howe’s side are currently the Premier League’s second-worst defenders behind Norwich City, having conceded 42 goals in 19 games. Moreover, the Magpies are sat in 19th place and fears of relegation are still very real.

In order to solve this major weakness, it has been reported that the Englishman wants to add two centre-backs to his ranks this window, with Milenkovic the latest defender to be linked with a move to the North-East.

The Serbian is certainly a hot prospect, having received plenty of praise from an array of suitors, most notably being labelled the “new Vidic” by former Serbia coach Mladen Krstajic ahead of the 2018 World Cup.

Moreover, former teammate Pol Lirola, now of Olympique Marseille, stated that Milenkovic “has an extraordinary quality” and is “already ready for a great team.”

The Toon Army have already added to their defence with the acquisition of right-back Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid as well as signing striker Chris Wood from Burnley.

Newcastle must sign Milenkovic

It is no secret that Howe’s defence will need serious improvement this window if the Tyneside club are to significantly boost their survival bid; the 24-year-old could prove to be the perfect option.

Stood at a towering 6’5”, the Serbian is a colossus at the back and would provide a major aerial presence. Moreover, he’s five centimetres taller than Newcastle’s current tallest centre-back in Federico Fernandez.

Milenkovic has missed just three Serie A matches this campaign, keeping three clean sheets in 17 starts as well as scoring one goal.

The 24-year-old is currently averaging 71.7 touches per game as well as boasting an impressive 90% passing accuracy.

From a defensive point of view, the centre-back is making 1.2 interceptions per game, 1.9 tackles, 3 clearances and is also dribbled past once every ten games.

According to SofaScore, Jamaal Lascelles in Newcastle’s current best-performing centre-back with an average score of 6.73/10 per game. However, compared to Milenkovic’s stats, it is clear why Newcastle are interested.

The Englishman is averaging just 40.2 touches per game, whilst making 0.8 interceptions, 0.4 tackles and having a 79% passing accuracy.

However, the 28-year-old is making more clearances per game (5.5) and is dribbled past as frequently as Milenkovic.

The 24-year-old would significantly improve Newcastle United and, should he sign, it would prove a major statement of intent from the North-East club.

AND in other news, Player keen: Howe must seal NUFC deal to land “world-class” maestro, he’s Cabaye 2.0…

Celtic are looking to swiftly conclude their January business, according to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph. 

The lowdown

The Hoops are closing in on their first winter signing, Kawasaki Frontale defender Reo Hatate. They are seemingly nearing a deal with the Japanese club and personal terms aren’t expected to cause any problems, with the player pushing for the move to Glasgow.

The Hoops backed Ange Postecoglou with a £20m spend in the summer ahead of his first season in charge, but clearly the 56-year-old feels that he needs additional reinforcements in his pursuit of the Premiership title with Rangers four points ahead at the top of the table.

The latest

Keeping Celtic supporters posted on the latest transfer news, Joseph tweeted:

“Celtic are also continuing talks in their pursuit of Yokohama F Marinos forward Daizen Maeda and Gamba Osaka midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi.

“It’s understood the Hoops are looking to complete their January business early in the window.”

The verdict

It was telling that, after Kyogo Furuhashi and Albian Ajeti joined Celtic’s injury list last week, Postecoglou pointed to a lack of depth in the squad (via Daily Record). His argument seemed to be that, if he had better rotation options, it would be easier for him to protect key players.

Celtic’s squad will continue to be stretched in the New Year, especially if they progress through the Europa Conference League play-off round in February.

With a three-week winter break pencilled in between the Old Firm derby on 2 January and the Scottish Cup clash with Alloa Athletic on 22 January, early business would at least allow Celtic’s additions a healthy bedding-in period in Glasgow.

In other news, what about players who might be headed the other way?

Newcastle United are one of the clubs interested in Sevilla goalkeeper Bono, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.net. 

The lowdown

Aided by his Sevilla defence, Bono has kept six clean sheets in 10 appearances so far this season, conceding just four times. His record of letting one in every 225 minutes is the best in the division (via Transfermarkt).

English audiences may be familiar with the Moroccan goalkeeper, labelled the ‘hero’ by Phil McNulty as Sevilla beat Manchester United in the semifinals of the 2019/20 Europa League.

The 30-year-old is valued at €18million – which equates to around £15.4million – by Transfermarkt.

The latest

‘Several’ Premier League teams are keen on Bono, with the Fichajes report namechecking Newcastle and West Ham United.

From Sevilla’s point of view, Bono is under contract until 2024, and so there’s no pressure to sell at this stage.

The verdict

It certainly looks like Newcastle are intent upon strengthening the goalkeeper position, with Fenerbahce’s Altay Bayindir linked on Friday.

That report suggested that Newcastle were willing to fork out £14million for the Turkish international, which could place him in the same price bracket as Bono.

Bono and Sevilla have frustrated their opponents in impressive fashion so far this season, and so it’s no surprise to see interest from abroad and Newcastle in particular.

Magpies shot stopper Karl Darlow, paling in comparison to Bono’s impressive numbers, has kept zero clean sheets – leaking 12 goals and conceding every 53 minutes on average (Transfermarkt).

Taking this into account, it’s little wonder both Newcastle and Eddie Howe have their eyes on reinforcements between the sticks – with Bono coming as a potential bargain alternative.

In other news, this agent has been in contact with Newcastle. 

