All posts by z3u9t.icu

An update has emerged on Gio van Bronckhorst, regarding Rangers’ plans for his potential backroom staff in Glasgow.

What’s the talk?

According to The Times, Rangers are insisting the Dutchman brings in a player experienced in Scottish football to be a part of his coaching staff behind-the-scenes, with Billy Dodds, Barry Ferguson and Neil McCann named as candidates.

The report claims Jan Wouters, his assistant at Feyenoord, is unlikely to follow him to Ibrox, with the aforementioned trio potentially in line to take his place.

Buzzing

Rangers fans will surely be buzzing with this inside insight into Ross Wilson’s plans for the make-up of van Bronckhorst’s backroom team. The Gers chief is seemingly keen to get as much experience in to help the Dutchman as possible, which could allow him to hit the ground running.

Instead of needing an adaptation period, the experience from the likes of Ferguson, McCann and Dodds could mean that he is able to meet the requirements of Scottish football straight away. They will have the games under their belts as coaches and players to know what it is all about, which could be valuable for the 46-year-old.

Ferguson is currently the manager of Alloa Athletic and has taken charge of 20 games to date, with over 100 games in Scottish football as a head coach overall in his career. This is after he played over 200 games for Rangers during his playing career, winning five league titles.

Dodds, however, is managing at a higher level with Inverness in the second tier. He has won 1.70 points per game across 20 matches in charge, having also played for Rangers before becoming a manager.

Interestingly, he took the Inverness job after Neil McCann’s spell as caretaker – where he won 1.50 points per game across 16 matches. McCann, a further ex-Gers player, managed 60 games at Dundee but was only able to pick up an unimpressive 1.12 points per game.

This shows that all three of them have experience as players and coaches in Scottish football and could provide van Bronckhorst with valuable information behind the scenes to help him perform to the best of his abilities at Ibrox, should he take the job.

Therefore, this is a shrewd decision from Wilson and shows that he is working hard to piece together the best set of staff possible to replace Steven Gerrard’s influence following his move to Aston Villa, which is why fans will be delighted by this news.

AND in other news, “Spoke to club”: Rangers insider provides manager twist that’ll leave fans delighted…

Taking to Twitter, Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas has now shared a Southampton transfer update involving West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The Lowdown: Southampton eye summer moves…

The Saints and their transfer chief Martin Semmens reportedly have their eyes on the summer transfer window as they seemingly start to outline targets for 2022/23.

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Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi has been linked lately, with Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl allegedly eyeing a new striker addition. Meanwhile, lesser-known names like South Korea international Son Jun-ho are also on their radar alongside the potential addition of a new goalkeeper.

Taking to social media, Sky Sports reporter Thomas has now updated Saints supporters with some transfer news involving Johnstone.

The Latest: Thomas makes Johnstone claim…

According to the journalist’s sources, Southampton are among the clubs eyeing a move for West Brom’s soon to be out-of-contract ace. However, they will face stern competition from the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham.

Thomas explained on Twitter: “Tottenham continuing to assess Sam Johnstone as an option to strengthen GK dept this summer, via my colleague @RobDorsettSky, Man Utd and Southampton among other clubs interested.”

The Verdict: Make a move…

Winning the race for Johnstone, a three-cap England international, would be a stellar move by the Saints and Semmens, especially on a free transfer.

Former Baggies boss Sam Allardyce was effusive in his praise for the 29-year-old for his Premier League form last year, while the likes of Wolves legend Steve Bull have heralded Johnstone as a ‘world class’ shot stopper.

For zero cost, he could be the ideal man to strengthen Hasenhuttl’s options between the sticks, but the only caveat is arguably all the competition Southampton face for his services.

In other news: ‘It is true’ – Southampton backed by close source as they also eye ‘star’ international for Ralph, find out more here.

Former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Paddy Kenny has been reacting to the news that Celtic are closing in on permanent deals for loanees Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jota, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Hoops wasting no time

The Hoops already have four winter additions through the door in the space of nine days. Young Irish forward Johnny Kenny has joined Japanese trio Reo Hatate, Yosuke Ideguchi and Daizen Maeda at Lennoxtown, arriving from Sligo Rovers in his homeland.

