All posts by z3u9t.icu

In a game marred by a bad injury to Harvey Elliott, Leeds United endured yet another disappointing afternoon in the Premier League as they lost 3-0 at home to Liverpool.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side went two goals behind before Pascal Struijk was sent off for his challenge on Elliott, and Sadio Mane would later rub salt into the wounds in the dying embers of the game.

While Struijk’s tackle and whether it was deserving of a red card will no doubt the main talking point – Gary Neville on co-commentary for Sky Sports insisted that the severity of the injury swayed the decision – it was Jack Harrison’s performance that let Bielsa down the most.

The winger has endured a frustrating campaign thus far, failing to score or assist in the Premier League at all, and was once again well below-par at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon.

As per Sofascore, he lost four of the five duels that he was involved in, made just 15 passes (less than Illan Meslier) and conceded possession on ten separate occasions – only three others lost the ball more, but they all played the full 90 minutes.

Harrison also had no shots on goal and saw only one of his four crosses meet its intended target, and perhaps much more frustratingly, seemed to leave left-back Junior Firpo high and dry on many occasions.

Whether it was a ploy from Bielsa to have him stay upfield to try and keep Trent Alexander-Arnold back or not, it back-fired spectacularly, with Harrison failing to come back and help out his left-back – he made no tackles or interceptions as Firpo was left to deal with Liverpool’s rampaging right-hand side, and he didn’t really lay a glove on the excellent Mohamed Salah.

It was no surprise then that he was eventually hooked mid-way through the second-half – the second time he has gone off this season – with Dan James coming on, and with the former Manchester United now in the building, Harrison has a real job on his hands to keep his place in the starting XI.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a five, saying: “Did not give Alexander-Arnold a headache going in either direction throughout the game. Had the odd half-opening in the final third, but never found the delivery or final act to turn it into something dangerous.”

So while Struijk’s red card might open him up to some criticism, it was Harrison’s woeful performance on the left that arguably made him Leeds’ real villain on the day.

Meanwhile, Leeds are plotting a January transfer swoop for this star…

Liverpool have started 2021/22 excellently and their season could be about to receive another significant boost as talismanic attacked Mohamed Salah is now expected to sign a new contract.

What’s the story?

The 29-year-old’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023 and he has occasionally openly flirted with the idea of moving to Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

However, Salah now appears set to extend his stay at Anfield after entering negotiations over fresh terms several weeks ago.

And now, journalist Mark Jones has provided an update on the flying winger’s situation, claiming he expects him to put pen to paper on a new contract.

He said: “He can be a force of nature, really. I mean, in terms of his future as well, I mean, I think he’s probably missed that boat in terms of a potential move to Real Madrid or Barcelona,” said Jones on the from the Mirror Football YouTube channel (as relayed by This is Futbol).

“I know there are contract negotiations still going on, but I expect him to sign one pretty soon and he’ll go on and get even more goals.”

Liverpool fans will be buzzing

In 208 appearances for the Anfield outfit, Salah has bagged 129 goals and provided a further 49 assists, firing Jurgen Klopp’s charges towards the Champions League crown, Premier League title, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

And while many of his teammates struggled last season, he was one of few shining lights for Liverpool, continuing to put the ball in the back of the net with alarming regularity.

Therefore, news that Salah is expected to remain on Merseyside for many years to come will certainly have the supporters buzzing with excitement.

The former AS Roma ace reached a landmark total of 100 Premier League goals after scoring in the 3-0 victory over Leeds United last time out, and he’ll be hoping to inspire his side to more success this season.

Salah will be following in the footsteps of several high-profile first-team stars in penning new deals at Liverpool this year, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Alisson Becker, Jordan Henderson, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson all doing the same.

And, in other news…Zero key passes, lost 50% of his duels: Liverpool ace flopped on the CL stage 

Liverpool will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to 2021/22 when they host Crystal Palace in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Reds came from behind to defeat AC Milan in midweek to make it four wins in five games in all competitions in the opening weeks of the new season.

It’s a result which will have been particularly pleasing for manager Jurgen Klopp after he rotated his side for the Champions League fixture, and it should mean he has plenty of fresh legs to call upon for Palace’s visit.

However, one player who won’t be available is Roberto Firmino. The striker picked up a hamstring injury against Chelsea, and Klopp confirmed that the 29-year-old is still #unavailable.

“He’s not ready. Bobby won’t start training with the team until some time next week. Then we will have to wait and see,” the German said in yesterday’s press conference.

