All posts by z3u9t.icu

Wolverhampton Wanderers make the trip to the south coast this afternoon for their Premier League clash against Southampton, and Julen Lopetegui will be hoping that his team can take confidence from their recent victory over Liverpool into today’s bottom-of-the-table clash.

The Midlands club are now 15th in the table – two points clear of the relegation zone – and another win against Nathan Jones’ side today could be a huge opportunity to widen the gap to the bottom three.

In terms of injuries, Sasa Kalajdzic, Chiquinho, Hwang Hee-chan and Boubacar Traore are all unavailable for the trip to St Mary’s, although late fitness tests will be undertaken for two players, with Lopetegui hinting at a chance for Pedro Neto and Mario Lemina to be involved.

In his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Wolves boss confirmed that the Gabon midfielder has recovered from illness, but a decision won’t be made on him until the morning of the match.

Lopetegui said of Lemina (via the club’s official website): “I don’t know if he’s going to be 100 per cent but he’s better so we’ll have to take the decision tomorrow morning with him. We don’t know if he will play or not, because we have had a little problem with a couple of players.”

What could Wolves’ XI look like against Southampton?

Football FanCast predicts just three changes to the team which beat Liverpool last weekend, with a full overhaul of the forward line and a switch to a 4-3-3 formation…

Jose Sa (GK), Nelson Semedo (RB), Craig Dawson (CB), Max Kilman (CB), Rayan Ait-Nouri (LB), Ruben Neves (CM), Mario Lemina (CM), Matheus Nunes (CM), Daniel Podence (RW), Raul Jimenez (ST), Adama Traore (LW)

Following that fantastic performance at Molineux, there is no doubt that the manager will want to keep the skeleton of his team relatively the same to not only reward the players for their efforts but to ensure continuity in key areas of the pitch.

As a result, we expect to see no personnel changes in midfield or defence at St Mary’s this afternoon, although Hwang’s injury could provide an opportunity for Lopetegui to experiment with his forward line and give some of his more experienced players an opportunity to prove their worth.

The first change we expect to see is Wolves stalwart Adama Traore returning to the front three, with the pacy 27-year-old capable of causing chaos on the left flank. He should be able to keep the Saints defenders busy in order to open up more opportunities for the visitors, with Pablo Sarabia dropping out.

The two other changes we predict are Daniel Podence’s return to the starting XI to replace Hwang, and Raul Jimenez replacing Matheus Cunha at centre-forward.

Indeed, the Brazilian loanee – for whom Wolves have a £44m obligation to buy in the summer – has been a breath of fresh air in the team, posting a tidy 6.9 Sofascore rating against Liverpool as he landed two shots on target, although there is no ignoring Jimenez’s record against Southampton.

The Wolves titan – who was previously dubbed “sensational” by Conor Coady – has scored five goals in his last five appearances against today’s opponents, proving that he could be the talisman that his team needs in order to secure another victory.

Lopetegui is in a great position to distance Wolves from a relegation scrap at the bottom of the table by stealing all three points from St Mary’s today, with Southampton rock-bottom and reeling from a 3-0 hammering by Brentford and uncertainty over the status of Jones as their manager.

Celtic midfielder Aaron Mooy ‘should be right’ for the Viaplay Cup final vs Glasgow Rangers on Sunday, according to manager Ange Postecoglou.

The Lowdown: Unknown absence

The Hoops take on their Scottish Premiership rivals in the ultimate encounter this weekend and will be hoping to have a fully fit squad available to field their strongest possible team.

The Australian international was missing from the match-day squad for the recent 4-0 victory over Aberdeen which created a cause for concern among supporters.

Prior to the game, the boss hadn’t stated that the 32-year-old had sustained any kind of injury, though a positive update on his absence has now emerged.

The Latest: Postecoglou’s comments

Speaking after Saturday’s win, Postecoglou confirmed that Mooy and David Turnbull had been slightly struggling at Parkhead so wanted to rest the duo ahead of the upcoming meeting.

