All posts by n8rngtd.top

Steven Gerrard has said that Glasgow Rangers cannot defend Alfredo Morelos after his latest show of indiscipline.

Morelos cannot be defended

Colombia international Morelos will be missing for three Premiership games following his stamp on Hibernian’s Ryan Porteous during the Gers’ 1-0 victory (BBC).

Speaking ahead of the Ibrox outfit’s clash with St. Johnstone, Gerrard confirmed that he could not defend the actions of the 24-year-old. He said (via SportsMole):

“I have looked at the incident a lot of times and I don’t think there is a case for us to defend in this situation.

“Having said that, it doesn’t mean we are pleased with everything that happened in that game or has happened during this season or previous seasons.

“So it is something behind the scenes that myself and the board are working very hard on in terms of trying to find better solutions in terms of the disciplinary and the processes that go on.

“It is something we will continue to try to be a support to in terms of the authorities to try and make things better and more consistent.

“It is obviously disappointing from my point of view not to have Alfredo available, it is what it is and my focus is on the players that are available.”

No-one to blame but himself

You would forgive Gerrard for running out of patience with Morelos. The former Liverpool captain has already seen the striker receive his marching orders seven times under his tutelage (Transfermarkt), and he has sailed close to the wind on a number of occasions already this term – he slapped the back of Scott Brown’s head in the first Old Firm derby of the season, while he avoided a red card after elbowing Dundee United’s Mark Connolly (he was retrospectively given a two-match suspension for that incident).

He has popped up with some important goals this season – for example, he bagged a brace as the Gers defeated Aberdeen 2-1, and he netted the only goal of the game in that victory over Hibs – but he remains a player Gerrard cannot fully rely on, and you feel he may never mature enough to eradicate these moments of madness from his game.

With Kemar Roofe, Cedric Itten and Jermain Defoe all at the boss’ disposal, the absence of Morelos is no longer a huge problem.

In other news, Rangers fans were delighted with a clip of this broadcaster.

Such has been the meteoric rise that Emile Smith Rowe has enjoyed over the past month or so at Arsenal, that Mikel Arteta decided he was one of the players who needed to be rested ahead of his side’s Premier League clash against Southampton.

The Gunners boss rested him completely from the squad that faced the Saints in the FA Cup at the weekend, and it was perhaps of little surprise that the north Londoners looked a shadow of their recent selves without their creative hub – they had 62% of possession but only had two shots on target in the entire game.

So when Arsenal head back to the south coast on Tuesday night to take on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side, this time in the Premier League, Smith Rowe surely has to be one of the first names on the teamsheet.

The England youth international has been a welcome breath of fresh air for a Gunners side that were in desperation mode before he was thrust into the spotlight.

Since then, the £20k-a-week earning Smith Rowe has led the way as Arsenal rattled off four wins and a draw in the five consecutive league games that he started.

He’s picked up three assists in those games, and also scored the opener in the FA Cup third clash against Newcastle in extra-time, when Arteta brought him on to act as his game-changer.

It’s certainly a massive burden to place on someone so young – Smith Rowe doesn’t turn 21 until late July – but he’s already shown that he can handle that pressure.

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand spoke glowingly about the Arsenal prodigy, saying on Monday: “He’s come in and done unreal things. The way he’s played, he’s been a breath of fresh air at Arsenal, I’m sure the fans, if they were there, would be going crazy about him.

“He brings assists, he brings a calmness to the way Arsenal play. He’s the type of player who could have played over a number of generations at Arsenal in the way he plays football.”

And when you consider how poorly Willian has been performing for this entire season – he’s yet to score for his new club – and the fact that he failed to take his chance against Southampton when playing in the number ten role, it makes it all the more important for Smith Rowe’s immediate return to the starting line-up tonight.

Meanwhile, Arsenal can sign their next Ashley Cole in this Premier League starlet…

Despite the addition of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer, Tottenham Hotspur are pursuing another midfielder this month.

According to Sunday Times journalist Duncan Castles in December, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho asked for a box-to-box maestro in the upcoming January transfer market.

One name that has been linked with a switch to north London is former Premier League ace Marten de Roon, who has made a name for himself in Serie A for surprise package Atalanta.

90min revealed exclusively that both Spurs and Manchester City were keeping an eye on him, though Pep Guardiola are more likely to consider an approach for him in the summer, thus potentially opening the door to Daniel Levy.

Further fuel has been added to the fire after Eurosport’s Dean Jones confirmed just last week that the Dutchman was indeed a player they were looking at.

He also went on to suggest that Gedson Fernandes is likely to return to Benfica, whilst the futures of Dele Alli and Harry Winks were by no means certain, so a new midfielder could well be on the agenda.

And de Roon fits the mould of what Spurs should be after.

They’ve got that defensive anchor in Hojbjerg and potential no.10s in Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso.

