All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds’ Pablo Hernandez setback indicates the need to improve in the future

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

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…

A major setback, but not a disaster.

Marcelo Bielsa revealed in his press conference ahead of Preston North End a few days ago that Pablo Hernandez is set to be out a little while longer having sustained a new injury.

After spending the past few weeks recovering from a calf problem, it appears as though he has now injured his hamstring.

Given the start to the season that he had with two goals and two assists in the first eight league games, this injury wasn’t exactly ideal for Leeds. As a result, the Whites have been given a little taste of what life is going to be like without him, and given that his contract expires at the end of the season, that time could come sooner rather than later.

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We have spoken before on FFC about the players that could potentially replace Hernandez on the wing for Leeds, but so far the likes of Jack Harrison and Helder Costa are yet to play up to scratch, amassing just one goal between them in the league heading into the clash against Preston.

The fact that Hernandez is proving so crucial to the team at the age of 34 quite frankly should be a sign of desperation for Leeds that the team are struggling so hard to replace him.

This period of time shouldn’t just be about getting points for this league season, it should also be about getting the side prepared for what they are likely to look like next term and beyond.

Why being the away goalkeeper at Leeds is the toughest job in football in the video below…

If the current inconsistent form Leeds are having is anything to go by, there really needs to be a kick up the backside for the wide men that are in contention to be the long-term replacement for the Spaniard.

Leeds have been granted a perfect opportunity to take a glimpse into their future, but at the moment their future doesn’t look all that promising.

At the rate the likes of Helder Costa and Jack Harrison are going, they may find themselves on the outside looking in when Bielsa is drawing up his plans for next season – especially as the pair of them can both sign permanently next summer

But if they still find themselves being kept out of the team by a will be 35-year-old, if they do decide to renew his contract, that should really get alarm bells ringing.

The one that got away: Anthony Knockaert and Leeds United

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

This article forms part of our The Ones That Got Away feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern take a look back at players linked with moves in the past, and see how they would have made an impact had they signed for the interested side.

Every club can allegedly miss out on a player that may, perhaps, have been able to turn around their fortunes sooner rather than later, and Leeds United are certainly a team that can fall into that particular category.

Although the Whites have been working hard to try and get out of the Championship and came so close to doing so under Marcelo Bielsa last season, the fact is that they have been out of England’s top-tier for what will be 16 years by the time the current campaign reaches its conclusion.

That, quite frankly, has not been good enough for those at Elland Road and it does not come as a surprise for a club as big as the Yorkshire outfit – who reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2001.

Indeed, perhaps, a return to the Premier League could have happened sooner, if Leeds had managed to agree to a deal for a player with a rather good record in the Championship…

The one that got away – Anthony Knockaert and Leeds United

Anthony Knockaert was very close to joining Leeds United at one point in the early stages of his career.

According to a report by La Voix du Nord in September 2008, the French attacker almost joined the Whites, however it was alleged the then-League One outfit could not agree to compensation costs with Lens and Lesquin.

The teenager impressed on his trial with the Yorkshire outfit as he revealed: “I did two workouts a day plus bodybuilding. They asked me to play against Leicester. I played, I scored and I made assists.” His father later chipped in with: “The opposing coach was crazy about him” after witnessing him in action against Sheffield United.

It was a move that Knockaert, who would have been turning 17-years-old at the time, appeared to be keen on completing as he suggested everything was better at the English outfit – with facilities seemingly getting a rather big mention.

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However, he did later make the move to a Championship outfit, with Leicester City, perhaps, not seemingly forgetting about what he did to them in the trial match they had. He moved from Guingamp in 2012 for a fee thought to have been worth around £2.5m and excelled.

During his time with the Foxes, Knockaert managed to score 13 goals in his 84 appearances, with the majority of them coming from the right-hand side of the pitch (Transfermarkt).

He later moved onto Brighton and Hove Albion after a spell in Belgium with Standard Liege and continued to find the back of the net on a fairly regular basis from a wide position. He managed to provide the Seagulls with 20 goals and 16 assists in 64 appearances as he got them into the Premier League.

Marcelo Bielsa was rumoured to have looked to bring the 27-year-old to Elland Road in January, although Andy Naylor of The Argus had stated there was no truth in the speculation.

