All posts by z3u9t.icu

After suffering a defeat in the Old Firm derby a few weeks ago, the international break came at exactly the right time for Celtic and Ange Postecoglou.

After a frantic transfer window, it has given the Hoops some time to rethink, re-energise and nail down the new manager’s tactics.

It has also served as an adjustment period for some of their new faces who haven’t been able to settle in as quickly as a player like Kyogo Furuhashi has.

Though, some other individuals, including Josip Juranovic, have been on international duty.

Juranovic got his first taste of life at Celtic in that defeat to Rangers but was playing out of position due to an injury to Greg Taylor.

He didn’t disappoint, however, and still looked promising in the final third.

The new signing is a right-back by trade and his performances over the course of the international break have demonstrated why Postecoglou needs to unleash him in that third of the pitch going forward.

Juranovic has been part of a Croatian backline who haven’t conceded in any of their three matches over the last few weeks but his best performance was arguably in the final clash on Tuesday.

His national team beat Slovenia 3-0 and although the defender didn’t play a role in any of the goals, his infectious attitude down the right caused the opposition huge problems.

The 26-year-old barely played in his own half at all. Instead, he collected the ball and drove forward to utilise one of his most dangerous weapons; crossing.

During the course of the game, Juranovic was relatively untested but he still prevailed in 100% of his defensive duels.

It was his attacking metrics that will have left his club manager drooling, though. The full-back registered three key passes and also produced three successful crosses from six attempts.

On top of that, Celtic’s number 88 was extremely comfortable in possession, something that will no doubt please Postecoglou. He completed 89% of his passes as Croatia wrapped up a routine victory in Split.

Anthony Ralston has been in excellent form this season with two unexpected goals to his name from defence. However, it surely won’t be long before he’s usurped again in the pecking order.

As Juranovic has shown over the last week or so, he is too good to play out of position.

AND in other news, “We understand” – Sky Sports journo drops exciting Celtic news, fans surely buzzing…

Chris Wilder is interested in the possibility of taking over at Nottingham Forest.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Alan Nixon’s report in The Sun, with the journalist claiming that the former Sheffield United manager would be interested in taking over from Chris Hughton at the City Ground – should the 62-year-old be relieved of his duties.

The report goes on to state that Wilder has not been in employment since leaving the Blades in March this year, despite having been linked with a number of Championship clubs in the summer, such as Swansea City and West Bromwich Albion.

Murphy must act

After what has been a disastrous start to Forest’s 2021/22 Championship campaign, with the Reds having picked up a single point over their opening six fixtures of the season, even the most ardent of Hughton supporters must now be thinking the time is right for the Irishman to move on.

And, with Wilder appearing keen on taking over from the former Brighton & Hove Albion manager, it would seem a highly advisable move for Dane Murphy to take advantage of the 53-year-old’s interest, as he’d be a major coup for the Garibaldi.

Indeed, despite a disappointing final season with Sheffield United last term, Wilder’s work in transforming the Blades from a side languishing in League One, firstly to a top-half Championship side, then into a Premier League promotion-winning side, all in the space of three seasons, is exactly the profile of manager the Forest CEO should be trying to bring into the club.

There are clear comparisons that can be drawn between United prior to Wilder’s arrival and the current state of Forest, with both clubs being historically big teams with huge fanbases but were/are massive underperforming on their potential.

As such, with the sacking of Hughton very much looking to be a matter of when rather than if, it would appear a very wise move for Murphy to pull the trigger on the 62-year-old’s dismissal, and to subsequently appoint the man Don Hutchison claimed is an “outstanding” manager as quickly as possible, in order to limit the distance currently between the Reds and the rest of the Championship.

In other news: Journalist reveals NFFC talks for “outstanding” £1.8m-rated ace, he’d be a major coup

Some Everton fans have been left blasting the display of Alex Iwobi as they went out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.

The Goodison Park faithful dropped out of the third round to Queens Park Rangers after a penalty shootout in which Tom Davies missed a decisive spot kick.

Lucas Digne and Andros Townsend had cancelled out two goals from Charlie Austin, but it was not enough as the Merseyside club crashed out of the competition.

Iwobi failed to take his chance to impress Rafa Benitez, as he lost out on seven of his duels, the joint-most out of his teammates, and also lost possession of the ball on no fewer than on 13 different occasions (Sofascore).