Though, the latter is yet to hit the ground running having contributed to just seven goals and four assists in 56 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

Perhaps that’s because he’s not been given the freedom that Christian Eriksen once had in attacking midfield, after all, the Argentine playmaker is averaging 1.6 tackles per game across the Premier League and in Europe too.

So the addition of a box-to-box option alongside Hojbjerg could be a dream for Lo Celso’s attacking output.

Valued at €20m (£18m) by CIES, de Roon is a player who has previously received a glowing endorsement from Mourinho.

After his Manchester United side beat Middlesbrough in the FA Cup in 2017, he told reporters via GazetteLive:

“This kid De Roon is phenomenal, his work-rate is phenomenal.”

The 29-year-old has continued to deliver for Atalanta this term, where he is averaging 2.1 tackles, 1.9 interceptions, 0.7 shots and 0.6 key passes per game, via WhoScored, which merely emphasises his ability at either end of the pitch.

It also goes to show that his influence in the middle-third could be exactly what Mourinho needs to unlock Lo Celso’s true potential.

Daniel Levy must do what he can to secure the 15-cap gem this window.

AND in other news, Spurs transfer target rated at a BARGAIN £9m just delivered a defensive masterclass…

When Raul Jimenez suffered a fractured skull against Arsenal last month, everyone at Wolves feared the worst.

Their star man was now out injured for a prolonged period of time and the player they had to rely on instead was just 18 years of age.

What’s the word?

The transfer window has come just at the right time for Wolves who are searching for reinforcements in the market, namely in attacking positions.

According to Eurosport FR (via Get Football News France) Jeff Shi and his recruitment team are eyeing up a move for Montpellier forward Gaetan Laborde.

They face competition from two unnamed Bundesliga clubs in a bid to sign him. Per Transfermarkt, the 26-year-old is valued at around £11.7m. Thus, a sizable fee seems unlikely.

His wages are also far from astronomical. Laborde earns £23k-per-week in Ligue 1, so this shouldn’t be a deal that sets Wolves back very much.

Ideal for Nuno

Laborde is far from a household name, particularly in English football, but he’d be an exceptional investment for a side who need cover for Jimenez.

When you look at the Frenchman, he plays in a very similar way to Wolves’ number 9 and that’s not just in terms of his goals.

The 6-foot striker – who stands just three inches smaller than Jimenez – is a commanding force in the air and has won a mammoth 70 aerial duels this season – 3.9 a match. Considering he’s of lesser stature than the Mexican, he’s actually more dominant in that part of the game. For context, Jimenez has only won 1.5 battles in the air a game.

That isn’t the only thing Laborde offers though. Like his potential new teammate, he is adept at bringing others into play and has five assists to go with his six goals in Ligue 1 this term.

A big part of Jimenez’s game is that he can hold the ball up and utilise others well, something that Laborde does to near perfection.

A cut-price option in January, the Montpellier forward looks like a handy player and would undoubtedly add valuable depth to Wolves’ frontline.

AND in other news, Wolves can land huge Silva upgrade in 9-goal beast, he’s on his “way to the top”…

Many Everton fans have been left in agreement with Jamie Carragher after he did some analysis on the Goodison Park faithful on Monday Night Football.

The Liverpool legend said (via Toffee TV) that it would be a ‘disappointment’ if the Merseyside club do not qualify for European competition for the start of the 2021/22 term due to the quality of manager they have in Carlo Ancelotti, but thinks that the Toffees will fall short of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.

The Blues are currently sitting in seventh spot in the Premier League table at the moment on 43 points, just two off of fourth-placed West Ham United with a game in hand (BBC Sport).

While qualifying for Europe’s elite competition is of course a possibility for Ancelotti and his side, they still have the likes of reigning champions Liverpool and big spenders Chelsea to compete with, while also potentially looking over their shoulder for more challengers.

Everton fan reaction to Carragher analysis

These EFC supporters agreed on Carragher’s analysis on Twitter:

“No he’s absolutely right there. Let’s not forget this is Carlo’s first full season, what he’s done already is lay the foundations for the future.”

Credit: @IanG1878

“Completely agree!”

Credit: @james_page26

“Spot on for me, after this season I’ll be disappointed if we don’t get Europe.”

Credit: @PfftSwifti

“Think he has a point to be fair. Our priority is Europa, anything else is a bonus.”

Credit: @nickgartland

“He’s spot on tbh”

Credit: @Yaboiholo

“Think he’s right tbf, but you never know”

Credit: @scousemouse56

In other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano transfer update has been lauded by Everton fans here!

Jarrod Bowen will be key to David Moyes guiding West Ham United to victory over Aston Villa in Monday night’s Premier League clash at the London Stadium.