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Ange Postecoglou has now turned his attention to securing permanent deals for Carter-Vickers and Jota, and it appears as if talks with respective parent clubs Tottenham and Benfica are going well.

The Latest: Kenny’s comments

According to Football Insider, who were informed by a Celtic source on Saturday, the Hoops are closing in on the pair following successful talks with Spurs and Benfica in the week.

Kenny was asked by Football Insider for his thoughts on the news, to which he replied:

“It’s a huge statement for Celtic if they can get these deals done.

“That takes them to five new players for the window and we’re only a week in.

“People might not count them as new signings but they absolutely are. There would be no debate over where their loyalties lie.

“Both players have been massive for them this season and it’s an absolute no brainer to get them signed up permanently.

“It would be a huge statement too. Tottenham and Benfica are big clubs and some players might prefer to stay at those clubs instead of joining Celtic.

“That’s why this is big, it could herald a new pool of more high-profile targets who now see Celtic as a viable option.”

The Verdict: Any more?

Should Celtic fork out £12.5m for Carter-Vickers and Jota, that would bring their total January spend to just shy of £14.7m. Links have emerged to Australian duo Martin Boyle and Riley McGree, so there could well be space for a few more arrivals before the end of the month.

However, any further signings could depend on who they can offload over the coming weeks, with Celtic willing to entertain offers for Vasilis Barkas and Boli Bolingoli.

Barkas cost £4.5m and Bolingoli £3m, but the pair have been outcasts under Postecoglou, so the Hoops could be rather fortunate to receive respectable offers for their services. If they do manage to get them out, then those funds could be put towards more new signings, but fans may have to remain patient.

In other news: Celtic may now sign £4.5m-rated man on loan; would ‘separate’ Nicholson from Lawwell

The last thing Everton needs right now is losing any key players, as they try to navigate their way through an injury crisis and a lack of depth in many areas of their squad that has resulted in only five wins from 17 games in the Premier League, leaving them 15th in the table.

With the transfer window in less than 72 hours, Rafa Benitez must avoid the departure of any important players in his side to ensure he can rebuild and climb the table to get back into the top half for a satisfactory finish with the Toffees.

Everton superstar, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, has been rumoured with a move away to Arsenal for weeks, and even pundits have been adding fuel to the flames by encouraging the injured striker to make a move to Arsenal.

Gunners legend, Lee Dixon, spoke to the MailOnline about the potential of Arsenal signing the Toffees forward in the January transfer window;

“Would I like to see Calvert-Lewin at Arsenal? I think yes.

“It would be a step up for Calvert-Lewin, no disrespect to Everton.

“He is fit and athletic, he is strong and good in the air and a good finisher. I would take him.”

The MailOnline did also reported earlier this month, that Arsenal were interested in signing Calvert Lewin, but there has been no further links or official interest made by the London club as of yet, despite both Dixon and Paul Merson making their feelings clear about Arsenal’s potential signing of the player this week.

Fans will be fuming

If Benitez wasn’t already unpopular with fans, due to his successes as manager of fierce local rivals Liverpool, selling Calvert Lewin would be the final nail in the coffin for fans of the club and considered unforgivable, with the goal machine being arguably Everton’s best player, scoring 56 goals and bagging 16 assists in 176 appearances.

Selling the centre forward would be unwise with Everton’s severe lack of goals and creativity conceding more than they’ve scored this season so far, even with or without the fans on the manager’s back, it doesn’t make sense to cash in on him when what he can potentially offer to the side in the second half of the season is priceless.

It would be unlikely that Everton would let the £40.5m-rated star go, unless there was a huge, inflated offer from interested clubs, which actually isn’t unheard of in the January transfer window, Andy Carroll to Liverpool for £35m springs to mind, especially with many clubs desperate for prolific goal-scorers to assist with securing a good finish in the second half of the season.