Teenager Harvey Elliott joined the Brazil international on the treatment table after suffering a dislocated ankle against Leeds United, but the duo are currently the absentees for 19-time English champions.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects Klopp to line up at Anfield, with four changes from the side which saw off Milan on Wednesday…

In goal, the virtually ever-present Alisson Becker will keep his place between the sticks after keeping three clean sheets already this campaign.

Ahead of the South American shot-stopper may well be a much-changed back four from last time out. While full-backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are expected to start in their usual slots, a new centre-back partnership could be formed.

Klopp started Joel Matip and the £27m-rated Joe Gomez against Milan, but the pair could make way for Virgil van Dijk and summer signing Ibrahima Konate, allowing the 22-year-old to make his Liverpool debut alongside the assured Dutchman.

The engine room is likely to see Naby Keita make way for Thiago after the Guinean’s underwhelming showing in midweek, with Fabinho and captain Jordan Henderson completing the midfield.

In attack, Sadio Mane should return to the starting line-up alongside Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah, while Origi drops back to the bench following a rare start on Wednesday.

In other news… Signed for free, sold for £19m: Edwards sealed a big Liverpool masterclass in 24y/o flop 

Celtic reporter Kieran Devlin has claimed Ange Postecoglou is a big fan of Hoops youngster Adam Montgomery.

The Lowdown: Montgomery’s season

Montgomery has been used on multiple occasions during the current campaign, making 11 appearances in all competitions so far.

He’s featured in 437 minutes of action, taking his Celtic career tally to 509 in 13 games.

The versatile left-sided teenager, who was on just £30-a-week last season, has remained fit following injuries to Greg Taylor and Josip Juranovic, with Postecoglou also using Boli Bolingoli at left-back in recent weeks.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-14/” title=”Celtic updates!!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Devlin’s claim

Devlin, Celtic’s correspondent for The Athletic, shared a story on Monday, looking at the club’s left-back mess.

Within his report, he claimed that Montgomery is highly rated by Postecoglou at Lennoxtown, however, the Hoops boss is wary of managing the 19-year-old’s time on the pitch.

Devlin claims that there is the impression Montgomery could be viewed as the long-term solution at left-back, with Postecoglou believing he is predominantly a left-back rather than a winger.

The Verdict: Time for a league start?

All but two of Montgomery’s appearances this season have come as a left-back, so after the Hoops’ Europa League clash with Bayer Leverkusen in the week, perhaps it is time to hand the youngster a first Scottish Premiership start.

Celtic have seen first-hand with Stephen Welsh how a Hoops youngster can impress when given the opportunity, so a trip to Pittodrie against Aberdeen on the weekend could be an ideal chance for Montgomery to prove his worth from the off.

In other news: ‘I have never heard’ – McLeish baffled by something happening behind the scenes at Celtic. 

West Ham United return to Europa League group stage action later this evening as they host Austrian outfit Rapid Wien at the London Stadium.

David Moyes and his side will be buoyed by their last-gasp victory over Leeds United on Sunday afternoon after their fine form in 2021 continued.

The Irons kickstarted their quest for European glory with a bang two weeks ago, defeating Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 in their own back yard and one of the standout performers from that game must start in east London tonight.

Issa Diop has often struggled for consistency since arriving in a then club-record £22m deal from Toulouse in June 2018.

But his recent performances, whenever given a chance to start, have been rather impressive.

Once described a “monster” by former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, the 24-year-old centre-back has been restricted to only 15 league starts since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, as per Transfermarkt.

In Croatia, the French colossus recorded a squad-high three interceptions, constantly putting a stop to the opposition’s attack. They weren’t taken lightly considering the same players who knocked Spurs out of the Europa League last season.

He also registered two tackles, one clearance and one block as he arguably outshone match-winner Michail Antonio, as suggested by Football FanCast at the time.

Diop then followed up this display with another stunning outing, this time against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.

Irons assistant manager Stuart Pearce waxed lyrical about him after the game (via The Athletic):

“But I thought Diop was absolutely magnificent. The longer the game went on the more of a colossus he looked at the back and he’s still in relative terms, a very young man for a central defender so we’re absolutely delighted to have Issa at this club.”

Kurt Zouma’s arrival at the club this summer has seen the fellow countryman slip down the pecking order but with both Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson getting older and older into their 30s, he will be needed in the future.

He will also be called upon should either of the aforementioned trio pick up any injuries across the current campaign, so handing him further game time in an encounter like this could be super beneficial. It could be a game-changer for the rest of the season.

The £16.2m-rated beast must start at the London Stadium tonight.