Fulham have since snapped up Knockaert on a season-long loan deal, with a view to a permanent acquisition, and he has continued to show glimpses of the quality he has at Championship level, having recorded two goals in his eight appearances so far, averaging 2.4 shots per match, two key passes and 1.8 successful dribbles (WhoScored).

Perhaps, the Frenchman is one individual that Leeds simply missed out on when they had the chance to sign him.

Leeds fans, do you think the club made a mistake when missing out on Knockaert? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them in the comments section below!

Tottenham fans react as Paulo Dybala scores stunning Juventus goal

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur fans on Twitter have reacted after reported target Paulo Dybala produced a ‘wow’ moment against Inter Milan on Sunday.

Spurs looked to be close to bringing the Juventus attacker to north London on the final day of the summer transfer window, before a deal eventually collapsed due to image rights issues, as reported by Goal.

The 25-year-old, rated at £76.5m by Transfermarkt, found first-team starts hard to come by under Maurizio Sarri right at the beginning of the season, while he has only been a substitute for both of their Champions League fixtures to date.

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However, he made his fourth successive Serie A start at the San Siro at the weekend, and made an almost instant impact with a brilliant drilled effort from the corner of the penalty area in the early stages of the clash in Milan.

It was a strike that didn’t go unnoticed by Tottenham supporters on the popular social media platform, and it is no surprise they are watching how the forward is getting on given how badly their own team is faring right now.

One individual summed it up when he said “Paulo Dybala reminding Daniel Levy what Tottenham Hotspur are missing out on”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Sheffield Wednesday fans discuss James Beattie’s potential arrival

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

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New Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk has confirmed that Lee Bullen will remain part of his backroom staff after beginning the season as caretaker boss, guiding the club to 11th in the Championship.

The Star are reporting that the former Birmingham City boss could go back to his old club in order to lure away James Beattie to add to his Wednesday coaching team.

Beattie joined the Blues on the same day as Monk when he was appointed as their manager back in March 2018 and still remains at the club under their current caretaker boss Pep Clotet.

The potential move could cause quite the stir in south Yorkshire as the 41-year-old enjoyed two spells at arch-rivals Sheffield United between 2007 and 2009, and for one season in 2011/12.

Several fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts about the possibility of the ex-Premier League striker coming to Hillsborough.

One claimed it would be a good move considering what he has done for strikers at other clubs with another supporter referencing his work with the likes of Chris Wood and Che Adams.

Beattie has followed Monk at every club to date so it would seem likely that he could end up at Wednesday at some point soon.

A further member of the Hillsborough support called Beattie a pig, however, which was backed up by one more who said Monk had made a rod for his own back if results weren’t to go to plan.

Here’s the best of the reaction…

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Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl deserves credit for duo’s impact

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

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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…

It can often be a tricky task to reintegrate a player into your squad after shipping them out on loan, especially if they aren’t regarded as an up-and-coming youngster in need of game time.

In Ralph Hasenhuttl’s case, he found two cases of this exact situation at his doorstep this summer when Sofiane Boufal and Cedric Soares returned from their loan spells at Celta Vigo and Inter Milan respectively.

Did they enjoy their time away and want to go back? Would they potentially still be bitter about being loaned out in the first place? How would they react to not being a guaranteed starter from the off?

These could all have been questions on the mind of Hasenhuttl this summer, but he deserves a lot of credit for the way in which he has gone about reintegrating the duo.

Boufal, a then club-record £16m capture from Lille, had made 59 appearances for the Saints before leaving for La Liga, so he was by no means a total outcast with no future at the club before he left.

In Cedric’s case, the Portugal international had appeared 119 times for the club before leaving for Italy.

Since the pair of them returned this summer, Hasenhuttl has slowly eased them back into the fold in professional, and admirable, fashion.

Neither Boufal or Cedric started a game this term until the Carabao Cup match against Fulham, but the pair of them have since started back-to-back Premier League games under Hasenhuttl.

The former RB Leipzig boss spoke of his delight at Boufal’s performance in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United, while Cedric revealed that he was “very happy to be back” after the recent 1-0 win over Sheffield United.