Moyes has called on Bowen to start all nine of the Hammers’ top-flight fixtures thus far this season, but is yet to see the 23-year-old strike home his fourth goal having now gone five games without finding the back of the net.

The Leominster-born winger hasn’t registered his first assist of the campaign, either, despite providing a creative masterclass in victory over Sheffield United last time out with a joint-game high three key passes.

Bowen is among West Ham’s most important forward men this term thanks to his unbroken involvement in their Premier League fixtures, with the former Hull City ace signed in January for £22million ranking joint with Tomas Soucek for most shots taken (20) by an Irons player, per WhoScored.

Yet Bowen only ranks fifth for efforts directed on target with just five to his name and ranks seventh for key passes with six recorded to date. Defender Arthur Masuaku (21) and midfielder Declan Rice (11) even have a higher number of successful dribbles than the £96,154-per-week attacker (8).

Moyes will certainly need to see Bowen match the level of his performance against Sheffield United, rather than his previous displays, when West Ham host Aston Villa on Monday night. But the Scot will need to see the 5 ft 8 maestro offer more than just creativity.

Bowen, who Hull boss Grant McCann lauds as an “exceptional talent” who is “unplayable” on his day, will have his work cut out should he start against Aston Villa, as Dean Smith’s outfit are among the Premier League’s most one-sided outfits.

The Villans average 42% of their attacking moves on the left-hand side of the field, sacrificing central play (25%) to spread the ball wide to the likes of influential captain Jack Grealish and their overlapping full-back, Matt Targett.

Villa’s preference to focus their advances to one side of the field has also aided Smith’s men in becoming one of the top-flight’s most dominant attacks, with 33% of their actions registered in the opposition’s defensive third.

Bowen has not proven himself adept in aiding Vladimir Coufal defensively this term with just 0.9 tackles, 0.3 interceptions and 0.2 clearances per league game, while winning possession 0.7 times and being dribbled past 0.8 times, per SofaScore.

But Moyes will need to see the 23-year-old add another side to his game if West Ham are to beat Aston Villa on Monday, regardless of whether or not Michail Antonio makes his return from a hamstring injury.

AND in other news, a pundit has exclusively claimed a 26-year-old ace would have been a “very good” West Ham signing.

Wolves U23s manager James Collins heaped praise on youngster Theo Corbeanu after his performance against Doncaster Rovers in the Papa John’s Trophy.

Corbeanu has the world at his feet

The Canadian-born Romanian winger has only recently been introduced to the second string setup after scoring four goals and providing one assist in the U18 Premier League last season. Corbeanu has managed to replicate that form for Collins’ team, scoring twice from his first seven outings (via TransferMarkt).

The 18-year-old played just behind the club’s record signing Fabio Silva, as his Portuguese teammate notched a brace which helped them to a 2-1 win at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Cited by BirminghamLive, Collins was full of praise for Corbeanu and is excited about what is to come from him.

“He’s athletic, tall, can head it, can defend, can dribble past people and score, he can shoot, he can pass, he’s both footed, he’s got a bit of everything,” he said.

“Theo can be anything he wants to be,” Collins continues. “He’s an outstanding prospect. But, and there’s always a but with these players, he’s got to learn to play within the system and play with the others, adapt his game for different scenarios and situations.

“He’s got to keep improving and he knows that, he’s another good kid who wants to learn – but I think Theo can be as good as he wants to be.”

Transfer Tavern take

Corbeanu has made himself one of Collins’ key assets already during this campaign, which could force Nuno Espirito Santo into looking at him for possible first-team appearances further down the line.

Having played alongside Silva so competently, Corbeanu has put his name out there and supporters will now be more away of his ability, thanks to Collins’ generous words about him.

The former Romania U17 international needs to maintain his consistency and ensure that his attitude is spot on. If he can do that, the Molineux faithful could have another future star on their hands.

In other news, Wolves fans beg Nuno Espirito Santo to sign ‘monster’ midfielder.

Jose Mourinho has an illustrious record when it comes to the Europa League, winning the competition twice and he signalled his intentions to complete a hat-trick as his Tottenham Hotspur side tasted victory in their Group J opener.

The north London outfit thrashed Austrian minnows LASK Linz 3-0 at home on Thursday evening.

Lucas Moura and substitute Heung-min Son bagged either side of an own goal as Spurs were fully in control on the night.

There were many encouraging performances across the pitch, ranging from Carlos Vinicius’ debut upfront to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg putting in a warrior-like display that had his manager comparing him to Zinedine Zidane.

Although one Spurs star failed to inspire despite Mourinho putting faith in him to start the game.

The 24-year-old was dropped for their game against Manchester United and only featured off the bench for the 3-3 draw with West Ham, so he should have taken this opportunity with both hands.

Winks, who is valued at €40m (£36m) by CIES Football Observatory, was rather lightweight in the heart of midfield as he was truly outshone by the man next to him, the Danish summer arrival.

