All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester United were frustrated against AC Milan in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday evening with a late goal pegging the Red Devils back.

The hosts looked like they were going to seal a 1-0 victory thanks to Amad Diallo’s first goal for the club, only for Simon Kjaer’s header to deny them in the final moments. It was a frustrating night in all with a host of chances being missed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s troops.

It wasn’t all bad news, however, with a few eye-catching displays – one of those coming from 31-year-old Nemanja Matic.

The Serbian destroyer was deployed alongside Scott McTominay in the centre of the park for the hosts and arguably echoed back to his peak with a thoroughly dominant performance against the Italian giants.

According to WhoScored, the £10.8m-rated former Chelsea man produced no fewer than five tackles, with no player on either side contributing more. It was a brilliant defensive performance from Matic throughout the 90 minutes as he also contributed a further three interceptions and two blocks.

His contributions were not just limited to reclaiming the ball for the Red Devils, either. Matic actually made more passes than any of his team-mates with 67, whilst he also had a better pass success rate (86.6%) than the inspirational Bruno Fernandes (84%), per WhoScored.

The Serbian’s performance was all the more impressive then considering that he was making just his seventh start in all competitions since the turn of the year.

With Matic confirming to O Jogo before the match that he had no intention of departing Old Trafford for the foreseeable future, he could potentially be a crucial player for United as they continue their challenges in the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup, especially if he continues to be a dominant figure in midfield.

AND in more news, take a look at why it is crucial for Ed Woodward and Manchester United to convince Edinson Cavani to stay at Old Trafford…

In recent months, a whole host of managers have been tipped to replace Neil Lennon at Celtic.

The Northern Irishman has endured a torrid season at Parkhead, one that sees his team sit a massive 23 points behind Rangers in their quest for the SPFL crown.

They were dumped out of both the Champions League and Europa League while they have shipped goals at will. They have conceded 13 more than the Gers despite playing two fewer matches.

Eddie Howe was one of the first names to be put on Celtic’s radar but Frank Lampard and Rafa Benitez have also been touted.

Though, we want to focus on a man first discussed in the same breath as the Hoops back in November. That happens to be 62-year-old Ralf Rangnick.

Some Celtic supporters have been crying out for the German to replace Lennon and after he rejected the chance to manage Chelsea, he is still available on the managerial market.

Commentator Derek Rae revealed last year that for the Bhoys to get him, it would have to be a project that really interests him, one that allows the coach to do things his way.

At first glance, this doesn’t put Celtic in a good spot. After all, Nick Hammond does the recruitment while Peter Lawwell and Dermot Desmond make all the decisions at the highest level.

However, if Desmond can lure Rangnick to Parkhead, he could completely revolutionise Celtic. The things he achieved and introduced at RB Leipzig were incredible, but it all spurned from his early days in management.

In the 1990s, the German earned the tag of a “professor.” Take a look at football now and you’ll notice that a host of teams play with a high press. Think Manchester City, Liverpool or even Leeds and Southampton in the Premier League – they all play with that system.

The method of winning the ball back within eight seconds of losing it has become paramount. Though, the ideology behind that was pioneered by Rangnick.

“Five or 10 years ago, you were not afraid of what the other team was doing while you had the ball. Now, most teams in most leagues have some sort of plan for how they can hurt you when they do not have possession,” the veteran coach once documented.

Though not only was he a pioneer on the field, but he also brought in revolutionary methods off it. At Leipzig, he became what German reporter Guido Schafer describes as an “architect.”

He determined the way he wanted Leipzig to play – with a high press – and then set upon signing players to fulfil those needs. Remarkably, every player he wanted to sign was under the age of 23. Rangnick discovered the likes of Naby Keita and Timo Werner, players who quickly became stars in the Bundesliga.

But his eye-catching methods didn’t stop there. He expected players to arrive at training 90 minutes early in order to undergo saliva and blood tests. As a result, he was able to work out how hard his squad would be able to train. They would also test gluten and lactose and consequently tailor diets to each individual’s requirements. He also brought in a sleep coach.

Rangnick is the definition of meticulous and if Desmond could bring him to Celtic, the very face of the football club could change.

He is a pioneer of football and if anyone can revive the Glaswegians, it’s him. He seemed to know exactly what was required in order to take Leipzig up the football pyramid.

Celtic have long failed to capitalise on their dominance and really make a statement in European football. Getting rid of Lennon and hiring Rangnick could finally change that.

AND in other news, £3m Celtic gem could become a star if Desmond hires 42 y/o with “amazing” connections…

Allan thrived on his return to Premier League action to prove that Carlo Ancelotti was right to start the Everton midfielder during Monday night’s 1-0 victory over Southampton.