Incidentally, it was Boufal who was strongly linked with a St Mary’s exit back in the summer window, only for the mercurial talent to take to his own Twitter account and commit himself to the Saints.

He was handed an opportunity to impress from the first whistle in the aforementioned Carabao Cup game against Fulham, where Hasenhuttl was left “convinced” by Boufal after the final whistle had sounded – he earned a start against Manchester United for his efforts, and it’s safe to say the former Lille man grabbed his chance with both hands as the Saints earned a 1-1 draw. He also laid on an assist in the 1-0 win over Sheffield United at the weekend.

In terms of Cedric’s impact, he too was handed a chance to impress against the Cottagers following talk of a move to Monaco in the summer window, and he has since managed to regain his place in the team having started against United and the Blades.

The pair’s return to the fold has yielded a total of four points from a possible six, while their efforts against Fulham saw the Saints rewarded with a trip to arch-rivals Portsmouth in the next round.

Things could have gone one of two ways for the pair this summer with their futures at St Mary’s uncertain, but Hasenhuttl deserves huge credit for keeping them focused and reintegrating them as well as he has done.

The most likely Premier League transfers to happen before Thursday's deadline

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

The clock’s ticking and as always at this time of year, clubs are rushing around like headless chickens looking for last minute deals.

There isn’t a single club who isn’t being tipped to complete some late January business before the window slams shut on Thursday evening, with so many managers still desperate to strengthen their squads ahead of the final run-in of fixtures this season.

You’ve only got to look at any of the live transfer feeds around the internet to know that we haven’t seen the last of the business being done this month, with a number of huge deals touted to go through.

Will Solskjaer dip in to the market to make his United team even more unbeatable? Can Sarri bring in another attacker to complement Higuain in Chelsea’s attack?

Will West Ham go ahead of break another club-record transfer before the weekend? Here’s a look at the most likely deals expected to go through before Thursday’s deadline, and some of them will get fans very, very excited…

Vincent Janssen – Cardiff, Boro, Wolves, Burnley

A switch to China is currently the most likely of destinations for the Dutch striker, who is hoping to bring an end to a nightmare spell at Tottenham. Cardiff (9/1), Middlesbrough (12/1), Wolves (2/1) and Burnley (4/1) are currently the leading favourite English clubs, according to the bookies.

Youri Tielemans – Leicester City

Soccer Football – Ligue 1 – Monaco vs Montpellier – Stade Louis II, Monaco – December 1, 2018 AS Monaco’s Youri Tielemans celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Reports this week have linked Leicester with a move for Belgian wonderkid Tielemans. It’s believed, with a number of midfielders being allowed to leave the King Power Stadium this month, funds have been freed up in order for Puel to make a move for the youngster.

Gelson Martins- Newcastle

Newcastle being linked with anyone these days doesn’t normally lead to a deal being done but reports over the last few days suggest Rafa Benitez may just be able to secure a few deals before the window shuts. Gelson Martins is one of the favourites to sign for the Magpies before Thursday. Watch this space.

Adrien Rabiot – Spurs

The Frenchman is in to the final six months of his PSG contract and therefore is able to start discussing personal terms with other clubs. Tottenham have reportedly already made an offer to Rabiot and we wouldn’t be surprised to see him being brought in to replace the departed Mousa Dembele. He’s as short as 3/1 with some bookies to agree a move to North London.

Nathan Ake – Chelsea

This would be classic Chelsea, but it does seem as though Sarri is interested in bringing Nathan Ake to Stamford Bridge. He’d cost a fair whack financially but it’s no secret the Blues need to tighten up defensively and it’s believed they’re lining up a huge bid before the window closes.

Michy Batshuayi – Crystal Palace, Everton

Higuain’s arrival last weekend has all but ended the Belgium international’s Stamford Bridge career, but there shouldn’t be a shortage of suitors ready to offer him a way out. Crystal Palace (4/1) and Everton (2/1 are currently the favourites among the English clubs interested in him, but Spurs, West Ham, Watford, Southampton and Fulham are all considering late moves.

