All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crystal Palace embarked on a mass overhaul of their first-team squad over the summer, allowing several experienced campaigners to depart before replacing them with exciting, young acquisitions.

And the early indications are that the capital club’s dealings were a huge success. The likes of Marc Guehi, Odsonne Edouard and Conor Gallagher have all hit the ground running at Selhurst Park, propelling Patrick Vieira’s new-look side to a memorable victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

However, while there can be little doubt over the incomings in south London, the club’s hierarchy arguably made a few mistakes when allowing some seasoned professionals to walk out the exit.

Winger Andros Townsend has been excelling at fellow Premier League club Everton in the opening weeks of the new campaign with five goals for the Toffees already, but defender Patrick van Aanholt is another who Palace chairman Steve Parish may have some regrets over.

After joining the Eagles via a £9.45m move in January 2017, the attacking left-back went on to make 134 appearances in all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing six assists in the process.

His impressive performances for Palace saw him soon became a pivotal part of the English sides system under former manager Roy Hodgson, earning him 19 caps for the Netherlands senior setup as a result.

But while the ex-England boss brought stability to Palace during his tenure, Hodgson has left behind an imbalanced and unstable playing squad, with the Selhurst Park outfit having the oldest squad in the top flight in 2020/21.

Consequently, Van Aanholt was one of the players sacrificed to make way for the new era in south London and was phased out of the Palace starting XI in the final few weeks of last term, allowing promising full-back Tyrick Mitchell a chance to shine.

However, the now 31-year-old still made 22 Premier League appearances for Palace, recording 1.4 interceptions per game and 1.1 defensive dribbles per game, the third-highest totals in the Palace squad for each metric, respectively.

His departure on a free transfer in the previous window has left Mitchell as the only natural left-back in Vieira’s squad, while Van Aanholt’s eye-catching performances for Galatasaray in the Europa League will surely leave Parish and co. lamenting their decision to let the defender go.

And, in other news…Signed for £0, sold for £49.5m: Parish struck gold for Palace over £90k-p/w gem

Leeds United are unlikely to make any late additions before Monday’s transfer deadline…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, who claims that the Yorkshire giants aren’t prepared to submit a third bid for RB Salzburg midfielder Brenden Aaronson after having two offers rejected.

“Transfer situation is essentially this – no third offer for Aaronson and Salzburg unwilling to sell in this window. Club will wait until the summer for him and won’t bid for another centre mid now,” he revealed on Twitter.

“If Summerville asks to leave and goes, a replacement needed. A fair bit of European interest in Summerville, not least in Germany and Holland, but [Marcelo] Bielsa doesn’t want to lose him.”

This won’t go down well

The Argentinian head coach has suffered from an injury crisis at Thorp Arch for much of the campaign, resulting in the desperate need for some form of reinforcements this month.

Leeds very rarely conduct business during the winter but the aforementioned situation highlights why their plans have somewhat changed, and whilst they have failed in their attempts to sign Aaronson, they haven’t really looked elsewhere, which is disappointing.

They haven’t signed a central midfielder in four years – and counting.

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Earlier this month, Bielsa was unable to field much of a bench against West Ham United in the Premier League. He named eight academy prospects among nine substitutes. Similarly, 15-year-old Archie Gray was involved against Arsenal in December when there were 11 players absent through injury.

Among those missing recent have been last season’s top goalscorer Patrick Bamford, who has missed 17 of their last 18 league games, club captain Liam Cooper and influential anchorman Kalvin Phillips.

The latter two are absent until March at the very earliest.

These are three vital players to Leeds, so it’s no wonder they have struggled in their absence, even flirting with the prospect of a relegation dogfight – something that still isn’t out of the realms of possibility.

As you can see in the direct replies to Hay’s latest update, there aren’t many supporters who are happy to hear of such news. “Absolute joke,” one fan claimed, whilst another one deemed it to be a “shambles of a window.” Victor Orta was also slammed as a failure and some were left very worried about the chances of relegation now.

This development is certainly not going down well around west Yorkshire, and the fan base will be livid if they fail to sign someone by Monday night – that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Leeds United eyeing late January bargain in £10m “phenomenon”, Bielsa would love him…

Liverpool could be closing in on just their second signing of the summer after reportedly making advances in their pursuit of Rennes winger Jeremy Doku.

What’s the story?

The Reds have been linked with a move for the highly-rated 19-year-old in recent weeks as manager Jurgen Klopp looks to freshen up his faltering forward line.

And now Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri has provided an update on Doku’s future, claiming the teenager “loves” Liverpool and has already held talks with the Anfield outfit.

