All posts by n8rngtd.top

Pascal Struijk has been linked to a move away from Elland Road and recent reports suggest that Leeds United are going to have a battle on their hands to keep him.

Speaking to Football Insider, Kevin Campbell stated that “this is where the vultures start to circle” and that the Whites may struggle to keep hold of players like the versatile defender. According to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, Leicester and Napoli are both keeping tabs on Struijk and could swoop for him once the summer transfer window opens.

If the £25,000 per week centre-back opts to leave the club, Victor Orta and co must be quick in searching for a replacement.

Why Leeds must replace Pascal Struijk

Despite being left on the bench for nine matches at the start of this season, Struijk has been called upon during Marcelo Bielsa’s latest hour of need. The injuries to summer signings Robin Koch and Diego Llorente have seriously depleted the Argentinian’s defensive options. For the last 11 matches, the 21-year-old has featured amongst the starting XI and has switched between operating as a centre-back and in defensive midfield.

Struijk has been covering the absence of Kalvin Phillips, who is currently out of action with a calf injury. The last outing saw him keep a clean sheet against Southampton and he also contributed a goal against Arsenal in their attempted comeback at the Emirates, according to Sofascore.

If an elite level side scoops him up this summer, Leeds will be without his services in case of any further injury crisis. Phillips has missed six Premier League matches so far this campaign, through two separate injuries, as per Transfermarkt. Whilst he is a tank in Bielsa’s midfield when he’s fit, these recurring injuries could spell a bit of trouble ahead.

If Struijk leaves the club, Leeds must scramble to find a suitable replacement, as only having Phillips on their books to operate in defensive midfield is not enough if they want to keep pushing up the Premier League table and eventually challenge for European football.

In other news, Phil Hay update hints at a new Leeds contract for Bielsa…

Aston Villa substituted attacking winger Bertrand Traore off against Wolves with what looked to be an injury, and Gregg Evans has provided an update on the player.

The latest on Traore

Traore lasted 83 minutes before being substituted in the 0-0 draw and The Athletic journalist shed some light on the situation on Twitter as he posted the simple five-word update “Traore taken off as a precaution” among other updates on Aston Villa players.

This is good news for Villa

In his first season at Villa Park, the former Chelsea forward is having a decent campaign. The 25-year-old has featured 24 times (seven from the bench) and has picked up five goals and three assists along the way (WhoScored). He has also managed 1.6 shots and 1.2 successful dribbles per game.

Traore has been praised in the past by his former Blues manager Guus Hiddink, who said: “He is open to learn and you can teach him, you can say ‘work on this’ and he is very clever to do so.”

With fixtures coming thick and fast, the last thing Smith and Villa want are further injuries, especially when their star Jack Grealish is still recovering from one himself. Therefore, to hear that Traore was only taken off as a precaution should be a relief, and hopefully it means he can feature against Newcastle on Friday night.

In other news, many Aston Villa fans reacted to Dean Smith’s latest comments about Grealish!

Tottenham Hotspur produced a solid display to beat Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 knockout tie on Thursday night, although the Croatian side did cause some problems on their trip to north London.

Two goals from Harry Kane secured the win for Jose Mourinho’s side and some of the Spurs players who featured will be grateful for his brace, as there were a few too many passengers in the game for the Lilywhites.

One man in particular who disappointed with his performance was Dele Alli.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old earned a 6.5/10 rating for his performance on Thusday, which was the lowest of any Spurs player who started the game. The former MK Dons man struggled to get involved in Spurs’ attacking play during his time on the pitch and managed no shots, no successful dribbles and no key passes on the night.

In the Europa League so far this season, Alli has averaged 1.4 shots, 1.4 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game, which demonstrates that he was nowhere near his best against Zagreb.

The England international, who is currently valued at £34.2m by Transfermarkt, also had just 49 touches of the ball and completed only 33 passes, which again is fewer than the 36.4 passes per game he has averaged in Europe this season.

It was no surprise, therefore, that Mourinho subbed Alli just after the hour mark and his replacement, Steven Bergwijn, managed one key pass and one shot on target, as well as a 100% pass accuracy, which suggests that the Dutch winger was able to do a lot more than Alli in the game, despite only being on the pitch for around 30 minutes, per Sofascore.

