All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic are back in action tomorrow with an SPFL clash against Ross County away from home to try and take another step towards securing the league title.

Last weekend saw the Hoops get knocked out of the semi-final of the Scottish Cup by Rangers in what was a disappointing afternoon for Ange Postecoglou and his side.

With that in mind, it could be bad news for County to have to come up against a wounded Celtic side looking to get back to winning ways.

However, one issue that the Bhoys will have to deal with is the absence of right-back Josip Juranovic, who will reportedly be out for the next couple of weeks through injury.

Despite this blow, it could pave the way for one Celtic figure to come in and shine for the team.

Opportunity knocks

Having only started one of Celtic’s six previous league games, Anthony Ralston has been in and out of the team since the turn of the year.

With 23 league appearances to his name in total this season, the right-back has shown what an attacking talent he can be by racking up four goals and seven assists.

Also, no other defender in Postecoglou’s squad has been able to have as many shots on target (13) or crosses (116) as the 23-year-old.

In addition to this, from a defensive point of view, only Juranovic (28) has won more tackles than the £1.62m-rated Scotsman (26).

This highlights just how much of a capable player Ralston is up and down the pitch and how much they will need someone like that while their other right-back is out injured, with the introduction of the 23-year-old potentially being a game-changer for the Bhoys.

Currently listed as the third-highest rated player at the Parkhead club, the full-back has earned himself an overall performance rating of 7.47 from WhoScored.

Labelled as a “soldier” on the pitch by Postecoglou, Ralston could use this time while the Croatian is recovering to really stake a claim that he should be the first-choice right-back at Parkhead.

Moving forward, in terms of the Hoops boss putting his starting XI together to take on County, he should have no reservations about putting the £10.5k-per-week Scotsman in from the beginning at right-back.

AND in other news: Sold at £2m, now worth £630k: Celtic struck gold on £11k-p/w dud with a “bad attitude”

Mike Dean has been appointed as the referee for Aston Villa’s trip to Manchester United on Saturday lunchtime.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa supporters have been giving their thoughts to the news on social media.

Dean will be assisted by Darren Cann and Eddie Smart, with Michael Salisbury named as fourth official and Andy Madley in charge of VAR. [Premier League]

The 53-year-old has already taken charge of a Villa fixture this season in the opening weekend defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road, with Ben Foster revealing Dean joked with Tom Cleverley after allowing play to continue in the build-up to a Hornets goal that afternoon.

He is famously known for that ‘celebration’ following a Tottenham goal against Villa back in 2015 and also sent off Douglas Luiz last season in Villa’s 1-0 win against Wolves.

Villa fans react

Aston Villa Statto shared the news regarding Dean’s appointment for the Old Trafford clash on Twitter.

This is what these Villa fans had to say in reply, with many not happy.

“We’re doomed.”

Credit: @bluesfor

“NO, PLEASE NO”

Credit: @MihaiVillans

“May as well just forfeit the game already. Mike Dean, Man United’s 12th man”

Credit: @dogon22

“WHYYYYYYY”

Credit: @ONajib18

“Oh god!”

Credit: @ColinGr30539155

“Had to be”

Credit: @Hammondgrowl

In other news: Aston Villa source – Smith and Purslow’s relationship weakening; 46 y/o baffled. 

A reliable West Ham source has dropped a frustrating transfer update this week…

What’s the word?

The Irons are thought to be closing in on the signing of Fiorentina centre-back Nikola Milenkovic, who would become only their second senior addition of the summer despite the Premier League returning this weekend.

However, the deal is far from complete as negotiations with agents continue.

That’s according to ExWHUemployee, who delivered some fresh information to supporters on his ‘The West Ham Way’ Patreon page. He said:

“Talks are still ongoing with the centre backs. Milenkovic deal is still not complete because of the difficulty in dealing with agents (that’s the excuse I have been given). There doesn’t appear to have been any progression today which in itself is a worry.

“Milenkovic trained with his club today, as he did yesterday.”

Further frustration

The Serbia international is expected to cost the Hammers around £14m, whilst a move for Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma could be back on after discussions collapsed last week, as per the Evening Standard.

But with a trip to Newcastle United merely days away, it’s hard to believe that David Moyes will have the new centre-back he’s craving in time for the start of the new campaign.

Their transfer plans have been rather frustrating thus far, as seen by the fact that their only signing has been the loan arrival of Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.

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The longer they do not sign Milenkovic, the more doubt and worry will start to creep in around the London Stadium and as the trustworthy ExWHUemployee says, it’s “a worry.”