The 28 year old has been side-lined since the early stages of the season sustaining a quadriceps injury and a broken toe, meaning he hasn’t played since scoring against Brighton on August 28th 2021.

He then suffered a setback with his recovery progress, and is only now in contention for selection for the side as we head into 2022, with the possibility of an appearance against Brighton on Sunday, although the England international did expect to be back in the side on Boxing Day, however postponement of fixtures hasn’t allowed that.

In other news: Benitez could solve problems by signing Vecino

Back in the summer of 2020, Neil Lennon’s Celtic scouts were reported to have been incredibly impressed by the form of Grady Diangana, who had lit up the Championship during a season-long loan spell with West Bromwich Albion.

Indeed, over his 30 second-tier appearances in 2019/20, the West Ham United winger played an influential role in the Baggies’ promotion back to the Premier League, scoring eight goals, registering six assists and creating eight big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.6 shots and making 1.4 key passes per game.

These returns saw the former England U21 international average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.06, ranking him as Albion’s third-best player in the league that year.

And, as a result of this form, the likes of Celtic, Ajax, Newcastle United and Everton were all reported to be interested in the 23-year-old, for whom West Ham were demanding a fee in the region of £15m-£20m in order to part with.

However, it would ultimately be West Brom who went on to secure the forward on a permanent basis, with Slaven Bilic’s side coughing up around £18m in order to prise the youngster away from the London Stadium.

Although, while Diangana’s switch to The Hawthorns would undoubtedly have come as a gutting blow to Celtic at the time, nearly two years down the line, it is becoming apparent that the Baggies massively overpaid for the winger.

Indeed, over his 20 Premier League appearances in 2020/21, the £7.2m-rated forward failed to make any real mark on the top flight, scoring one goal, registering no assists and creating no big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of just 0.7 shots and making 0.3 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Lee Hendrie dubbed a “magnificent” talent who’s “easy on the eye” average an extremely disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.47, ranking him as Albion’s joint second-worst player in the division.

Things have not improved much for the £25k-per-week attacker over his 35 Championship outings this season, with the 23-year-old having scored two goals, provided one assist and created three big chances, with these metrics seeing the winger average a SofaScore match rating of 6.67 – ranking him as Steve Bruce’s joint eighth-worst performer in the second tier.

As such, it is clear to see that Celtic hit the jackpot when missing out on the £18m signing of a player who Adrian Goldberg labelled “desperate” and claimed looks “like a youth player playing in a men’s game” back in 2020 – as Diangana’s form has fallen off a cliff since his permanent move to West Brom.

AND in other news: Huge boost: Ange reveals major Lennoxtown development, it’s brilliant news for Celtic

Tottenham Hotspur youth prospect Tobi Omole is in advanced negotiations over a new contract at the north London outfit, according to allnigeriasoccer.com.

The 21-year-old defender joined Spurs from arch-rivals Arsenal in October 2020 following a successful trial and it appears as if he’s already caught the eye of first-team boss Antonio Conte, who recently called the academy starlet up to training.

It was Nuno Santo who first handed Omole a call-up to the first-team squad, naming him amongst the substitutes in games against Stade Rennes, NS Mura and Crystal Palace.

He was even registered as a senior option in their Premier League and Europa Conference League squads, which only goes to show just how highly thought of he is at Hotspur Way.

But who is he?

The young dynamo is a versatile starlet capable of playing at full-back, centre-back and as a defensive midfielder, and for the U23s this campaign, he has bagged two goals from 14 appearances across the Premier League 2 and the EFL Trophy.

Standing at 6 foot 1, Omole could be the next youngster to break into the senior set-up, perhaps following in the footsteps of Oliver Skipp, who has become a key starter under Conte this term.

Omole, who has been described as a “top young talent” by Lilywhites insider John Wenham to Football Insider, could provide the Italian with valuable cover in defence, where he has been without Cristian Romero since the November international break.