It was a really poor display from Alli and nowhere near the level he has shown in recent Europa League and Premier League fixtures, so Mourinho will be hoping that he doesn’t slump back into a poor run of form, as Spurs will need every player on song if they are to finish the season strongly and secure a top four finish.

And, in other news… Mourinho masterclass: Jose has revitalised Spurs beast with one simple change

In what was only their third draw of the Premier League season, Leeds earned a creditable point at home to a rejuvenated Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.

Thomas Tuchel’s men have been on a roll since the German’s arrival at Stamford Bridge and came into the game off the back of a couple of impressive wins against Liverpool and Everton respectively.

However, despite a couple of scary moments – not least when a ball ricocheted off a Leeds defender and hit the crossbar in the first half – the Whites came through it unscathed and kept things tight at the back.

While he wasn’t able to break the deadlock, Tyler Roberts was a standout performer for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

The £9m-rated dynamo delivered one of his more impressive displays of the Premier League season, and what a time to do it given some of the speculation over his long-term future at the club.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay revealed in the last few days that, depending on the Whites’ summer activity, both the 22-year-old and Helder Costa could be one of the fall guys of the club’s revamp.

However, on the basis of Roberts’ display against Chelsea, Bielsa may start to have second thoughts – although of course, one good performance doesn’t automatically change everything.

It was his goal which was ruled out for offside in the opening period after Patrick Bamford had strayed off earlier in the move, while his stunning effort took some heroics from Edouard Mendy to deny him from opening the scoring.

He was a real livewire for Leeds, with most of the Whites’ best attacking play coming through him. He completed three of his four attempted dribbles, which was the most of any player on the pitch, and considerably more than his season average of 0.6 per match in the Premier League.

As well as being more direct in his play, Roberts didn’t shirk his defensive responsibilities either, winning five of his duels on the day – again, far more than his season average of 2.9 per match.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Beren Cross gave him a seven, adding: “Had his moments of frustration, but did serve up some quality in the second half as Chelsea’s defence splintered. Forced a fingertip stop out of Edouard Mendy in the first half.”

Hay dubbed Roberts’ performance as “impressive” on Twitter after the match, and it was a display which sent a reminder to Bielsa perhaps there is still a quality player there to be nurtured and developed.

Meanwhile, this Leeds man let Bielsa down with a shocking display vs Chelsea…

Everton reportedly face competition from Manchester United to sign Alessio Romagnoli from AC Milan, according to Il Milanista.

As per the news outlet, both Premier League clubs would like to sign the Italy international, with Carlo Ancelotti reportedly ready to make him his ‘new leader’ at the back.

Romagnoli’s current deal at the San Siro expires in June 2022, meaning that in the summer transfer window, he will only have one year left on his contract and hence may be available for a cheaper price than usual.

Everton should sign Romagnoli

Everton should really be looking to try and sign Romagnoli at all costs in the summer, as he has the potential to take the team to the next level.

Being naturally left-footed, the 26-year-old would offer a trait different to all of the other current senior central defenders at the Merseyside club; and as the current captain at Milan, he should be more than capable of becoming the ‘new leader’ that Ancelotti reportedly wants.

Romagnoli, who is currently valued at £32.4m by Transfermarkt, is not bad on the pitch either, as he has won no fewer than 3.8 of his duels per game in Serie A so far this season, as well as averaging 3.7 clearances and 1.2 interceptions per match (Sofascore).

It is time for the Toffees to get their chequebook out.

In other news, find out which ‘dreadful’ Everton player was blasted for his display against Burnley.

Stan Collymore has directed stinging criticism at Newcastle manager Steve Bruce and owner Mike Ashley.

Lots of Newcastle fans have bemoaned what they see as a prevailing narrative among pundits that expectations are too high, with Andrew Musgrove writing in Chronicle Live that such takes were only fuelling ‘the fires of discontent’.

The spectre of relegation looms larger on Tyneside after Brighton claimed a crushing 3-0 victory in Saturday’s night six-pointer, and Collymore does not believe Bruce has displayed the character required to lead them through the upcoming dogfight.

“Bruce never seems to be the one to take the blame,” he wrote in his Mirror column. “He shirks responsibility. Matt Ritchie called him a ‘coward’, so others have noticed too.

“He exudes misery… talking up average opposition, moaning about injuries, and talking in meaningless generalities, while rival coaches give insightful detailed answers.”