Moyes has made a central defensive addition one of his recent priorities due to Angelo Ogbonna’s injury concerns, so there’s a chance that his only two available options, Craig Dawson and Issa Diop, are the two to start at St James’ Park on Sunday.

One injury to either will put the 58-year-old in a nightmarish spot once again. You only have to remember the back end of last season, where injury troubles plagued the squad and it very nearly dented their European hopes.

The Scot needs more than Milenkovic, too. A new striker to provide the perfect foil to the injury-prone Michail Antonio has to be another priority, especially as they are facing a 50-plus game campaign. The 31-year-old has never started more than 24 league games since joining the Hammers.

Plenty of supporters have been left angered by their lack of activity this window and this update does no favours to Moyes or GSB.

The wait goes on.

AND in other news, West Ham insider drops exciting transfer claim about David Moyes…

Marcelo Bielsa was desperately urging youngster Charlie Cresswell to score a goal in Leeds United’s defeat to West Ham, according to Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds suffer another loss

The Whites’ poor start to the season continued on Saturday, with the Hammers leaving Elland Road with a dramatic 2-1 victory, following Michail Antonio’s late winner.

It means Leeds are still without a Premier League win in 2021/22, with fans growing increasingly frustrated six games in.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359346″]

The Latest: Hay makes interesting claim

It appears as though the pressure is starting to show on Bielsa, with The Athletic‘s Hay claiming that the manager was shouting at young defender Cresswell to provide some attacking inspiration late in the game:

“As the minutes of stoppage time counted down, Marcelo Bielsa and the coaches around him began gesticulating at defender Charlie Cresswell.

“Go forward, they urged him. Abandon the defence and get into the West Ham United box. Find a goal from somewhere.”

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The Verdict: Bielsa under pressure

After such an impressive first season in the Premier League, in which Leeds finished ninth, they are now being questioned for the first time back in the top-flight.

It is very early days, of course, but there are signs of strain showing for Bielsa, with his late antics perhaps proof of that.

There is no great reason for panic and the manager certainly has plenty of credit in the bank with fans and the club’s hierarchy, but Leeds’ current rut needs to end as soon as possible or they could really find themselves in a relegation fight as the weeks pass.

In other news, one Leeds player has suffered another injury blow. Find out who it is here.

Rafa Benitez led his Everton team to a point at Old Trafford as the Toffees held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Anthony Martial gave United the lead in the first half with an assured finish inside the box after Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina were dragged inside, with Andros Townsend failing to provide cover for the former.

Excellent play from Demarai Gray created space for Aboulaye Doucoure in the middle and he then threaded the ball through for Townsend to clinically convert the equaliser.

Whilst Townsend may grab the headlines with his Old Trafford strike, Rafa Benitez’s unsung hero was Godfrey at right-back.

The ex-Norwich man is a central defender by trade but did not look out of place at right-back as he impressed in Manchester. He was strong defensively and composed on the ball, almost setting up a late winner for Everton in the second half.

Godfrey controlled the ball 25 yards out and prodded a clever ball through to Tom Davies in acres of space inside the United penalty area, only for the midfielder to pass to an offside Yerry Mina instead of making use of the time he had to get a shot away himself. The 23-year-old had the time to set himself and take a free shot at David de Gea’s goal, which could have resulted in an assist for Godfrey.

Defensively, Godrey was a rock for Everton. As per SofaScore, he won eight duels during the game, including five of his seven attempted ground duels. He also made six clearances and four tackles, whilst only being dribbled past once in the entire match.

This shows how strong he was at the back for the Toffees. You could question his positioning on the Martial goal, although he was trying to prevent Bruno Fernandes from doing damage and did not have any support from his winger, which made it a difficult situation for him to handle.

Aside from that incident, however, he was almost flawless. Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo came on in the second half and Godfrey did not give a sniff to either of them, particularly Sancho on his flank, as he was able to stay solid throughout the 90 minutes.

Never mind Townsend, the 23-year-old defender was the real hero for Everton today. Benitez will surely be delighted with his display and hoping that he can maintain this standard for the rest of the campaign, whether he is playing at centre-back or right-back.

AND in other news, “Let the fans down numerous times” – Exclusive: Michael Ball drops major Everton verdict…

Paul Robinson has offered his thoughts on Leeds’ pursuit of Wolves forward Adama Traore.

What’s the talk?

Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson has admitted that he would love to see Marcelo Bielsa’s side sign Adama Traore from fellow Premier League side Wolves this summer. Leeds and Spurs are both reportedly interested in signing the forward, who is said to be valued at around £45m by his current club.

Robinson told MOTLeeds: 

“That’s good money. He’s a good player, I rate him.