Given that he only had a mere 41 touches of the ball in total, the second-fewest out of any outfield Toffee to have started the game behind Andre Gomes (Sofascore), the former Arsenal man lost it roughly every 3.1 touches on average.

Everton fans on Iwobi display

These Blues blasted his performance on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘fraud’:

“Fair play that’s a tidy goal. Think VAR could’ve been interested in the offside call. Right what was needed. Iwobi dreadful finishing a few mins before”

Credit: @nickjones314

“Iwobi really is pretty average. Clear through 1 on 1, bottled it! Bang average player. Left-back showing him how to do it”

Credit: @andyb3303

“How has Iwobi not scored that? He’s dire”

Credit: @Paul_M__H

“The most baffling thing I’ve encountered in my life is people who can defend Alex Iwobi with a straight face, he’s absolutely useless.”

Credit: @NathanWoolley9

“Shocking performance mate, that miss by Iwobi was embarrassing”

Credit: @dazsimpson1

“Iwobi is an absolute fraud of a footballer. Needs binning off ASAP”

Credit: @KStaff1878

In other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano update has Evertonians talking here!

Danny Mills has made a bold transfer prediction about Rangers right-back Nathan Patterson…

What’s the talk?

Former England international Danny Mills has suggested that Rangers could sell Nathan Patterson for an initial fee of around £4m in January.

The Sun reported that Everton are keen on the full-back, who is said to be valued at £10m by Rangers, with Mills now believing that a lower figure could secure a deal.

He told Football Insider:

“It’s big money for someone is yet to prove it.

“It could be one of those where it’s £4million or £5million then it rises to £10million if he does x, y and z. That’s the way I’d always look to negotiate a deal as a buying club.

“He’s obviously a decent talent but at 19, he’s still got a lot to prove.”

Fans would be livid

Rangers chief Ross Wilson must avoid an Ibrox nightmare over Patterson following these quotes from Danny Mills on the full-back’s future. Fans would be livid if the club opted to sell him for an initial fee of £4m, given that he is a promising young player who still has three years left on his current contract.

He is not a player who is coming towards the end of his deal and could leave on a free transfer. This means that Rangers have the power in the situation and can afford to fight back against interest from elsewhere, which is why fans would be furious if they conceded defeat with Patterson and allowed a team like Everton to sign him for such a low initial fee.

The club’s head of academy Craig Mulholland once lauded the full-back, saying: “Nathan has been fantastic for us this year.

“Again, we started the project five, six, years ago to get a level of player that we felt could go and compete in the Europa League, could go and compete in Old Firm games.

“And if you go and look at Nathan in the last 16 of the Europa League, if you look at him in the Old Firm game, it’s a great example for all the young players in here of what we’re trying to achieve.”

He made four appearances in the Europa League last season, averaging a solid SofaSore rating of 6.85 and managed a score of 6.86 in seven Scottish Premiership outings. This shows that the 19-year-old could have the potential to develop into a solid player for the club, as he has already shown signs of promise as a teenager.

Therefore, fans will surely be wanting to see him fulfill his potential at Ibrox rather than leaving to go to England with Everton, especially for an initial fee that is £6m less than the club’s reported asking price.

That is why Wilson must hold his ground and work hard to keep Patterson at the club unless his valuation is met in full.

AND in other news, 67% duels lost: Rangers lightweight let Gerrard down badly vs Motherwell…

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has confirmed that Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw has suffered a major injury setback.

What’s the story?

The midfielder only recently returned to first-team action for Marcelo Bielsa’s side following a considerable period of time out injured, and Hay has now revealed that he is set for another spell on the side-lines.

He said: “Raphinha indicated during the game that he needed to come off. Forshaw not in the squad today – he’s torn a leg muscle, Bielsa says. Probably looking at a month out but no real timeframe yet. #lufc”

Leeds fans will be fuming

While Leeds fans will no doubt be sympathetic to Forshaw’s wretched luck with injuries, what they surely won’t be happy about is the fact the club didn’t spend a penny on a new central midfielder in the summer transfer window.

Reports linked them with a move for Huddersfield Town’s Lewis O’Brien but their haggling over a transfer fee meant that the Whites pulled out before transfer deadline day.

That decision not to spend on a new midfielder and retain their faith in Bielsa’s current options seems to have back-fired massively, with the Whites now currently lying in the bottom three of the Premier League table.