Quoted by The Irish News, he said:

“Az just pulled up a bit sore in training (on Friday). I thought, he has played a lot for us recently, and I was pretty keen to give (Tomoki) Iwata some game time as well.

“I just thought it was a good one for Az to sit out and, talking to the medical team, both him and Turnbull should be training Tuesday and Wednesday when we are in and should be right for the final.”

The Verdict: Massive boost

Celtic only signed Mooy last summer but he’s had an excellent debut season and it’ll be a huge boost for the manager to have him available for selection on Sunday.

The Sydney native has posted 13 goal contributions in 33 appearances, with 47 crosses having been put into the box, highlighting his threat in the final third.

The Bhoys star also offers versatility with his ability to operate in both central and defensive midfield, making him a useful option to have in the squad even if he can’t start.

Mooy has been described as on a ‘different planet’ this season by journalist Josh Bunting, and he’ll surely have a significant impact on the outcome of this weekend’s silverware showdown.

Alex Crook believes that the interested Qatari group are now the favourites to purchase Manchester United.

The Lowdown: Deadline is looming

The Raine Group – who are assisting the sale of Man United – have set a soft deadline of 10 pm this evening for interested parties to register their bids and interest in taking Man United off of the Glazers’ hands.

There are said to be several interested parties in buying Man United with groups from both Qatar and Saudi Arabia being linked as well as the Red Devils fan himself, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

It has been reported that the Qatari group are going to indeed bid for Man United at some point today which could well put a marker down as to whether or not other interested groups can compete financially with them.

The Latest: Qatari group favourites

Crook has been speaking on TalkSPORT about the interest from Qatar and how they are now firmly favourites to buy Man United given their sheer wealth.

He said: (0:30) “You mentioned Sir Jim Ratcliffe, he was the first really to come out publicly and say that he wanted to buy the club, we’re expecting a big-money bid from Qatar to come in today as well.

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“I say big-money, I don’t think it will meet the Glazer family’s £6 billion valuation I think it will be less than that so it’ll be interesting but I think a lot of people who are showing an interest and a lot of people who are maybe considering a bid do believe the Qataris are favourites just because of the sheer volume of wealth in that country.

“I think what’s important to stress is this is a private group of individuals we know the emir of Qatar is actively encouraging people to invest in football clubs following the success of the World Cup at the end of last year but it is a separate company from that who own Paris Saint-Germain.

“That’s crucial because under UEFA rules you can’t own two clubs who compete in the same competition so I would make the Qataris favourites.”

The Verdict: Huge moment in Man United’s history

Given the constant protests and discontent towards the Glazers, if they can attract a number of potential bidders by 10 pm this evening it would be a huge moment in the history of Man United as they may well get their club back.

However, if they were to be taken over by either a group from Qatar or Saudi Arabia it would indeed bring up a huge number of issues including human rights violations that were also fired the way of Newcastle United during their takeover process.

The deadline of 10 pm this evening forces parties to show their hands and prove they’re serious about buying the club and allows the Red Devils to get a deal ironed out prior to the summer transfer window opening.

Manchester United are currently gearing up for what could be a pivotal few days in their season, with the Carabao Cup final showdown with Newcastle United now looming large.

Prior to Sunday’s Wembley encounter, however, the Red Devils are set to take on Barcelona in their Europa League, play-off, second-leg clash at Old Trafford this evening, with Erik ten Hag’s men having produced an impressive display in Catalonia last week to claim an encouraging 2-2 draw with the La Liga leaders.

Ahead of the finely-poised reverse fixture later today, United will be able to welcome back Lisandro Martinez and Marcel Sabitzer after the pair missed the trip to Camp Nou through suspension, while both Harry Maguire and Antony are also in line to return from their recent injury absence.

What could Man United’s XI look like against Barcelona?

With that in mind, Football FanCast predicts that Ten Hag will make five changes from the side that beat Leicester City at the weekend, with the most notable alteration set to see Casemiro return at the base of the midfield.