He is not expected back until January, maybe February, at the earliest, so a player like Omole could be of huge value to Conte in the coming weeks and months, especially with the fixture list piling up this festive period.

It is certainly encouraging to see that Spurs are trying to tie him down to an extension as he is close to entering the final six months of his current deal.

Given his recent involvement in training alongside some of the club’s biggest stars, it could well be Omole who emerges as the ‘next Skipp’ and the latest success story from the academy.

AND in other news, Antonio Conte set for Spurs boost amid fresh contract claims…

A major update has emerged on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Sassuolo’s left-back Rogerio in the January transfer window…

What’s the talk?

According to Brazilian outlet TNTSports, the Magpies are on the verge of completing a deal to sign the full-back for a fee in the region of £12.5m (€15m).

The report claims that the transfer is close to being agreed and the player has decided to pursue a switch to St. James’ Park over other options in Europe.

Howe will love it

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will surely be in love with this update as it suggests that his fourth signing of the window is set to be completed.

Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood are the only official additions of the window thus far and Bruno Guimaraes is poised to arrive from Lyon as the third, with Rogerio potentially set to come in after his compatriot.

The Magpies are currently 18th in the Premier League table and could be facing relegation down to the Championship unless their results turn around and they are able to string together a run of form.

Bringing in new players to improve the team could increase their chances of being able to do this and that is why Howe will be buzzing to have another potential improvement to his XI.

Rogerio could come in and prove to be an upgrade on Matt Ritchie at left-back. The 24-year-old has 107 Serie A appearances under his belt, which shows that he is an experienced player at the top level despite his age and can handle playing regularly in a big European league.

This season, the Brazilian has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.82, creating 1.2 chances per game from full-back for the Italian outfit and making 1.8 tackles and interceptions.

Ritchie, meanwhile, has averaged an unimpressive score of 6.66 for the Magpies. This shows that he has been consistently letting the side down and has been unable to deliver solid displays for the club, with his rating ranking him 17th in the Newcastle squad.

Therefore, Howe will love the prospect of being able to select Rogerio ahead of him in the Premier League in the weeks and months to come. If he is able to adapt to English football, his statistics suggest that he could be a dependable option for the head coach and provide quality at both ends of the pitch to aid them in their battle against the drop.

AND in other news,  Forget Lascelles: NUFC now eye late bid for £20m “leader”, he’d be “integral” for Howe…

Newcastle’s dismal Premier League campaign continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Norwich at St. James’ Park on Tuesday night.

The Magpies got off to the worst possible as Ciaran Clark hauled Teemu Pukki down and was shown a straight red card by the referee.

However, a handball by Billy Gilmour gifted Callum Wilson the opportunity to score from the spot and his effort from 12-yards snuck past Tim Krul to hand the lead.

Eddie Howe’s side failed to pick up their first win, though, as Teemu Pukki scored a stunning volley to level the scores for the Canaries.

Let Howe down

Clark’s early mistake and sending off disrupted Newcastle’s rhythm and there were some resilient performances across the pitch to dig in and pick up a result. However, one player who did let Howe down on the pitch was central midfielder Joe Willock.

He struggled in the midfield and found it difficult to make his mark defensively or in transition. He had one promising break in the first half leading to a chance for Callum Wilson, but did little else on the ball in the match – ending his time on the pitch with just 24 touches.

Magpies goalkeeper Martin Dubravka (45) had more touches than the ex-Arsenal man. Jonjo Shelvey, meanwhile, had 54 touches and completed six long balls and crosses combined, showing that he took charge in the midfield.

Defensively, the £19.8m-rated flop was poor. Per SofaScore, he lost 62.5% of his duels – five of eight – and failed to make a single tackle, interception, clearance or block whilst being dribbled past once. This shows that he was a lightweight defending his own goal and let Howe down with his attempts to win the ball back off Norwich or to close their players down.

It is difficult to blame Willock for his lack of quality on the ball due to the circumstances at play in the match, but his lack of strength off the ball is a major cause for concern.

