All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Liverpool fans have flocked to Twitter to react to the news that academy product Isaac Mabaya has signed his first professional contract at Anfield, as confirmed by the club’s official website and Twitter channel.

The 17-year-old has been at the Reds since the age of six and broke into the Reds’ under-18s last season as a wide midfielder before a mid-season switch saw him move to full-back. So far this season, the Preston native has played at right-back for Marc Bridge-Wilkinson’s team.

Mabaya has played 21 times for Liverpool’s under-18s, scoring four goals and setting up another five, and he has represented England at under-15 and under-16 level.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Neco Williams following the same path from the academy and featuring for Jurgen Klopp’s first team, the teenager will have eyes on emulating the two senior right-backs and has been rewarded for his performances and potential with a new contract from the club.

Fellow teenage right-back Conor Bradley made his Liverpool first team debut last week in the Carabao Cup victory over Norwich City and Mabaya could be next in line to be handed a chance by Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool fans flock to contract news

These Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react to the news of Mabaya’s first professional contract at the club.

“Future first teamer”

Credit: @F9Txrres

“Congratulations Isaac! Richly deserved for all the hard work and dedication you’ve put in over the years. Upwards & onwards, sky’s the limit for you. Well done mate”

Credit: @SimonHindley

“Amazing news for Isaac and his family – he has quality in his football and also a great personality. Well deserved for all the hard work you put in Isaac. This is the start of a lot more hard work, but you will smash it.”

Credit: @slingerpete1

“Congratulations homeboy”

Credit: @fariemuk

“Serious player”

Credit: @KonateEra

“This fella looks very promising”

Credit: @paulDix11248352

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to James Pearce’s update on this certain player. Find out more here.

It would hardly be an overstatement to say that the build-up to Derby County’s Championship campaign has been one of the most challenging any team has ever endured ahead of a new season.

Indeed, with Wayne Rooney having just nine fit outfield players prior to the arrival of centre-back pair Curtis Davies and Richard Stearman on Friday, it appeared – for a worrying length of time – as if the 35-year-old would struggle to muster up 11 players for the fixture against Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

Despite this, the Rams put up an incredibly valiant display against the Terriers, taking the lead in the match through the impressive Curtis Davies late on in the first half, only for Huddersfield centre-back Naby Sarr to repeat his counterpart’s feat on the stroke of half time, with the game ultimately finishing honours even.

However, while there were a number of fine performances in the Derby ranks, with Rooney undoubtedly delighted with his team getting something out of the game, there were also a few concerning displays – perhaps most notably from Graeme Shinnie.

While the midfielder picked up the Jack Stamps Player of the Year award for last season before the game, if his performances remain at the level of the Huddersfield clash going forwards, he will certainly struggle to win it again for 2021/22.

Indeed, the 30-year-old was wasteful with the ball, completing none of his five attempted crosses and just one of his four attempted long balls and giving away possession on a whopping 18 occasions.

The £6.2k-per-week man also lost eight of his 15 duels over the course of the 90 minutes, in addition to being dribbled past once and conceding three fouls – with The Telegraph journalist and self-professed Derby fan Ryan Bourne stating his belief that Shinnie looked well “off the pace” in the game.

All in all, the Scotland international’s metrics saw him earn a SofaScore match rating of 6.5, the joint third-worst of the 11 Rams players to start the fixture.

As such, with Derby facing what is sure to be a long and arduous Championship campaign in 2021/22, they will certainly need one of their best performers from last season to step up his game if they are to have any hope of securing survival in the division come next May.

In other news: Rooney heading for grave Derby transfer error over “first-class” £5.4m-rated dynamo

We are about one third into the Premier League season, with the hectic December schedule fast approaching, and the situation regarding favourites for the title and relegation seems more clear than just a few weeks ago.

Of course, there are still many matches to be played, but the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool have not only accumulated the points but also shown displays that indicate they have what it takes to win the trophy.

Only one club can do so in the end, but the title contenders are now quite clear, with one team that was speculated as one of the title favourites in the early season now barely being talked about when spots in European competitions are concerned. That team, of course, is Manchester United.

After a solid start to the season that saw the Red Devils win four of their five opening games, things started turning around for the worse for the Manchester outfit. While the recent win against Tottenham brought some hope that United may be bouncing back, the abysmal performance against Watford exposed all the weaknesses of United’s back line, and in turn got Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally sacked.