“The player is really happy in Rennes for the moment but loves Liverpool, and Liverpool loves (him) too,” Tavolieri told Anfield Central. “The agency of Jeremy Doku has already been in contact with Liverpool. They know each other, so if they want to go further it could go pretty quickly.

“If Liverpool wants Doku, they are going to pay a minimum of €50m (£42.6m) because Rennes is not ready to let the player go for the moment.”

Liverpool fans will be buzzing

The Belgium international only arrived at the Roazhon Park last October following a string of impressive performances for boyhood club Anderlecht in his homeland.

And his maiden campaign with Rennes showcased his truly top-class potential. Doku scored two goals and laid on a further four assists in 37 appearances for Les Rouge et Noir, but his underlying numbers were arguably more eye-catching.

As per WhoScored, the pacey forward completed a whopping 3.7 dribbles per league game throughout 2020/21, far more than any of his teammates, and also produced 1.4 key passes, the third-highest tally in comparison to his colleagues.

He also achieved an overall rating of 7.07, the second-highest total for any Rennes player, highlighting the exceptional quality that the youngster possesses.

Doku has also made his mark at international level, though, despite only making 10 appearances for Roberto Martinez’s charges. Compatriot Kevin De Bruyne lauded Doku’s natural talent following his full senior debut against Iceland in the Nations League last September.

“He is nimble, fast and he can dribble. Of course, he sometimes makes a mistake, but who doesn’t? He is a diamond in the rough,” said De Bruyne.

With the famed front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah all fast approaching their 30’s, Klopp needs to start thinking about the next generation of attacking talent for his ageing squad.

As a result, the Liverpool supporters will surely be buzzing to learn that the club’s hierarchy are in talks with Doku’s representatives, and they’ll be hoping director of football Michael Edwards can get this deal over the line.

And, in other news…Liverpool tipped to make a move for £117m-rated “phenomenon”, Klopp would love him 

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has shed some more light on Aston Villa’s recent “coup” following transfer deadline day.

What’s the story?

Dean Smith’s side recently confirmed that they had appointed Aaron Danks as assistant head coach alongside Craig Shakespeare, with the 38-year-old having come in from his position at Anderlecht.

Preece has now said: “It was achievable knowing Mark Harrison, Villa’s academy manager, worked with Danks for several years at West Brom. Danks has an impressive CV knowing he was at the FA for five years and helped the U20s win the World Cup in 2017.

“At Anderlecht, he linked up with Kompany and Bellamy and I’m told he was by far the most-vocal of the three during their training sessions. He worked a lot on attacking and set-pieces so, on the face of it, the appointment could be a bit of a coup as well. Plus, he’s local to Solihull.”

Exciting appointment for Villa

Following John Terry’s abrupt departure from Villa Park earlier this summer, Smith desperately needed to find someone to replace him, and in Danks they appear to have a perfect fit.

While the 38-year-old doesn’t quite come with the same global reputation that Terry did, or the ex-Chelsea captain’s defensive nous, he is someone who has had plenty of experience shaping and coaching a team’s attack, having done that as the lead offensive specialist coach while working with the FA.

The Express and Star’s Matt Maher added a bit more to his appointment, revealing: “Smith had been keen to appoint a younger coach with a background in data and analytics. Danks’ expertise as an attacking coach was also seen as a key attribute.”

Now that Smith’s backroom setup is all compete, Smith can get back to delegating responsibilities like he usually would rather than the kind of quick fix that he no doubt would have gone for following Terry’s exit.

It’s an exciting appointment for Villa and one which should have fans buzzing too.

Meanwhile, Preece has also confirmed this major Aston Villa boost…

Former Leeds United star David Norris insists that Conor Gallagher snubbed the club because he wanted to stay in London, and admits that he has been surprised by his form at Crystal Palace.

Gallagher moved to Palace on loan from Chelsea in the summer transfer window despite also being linked with Leeds.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were reportedly rejected by Gallagher, as he looked to link up with Patrick Vieira’s side at Selhurst Park.

Since his arrival, Gallagher has been pulling up trees in the Premier League, making five appearances and scoring two goals, while also laying on an assist.

He has emerged as a key player under Vieira already, with Palace only losing to Chelsea – in a game for which Gallagher was ineligible – and Liverpool.

Norris is not surprised that the midfielder chose to move to Palace because of the locality of the club to Stamford Bridge, and claims he has already been shocked by how good he is turning out to be.

Norris said: “I think he wanted the London move so it was always going to be a little bit more difficult for Leeds in that sense but he’s surprised me, just with the impact that he’s had so far.”