4-3-3: (GK) De Gea; (RB) Wan-Bissaka, (CB) Varane, (CB) Martinez, (LB) Shaw; (CM) Casemiro, (CM) McTominay, (CAM) Sancho; (RW) Fernandes, (ST) Weghorst, (LW) Rashford.

Ahead of long-serving stopper David De Gea there could well be some tweaks made to the backline, with defensive “Rolls-Royce” Raphael Varane – as described by Statman Dave – set to return after sitting out the win over the Foxes, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka could take the place of Diogo Dalot, with the latter man having somewhat underwhelmed on Sunday – losing possession on 12 occasions.

As for the midfield, the aforementioned Casemiro could be joined by Scott McTominay following the Scotland international’s recent return from injury, with Fred – who has been branded “erratic” by journalist Tom McDermott – having again frustrated last time out.

The final midfield berth may be taken up by Jadon Sancho once again as the Englishman netted off the bench against Brendan Rodgers’ side, with that tactical shake-up likely to see Bruno Fernandes remain on the right wing.

That alteration should also see Wout Weghorst restored to his usual striking berth – amid Anthony Martial’s continued injury woes – while Marcus Rashford will be hoping to bolster his already career-best tally of 24 goals off the left.

It’s fair to say that Newcastle United haven’t always got it right in the transfer market, especially under Mike Ashley.

The Magpies have made enough mistakes to be in a better position when it comes to spending their new-found riches. Now in their first summer as one of the richest clubs in world football, they’ll be hoping to have learnt from previous mistakes.

With that said, we’ve ranked Newcastle United’s biggest flops of the Premier League era.

10) Sol Campbell 

Featuring one of the greatest Premier League centre-backs of all time on this list feels somewhat ludicrous, but here Sol Campbell is.

The idea of signing experience is always a harmless one; a helpful one, if you will.

But, the fact is, sometimes experience doesn’t necessarily bring a player in their prime and ready to perform, as Newcastle found out when signing a 35-year-old Campbell.

He made a total of eight appearances before slipping away into retirement.

9) Jean-Alain Boumsong

When a player’s former club are surprised to see a player attract interest for a fairly decent fee, then the buying club are in big trouble.

The scout who took the central defender to Rangers, Paul Montgomery, told Chronicle Live: “I said ‘he can’t play in the Premier League’.

“When we signed him, I told Alex, ‘he’ll be like Beckenbauer in Scotland but when we play the good teams in Europe, he’ll get found out’.” 

And, best believe, that’s exactly what happened.

8) Claudio Cacapa 

Claudio Cacapa’s time at Newcastle was summed up when Sam Allardyce subbed the Brazilian off with just 18 minutes on the clock against Portsmouth.

This was a player fresh off the back of six Ligue 1 titles.

Yet, come the end of his time at St James’ Park, this was a player destined for the ‘flop’ category of Premier League transfers.

In total, he played 29 times for the club and left to no fanfare whatsoever.

7) Hugo Viana 

Billed as one of the best young players in world football at 19, Newcastle mustn’t have believed their luck when they managed to sign Hugo Viana.

But that lucky feeling soon turned into incredible disappointment.

The midfielder scored just four goals in 61 appearances for Newcastle and he departed for Sporting Lisbon in 2004. 

He’s actually gone on to have a decent career, and played 29 times for Portugal; he just couldn’t adjust at Newcastle.

6) Siem de Jong 

The football gods just didn’t want Siem de Jong to star, or even consistently feature, for Newcastle.

The Dutchman arrived in 2014, before going through injury hell.

The former Ajax man even suffered a collapsed lung at St James’ Park. Say what you want about De Jong as a player, but the fact is, he didn’t exactly get the luck he needed at Newcastle.

In the end, he only managed to play 26 times for the club and only scored twice; he’s still going, and is now playing for De Graafschap in Holland’s second-tier.