The Brazilian had not featured for the Toffees since December’s 2-0 win away to Leicester City, having sustained a hamstring injury late in the first half at the King Power Stadium.

Ancelotti had recalled Allan to his matchday squads at home to Fulham and against Liverpool last month, but opted against introducing the 30-year-old to the action until he was confident of no lingering fitness concerns.

Allan looked like he had never been away on Monday night, slotting straight back into the holding role of Everton’s engine room alongside Abdoulaye Doucoure and Andre Gomes.

The £70,000-per-week enforcer covered almost every blade of grass in midfield as he mopped up loose balls, took the challenge to Southampton and set Everton on the attack.

Ancelotti needed Allan to deliver a fine performance on his return having lost the Brazilian’s stand-in Tom Davies ahead of the Saints visit to Goodison Park, with the Blues product sitting out Monday’s game due to a minor knock.

The Italian opted against risking Davies with Everton in action two more times in the next seven days, with a Thursday night trip to West Bromwich Albion followed by a trip to top-four rivals Chelsea next Monday.

Davies had been one of the Blues’ form men of the moment in recent weeks, with Ancelotti praising his performance against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup and his efforts following last month’s 3-3 draw with Manchester United.

“The only thing I said to him is to simplify his work and his style of play,” Ancelotti said, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo, after the Old Trafford affair. “He plays in a position where, tactically, you have to be really focused.

“Watching the game against United, I think tactically he was perfect. With the ball, he has maybe not the quality of a top midfielder but in that position, we need to play simple passes, you don’t need to over-complicate.”

Allan made sure his return did not come at Everton’s expense on Monday night, with a performance Blues fans have come to expect of their £21m summer signing from Serie A side SSC Napoli.

The Brazilian delivered three successful tackles against Southampton, only Lucas Digne (5) offered more for the Blues, along with one clearance and one interception, per WhoScored.

Allan further attempted four dribbles to help drive Everton up the field, close to twice his average (2.4) achieved in the Premier League so far this season.

His three successful tackles from four attempts also offered a higher hit-rate than before his injury, having averaged 3.4 successful attempts from 5.8 challenges. The midfielder’s sole interception and clearance matched his average scores of one and 0.8 respectively.

Ancelotti may look to rest Allan against West Brom so that he is ready to go at peak fitness against Chelsea, but his return to action could not have gone much better.

AND in other news, Everton are tracking a prolific 15-goal winger backed to reach another level…

Tottenham Hotspur finally return to Premier League action this afternoon after having their midweek fixture against Fulham postponed.

Jose Mourinho’s men welcome a rampant Leeds United side to north London on the back of their 5-0 drubbing of West Brom.

Last time Spurs played, they were pegged back late on by Wolves, who cancelled out their first-minute opener in the dying stages of the game thanks to Romain Saiss heading home.

The Portuguese tinkered with his formation that night, so there could be a few changes afoot given the Whites’ relentless work rate and style of play.

Here is the XI we’re predicting this lunchtime…

Mourinho may make three changes as he reverts back to a 4-3-3 of sorts.

Having dropped Toby Alderweireld and deployed a three-at-the-back formation to counter Wolves, we could see the £18m-rated Belgian return to partner Eric Dier in the middle with Sergio Reguilon and Matt Doherty continuing on each flank.

Which means Davinson Sanchez and Ben Davies return to the bench having both played either side of the England colossus.

Whilst in midfield, Harry Winks is axed for Moussa Sissoko – both Tanguy Ndombele, who bagged the opener last week, and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg remain.

The third and final switch could be out wide with Steven Bergwijn coming back into the mix, pairing Heung-min Son and Harry Kane in the attack.

There are fitness concerns over Brazilian winger Lucas Moura, so he’s unlikely to start from the off and the same goes for Carlos Vinicius too, though he isn’t going to take the place of Kane in the Premier League anytime soon.

Giovani Lo Celso is expected to still be out injured too, he may be a few weeks away from a return, whilst Gareth Bale has been ruled out with a calf problem.

Wantaway outcast Dele Alli may feature on the bench alongside the likes of Erik Lamela and Serge Aurier.

AND in other news, Levy could land a bargain in 24-cap TITAN who Mourinho once lauded an “ANIMAL”…

Sheffield Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri is certainly a busy man this month.

The Owls are still looking for a permanent successor to Tony Pulis after the Welsh veteran was sacked over three weeks ago and whilst they are no closer to coming to that decision, moves are being made in the transfer market.

Chansiri has already sanctioned the free transfer swoop of Andre Green and is now reportedly eyeing up a move for rival winger Josh Murphy, but with all these wide options, the Wednesday chairman may be about to make a massive mistake.