Howe will surely be livid with his lack of involvement against the play and it could cost him his place in the XI for the clash with Burnley at the weekend. There was an effort from the 22-year-old to help Jamal Lewis out at left-back and plug gaps, but he needs to be more effective with his work rate.

In the position Newcastle are in, they cannot afford to carry passengers in the side and that was what Willock was with his performance in midfield. He needs to buck his ideas up if he wants to live up to his reported £25m transfer fee.

AND in other news, NUFC could kickstart Howe era with £275k-p/w gem who plays football “like a dance”…

Wolves winger Adama Traore could want a new challenge away from Molineux in the January transfer window, according to The Athletic’s Tim Spiers.

The Lowdown: Traore linked with Wolves exit

The 25-year-old has enjoyed a curious Wolves career in many ways, proving to be a hugely entertaining player but also flattering to deceive too often.

Despite this, Traore doesn’t seem to be short of potential suitors this month, with a number of clubs linked with making a move for him, as reports on Friday believe Tottenham are the latest team to make an approach.

The 5 foot 10 Spaniard’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023, meaning Wolves risk losing him on a free transfer if he doesn’t leave by this summer.

The Latest: Spiers further hints at move

Taking to Twitter to respond to a question on Thursday, Spiers suggested that Traore is eyeing up a move elsewhere currently:

“Easy to forget this is his fourth season at the club as well, might want a new challenge, to maybe test himself in the CL etc, which is pretty normal for any ambitious player.”

The Verdict: Time to part ways?

Traore showed what he is capable of on Monday, making a clear impact from the substitutes’ bench against Manchester United and playing a part in Joao Moutinho’s winning goal, but his inconsistency remains his biggest shortcoming.

The winger is still yet to register a goal or an assist in the Premier League this season and this is why a move away from Wolves could make sense for all parties, despite him being hailed as ‘fantastic’ by pundit Tim Sherwood.

It would allow Traore to test himself at a new club, while Wanderers would earn a hefty sum of money to spend on a strong replacement.

In other news, some Wolves fans are buzzing over an update that has emerged. Read more here.

New interim manager Ralf Rangnick will take charge of his first Manchester United game over the weekend when they welcome Crystal Palace to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils steadied the ship under former temporary boss Michael Carrick in recent weeks, stringing together a three-game unbeaten run in all competitions thanks to some battling performances.

An entertaining 3-2 victory over Arsenal last time out saw United jump up to seventh place in the Premier League table and to within three points of West Ham United, who occupy the final Champions League qualification spot.

However, a new era is set to begin on Sunday when Rangnick takes over the reins, potentially sparking a raft of changes in the style of play and team selection.

The 63-year-old is widely regarding as the Godfather of German coaching after popularising his Gegenpressing style of play, either directory or indirectly influencing a host of elite-level coaches.

Rangnick’s philosophy is based around pressing the opposition high up the pitch, attacking vertically and taking a shot within 10 seconds of regaining possession.

As a result, players who fit the profile of Rangnick’s specific system are likely to be preferred by the highly regarded tactician as he looks to transform United’s fortunes over the coming months.

And that could be very good news for Jesse Lingard. The £75k-per-week gem has found himself watching on from the sidelines for the majority of the campaign but could find himself back in the starting XI in the weeks ahead.

So far this season, Lingard has recorded 30 pressures per 90 and 8.18 successful pressures, bettering his teammates in both metrics, as per FBref.com, highlighting his suitability for Rangnick’s style.

With Marcus Rashford currently on a six-game drought since he scored his last goal and struggling for form, now could be the time for the 28-year-old to shine.

Following his return to form last season, England manager Gareth Southgate described the 32-cap gem as “immense”, and now Rangnick must unleash Lingard at club level, providing him with the opportunity to showcase his true quality.

Starting the versatile attacker from the off could prove to be pivotal in Rangnick’s quest for a fast start at United, with Lingard likely needing less time to adapt to his pressing demands than most.

And, in other news…Ralf can get MUFC firing with “intelligent” £42.3m-rated gem, he has “no weaknesses”