Bradley Dack – West Ham, Burnley

Bradley Dack has been smashing it in the Championship for Blackburn, so it’s no surprise to see him being linked with a move to the Premier League. It’s widely expected that he’ll be rocking up in Stratford before the month is out, with the Hammers the bookies’ favourites to sign him at 4/1, while Burnley are priced at 10/1 to complete a deal.

Gary Cahill – Crystal Palace, Fulham, Arsenal

Gary Cahill, once a mainstay stalwart of dominant Chelsea teams gone by, is widely expected to leave the Blues in January and despite his age, there does seem to be some concrete interest in his signature. Crystal Palace (9/4), Fulham (3/1), Arsenal (10/3) and even Aston Villa (4/1) are all battling for his signature this week.

Nicolo Barella – Man United, Chelsea

The 21-year-old Cagliari midfielder is quite rightly attracting interest in some of Europe’s biggest clubs, but it’s Man United and Chelsea who are both leading the chase to sign him this week. The bookies currently have Chelsea down as the favourites at 4/1 but reports suggest the youngster would prefer a move to Old Trafford. Keep an eye on this one!

Che Adams – Southampton, Burnley

Che Adams can’t stop scoring for Birmingham in the Championship, so it’s little wonder Southampton and Burnley have been keeping close tabs on him this month. Both Premier League clubs have struggled for goals this term so expect Adams to be rocking up at one of these clubs come Thursday evening.

Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal takes optimistic standpoint in recent interview

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

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…

Real Madrid’s Dani Carvajal recently did an interview for Radio Marca and Cope’s El Partidazo and he talked about the team’s struggles, some transfer news and about everyone’s expectations of Los Blancos.

But one particular quote from the whole interview really did explain Real Madrid’s current situation and their troubles over the weekend rather perfectly. Here’s what he said:

“There’s always talk of a revolution, but at a team like Real Madrid, where everyone wants to be and not everyone wants to leave, it’s not easy.

“People might think that we’ve drawn two times in three games so the ghosts of last year are returning. But the feeling on the inside isn’t bad.

“It’s true that we need to be more blunt in attack and defence, but we’ll do big things again.”

And this is really the gist of the whole issue: a revolution is expected because Real Madrid are struggling on the pitch.

We are only three games into the new season and, granted, the results could’ve been better, but everyone has been too eager to write the Galacticos off without giving them some time.

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Maybe a revolution is indeed what they are craving but, as Carvajal put it himself, that is rather difficult to achieve at a club of Real Madrid’s size.

The squad, however, need to be given time to find their groove once again and with Zidane at the helm, we know they’re capable of those “big things” the 27-year-old is talking about.

Everyone is screaming for a revolution and no one seems to understand it’s impossible to achieve one overnight.

Not only has Carvajal hit the nail squarely on the head with that one in regard to Real’s latest fixture, but it’s largely true for their current situation as a whole.

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Spurs table offer Mensah offer

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

Speaking to Football Insider, N17 club source and Tottenham Hotspur ‘insider’ John Wenham, who regularly breaks news on his Lilywhites Rose social media account, has shared his own update on Peterborough defender Benjamin Mensah.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Mensah move…

In the last week, news came to light of Tottenham’s interest in the Posh full-back with Sky Sports (via the72) first lifting the lid on an enquiry from by managing director Fabio Paratici.

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Following on from the story, the Championship side’s own Director of Football, Barry Fry, confirmed that he has ‘talked to Tottenham’ – but the initial approach was swiftly turned down.

The Latest: Insider shares update…

Sharing an update, Wenham has explained that Spurs have indeed made an ‘offer’ to sign Mensah but he is certainly one for the future.

However, the fact Tottenham have tabled a proposal shows how serious the club is about signing the talented teenager.

“He’s very much one for the future,” Wenham explained to Football Insider.

“As I understand it, we have made an offer. He has only made a few appearances for their first team.

“I imagine if he did come this month he would be loaned straight back to Peterborough for the remainder of the season.

“I also imagine many ‘football twitter’ accounts would react to the news of him arriving with something like ‘who is he?’

“This is certainly one for the future and someone our scouts have found on their travels.

“The fact we have made an offer tells me there is a strong interest in getting this deal done before someone else signs him.”