One of the Owls’ key players has entered the final six months of his contract and amid his own transfer interest, the Thai businessman must strike before it’s too late.

Any new manager is going to want the very best players still at Hillsborough Stadium.

Indeed, Adam Reach is set to be out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

The 27-year-old has started 22 of his 26 appearances in all competitions this term, making it a total of 207 games played for the south Yorkshiremen since his £5m arrival from Boro in 2016.

As a result of him being allowed to run down his £20k-per-week contract, it has alerted SPFL giants Celtic and Rangers, who as of right now, are free to offer him a pre-contract agreement and now have to fork out a mega transfer fee.

So Chansiri is in dangerous territory already.

It’s all well and good bringing in Green and potentially Murphy this month, but Reach is invaluable to the Owls, especially as the £2.88m-rated star is one of the most versatile members of the current squad.

Over the course of his four-and-a-half years at Hillsborough, Reach has been deployed in 11 different roles alone, so pretty much everywhere barring central defence and between the sticks.

That’s surely a dream for any new manager and the system they may want to utilise at the club as Reach could slot in anywhere and still do a solid job.

His importance shouldn’t be understated either as Wednesday reporter George Smith explained to The Athletic last season: “On his day, Reach can be one of the most influential players in the Championship,” before adding: “He is a very important player for Wednesday.”

Pulis even dubbed him a “top player” during the short time he was at the helm.

Forget Murphy, for the time being, Reach’s contract must be resolved as soon as possible.

AND in other news, “Intimidating” 52 y/o could be Sheffield Wednesday’s dream appointment…

Manchester City return to Premier League action on Saturday as they face Fulham at the Etihad Stadium, hoping to continue their recent strong form.

Pep Guardiola’s side have improved defensively of late, having kept six clean sheets in their past eight games in all competitions but they will need to improve offensively from their stalemate against Porto in midweek.

They face a Fulham side who will no doubt be buoyed by their 2-1 win against Leicester City last time out, so Guardiola should be careful not to underestimate the Cottagers.

Therefore, it seems likely that the Spanish manager will play a strong team on Saturday, especially as they have already secured top spot in their Champions League group, meaning next Wednesday’s game against Marseille is something of a dead rubber.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up against Fulham, with the Spanish manager making five changes from the side that faced Porto…

Ederson keeps his place in goal for the Citizens but Ruben Dias is the only man to keep his place in the defence, with Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy replacing Joao Cancelo and Oleksandr Zinchenko at full-back, whilst John Stones should be rewarded with a start after his recent impressive performances.

In midfield, Fernandinho is perhaps likely to drop to the bench, with Kevin De Bruyne restored to the line-up, albeit in a slightly deeper role, as Fulham will likely sit deep at the Etihad, meaning the Belgian can pick the ball up from City’s centre-backs and progress further forward with it.

Phil Foden should also keep his place after his superb recent displays whilst Riyad Mahrez should come back in after grabbing a hat-trick in City’s last home game against Burnley.

Guardiola was very complimentary of the 29-year-old Algerian earlier in the season, saying:

“Riyad is an exceptional player. For the quality, the passes and especially his mentality and he is aggressive to score goals.” (per Manchester City)

Meanwhile, Ferran Torres drops to the bench after an anonymous display against Porto, with Gabriel Jesus handed a starting spot after his promising cameo in Portugal.

Whilst Fulham certainly won’t be pushovers, this is a must-win game for City if they still hold title aspirations this season, so we should expect a strong line-up from Guardiola on Saturday afternoon.

And, in other news… Forget 2023: Guardiola will stay for life if MCFC can sign 20 y/o “worth his weight in gold”

Sunderland players will have a rare opportunity to spend their Christmas at home.

Unfortunately, it’s not exactly come about in ideal circumstances. Over ten players have tested positive for the dreaded pandemic and thus, the Academy of Light is closed and three games have been postponed.

Yet, Lee Johnson and Kristjaan Speakman still need to be switched on.

On the chalkboard

Sunderland’s main problem this season, specifically under Phil Parkinson, was having players capable of going beyond a defender.

Charlie Wyke has been among the goals but he’s not someone that will get in behind and race away. With Chris Maguire out of form and Aiden McGeady alienated until Johnson arrived, you can see why there has been some attacking pedigree lacking.

Consequently, the new manager wants players capable of stretching the play in January.

Of course, the emergence of Jack Diamond has given Johnson another option to consider but he is still an incredibly raw talent.

Perhaps the help of a Premier League youngster could do the trick?

The solution

Potential buyer William Storey admitted last weekend that he has plans to bring in young academy players from Premier League U23 sides if he seals a takeover. Thus, The Sunderland Echo pieced together a list of possible targets.