As things stand, the major PA betting sites are not ranking Manchester United among the title contenders and it would be a true upset if they were to turn the season around and close the gap that already stands at 12 points just 12 weeks into the season.

What Went Wrong for United?

Pinpointing the exact cause of Man United’s fall this season is quite difficult, as a number of factors were at play to put one of the most decorated teams in the whole world on the back heel.

Ronaldo’s arrival was greatly celebrated in Manchester back in early season, and his goals in the opening games made it seem like he would be a massive contribution to the team. Yet, something changed at United since he arrived and the lack of team cohesion is never a good thing in a league as competitive as the EPL.

Hailed by all as a true legend of a club both before his arrival and after his departure, Solskjaer was not blamed by the players, but the media put the majority of the blame on his shoulders as he was the one who should make sure that things work well both on and off the pitch.

Finally, brash behaviour of the likes of Paul Pogba and Harry Maguire to earn red cards in matches where such a thing was not necessary simply show the lack of team spirit and desire to succeed as a collective.

Can United Still Turn it Around?

From a sports betting point of view, Manchester United have all bust lost hopes of winning the title, with bookies not even looking at them as one of the real title contenders.

For the fans, of course, the hope is always there that whoever comes after Solskjaer will do miracles and change the team from the ground up to catch up with the title contenders and at least win a spot in the Champions League next year.

All of that, however, could be just wishful thinking as the likes of West Ham, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Wolves will all be trying to win those spots and with the exception of the Spurs have all shown a true desire to fight for it to their dying breath.

Perhaps the best United fans can hope for is that the new manager will put things in their place and prepare the team to fight from day one next year and perhaps manage to go a few rounds in the Champions League to save face in an otherwise poor season for the Red Devils.

Taking to Twitter, Portuguese transfer journalist Pedro Almeida has now dropped an exciting transfer claim as Celtic eye a permanent deal for Jota.

The Lowdown: Jota shines at Parkhead…

Since signing on loan from Benfica in the summer, the 22-year-old has gone on to dazzle at Parkhead under Ange Postecoglou, and there have been reports speculating whether Celtic will trigger his €7.5m (£6.2m) option-to-buy clause in the deal.

Indeed, rumours from Portugal indicate that Postecoglou and the Hoops are eager to do so, as they have until the end of this season to decide whether to take him on permanently.

A Bola believe that Celtic are ‘willing to do so’ given they are ‘satisfied’ with the performance of Jota, with reporter Almeida now backing this claim as he drops an exciting Twitter transfer message.

The Latest: Almeida drops exciting Jota claim…

Taking to social media, the reporter believes that Postecoglou and co will now ‘advance’ to Jota’s ‘definitive’ signing from Benfica on a permanent move as he explained:

“Celtic will advance to the definitive signing of Jota from Benfica for €7.5M”

The Verdict: No-brainer…

It is no secret that the 22-year-old has been a revelation for Celtic in Scotland and we believe that the club would be remiss not to try and make his stay in Glasgow permanent.

A real statement of intent for £6.2m, a deal which would place Jota in the club’s top ten most expensive signings of all time (Transfermarkt), he is arguably worth every penny.

From a performance perspective, the Portugal under-21 international is currently Celtic’s joint-second top scorer in the Scottish top flight, while only David Turnbull has averaged a higher rate of attempts on goal per 90, marking Jota out as a true threat in the final third (WhoScored).

The attacker has also received garlands galore from Scottish pundits, including Celtic legend John Hartson, who branded him ‘dynamite’ and a ‘very special’ player (Daily Record).

It seems likely that Jota is only going to get better and better judging by his young age, not to mention the potential for a seismic sell-on value if he continues to impress in Scotland.

Taking all this into account, securing his signature indefinitely must surely be a priority for Postecoglou and Celtic.

In other news: Source reveals Celtic plan to cash in on record-breaker in January; replacement ready

Leeds United’s prospective move for goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson is a risk, according to former England striker Kevin Phillips.

The Lowdown: Leeds close in on Klaesson move

It was reported last week that Leeds were in advanced talks to sign the 20-year-old from Valerenga, who they look to make their third signing of the summer.

The Whites are looking for a replacement for veteran ‘keeper Kiko Casilla, with the Spaniard sealing a season-long loan move to Elche.

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The Latest: Phillips unsure about Klaesson

Speaking to Football Insider, Phillips admitted that he has doubts over Klaesson being the right backup to Illan Meslier, mainly due to his lack of experience. He said:

“Yeah, it’s a risk. You always want that backup keeper who’s a bit more experience.