Writing for The Athletic earlier this summer, Hay actually backed Forshaw to enjoy a redemption season this year, saying: “Can his body hold up? Could he adapt quickly to the pace of the Premier League? The thing about Forshaw is that he is one of Bielsa’s favourite players at Leeds; someone who Bielsa has genuinely been heard to describe privately as having the right attributes for a Champions League side.”

But now, with him set to be out for a month or perhaps even longer given there’s no real timeframe just yet, Leeds’ midfield options look very bare to say the least.

Meanwhile, Victor Orta can fix his biggest Leeds howler with this star…

Tottenham Hotspur got back to winning ways in the Premier League this weekend and that would have eased the pressure on under-fire boss Nuno Santo.

But a huge claim has since emerged that is sure to leave much of the Lilywhites faithful absolutely buzzing…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Spurs are in a “strong position” on the 47-year-old head coach, whether he succeeds or not.

“The Athletic understands [Nuno’s] 2yr contract includes [a] clause allowing #THFC to release him after 1yr (next summer) without paying compensation if he does not secure a top6 finish,” the reliable journalist tweeted.

In the accompanying column, he goes onto explain how chairman Daniel Levy successfully inserted such a clause in the Portuguese’s contract, should their season not go to plan.

It’s believed that should Nuno fail to reach the top-six this season, Spurs would be able to sack him halfway through his two-year deal.

Smart decision

This is a win-win for Tottenham and it is an interesting development that will surely leave many around N17 happy.

Either Nuno leads them to European qualification, much to the delight of the fans as it’s a step in the right direction, or the club can part ways without having to fork out expensive compensation, as they had to with Jose Mourinho last time.

Some reports suggested that it cost Spurs around £15m to get rid of the ‘Special One’ back in April.

The north Londoners reignited their season on Sunday, defeating Aston Villa 2-1 at home, having suffered three straight heavy defeats. It was the first time they had scored more than once in the Premier League this term and the first time in weeks that they hadn’t conceded three goals in one game.

It hands life to Nuno, who was reportedly already under pressure after such poor form.

However, many have never been behind the appointment of the former Wolves boss – prior to his arrival, a ‘No to Nuno’ campaign was trending on Twitter, meaning there were more than enough accounts on social media making their voice heard, whilst this update from Ornstein has left many rather pleased.

As relayed by This is Futbol, one supporter claimed Levy was a “genius” for inserting such a clause, whilst another suggested it was “good news” for a Monday but these were just two among plenty of others.

On the above evidence, this behind-the-scenes update has come as positive news to many around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Nuno and his squad will be looking to build on the weekend’s victory when they return from international duty in just under two weeks time.

AND in other news, Nuno could save Levy millions by unleashing Spurs’ “bright” 20 y/o prodigy this season…

Luke Edwards has now revealed some insight into Newcastle United’s boardroom plan after a breakthrough in the proposed takeover from the Saudi consortium.

The Lowdown: Not long to wait

Sky Sports have been reporting since this morning that an announcement on the takeover is imminent, which will no doubt bring joy to the Toon Army after years of waiting.

It is not clear yet whether the likes of Steve Bruce and Lee Charnley will definitely be shown the exit door once the deal is completed, but there is certainly likely to be a restructure in the North East club’s hierarchy.

The Latest: Different looking board?

According to Edwards, he is ‘hearing’ that the board that was in place in April 2020 to take over the Tyneside outfit may now be a different looking one, following the expected confirmation of the takeover.

The Daily Telegraph journalist also expects that there will be a slow build up of control.

The Verdict: Interesting

It will no doubt be interesting to see which members of the board stay after the takeover is confirmed, as well as who else comes in.

The new owners will want to make their mark straight away, and so there may well be an initial exodus followed by their own appointments.

However, as Edwards points out, any changes are likely be gradual as they ease their way into NUFC, before they can really start acting on their transfer targets and long-term goals for the entire club.

In other news, find out what Liam Kennedy has heard about Bruce and Charnley’s futures after the takeover here!

A number of Liverpool supporters have erupted at the confirmation that Alisson and Fabinho will miss Saturday’s clash with Watford.

The Reds make the trip to Vicarage Road this weekend, kicking off the latest round of Premier League action.

Jurgen Klopp’s men know that a win will put his team top of the table, as they look to get back to winning ways after the 2-2 draw with Manchester City last time around.