“He’s not the finished article yet but he’s a lot more polished than when he left Middlesbrough. He was a bit rough around the edges, his final ball wasn’t there and it was just his raw pace and power.

“Now, he’s combined that with intelligence and delivery of the ball final with goals.

“He’s a player that I’ve admired for the last couple of seasons because he’s really come on. I’d love to see him at Leeds.”

Imagine him and Raphinha

Victor Orta must work hard to secure a deal for Traore in the coming weeks, with Robinson outlining why he would be an excellent signing for the club.

He still has room for growth and development, but already has the pace, power, and quality to make an impact in the Premier League. The Leeds chief could form a terrifying attacking line-up by adding Traore to the club’s wing options alongside Raphinha.

Traore has provided six goals and 11 assists in the past two seasons for Wolves in the top-flight, showing that he has been able to add end product to his all around play. To highlight these qualities, Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp previously hailed Traore as unplayable. He said: “He is unplayable in moments, it’s unbelievable. What a player – it’s not only him but he’s so good.”

He only managed two assists in the Premier League last term but averaged 1.5 key passes per game – more than the 1.3 he averaged the previous year when he registered nine assists. This could be linked to Raul Jimenez’s injury, with the Mexican scoring 17 goals in the 2019/20 season before only playing 10 times the following season due to his unfortunate head collision.

Therefore, it may have been his teammates at fault for his unimpressive assist total. He could fare better at Leeds, with the likes of Raphinha, Patrick Bamford and Jack Harrison alongside him – who managed 31 goals between them.

Raphinha racked up six goals and nine assists for the Whites in the Premier League, whilst averaging 2.1 key passes and 1.9 dribbles per game. Traore, meanwhile, averaged 1.5 key passes and a mouth-watering 4.1 dribbles completed per game.

This shows how effective the pair are at running at defenders and creating chances for their teammates in the top-flight. So, imagine both of them in the same team, sprinting at opposition players with the ball and getting supporters off their seats in anticipation of a moment of magic. It could be terrifying for opposition teams.

AND in other news, Leeds receive transfer boost in chase for “wholehearted” beast, fans will be buzzing…

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has revealed that Coventry City midfielder Gus Hamer is “admired” by Steven Gerrard.

What’s the story?

During a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece claimed that both Gerrard and assistant Gary McAllister were both at Coventry’s clash with Birmingham recently, and that Hamer is someone they have had their eye on.

He said: “As for January, usual names are sticking given Gerrard’s Rangers links but position-wise; a left-back, DM and possibly a forward could be added. Villa, Gerrard and Lange still assessing squad (three weeks into six-week review process). Bailey/Traore injuries are a concern for me.

“There could also be something in Gerrard and Gary Mac being at Coventry vs Birmingham the other week as well with Gus Hamer (Cov) admired.”

Perfect for Villa

Despite playing in a deeper position last season, Hamer was Coventry’s third top scorer with five goals while he also provided three assists too.

That all-round facet to his game is reflected by the fact he also averaged an impressive 1.4 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game, and a team-high 1.5 key passes and 1.8 shots per match.

It’s no surprise then that his boss, Mark Robins, raved about his talents on the Sky Blues Extra podcast, where he called him “unbelievable” (via the Coventry Telegraph), whilst pundit Ali Maxwell simply dubbed the Dutchman as the “class act” of this Coventry side.

In fact, Robins has already tipped Hamer to move to the Premier League in the future and praised his “frightening” technique, and given the kind of dynamic midfielder he is, could be absolutely perfect for this new era under Gerrard at Villa.

The 5 foot 6 machine could bring some vital depth and quality to Villa’s engine room, especially when you consider that they tried to sign James Ward-Prowse in the summer and are now currently dealing with injuries and potential AFCON absences with Marvelous Nakamba next month too.

Meanwhile, Gerrard must finally unleash this Villa star…

Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United all but secured Premier League survival on Saturday afternoon, with the Whites running out 3-0 winners over relegation rivals Watford at Vicarage Road.

Indeed, from the moment that Raphinha gave the visitors the lead in the 21st minute, Leeds never looked in danger of giving away their advantage, with Rodrigo and Jack Harrison sealing all three points with second-half goals.

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Despite the positives, there were nevertheless a couple of players in the Whites’ starting XI who turned in below-par performances on Saturday afternoon, with central midfield pairing Mateusz Klich and Robin Koch both having games to forget against the Hornets.

It was perhaps the Germany international who was the most disappointing of the duo, with the 25-year-old turning in the sort of display which could have many Leeds supporters questioning whether he may have just played his last game for the club, following recent reports suggesting that Marsch would be willing to cash in on the versatile defender this summer.