Mike Ashley may be deliberately ‘messing Newcastle around’

Collymore then turned his attention to Ashley, who continues to stand by Bruce amid the club’s worrying drift. The 56-year-old was on the verge of selling the club last summer before the £300m deal collapsed (BBC Sport).

Former Liverpool and Nottingham Forest striker Collymore duly accused the businessman of ‘spiteful’ decision-making.

“With Ashley, it feels personal,” he wrote. “Like he wants to mess the club around because he feels personally wounded because of the stick’s he’s taken.

“He’s the in-house aggressor, the more fans say they want him out, or journalists, the more he won’t. There’s an element of spite: ‘I won this club and I’ll do what I like, on my terms’.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

Are Collymore’s criticisms entirely fair? Not entirely – Bruce did take ‘full responsibility’ for the Brighton defeat, for example, although words can ring hollow at times.

Regarding Ashley, he was clearly willing to sell the club, and Newcastle fans were demanding answers from the Premier League rather than their incumbent owner when the takeover unravelled (BBC Sport).

Ultimately, however, both must go. Bruce says he loves the club but the real test of that affection is whether he is willing to walk away. His position now seems untenable, and hierarchical change must follow to prevent the continuation of this vicious cycle.

In other news, Newcastle are in pole position to sign this midfielder.

According to a report by Calciomercato, as shared by City Xtra through Sports Illustrated on Twitter, Serie A giants Inter Milan do not want to sell Romelu Lukaku despite the Sky Blues eyeing a move – with many Man City fans hailing this development as ‘great news’ on social media.

Lukaku, who has been in stellar form for the Nerazzurri, scoring an impressive 19 goals whilst assisting eight others in 23 league starts over 2020/2021 (WhoScored), is attracting alleged interest from City ahead of the summer window.

The striker position has been touted as a place to strengthen in the transfer market, especially with club legend Sergio Aguero in the final year of his deal, and the 27-year-old former Man United hitman has been heavily linked as a target.

Calciomercato, providing the latest, claim that both City and Barcelona’s interest won’t be enough to convince Inter to deprive themselves of their star striker.

Flocking to this update, despite its negative nature, many Sky Blues seemed overjoyed with one hailing it as ‘great news’ – with the reason he gives being the club can potentially prioritise a swoop for Erling Haaland.

Find all of their verdicts down below.

Man City fans ecstatic over Lukaku update

“Great news, we need only Halaand”

Credit: @IbrahimAlwabel2

“YESSSSS”

Credit: @SilkyCyrus_74

“Good”

Credit: @SallMCFC

“Phew!”

Credit: @Chrisledger10

“Phew…”

Credit: @Callumburns44

“Thank heavens”

Credit: @mcfcjosh9320

“get in”

Credit: @10FinMurden

“W’s”

Credit: @MattHarl42

In other news: Fans slammed this Man City ace, find out more here.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting after it emerged that a couple of billboards celebrating the club’s 55th Premiership title have been damaged.

The Gers are still basking in the glory of their latest trophy. It has been a dominant campaign for the Ibrox outfit – they have already won the league with five games remaining and are currently 20 points clear of their closest rivals in the table, Celtic (BBC). It has been a season that Rangers fans will never forget.

To celebrate the success, billboards were erected in Glasgow displaying messaging in support of the Rangers squad. However, photos have now emerged showing those billboards to have been damaged (via Vital Rangers). Clearly, there are some in the city who are far from happy that the Gers have won the title.

The photos of the damaged billboards attracted plenty of attention on Twitter, and these fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the matter. Indeed, they managed to see a positive side to the vandalism.

Let’s see what these Rangers fans had to say below

“It’s only a game….”

Credit: @fumefox

“superb”

Credit: @ThomasHannigan9

“55 has destroyed them”

Credit: @TheBluezulu2

“That makes them even better”

Credit: @geomac24

“Lovely to see, it means they’re hurting!”

Credit: @BFPO107

“Makes it all the better ,shows how much its hurting them”

Credit: @1873Rickster

In other news, some Rangers fans rage at this official club release.

Sunderland don’t know what division they’ll be in next season but that hasn’t stopped the Mackems from preparing for the summer transfer window.

What’s the word?