AND in other news, Newman can end West Ham striker hunt with £18m-rated “goal king” scoring every 83 mins…

According to The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Harry Winks now wants a loan move away for the second half of this season – with the Lilywhites already making a decision.

The Lowdown: Winks outcasted…

Under former manager Jose Mourinho, the England international cut a bit-part figure when compared to his days under Mauricio Pochettino – starting just nine Premier League games over 2020/2021.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-updates/” title=”Spurs updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

That lead to links with a Spurs exit until reports suggested new boss Nuno Espirito Santo had been impressed with the 25-year-old at the very start of his N17 reign.

However, with Winks starting just one league match so far this season, it appears he is once again on the fringes of this Tottenham team as he eyes a possible move away.

The Latest: Winks decision made by Spurs…

As per The Sun, he wants to go out on loan for the second half of 2021/2022 for some much-needed game time – with the club already making a decision.

According to the outlet’s sources, Tottenham are ‘ready to block’ any attempt by Winks to leave mid-season despite his desire for first team football.

It is believed by Spurs that the homegrown academy product is still a ‘key back up member’ of the Nuno’s squad and believe he could play an important role over the congested New Year fixture schedule.

The Verdict: Wise move?

Amid the consistent international breaks and concerns over squad depth, this could be a wise move by Spurs as they delay entertaining a Winks exit until next summer.

Lauded as ‘amazing’ by Pochettino, the former Spurs boss even compared Winks to Barcelona legends Andreas Iniesta and Xavi (via talkSPORT).

The player has averaged a cool 90% pass accuracy in midfield since making his senior debut for Tottenham in 2014/2015 (WhoScored).

This highlights just how much he could be an asset to Nuno at a time where he will need the numbers in his squad.

In other news: Talks ongoing: Journalist hints at Spurs ‘agreement’ as he drops live TV transfer claim, find out more here.

Despite Liverpool heading into their latest Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid in rather good form having managed to not lose a single game across all competitions this season and putting five goals past Watford in their latest Premier League game, there are some concerns for Reds manager Jurgen Klopp ahead of the midweek match.

What’s the latest?

As well having Thiago Alcantara and Harvey Elliott out with injuries, it seems as though Klopp will have to make do with another one of his midfield options being unavailable for their midweek clash.

Even though he trained with the rest of his teammates on Monday, it has been confirmed that Reds midfielder Curtis Jones will not be included in the squad to face Atletico due to an injury he picked up during the recent international break with the England U21 side, which Klopp will not be happy with at all.

As a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, Jones made his senior debut for the Merseyside club back in January 2019 in an FA Cup defeat against Wolves. Since then, the 20-year-old, who is currently valued at £27m according to Transfermarkt, has made 53 appearances for Klopp’s side across all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing nine assists along the way.

So far this season, Jones has made six appearances for Liverpool across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists in the process, not only proving himself as a fairly regular senior midfield option for the Reds, which is why his latest injury issue would make him a big miss for the team in midweek given the other injuries they currently have in that area.

His form in their last Champions League match, supplying two goals v Porto, also proves why Klopp will be gutted to lose him.

In terms of who the manager could turn to for the match against Atletico to cover for Jones’ absence, we feel he could either stick with the likes of Naby Keita and James Milner who started against Watford at the weekend or bring in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who came on as a substitute in the second half of the match against the Hornets.

Either way, given the uncertainty of when exactly Thiago and Elliott will be back fit again, Klopp and everyone else at the club will undoubtedly be hoping that Jones will be able to get back to full fitness as soon as possible to offer the side an extra midfield option

In other news: Klopp starts Fabinho, £120k-p/w gem axed in 2 changes: Predicted Liverpool XI v Atleti – opinion

Following on from the latest international break, Manchester City were back in Premier League action on Saturday with a 2-0 victory over Burnley at The Etihad Stadium.

Goals from Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne were enough to seal the three points for Pep Guardiola’s side who now have a Champions League match against Club Brugge next on their fixture list in midweek.

In our view, it was Silva who was the standout player for City in the win over Sean Dyche’s side.

During his latest outing for the Manchester club, the Portuguese ace managed to have 85 touches in the match and racked up a passing accuracy percentage of 90%, demonstrating his composure in possession. He also won two ground duels as well as making one clearance, tackle and interception, showing just how important he was for the team as an attacking and defensive outlet.

All of this ultimately earned the 27-year-old, who is currently valued at £63m according to Transfermarkt, a solid overall match rating of 7.6/10, making him the second-highest rated City player on the day below De Bruyne according to SofaScore.

That was hardly surprising judging by his strike and the three key passes he played during City attacks.