5) Chancel Mbemba 

Since leaving Newcastle, Chancel Mbemba has flourished at Porto, hitting the form of his life.

So, what went wrong at Newcastle?

Well, for starters, in his final season at the club, the centre-back was forced to play out of position at full-back, which is not how you help a struggling central defender.

It’s also fair to say that Mbemba featured in a difficult era for Newcastle, making things even more difficult.

4) Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa 

Arriving as a Ligue 1-winning captain, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa seemed to have all the potential to become a real asset for Newcastle.

He made just 46 appearances in 18 months, however, and fell victim to the Magpies’ habit of playing struggling centre-backs at full-back, before leaving the club.

Amazingly, he actually seemed to thrive after leaving the club, even playing in the Champions League for both Roma and Lyon.

Now, though, he’s without a club.

3) Seydou Doumbia 

Every Fifa player would have been excitedly rambling on about just how good Seydou Doumbia was in 2016 after seeing the forward join Newcastle on loan. 

And, in fairness, he wasn’t just a good player in the video game, his record at CSKA Moscow spoke for itself, as he netted 95 goals in 150 games for the club, before making just three appearances for Newcastle.

He just didn’t seem to fit in at the club and was not kept around; he later had spells at Basel, Sporting Lisbon, Girona and Sion before bringing the curtain down on his career at Maltese club Hamrun Spartans.

2) Florian Thauvin 

Florian Thauvin must be one of Newcastle’s biggest regrets when you look at how he’s done since leaving the club.

Of course, the Frenchman didn’t help himself, however, opting to do his best 007 impression by arriving dressed in a full tux in a home game against Watford.

But, he clearly had talent, given the fact that he has since starred for Marseille back in France.

During his time at Newcastle, though, he played just 16 times and only scored one goal. What a shame.

1) Remy Cabella 

Remy Cabella arrived at Newcastle United as a player meant to be the difference-maker; the man to take the Magpies out of mediocrity.

In the end, however, he was the exact opposite, making 34 appearances in one season for Newcastle and scoring just the one goal in what was an incredibly disappointing spell in England.

Having cost £12m from French club Montpellier, he was a bitter disappointment, and has since played for Marseille, Saint-Etienne, Krasnodar, Montpellier, again, and Lille.

So, there you have it, our list of Newcastle United’s biggest flops of the Premier League era. We’re sure that, if the Magpies spend their riches unwisely in the coming transfer windows, then this list will need a re-write. As of right now, however, their business deserves a bit of praise. The players that they have welcomed since the takeover have been nothing but smart acquisitions. 

Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale is already beginning to make the tough calls that predecessor Giovanni van Bronckhorst failed to do so during his reign.

The Englishman has let James Sands return to his parent club New York City, cutting short an 18-month loan spell early and this ability to let players leave if they aren’t contributing or underperforming will be crucial in the long run.

Sands didn’t exactly set the fire alight at Ibrox during his 12 months at the club, failing to find his best position, although he was routinely used as a centre-back when perhaps utilising the American in a defensive midfield role could have been a better option.

His displays in the Champions League proved that he wasn’t quite up to the required standard for the club, averaging a Sofascore rating of 6.2/10, losing possession eight times on average per game, and winning just 41% of his ground duels, with his lack of physicality costing Rangers throughout the competition.

Beale may just be beginning the long overdue clear out and with Sands leaving a gap in the squad, youngster Leon Kind may find himself bumped back up a slot and this could be great news for the club going forward.

Could Leon King replace James Sands at Rangers?

King is no stranger to first-team action, having taken advantage of the defensive crisis at the beginning of the campaign to force his way into the starting XI on numerous occasions under Van Bronckhorst. The 19-year-old performed admirably across 11 Premiership appearances, averaging 50.5 touches and completing 88% of his attempted passes per match, suggesting his maturity on the ball and ability to constantly circulate the ball.