The Black Cats are in the market for one of the most promising full-backs in the EFL according to Football League World.

They believe that Tranmere Rovers defender Otis Khan is a target for Sunderland, with the League One club weighing up a move ahead of the summer.

The 25-year-old only joined Tranmere last summer but could already be on the move with Preston North End and Portsmouth also in the race to sign him.

It’s not clear how much Khan will cost, but he currently earns a salary of just £800-per-week at Prenton Park. Clearly, wages will not be an issue for a club like Sunderland.

The perfect signing

Lee Johnson has breathed fresh life into this Mackems side and now they look in an extremely good place to get promoted.

Part of Johnson’s mantra has been to get Sunderland to score more goals. They have already dispatched fellow promotion hopefuls Lincoln 4-0 while they’ve also put four past Doncaster Rovers.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-sunderland-transfer-rumours-and-news-grigg-denayer-louis-dreyfus-sanderson-melamed” title=”Latest Sunderland transfer news and views!”]

The addition of Khan, therefore, would be perfect. A right-winger by trade, Tranmere boss Keith Hill has turned the player into an attack-minded full-back.

So far this term, the defender has managed 1.4 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game in League Two.

It’s his ability to take players on and beat opponents that really catches the eye, something Sunderland witnessed firsthand in the Papa John’s Trophy final.

Khan was a constant threat at Wembley. Despite his team losing, the defender terrorised Callum McFadzean down Sunderland’s left-hand side.

The 25-year-old was a menace for Tranmere and completed as many as four dribbles, the joint-highest of any player on the day.

He also attempted seven crosses and won five of his seven duels defensively. For a Sunderland side who have had plenty of injuries at the back this term, the acquisition of Khan would be a valuable one.

His mentality would also fit the group of players at the Stadium of Light; “he’s a great character and works hard at what he does,” Hill said back in November.

The Tranmere star defines exciting; combining a ruthless attacking intent with a desire to win the ball back for his team. This would be a great signing.

AND in other news, SAFC graduate has seen his value rise by £9m since leaving, he’s a “rock-solid” gem…

Rangers eased through to the Scottish Cup fourth round on Sunday with a comfortable 4-0 win against Cove Rangers but there was a cause of concern for some Rangers fans after Steven Gerrard left Jack Simpson out at Ibrox.

With Filip Helander having featured twice for Sweden during the international break, Sunday’s game seemed the ideal time for Gerrard to hand Simpson his first start for Rangers following his January move.

However, the 40-year-old manager stuck with his tried and tested partnership of Helander and Connor Goldson, leaving Simpson on the bench despite taking a 4-0 lead into half-time.

The 24-year-old centre-back was initially going to join Rangers on a pre-contract deal ahead of next season but was brought to Ibrox ahead of schedule in the winter transfer window.

However, he has made just two substitute appearances totalling 35 minutes since then and after being left out against significantly inferior opposition in Cove Rangers, you worry that Gerrard might have already written him off.

Upon his arrival, Simpson’s former youth coach Tim Davies waxed lyrical about his ability to The Scottish Sun, he said: “He can play in a back three, in a two or as a holding midfielder. Jack is excellent on the ball. He’s also left-footed and so many managers crave that as he offers balance.”

Of course, Simpson was always going to struggle to break into Rangers’ defence this season, when you consider that the Gers have conceded just 10 goals in the top-flight so far this season, with the likes of Goldson, Helander and Leon Balogun all impressing at the back.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read this week’s latest Rangers news, transfer rumours and more!”]

However, with Helander being linked with a move away in recent weeks, whilst Balogun’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, you would have thought that Sunday’s game against Cove Rangers would have presented an ideal opportunity for Gerrard to test Simpson out in his side, and see whether he has what it takes to step up next season.

The Light Blues also have Nikola Katic and George Edmundson to return this summer, with the Croatian edging closer to full fitness after his season-long injury, whilst the Englishman will be hoping to push on at Ibrox after a loan spell at Derby County.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

Therefore, there is already a lot of competition at centre-back in Gerrard’s side and unless Simpson can start to show a lot more training, which you feel is the only reason why he would have been omitted against Cove on Sunday, you worry that his time at Ibrox may well already be cut short.

And, in other news… Wilson should sanction Rangers summer swoop for 20 y/o gem dubbed “one of the most talented”