The Verdict: Exciting prospect?Having only just signed his professional contract, Mensah has already earned rave reviews from former Manchester United man and current Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson.The 49-year-old called Mensah ‘aggressive’ and ‘excellent’ in one-vs-one situations and went on to explain that he possesses all the best traits required in a modern-day full-back.This could pinpoint a really promising future player for Spurs and we believe it is a move they should certainly attempt to get over the line as they also work on more key first team additions.In other news: Conte green-lights move for £220,000-per-week ‘jewel’ as he lays out transfer demand for Spurs chiefs, find out more here.

Wolves in Traore exit talks with Spurs

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

With only a handful of days left until the latest January transfer window draws to a close, it seems as though this will be a crucial time for Wolves and the future of one of their key players.

What’s the latest?

According to a recent Twitter post from journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to push on and secure a deal for Wolves winger Adama Traore.

Romano also added that “talks will re-start with Wolves to enter into final details & reach the agreement” and that the north London club are “confident” that they will sign the Spaniard.

In full, he said: “Tottenham are prepared to push on Adama Traoré deal starting from today. Talks will re-start with Wolves to enter into final details & reach the agreement. Club confident to complete the new signing.”

Lage will be sweating

In 154 appearances for Wolves across all competitions since joining the Midlands club back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Middlesbrough in a deal worth a reported fee of £18m, Traore has scored 11 goals and provided 18 assists in the process, highlighting his importance to the team with the number of games he’s played for them.

With 20 league appearances under his belt this season and an overall performance rating of 6.94/10 listing him as Wolves’ fifth-highest rated player according to WhoScored, his departure from the Old Gold this month would be a big blow for Lage.

Having entered the final week of the January transfer window, Lage will surely be sweating over whether or not he will have Traore in his squad for the remainder of the season and if he will have to look for a potential replacement before the window closes.

If the winger does leave Molineux in the coming days and Wolves don’t sign another winger before the end of the month, Lage could then have to rely on Pedro Neto being able to hit the ground running and keep his fitness up for the remainder of the season when he eventually recovers from his knee injury.

Or, with Chiquinho coming in earlier this month, Traore’s potential exit could pave the way for him to come into the team and show Lage what he’s made of.

Either way, the best thing Wolves could do if they do sell him this month would be to get at least the £18m they paid for him back from Tottenham and use that money to strengthen their squad.

In other news: Lage offers update on the future of 25-y/o gem, Wolves fans will be delighted

Everton could axe Gomes with Zakaria

by z3u9t.icu Uncategorized

With Everton having won five, drawn four and lost eight of their 17 Premier League games so far this season, the upcoming January transfer window could provide Rafa Benitez with the opportunity to make some changes to his squad to help them turn their fortunes around and end the season on a high.

In a recent transfer mailbag report on Everton from The Athletic, they claimed that there are “whispers of interest” from the Merseyside club in signing Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria.

Since joining Monchengladbach back in the 2017 summer transfer window from Young Boys, the 25-year-old, who is currently valued at £24.3m according to Transfermarkt has made a total of 144 appearances across all competitions, scoring 11 goals and providing eight assists along the way.

Labelled as a “complete” player by former Monchengladbach manager Marco Rose, Zakaria has been likened to Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos in terms of his playing style by Lothar Matthaus.

If these reported whispers of interest were to come to fruition next month, not only would this give the Toffees the chance to sign a midfielder that has some Champions League experience under his belt, but it could also give them the chance to get rid of current Everton midfielder Andre Gomes at the same time.

With a significant injury record and an uninspiring overall season rating of 6.2/10 according to WhoScored, making him one of Everton’s lowest-rated players in the Premier League this season, it could be time to call an end to his time at Goodison Park, especially if they manage to secure the signing of Zakaria.

It’s not just this season that Gomes has failed to impress at Everton either with journalist Chris Beesley highlighting how much the midfielder was “struggling” in the team last season.

Taking all of this into account, Everton should definitely explore the possibility of signing Zakaria in January to see if he can perform alongside the likes of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure in their midfield and possibly bring an end to Gomes’ career with the Toffees if they are able to find a club that would be willing to buy him.

In other news: Big boost: Benitez drops exciting Everton claim that’ll leave fans buzzing – opinion

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