Sheffield United goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale’s move to join Premier League giants Arsenal has broken down, as reported by the Express.

The Lowdown: Ramsdale looked set for Arsenal as he entered advanced talks over exit

Looking to add to their depth in the goalkeeping department, Arsenal were believed to be close to agreeing a deal for England international Ramsdale for an up-front fee of around £24 million rising to £30 million [Football London].

His homegrown status was said to be an important factor in the prospective deal, as well as providing a competent option to compete with the underperforming Bernd Leno for the number one jersey.

However, the 23-year-old ace now looks set to stay at Bramall Lane for the time being following recent developments.

The Latest: Ramsdale move collapses after breakdown in discussions

Now, it seems no such switch will materialise. Despite player and club engaging in positive discussions, the sides failed to agree a fee for the ex-Bournemouth stopper [Express].

Any notion of Ramsdale moving to the Emirates Stadium this summer looks to now be dead and buried, provoking deep disappointment on his behalf.

The Blades will now keep hold of their top asset, with Arsenal set to move on to a host of other options.

The Verdict: Ramsdale exit would’ve provoked conflicting emotions amongst the Blades support

In 2020/21, Ramsdale registered six clean sheets in 42 appearances within all competitions [Transfermarkt]. Furthermore, he impressed with his distribution across the piece, completing a commendable 281 accurate long balls last year [Premier League].

Once labelled as ‘incredible’ by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, this latest development may stir mixed emotions at Bramall Lane.

On one hand, losing a talented young stopper so early in a pivotal season would have come as a bitter blow to the Blades’ promotion aspirations.

Conversely, being able to recoup a sizeable amount of money for the 6 foot 2 ace may have gifted boss Slavisa Jokanović with a real opportunity to re-invest in key targets.

In other news, Sheffield United could be set for another prospective departure.

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit Paul Robinson, as seen on Sky Sports, has been left thrilled by West Ham United transfer news involving Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips.

The Lowdown: West Ham ‘lay groundwork’…

As reported by FI recently, West Ham and manager David Moyes are allegedly laying the groundwork to sign Phillips behind-the-scenes amid their central defensive crisis.

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Indeed, it is claimed by the outlet that they are ‘lining up a move’ as the club, and recruitment chief Rob Newman, apparently work on his signing.

Other sources somewhat back this, with football.london correspondent Tom Clark explaining last week that West Ham are indeed exploring an offer to sign Phillips in January.

The Latest: Robinson reacts…

Speaking to FI, former England international Robinson has been left thrilled by West Ham as they eye Phillips whilst insisting he would be a ‘brilliant signing’.

“Phillips will give West Ham the push they need.

“We have seen Moyes rotate the squad over the past few weeks but even then they are struggling in a couple of areas with injuries.

“I think Phillips would be a brilliant signing. In all honesty, I think it would be a move that works for all parties.

“Phillips has not played anywhere near as many games as he would’ve liked having had such a good season last year. He got a taste of it. He clearly wants to leave so it seems a matter of when not if.

“West Ham would be a good fit. Moyes recognises that they need players. He won’t sign anyone for the sake of it though. He would only sign a top player who fits into the system and I think Nat Phillips fits the bill.”

The Verdict: In agreement…

The 24-year-old could leave Anfield for as little as £15 million according to reports, and at that price, he would come as an absolute steal for the club.

Homegrown, still fairly young and proven in the Premier League – he could come as the astute defensive signing which would gift Moyes a big January boost.

Phillips even averaged more clearances per 90 than any Reds player in the top flight last season (WhoScored) – perhaps a sure-fire indicator of his obvious quality.

In other news: ‘Can’t wait’, ‘Best news today’…ExWHUemployee’s ‘amazing’ update has many West Ham fans buzzing, find out more here.

Celtic had a rather enjoyable afternoon back in Premiership action today following their Old Firm victory last weekend.

This time, Ange Postecoglou’s side secured a tantalising 7-0 victory over St Johnstone at Parkhead courtesy of six different goalscorers.