Since joining the Manchester club from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco for a fee of £43m back in the 2017 summer transfer window, Silva has made 211 appearances for the Citizens across all competitions, scoring 37 goals, providing 44 assists and winning a range of team trophies.

So far this season, Silva has played in all but one of City’s Premier League matches, now with two goals under his belt with only Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias and Jack Grealish playing more league minutes than him, showing how much of a key asset he has been for the team in this campaign.

Given how Silva was linked with a move away from City over the recent summer transfer window, it seems as though the club should be thankful that they still have him available in their squad.

Moving forward, if Silva can continue playing well and regularly for City while picking up more goals along the way, he could definitely be a crucial figure for the team as they look to secure their Premier League title once again. On this evidence, he is certainly a hero to the manager.

In other news: Cost £0, now worth £72m, Pep has a future club legend in Man City’s “fearless” machine – opinion

A number of Wolves supporters have reacted negatively to an impressive clip from Nelson Semedo in training, with Saturday’s trip to Leeds fast approaching.

Bruno Lage’s side are riding on the crest of a wave at the moment, having won their last three Premier League matches in a row.

The victories over Southampton and Newcastle United were pleasing, but the 3-2 triumph at Aston Villa last weekend was particularly memorable.

The hope is that Wolves can continue their good form on Saturday afternoon, as Lage’s men make the trip to 17th-place Leeds United.

Semedo has been a regular this season, starting seven league games, and on Saturday morning the club’s official Twitter account posted a video of him going on a mazy run in training.

Wolves fans react to Semedo clip

Despite the moment of quality, these Wolves fans actually reacted negatively to the clip, urging him to replicate that form in games.

“Now do it in a game son”

Credit: @Akingrandawanda

“Shame he can’t do that in a game”

Credit: @KalliumCayford

“On the other hand poor defending”

Credit: @kingmichael_88

“His reluctance to go past a defender really infuriates me. Thought it might have been a request from Nuno but he’s the same under Bruno too”

Credit: @aliward_96

“If Moutinho was a few yards faster he would have been in trouble”

Credit: @shorey_wolves

“Nelson was dribbling, but Podence (?) scored. So, a half-nelson rather than a full nelson.”

Credit: @HwlinWlf

In other news, some Wolves fans are excited by a rumoured scouting mission that has taken place. Read more here.

Everton slumped to tenth in the Premier League table after goals from Max Kilman and Raul Jimenez secured a 2-1 victory for Wolves at Molineux.

A consolation effort from Alex Iwobi couldn’t prevent the Toffees from slipping to their third consecutive defeat on Monday night, and the visitors could have little complaints after their dreadful first-half showing.

Rafa Benitez’s charges were missing several key players through injury once again, but that was no excuse for their underwhelming opening 45 minutes.

Kilman was allowed a free header at the far post following a Wolves corner after 28 minutes before a horrendous Ben Godfrey back pass was punished by Jimenez just four minutes later.

No Everton player covered themselves in glory bar goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, although some were more disappointing than others.

Godfrey was one of the main culprits but experienced midfielder Allan was one of those who particularly struggled to cope with the home side’s intensity, and he once again looked lost and exposed without the protection of Abdoulaye Doucoure.

Admittedly, his engine room partner Jean-Philippe Gbamin was well off the pace after making his first Premier League start of 2021/22, but the 30-year-old Allan was the one expected to drag his teammate through the evening, not the other way around.

As per SofaScore, the Brazil international received a match rating of 6.4 out of 10, the third-lowest total awarded to any player on the pitch. And when looking at his underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why.

During the 90 minutes, Allan achieved a measly passing accuracy of just 71%, failed to pick out a colleague with any of his three attempted long balls and lost possession a whopping 17 times.

And the South American was equally as frustrating when trying to stop the opposition’s attacks, an aspect of his game in which he usually excels.

Allan won just five of his 12 duels, was dribbled past on three occasions, and failed to make a single clearance or block a shot.

His improved second-half display will have been some comfort for Benitez and co. but the damage was already done by then, and his poor showing didn’t go unnoticed.

“It was not a great game by the Brazilian’s standards, as it was riddled with plenty of sloppy moments. However, Allan’s hard work and consistent shift throughout the game cannot be faulted,” wrote The Hard Tackle after awarding him a five out of 10.

With Tottenham coming up next for the Blues, Benitez will be hoping his influential midfielder can get back to his best and help put an end to their lengthy losing run.

And, in other news…7 duels lost: Everton lightweight who’s “really struggling” let Rafa down again v WWFC