“Meslier isn’t the oldest player in the world. They may go for another goalkeeper just to have that Premier League experience.

“It’s always hard coming to the Premier League if he was to be thrown in. If I’m a Leeds fan, I’m concerned. I think it’s a bit of a risk.”

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The Verdict: It’s a fair point

While Klaesson is a young ‘keeper with bags of potential, Phillips does make a good point in terms of his lack of experience at the top level. Almost all of his first team appearances thus far have been in Norway’s top flight, which is ranked 22nd in UEFA’s association club coefficient.

Should Meslier – still a young player himself – get injured, there would be huge pressure on the Norwegian’s shoulders to fill in and shine in the Premier League.

It is a bold move to back a youngster, although they got it right with the acquisition of Meslier at 19, and astute purchases such as Raphinha have shown that the club deserve to be trusted in the transfer department.

In other news, Leeds are keen on making a move for a Premier League ‘big six’ player this summer. Find out who it is here.

West Bromwich Albion have been dealt a devastating blow in the search for their next manager…

What’s the word?

According to Express & Star journalist Joesph Masi, front-runner David Wagner will not take the vacancy at The Hawthorns, with the German set to take charge of Swiss outfit BSC Young Boys instead.

It has been a dramatic 48 hours or so in the Midlands after the Baggies hierarchy interviewed several candidates, including the former Huddersfield boss, who steered the Terriers to the Premier League in 2017.

He emerged as their first-choice candidate but his switch to England has collapsed as the 49-year-old wants to remain close to his family in Germany.

Back to square one, again

Only a few days ago, reports emerged suggesting that Albion owner Guochuan Lai vetoed a move for former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder despite the Yorkshireman being keen on the role. It’s thought that the rarely-seen chief was put off by his relationship with the board at Bramall Lane, where he publicly clashed with owner Prince Abdullah bin Musa’ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Now that Wagner is now also out of the running, it leaves West Brom back where they first started when Sam Allardyce announced that he would not continue in the dugout for next season. The German was by no means a popular candidate but this situation has left many supporters absolutely reeling.

In response to Masi’s initial tweet, there were plenty of the Baggies faithful expressing their discontent at how the club was being run. Even though this was a small sample size, it really does highlight the mood in the Midlands right now.

For example, one fan claimed it was a “new low” as “we can’t even get a manager that nobody wants”. Another added that it was “absolutely farcical”. with a further supporter describing the situation as a “mess”.

It’s the last thing Luke Dowling and co need heading into a new campaign, where they must see a reaction on the pitch to win back many of these supporters following relegation.

His plans in the transfer market will only be hampered further until the club sorts out who will take charge and, as those supporters claim, it’s an absolute mess right now.

Understandably, plenty of the Baggies faithful will be fuming.

AND in other news, Shock West Brom managerial rejection emerges, but it could be a blessing in disguise…

West Ham have moved one step closer to securing their second signing of the summer transfer window…

What’s the word?

It’s believed that the Irons have agreed on a €30m (£25.7m) deal to sign Kurt Zouma from Chelsea and that the 26-year-old has also accepted personal terms, as per The Athletic.

And according to ExWHUemployee, the French international has completed his medical in Paris ahead of his proposed move to the London Stadium.

“I have heard that Zouma has completed his medical in France but as I suspected would happen, they want to verify the results with doctors that are based in London and have completed our medicals before,” he revealed to ‘The West Ham Way’ Patreon site.”Should Zouma sign he will become the highest-paid player at the club, so the chairman wants to make sure that he is getting complete value for money.”Therefore despite the ‘done dealers’ calling it, the move will not be confirmed today but could be tomorrow.”As said in the last update though he will probably not be available for the Palace game anyway so the race to beat the deadline is irrelevant because the player will stay in France due to his international call up.” Exciting news

It remains to be seen exactly how much Zouma will be earning in east London, with fringe winger Andriy Yarmolenko thought to be the current top-earner at the club on a reported £115k-per-week, via Sportrac.

As a player with 200 appearances across the Premier League and UEFA’s European competitions, two league titles and a Champions League to his name, the salary is very justifiable.

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He should walk straight into David Moyes’ starting XI when he does arrive at the Hammers and that experience will be crucial during their imminent Europa League run.

This latest update from Ex will leave much of the Irons faithful absolutely buzzing as it means they’ve not just finally signed another player but also got the manager his top central defensive target.