One name to emerge was Manchester United hotshot Anthony Elanga. Aged 18, they don’t come much younger than that at senior level, but he’d be an astute capture for a Mackems side in dire need of a pace injection.

Elanga is capable of playing through the middle as a striker or on the left-wing and he has the ability to cause havoc wherever he’s played. The teenager has scored six goals and registered three assists in all competitions at youth level this season and would arrive at the Stadium of Light with a glowing reputation.

Speaking during a Manchester United youth game, Leicester television commentators labelled him a “speedball” before Red Devils legend Gary Neville compared the technique of his finish to a certain Thierry Henry.

“He’s a nightmare to play against,” Neville added. If this doesn’t get you excited, nothing will. Elanga is a prestigious talent capable of ripping it up in League One if he’s given enough license.

He’d be an exceptional capture but like all signings, someone must lose out. On this occasion, it would probably be Danny Graham, a forward who hasn’t scored all season.

The experienced striker was signed for a second spell in the summer but hasn’t exactly done very well. Thus Elanga would simply have to take his place in the squad if he joins on loan.

AND in other news, Storey can secure IMMEDIATE success in Jan with genius Sunderland strategy…

It has been a hard time for many at Glasgow Rangers and across the footballing world, and it seems that the club’s Overseas Development Officer Gary Crooks is the latest casualty.

Crooks has been with the 54-time Scottish champions for the last five years, helping to grow the club’s international program during that time. However, the current pandemic has made it hard for teams to hold on to all their staff, and it seems the ‘Gers have made the difficult decision to let Crooks go.

The latter shared the news via Twitter, thanking everyone with whom he has worked during his time at Ibrox and expressing the desire to write new chapters in his life story. There were plenty of responses both from work colleagues as well as many fans of the club who have shared their condolences. One or two even expressed anger at the club for laying off a member of non-playing staff whilst paying big wages to members of the first team squad.

Let’s see what they had to say about Crooks below

In other news, Rangers fans slam this record-breaking former Ibrox manager. 

Ahead of Liverpool’s trip to Manchester City in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, former goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has spoken to Football FanCast about who he feels could start for Jurgen Klopp’s side against the Citizens.

After his hat-trick in midweek against Atalanta, Kirkland seems confident that Klopp will keep faith in Diogo Jota for the game against Pep Guardiola’s side.

Since joining from Wolves in the summer transfer window, the winger has been in superb form for the Reds, having scored seven goals in just 10 appearances for his new side, including six goals in his last four games (per WhoScored).

Following his signing from the Old Gold, Liverpool assistant manager Pep Ljinders described him as a “pressing monster” in training, which could prove effective against City on Sunday if he features.

Therefore, it is unsurprising that Kirkland feels Jota deserves to start in the game against City, perhaps in place of Roberto Firmino, who has had a much less impressive start to the 2020/21 season, having scored just once in all competitions so far this season.

In an exclusive interview, Chris Kirkland told Football FanCast:

“Well to leave somebody out that has scored the goals he has, obviously a hat-trick [on Tuesday]. I’d be amazed if he doesn’t start at the weekend. Whatever the decision Jurgen makes, the players will respect it. They won’t be happy about it but they will respect his decision and Jurgen has earned that, but yeah I’d be surprised if Jurgen does leave him out this weekend.”

Liverpool have struggled at the Etihad in recent seasons, having lost 4-0 there last season, albeit after they were already confirmed as league champions. They were also trounced 5-0 there in 2017, so they will no doubt have to be at their best if they want to take points off the 2018/19 champions on Sunday.

It will be interesting to see if Klopp keeps faith in Firmino for the game, or whether Jota does get the start on Sunday, as Kirkland clearly feels he deserves.

Newcastle United managed to steal a point from Tottenham Hotspur in the final moments, when a handball call that has caused uproar gave Callum Wilson the chance to equalise, which he took.

However, there is one man on the team who should not have his performance overlooked by that moment: Karl Darlow.

The 29-year-old put in a superb display, making a total of 11 saves throughout the match, including a double stop that denied Harry Kane what would usually have been a certain goal.

One fan referred to him as “God-like”, and there were plenty of other superlatives used, while another fan referenced Magpies goalkeepers of the past.

Despite the 1-1 draw being a positive result, it was felt by one fan that the only positives from the game were the performances of Darlow and Joelinton.

Some Newcastle fans are already looking forward to what else Darlow can achieve, due to just how impressive his showing was.

The Englishman was in the team because of Martin Dubravka’s injury, but one fan has gone as far as to claim that he could usurp the 31-year-old with performances like that.

One has even claimed that he could eventually get ahead of the likes of Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope and Dean Henderson to become England’s number 1.