Lost 12 duels

Indeed, over the course of his 90 minutes on the pitch, the £13m signing was a passenger in the middle of the park. He had 59 touches of the ball, completed just 25 of his 43 attempted passes (a success rate of just 58%), failed to find a team-mate with any of his six attempted long balls and was unsuccessful with his one attempted dribble.

The £46k-per-week German also lost 12 of his 20 duels, committed one foul, was beaten by an opponent on five occasions and lost possession 22 times, meaning he gave the ball away with every 2.7 touches.

These returns saw the £15.3m-rated man earn a rather disappointing SofaScore match rating of 6.3, ranking him as Leeds’ second-worst player to feature today.

Furthermore, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross also awarded Koch a five in his own player ratings, stating of the 25-year-old’s display: “Just doesn’t fit this role. Passing range or composure was not there to build anything for Leeds through the middle. Got turned time and time again by the Watford attacks through the centre.”

It is undeniable that the player who Danny Mills claimed looks like a “fish out of water” boasts a decent amount of potential, but should Marsch indeed be considering the sale of the eight-cap international this summer, it would not be surprising if Koch’s disasterclass against Watford was his last game for the Whites.

AND in other news: Orta can now axe “awful” £55k-p/w flop as Leeds eye “underrated” £12.5m-rated “threat”

Crystal Palace have received a big selection boost ahead of their Premier League encounter with Newcastle United this afternoon after talisman Wilfried Zaha was declared avaiable to play.

What’s the word?

The highly influential 28-year-old was absent from Palace’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal last time out after returning from international duty with an illness, but Eagles manager Patrick Vieira confirmed that the Ivorian is now available for selection once again.

“He will be part of the squad tomorrow,” the 45-year-old confirmed in Friday’s press conference when asked about Zaha’s current situation.

The French tactician then provided an update on the fitness of attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze as he continues his recovery from an Achilles injury, declaring the youngster is still a few weeks away from making his first team comeback.

Vieira said: “He started training with the team, but he is still a couple of weeks away,” before confirming that he has no fresh fitness worries on his plate, with long-term absentee Nathan Ferguson the only player not in contention.

“No, we are looking good. Everyone outside Nathan trained this morning,” he concluded ahead of today’s crucial clash with Newcastle.

Vieira will be delighted

News that Zaha will be available for selection once again will leave Vieira feeling delighted, given the winger’s importance to the Eagles.

Last season, the Ivory Coast international was Palace’s top scorer in the league with 11 goals, but his influence over proceedings was far greater than just putting the ball in the back of the net. As per WhoScored, he averaged two shots, one key pass and 1.8 dribbles per game in 2020/21, placing him in the top three for each metric when compared to his teammates.

The versatile forward has started the current campaign in a similarly impressive fashion, bagging two goals and providing one assist in eight outings.

Therefore, Zaha’s return to fitness will be a big boost to Palace’s hopes of securing all three points against Newcastle, and his manager will no doubt be relieved to have him available once again.

In other news… Parish must sanction bargain Palace swoop for 6 ft 2 colossus, Vieira needs him

Leeds United are monitoring Hoffenheim midfielder Florian Grillitsch ahead of a possible free transfer, according to The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Grillitsch profiled

Grillitsch, who shares the same agent as Patrick Bamford, Dan James and Luke Ayling, has been with Hoffenheim since 2017 but is out of contract at the end of June.

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The Austria international has made 151 appearances for his current employers, contributing to 19 goals. The defensive midfielder has actually turned out as a centre-back in recent months, and it looks as if he is the latest player on Victor Orta’s radar.

The Latest: Whites tracking

The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath shared a transfer notebook on Friday morning, with Leeds getting a mention when it came to Grillitsch.

The Whites are thought to be monitoring the player ahead of a possible Bosman deal, with the reliable journalist also name-checking Arsenal and Everton with an interest.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Leeds appear in desperate need of midfield reinforcements ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge with only four to choose from currently, so Grillitsch could be the perfect target to play alongside Kalvin Phillips.

Lauded as ‘extraordinary’ by Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, Grillitsch has actually averaged more interceptions, clearances, key passes and fewer fouls than Phillips this season. [WhoScored]

Grillitsch can also play in a box-to-box midfield role, which could come in extremely handy at Elland Road, especially when you take into consideration the club’s injury woes this season.

The Whites can actually begin working on a pre-contract agreement for Grillitsch right now, however, their focus at this moment in time may well be on guaranteeing a third season in the Premier League before going after targets.

In other news: ‘Spoke to Leeds’ – Manager reveals talks with Radz for Orta signing; move possible before Palace.