Loads of Glasgow Rangers fans have been left confused by some exit news that ahs emerged involving Stephen Kelly.

As per the official Twitter page of the Ibrox faithful, the central midfield player has now joined English League Two club Salford City on a loan deal for the rest of the season.

He had only made two senior appearances for the Light Blues all campaign, and so has moved in search of more regular game time.

While a loan move is good for the 21-year-old’s development, a lot of Teddy Bears are confused over his move to Salford, claiming that he can play at a better level.

He has played for Scotland many times at youth level, including nine caps with the U21s, and perhaps a move to another team in the Scottish Premiership would have benefitted him better, if another offer came through.

Rangers fans on Kelly loan

These Gers were confused as the transfer news was shared on Twitter, with one RFC supporter claiming that they were ‘baffled’, while another even went as far as to say that it was an ‘awful’ move:

“Makes no sense he’s at a miles higher level than that”

Credit: @ggh1992

“Why?”

Credit: @mrmorton_man

“I’m baffled by this”

Credit: @kennyd9

“So much better than the 4th tier of English football.”

Credit: @cccc18721972

“League 2?!!!”

Credit: @WilliamGrimes_

“That’s an absolutely awful loan move for him.”

Credit: @Newcoinvestor

In other news, find out what other club update has Gers buzzing here!

Liverpool are plotting a summer move for highly-rated young midfielder Jude Bellingham.

What’s the story?

According to reports in Spain, both the Reds and their rivals Manchester City are interested in signing the English midfielder who is currently playing his trade in Germany at Borussia Dortmund.

The young star has been a target for several top clubs in the past, including Spanish giants Real Madrid, so there should be a huge battle for his signature.

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It’s thought Dortmund may value him at a staggering £101m.

Premier League legend Roy Keane has described Bellingham’s potential as “scary”.

He could be better than Thiago

The 18-year old would be a perfect new addition to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side who need to plan ahead for the future when the likes of Jordan Henderson and Thiago will become too old.

Bellingham could eventually be a natural successor to Thiago and could be a focal point of the club for years to come.

He has made £22.5m in 2020.

When you look at his possession stats you can see just how much he contributes going forward for Dortmund. He is in the top 3% across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for touches in and carries into the attack penalty area.

His passes into the 18-yard box total 27 so far this season compared to Thiago’s 13.

But as with any Klopp side you have to be willing to work hard and trackback defensively. This is something that Bellingham also has in his locker as proven for both club and country.

The Englishman has made more tackles and blocks than Henderson, Thiago and Fabinho this season, and leads the way for his current club in these categories.

He is also in the top 3% across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for pressures in the attacking third, clearly showing that he is able to match the high pressing style that is a signature tactic at Anfield.

If Liverpool were to capture him then it would be a major coup and would massively improve their strength in depth.

Soon Bellingham will have a big decision to make, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he wanted to move to the Premier League having never played in it before, but which team would he choose?

IN other news: Liverpool linked with Arda Guler transfer swoop…

It was a huge night for some of Tottenham Hotspur’s international stars on Saturday.

England talisman Harry Kane moved level-second with Sir Bobby Charlton on 49 goals with his match-winning spot kick for Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions in their 2-1 win over Switzerland.

The 28-year-old is now merely four goals away from Wayne Rooney’s 53-goal record with more friendlies and this winter’s World Cup to come.

Time and time again, Kane continues to prove to be one of the country’s very best centre-forwards but he wasn’t the only Spurs man to be in electric goalscoring form this weekend.

Forgotten Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn also made the headlines with a game-clinching brace over Denmark, who had Lilywhites enforcer Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg starting in the middle of midfield.

Whilst ex-playmaker Christian Eriksen came off the bench to score in his first appearance for the Red and Whites since his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020 last June.

Bergwijn, however, was a real thorn in Kasper Hjulmand’s side in the 77 minutes he was on the pitch.

The 24-year-old has struggled for game time domestically, managing only 811 minutes across 25 appearances this season – that’s merely half an hour per outing, via Transfermarkt.

Only 337 of those minutes have come under manager Antonio Conte, just 41.5% of his total for the campaign so far, so you could reasonably suggest that he’s just not fancied, especially given the impact of January signing Dejan Kulusevski.

It’s also evident that Lucas Moura even sits ahead of the £25m signing in the pecking order, too.

However, the former PSV Eindhoven dynamo may have just fired a timely reminder of his attacking credentials to the Italian head coach this weekend.

At the Johan Cruyff ArenA, he opened the scoring with a brilliant header that nestled in the top corner, after former Manchester United man Daley Blind whipped in a pin-point cross from the left flank.

He then rounded off his display with a second strike – a quite exquisite finish. The bustling £18m-rated winger cut inside and curled a wonderful effort into the top corner again.

With veteran Louis van Gaal deploying a three-back system, Conte will have plenty to think about as Bergwijn led the line alongside FC Barcelona star Memphis Depay.

As per FotMob, the Dutch attacker also created two key chances, registered two successful dribbles and had a 100% shot accuracy.

Former Spurs boss Nuno Santo believed Bergwijn offered Spurs something “unique” and that he was a “very talented player” during his time at the helm, whilst local reporter Alasdair Gold once dubbed him “incredible” for his work rate against Arsenal last season.

With doubts over Kulusevski’s availability after the international break, Bergwijn may have just fired his name into the reckoning for a rare start against Newcastle United next week.

AND in other news, “Paratici will certainly…”: Alasdair Gold issues summer transfer update…