Three first-half strikes from Reo Hatate, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Daizen Maeda gave the home side a comfortable 3-0 lead at the midway point. A penalty from Josip Juranovic, a brace from Matt O’Riley and a clinching goal from Liel Abada gave Postecoglou and the home fans a lot to savour as they take another step closer to the title.On a day when many Hoops players had a lot to smile about, one player in particular lit up Parkhead and stole the show.Having opened the scoring for his team, Reo Hatate had 60 touches of the ball before being replaced by fellow midfielder David Turnbull in the 55th minute. Out of the 47 passes he attempted, 43 found their intended target, including all three of the long balls he attempted.He also had three shots on target in total and won the penalty that Juranovic put away in the second half, in addition to completing both of his dribbles, showing how tricky he was to play against. That was in stark contrast with his fellow countryman Maeda, who failed to complete any of his three dribble attempts.The 24-year-old also did his bit defensively by winning three of his four duels, showing how useful he was in and out of possession for his team.This performance ultimately earned the midfield gem an overall match rating of 8/10 from SofaScore, making him the joint-second highest rated Celtic player to start the game.Labelled an “outrageous” player by Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, Hatate has shown once again today why Postecoglou chose to bring the Japanese maestro to Parkhead in the January transfer window.If the Australian coach can keep getting Hatate and the rest of the Celtic players to deliver performances like this throughout the remainder of the season, they should be a shoo-in to secure the Premiership title.In other news: £2.7m down the drain as Celtic had a howler on “difficult” £450k-rated Parkhead flop

West Ham United’s winning run came to a devastating end in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon as they were defeated 1-0 by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A solitary goals from Raul Jimenez handed David Moyes’ men their first loss in eight games across all competitions.

The Irons were fortunate to be level at half-time after the home side dominated proceedings in the first 45 minutes and soon after the break, the Mexican talisman fired home from the edge of the box, and it was enough to punish the visitors.

There were several underwhelming displays across the pitch – for instance, Michail Antonio looked a little jaded following his cross-Atlantic duties this international break, whilst Tomas Soucek was way off the pace once again.

Even Pablo Fornals looked a shadow of himself this season and arguably, the Spanish attacking midfielder badly let down his manager and the side in the final third.

Despite playing in the no.10 role. the 25-year-old maestro registered ten fewer touches than even goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski (35), as per SofaScore, who also graded him their lowest-rated player at 6.3.

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It’s no wonder he was hooked just before the hour mark as Moyes clearly had enough with what he was witnessing.

Fornals also failed to register a single key pass from just 13 passing attempts – substitute Nikola Vlasic managed the same number of passes, even though he played just 19 minutes.

The £18m-rated Spaniard also failed to record a single dribble or accurate cross and looked rather lightweight in possession, losing 66.6% of his duels. He even lost the ball once every three touches to compound his miserable afternoon at Molineux.

Jack Rosser of the Evening Standard was less than impressed with the Irons star either. In his post-match ratings column, the journalist claimed Fornals was ‘wasteful on the ball’ and ‘had no impact going forward.’

It can hardly be a surprise that Antonio looked terrible in attack when he wasn’t being supplied with enough quality.

Therefore, on the above evidence, Fornals badly let Moyes and co down this weekend. He will have to vastly improve heading into matches against Rapid Wien and Manchester City next week.

AND in other news, “I understand..”: Journo reveals “West Ham interest” in 28 y/o, fans will be ecstatic…

According to a Manchester City source (via Football Insider), Pep Guardiola was left unimpressed by Jack Grealish following their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie with Atletico Madrid, with 

The lowdown: A feisty encounter

City became embroiled in a war of attrition with their Spanish counterparts over two legs, with the second clash at the Wanda Metropolitano particularly tension fuelled.

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Following a 1-0 success at the Etihad, the Citizens were able to advance to the semi-finals with a goalless draw in Spain but tensions boiled over in the closing stages.

Whilst warming up as a substitute, Grealish became embroiled in an altercation with Stefan Savic that would appear to have left Guardiola less than pleased…

The latest: Pep’s angry

As per the FI source, the 51-year-old is believed to be ‘unhappy’ with his £100 million record signing being caught up in the antics of Diego Simeone’s side.

It’s claimed that Guardiola ‘does not want any type of ill-discipline or provocative behaviour’ in the Sky Blues squad.

Meanwhile, the report goes on to claim that the 20-cap England ace has ‘complained’ about a lack of the ball in his short City career to date.

The verdict: Unnecessary distraction

Albeit the fracas was almost certainly caused by the ferocious nature of the opposition, it’s perhaps not a surprise that Guardiola, ever the consummate professional would rather his players steer clear of controversy.

In truth, ex-Aston Villa star Grealish has made a rather inauspicious start to life in Manchester, scoring five times and providing three assists in 33 appearances for the club.

This kind of matter will only act as an undue distraction as the 26-year-old attempts to become a regular feature in Guardiola’s side and begin to impact on the big occasions after an FA Cup semi-final goal in vein against Liverpool.

In other news: German source makes exciting transfer claim involving City! Find out more here.