Utilising his physical presence, the 6 foot gem made 1.3 tackles per match while winning an impressive 56% of his total duels – 61% on the deck – and it’s no wonder he was dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” by former Ibrox defender Alan Hutton, who also claimed he was “very elegant on the ball” and his stats from earlier on this term certainly justify these comments.

King’s defensive strength, as shown by his success in physical battles, is far more impressive than what Sands showed during his time at Ibrox and the teenager could, therefore, be an upgrade on the American in that area of the game.

The centre-back made his debut under Steven Gerrard in 2020 before the Dutchman gave him a few more runouts toward the end of last season and there is little doubt his potential could lead him to be a future Rangers star.

With Sands gone and Filip Helander likely to leave come the end of the season, that leaves Beale with just Connor Goldson, Ben Davies, and John Souttar as his options at the heart of the defence.

Although yet to play under Beale due to the pairing of Goldson and Davies, the 42-year-old must finally unleash him and get the gem back up to speed ahead of 2023/2024.

Sands’ exit has provided the head coach with the perfect opportunity to hand King more first-team minutes and it is a chance that the youngster must take in the coming weeks and months…

Former Tottenham defender Jason Cundy has claimed that Davinson Sanchez is ‘not interested’ after his display against Sheffield United.

The Lowdown: Spurs suffer FA Cup heartache…

Spurs were knocked out of the FA Cup in midweek after a 1-0 fifth round defeat to Sheffield United, ending the club’s hopes of domestic silverware for yet another season.

The Championship high-flyers sailed through after a brilliant solo goal from Senegal international Iliman Ndiaye, a goal which Sanchez was criticised for in terms of positioning.

Spurs struggled to exert their authority in all areas and squandered any chances they did have to score – with both Richarlison and Harry Kane missing good opportunities in either half.

The Latest: Sanchez slammed…

Speaking live on talkSPORT (via The Boot Room), Cundy has slammed Sanchez in particular and claims he is ‘not interested’.

He said:

“For the goal it’s like he’s moving in quicksand. He’s not interested. He’s terrible.” 

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The Verdict: Flop?

Tthe Colombia international has displayed moments of brilliance when consistently playing, but they have been few and far between.

Sanchez is a curious case, having signed from Ajax in 2017 for a then club-record fee, and chairman Daniel Levy will feel his price tag quite simply hasn’t been justified.

The 26-year-old has now entered the final two years of his deal, which is set to expire in 2024, and all signs point towards an unceremonious exit.

Out-of-favour under Antonio Conte, Sanchez has started just six Premier League games this season and now could be the time to call it a day.

Journalist Jacque Talbot has claimed Jurgen Klopp will be handed a £200m transfer budget to improve his Liverpool squad this summer.

The Lowdown: Summer rebuild is on the cards

It’s pretty clear that Liverpool are going to look a very different team next season, with the likes of Roberto Firmino leaving and a much-spoken-about midfield overhaul set to be on the cards.

The Reds have been linked with a number of new midfield options heading into the summer transfer window such as the much-coveted Jude Bellingham and reported Chelsea contract rebel Mason Mount.

Bellingham is said to have a price tag of around £130m on his head, so FSG would have to hand Klopp a sizeable transfer budget if he is to bring that level of superstar into the team.

The Latest: Klopp set for a transfer warchest

While speaking on his YouTube channel, Talbot claimed Klopp is to be handed £200m by Liverpool’s current owners to spend this summer – which does not take any player sales into account.

He said: “I did ask about [their] budget. It seems to be around £200m they will spend, net – and then on top of that, you can put into account player sales as well.”

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The Verdict: Liverpool could make huge moves this summer

If Liverpool are to get back to the glory days of the last few seasons and challenge for the Premier League and Champions League on a regular basis, Klopp must be allowed to spend this summer.

Liverpool are still relying on ageing players such as Fabinho, James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip quite often, which just goes to show why they are in need of a shake-up this upcoming transfer window, particularly in midfield.

Bringing in Premier League and Champions League-proven players such as Mount and Bellingham would go a long way to redeveloping the Reds by adding energy and youthfulness, while also giving Klopp the ability to build the spine of his team around two impressive English midfielders.