We know from signings like Jesse Lingard on loan, Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal that when the Scotsman likes a player, he should be trusted.

A lot of supporters were also very keen to see this one over the line – as relayed by Hammers.News, for example, one fan pleaded with the board to pay up to sign him, whilst another claimed Zouma would be a “big upgrade” on current first-choice Craig Dawson.

It may only be a small sample size but that is the general consensus around West Ham right now, so given this news that the signing is on the verge of being announced, many fans will be ever so thrilled.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Rice: West Ham must seal bargain move for “unplayable” £60k-p/w colossus…

Express and Star journalist Luke Hatfield believes that Danny Ings could be one of the signings of the summer.

The 29-year-old made the switch to Aston Villa from Southampton in a deal worth £25m and put pen to paper on a three-year contract at Villa Park [BBC Sport].

Ings was in incredible form in front of goal at St Mary’s, scoring 46 goals for the Saints in 100 games. The striker opened his account on his debut for Aston Villa in the club’s 3-2 defeat at Watford before scoring a spectacular acrobatic goal against Newcastle United.

The transfer came out of the blue, as Ings had been linked with moves elsewhere but Hatfield believes he could be one of the signings of the summer, telling Football FanCast: “He’s probably one of the most clinical strikers in the league. When you consider other players in his position, you put Harry Kane ahead of him but other than that, who would you put really ahead of him in terms of a clinical striker in that 18-yard box?

“He’s been that good and if he can replicate that at Villa, then he could well be one of the signings of the summer.”

Villa have had a really good summer window, adding Leon Bailey, Axel Tuanzebe, Ashley Young, Emi Buendia and Danny Ings to their ranks and manager Dean Smith will be hoping that all his new signings gel as quickly as possible and Villa have another good season in the Premier League.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham are planning to sell Dele Alli this summer.

The Lowdown: Busy summer for Spurs

Tottenham finished the campaign in seventh place, meaning they will enter the Europa Conference League next season. As such, Daniel Levy and co will be preparing for a busy transfer window.

Harry Kane has already indicated he would like to leave Spurs this summer (Sky Sports), and there could now be another big name leaving the club.

The Latest: Spurs want to sell Alli

It is now being reported the Lilywhites are eager to sell Dele Alli this summer. He is said to be a difficult character behind the scenes, which has contributed to the desire to see him exit.

Daniel Levy and co are said to be willing to listen to offers for the £28.8m-valued 25-year-old (Transfermarkt).

The Verdict: Fresh start

Although he fell totally out of favour under Jose Mourinho, Alli has received plenty more playing time under interim boss Ryan Mason. He has actually started each of the last five Premier League matches of the season (Mason even called him “excellent” recently, indicating a slight resurgence.

Alli’s influence on the Tottenham team has decreased steadily since the 2016/17 term when he netted 18 times in the league. It seems he has little future at Spurs, but he is still just 25 years and has plenty of time to retrieve his previous form. A fresh start could well be best for all involved.

In other news, David Ornstein makes this Harry Kane claim.

Everton are reportedly now targeting a move for Adama Traore in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Future uncertain

Traore was sent out on loan to FC Barcelona from Wolves back in January, and so his future at Molineux is uncertain with neither Barca or Wolves seeming particularly keen to keep him long term.

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His contract at the Midlands club expires in 2023, and so it will be up to them whether they look to cash in on him in the summer or risk losing him for free the following year.

The Latest: Targeted

As per Football Insider, a source from Goodison Park has revealed that the Merseyside club are now monitoring Traore as an ‘attacking target’, and Kevin Thelwell is thought to be a ‘big admirer’ of his, having originally signed him for the Wanderers for a club-record fee back in 2018.

The Toffees are ‘keeping tabs’ on his situation, as Barcelona have an option to buy him in the summer, and ‘could make a move’ if they decide not to sign him permanently.

The Verdict: Sign

Currently rated at £25.2m, Traore could be the marquee signing that Frank Lampard’s team need to kick on, should they end up avoiding relegation from the Premier League.

Likened to Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton by Martin Keown, the Spain international possesses blistering speed, a unique trait that the Blues could exploit to their advantage.

Of course, he has the added experience of playing in the top flight in both England and Spain too, and at 26 years of age is just about to enter his prime.

Nonetheless, he is a player that should get the supporters off of their seats and lift the mood around Goodison.

In other news, find out which 5/10 EFC dud Adam Jones slammed against Leicester City here!