He won just six of his 13 duels, committed three fouls, lost possession 11 times and failed to record a single key pass, shot or interception, as per SofaScore.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick graded the England maestro a 5/10, the lowest of any Spurs player, and said: “If there was a weak link for Spurs, it was Harry Winks, who endured a difficult evening in the midfield three. The England international set the tone for his performance with a desperate foul in the first minute and he looked a little off the pace throughout.”

With Giovani Lo Celso to come back into the fold and Tanguy Ndombele finding his feet at long last, Mourinho will have to make the cut-throat call to drop Winks indefinitely.

There’s no way he should be starting above either of those when fully fit, nor is he going to get a place over the industrious Hojbjerg, who has been everything Spurs have lacked for the best part of 18 months.

Even Moussa Sissoko looks a better option in the middle right now. He may be one of their own, but the young N17 graduate should have no place amongst the starting XI for the foreseeable future.

AND in other news, Dynamo who had 104 touches outshone Hojbjerg vs LASK…

Carlton Palmer has predicted Paul Pogba will leave Manchester United in the not too distant future.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast correspondent Tom Ward, the former England international insists Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cannot blame Pogba for his team’s poor performances.

The Red Devils have struggled for consistency this season, having won three and lost three out of seven games in the Premier League so far.

Solskjaer’s side beat both Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig but lost to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League before the international break.

And Palmer believes the French World Cup winner cannot be entirely blamed for their inconsistent start to the season.

He told FFC: “I see him leaving United.”

“Why was he successful at Juventus? Well, they played three at the back, five in the middle of the park, which allowed him to play in a free role. Go and do and what you’ve got to do son.”

“He’s a talented boy, but you can’t keep blaming Pogba if you don’t play him and set the team up the right way for him to perform.”

“He [Solskjaer] can’t keep blaming him, because that’s not his game.”

Once again, Solskjaer finds himself facing the same questions over his future at a time when one of his stars faces an uncertain future.

Pogba is undoubtedly one of the best footballers in the world as he boasts an impressive trophy cabinet – one World Cup, one Premier League title, one Europa League trophy and four Serie A trophies. The Red Devils re-signed the French international from Juventus for a then world-record fee reportedly worth £89m in 2016.

Since then, the 27-year-old has established himself as one of the senior figures in the dressing room for club and country.

France manager Didier Deschamps seems to agree, as he hailed him as a “leader” after the 2-1 victory over Croatia in the Nations League in October.

Pogba began his professional career at his boyhood club, before leaving Old Trafford in unfavourable circumstances back in 2012, as he could not reach an agreement with the Red Devils over the terms of a new and improved deal.

Although not everyone is a fan of the Frenchman, with United legend Roy Keane insisting “he wouldn’t believe a word he says” following the humiliating 4-0 defeat at Everton in 2019, it’s hard to deny the fact that he is an incredible talent, as 33 goals and 35 assists in 175 games is an impressive return for a deep-lying midfielder.

Pogba, who’s market value is rated at £72m via Transfermarkt, has won 66 games in 118 appearances in the Premier League, losing on just 20 occasions so far. Not too shabby.

AND in other news, Woeful Woodward: Manchester United will forever regret not signing Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund…

After producing an outstanding display in their first Premier League game after well over a decade, Leeds were less than convincing as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup at the first time of asking.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side may have slipped to a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool at the weekend, but they more than held their own against the reigning top-flight champions.

And whilst the Leeds boss rang the changes for the contest against Hull on Wednesday night, he surely would have been expecting a lot more from his fringe players, particularly someone like Tyler Roberts.

Is it Haaland Snr or David Hopkins? Your Leeds knowledge will be put to the test with this quiz…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

With Bielsa calling on a number of much younger players, Roberts, with 55 first-team appearances to his name for the club, was actually one of the more experienced players on the pitch, even despite himself only being 21.

The Wales international came off the bench to play against the Reds on Saturday, and he had the perfect opportunity against Hull to stake his claim for a starting spot for Leeds’ next Premier League clash.

Instead, he badly let his manager down with a hugely disappointing display, with his 6.4 match rating only better than teammate Oliver Casey on the night.

The 5 foot 11 ace conceded possession a staggering 17 times over the course of the 90 minutes, and lost eight out of his 13 total duels. But aside from being dominated too easily, Roberts was not much of a threat when he had the ball, registering no shots on goal or dribbles whatsoever and providing just one key pass.

Whilst Bielsa may not be too fussed about exiting the Carabao Cup – the Premier League of will course be the Whites’ priority this season – the game against Hull did offer some of his players the chance to prove that they can be a useful part of the first-team squad.

Instead, Roberts and co showed that Leeds’ strength in depth needs a whole lot of work, and if they are going to achieve top-flight safety, it may have to be done with just a small core group of players.