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Unfortunately, the Reds will have to make do without two of their most important players in Alisson and Fabinho, both of whom have been off representing Brazil on international duty.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday [via Pearce on Twitter], Klopp said that the duo are unavailable for Saturday’s game and will instead fly straight to Spain ahead of the Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

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Liverpool fans react to James Pearce tweet

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their frustration at the ‘absolutely farcical’ update, responding directly to Pearce’s post:

“Abolish international football”

Credit: @aTribeCalledDan

“It’s a farce that it’s come to this but the right decision regardless, let them rest and not run them (specifically Fabinho) into the ground”

Credit: @LFCJosh23

“EPL governing body should do better, this is an absolute shambles!”

Credit: @jaytzo

“Lump on Watford”

Credit: @GeorgeWormald

“This is absolutely farcical”

Credit: @ChrisHewittLFC

“Noooo”

Credit: @KSFLFC

“It could have been worse, but still this is a joke”

Credit: @__DavidLFC

In other news, some Liverpool fans have reacted to an update regarding Jude Bellingham. Read more here.

Plenty of Liverpool supporters have been reacting to a video clip of Reds supporters celebrating Mohamed Salah’s incredible goal against Watford, which left some Kopites “in awe” of his brilliance.

Jurgen Klopp’s men were imperious on Saturday afternoon, destroying the Hornets at Vicarage Road and romping to a 5-0 victory. Roberto Firmino scored a hat-trick on the day and Sadio Mane also found the net, but the occasion once again belonged to Salah.

The 29-year-old registered a sublime assist for Mane’s goal before scoring a sensational solo effort in the second half, weaving in and out of tackles and firing into the net.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375258″]

It was the latest iconic Salah moment following on from his sublime strike against Manchester City a fortnight ago, and on Monday, Liverpool’s official Twitter account posted footage of Reds fans reacting to the goal in the away end.

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Liverpool fans love Salah goal footage

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to show their love for the video, as Salah continues to cement his reputation as arguably the best player in the world at the moment.

“What a video!!!!!”

Credit: @nevjamo

“Absolutely beautiful”

Credit: @aadel81

“Love this!”

Credit: @rab08lfc

“It was a joy to be a part of this, what a goal!”

Credit: @tedthered77

“In awe of Mo’s magic. Never ever forget this, Reds!”

Credit: @Eddie_250

“That second gasp! Then the release…pure joy!”

Credit: @dogdaddy_

In other news, some Liverpool fans are unhappy over one Reds injury update. Read more here.

From their opening nine Premier League games of the season, Liverpool have only conceded six goals thanks to the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, and Ibrahima Konate, who have all played their part in the Merseyside club’s blistering start to the season from a defensive point of view among others.

However, with Van Dijk and Matip both having hit the age of 30, the Reds will have to make sure they find sufficient replacements for the duo when they eventually depart Anfield.

One player the Reds currently have in their youth ranks who we feel could be a good replacement for Van Dijk in the future is centre-back Tom Clayton.

As a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, the 21-year-old has made 28 appearances for their under-18 side, scoring one goal in the process, as well as playing 45 times for the under-23 side, scoring three goals and providing one assist.

Clayton hailed as a “leader” – just like Van Dijk

Clayton, who has been described as a “leader” by under-23s coach Barry Lewtas, has yet to make his senior debut for Liverpool.

So far this season, he has played the full 90 minutes in all of Liverpool under-23s’ league games prior to their match against Blackburn Rovers, donning the captain’s armband on all but two occasions and swapping between centre-back and the defensive midfield position.

This shows just how important he is to the team, partly explaining why he has been praised for his leadership qualities and why he could be the heir apparent to Van Dijk in Klopp’s first team, considering that the Dutchman has been praised for his leadership skills by Reds captain Jordan Henderson in the past.

Moving forward, while it may be difficult for Clayton to get much senior playing time anytime soon considering the centre-backs in Liverpool’s senior squad at the moment, we feel that his time to shine in the first team could come soon and that he has what it takes to show why he could be a regular figure for them in the future who can provide leadership from the back.

If he makes the breakthrough and lives up to his early promise, he could also save the club millions in the transfer market, as he may well eliminate the need for FSG to splash out on an expensive centre-back.

In other news: Signed for £34m, now worth £76.5m: FSG hit the jackpot with “unbelievable” LFC star