Southampton signed Moussa Djenepo for a reported £15m in the summer of 2019, with the exciting Malian winger having impressed for Standard Liege in the Belgian Pro League and earning his move to the Premier League.

Despite now being on the south coast for 196 weeks, Djenepo has only scored five goals and provided four assists from 86 outings, alarming considering the wily flanker plundered 11 goals and six assists in his final season in Belgium.

There are some who praise the 24-year-old for his elegance on the ball and dribbling prowess, but quite simply, the "quirky misfit" – as he was described by Jacob Tanswell – has not been effective on the south coast and has spent much of Southampton's relegation-threatened campaign on the sidelines, starting just six times in the top-flight this term, yet to score.

How much has Moussa Djenepo cost Southampton?

During his time at St. Mary's Stadium, Djenepo has indeed failed to ignite the fire that was expected upon his arrival, with former boss Ralph Hasenhuttl stating upon his arrival: "He is an exciting player, with tremendous pace and good finishing abilities, who we have watched closely for some time."

Reportedly boasting a wage of £65k-per-week, having renewed his contract with Saints last summer, it is estimated that the 29-cap ace could have cost his current outfit as much as £13m in costs since acquiring his signature.

Partner that with the transfer fee, and Southampton have parted with roughly £28m on a player that has yet to truly find his feet at the club, 196 weeks into his career in Hampshire.

With Djenepo contracted until 2025, Saints might hope to cash in on the player and recuperate some of the monetary loss that they have been beset with, but with Football Transfers valuing the player at only £5m at present, it appears unlikely that his recent exploits will command a fee anywhere close to what was previously paid for his name.

As per Sofascore, Djenepo has never managed to earn a seasonal average rating in the Premier League of higher than 6.7, having indeed floundered to a lowly 6.62 rating this term, taking just 0.3 shot and making only 0.5 key passes on each occasion.

Lamented for an "unbelievable" miss by Hasenhuttl, the lack of sustained threat in the offensive third has left Djenepo a peripheral figure on the south coast, and it doesn't look likely that he will earn a regular role from the start any time soon, having played just six minutes of league action in 2023.

Celtic are confident that manager Ange Postecoglou won’t leave the Scottish Premiership to join Tottenham Hotspur, according to reports in the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: Spurs interest

The Australian’s contract at Parkhead is set to expire at the end of the season as he’s on a 12-month rolling deal and he’s already been linked with an exit on several occasions given his level of success.

Premier League clubs Leeds United, Brighton and Hove Albion and Leicester City have all previously been credited with an interest in the 57-year-old and Spurs are the latest club to join that list.

Speaking to beIN SPORTS, journalist Gary Jacob claimed that the N17 outfit are looking at the Hoops boss as a potential replacement for Antonio Conte who seems set to leave following an outburst during his post-match interview on Saturday.

The Latest: Celtic’s stance on Ange

According to Football Insider, Celtic are ‘confident’ that Postecoglou won’t leave the club for Tottenham or any other team in the English top flight during the middle of the season.

The Bhoys reportedly ‘do not expect’ to lose their manager at this unusual stage of the term and feel ‘convinced’ that he will decide to stay in charge until the summer at the very least.

Glasgow supporters have experienced ‘fear’ that the coach could jump ship but it was just last month that he reaffirmed his commitment to the club amid exit links.

The Verdict: New deal deserved

Postecoglou has been an absolute revelation since joining Celtic so it’s no surprise that clubs are looking at him, and it would be a massive boost if he was to sign a new deal.

The 4-3-3 attacking boss has an unbelievable record north of the border having won 76, drawn ten and lost just 16 of his 102 games in charge, averaging 2.33 points per match (Transfermarkt).

The Nea Filadelfeia native has also led his side to plenty of silverware, twice bagging the Scottish League Cup trophy and once the Premiership, while he looks set to secure a second consecutive one of those very soon.