All posts by z3u9t.icu

Patrick Bamford missed Leeds United’s FA Cup defeat to West Ham with a fresh hip problem, according to reliable journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Leeds dumped out of FA Cup

The Whites were beaten 2-0 away to the Hammers on Sunday afternoon, exiting the cup at the third round stage.

A weakened Leeds team never really got going at the London Stadium and their focus turns solely to Premier League commitments between now and May.

Bamford was one of numerous key players not present in east London, but it turns out that he was due to feature until a late setback emerged.

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The Latest: Fresh Bamford injury

Taking to Twitter after the game, Hay confirmed that the striker was in line to face West Ham after another injury absence, only to be ruled out with a hip problem. The severity of the injury remains unknown, so Bamford could be set for yet more time on the sidelines.

The journalist revealed: “Bamford was due to start today but had a problem around his hip. Bielsa still waiting to find out the full extent of it.”

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The Verdict: Potential big blow

Bamford has been an enormous loss for Leeds for much of this season, with the entire attack blunted without him leading the line and proving to be a reliable source of goals and assists, like he was last term.

The 28-year-old has been limited to just five starts in the current Premier League campaign and Marcelo Bielsa desperately needs him back as his side look to pull clear of the relegation zone.

Aside from Raphinha, the Whites have been rather short on reliable scorers this season, so if Bamford’s latest injury is a long-term one, Leeds must look to bring in a striker in the January transfer window. Otherwise, they risk getting themselves into real trouble in the league.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly eyeing up a move for a young British player. Find out who it is here.

Many Glasgow Rangers slammed the performance of Alfredo Morelos despite scoring in their 3-0 win at home to Dundee on Saturday afternoon.

In fairness, the Colombia international took his goal well, bulldozing his way through the visitors’ defence before slotting the ball into the net with his left foot.

However, some home fans were still frustrated by his overall performance, as he lost out on six of his duels and only scored once from his eight shots on goal in total (SofaScore).

He was also guilty of giving the ball away 13 times in the match, the joint-fifth most out of any of his teammates on the pitch (SofaScore), and hopefully the goal will give him confidence to perform better in their next fixture.

Rangers fans slam Morelos

These Gers fans slammed Morelos’ performance on Twitter, with one Light Blues supporter going as far as to claim that he was ‘awful’ today despite scoring:

“Morelos has had an absolute stinker here today!!! Awful”

Credit: @alston2_kev

“Morelos only tries in Europe, time for Alegria to step up to the 1st team”

Credit: @Giovani2021Ward

“No celebration when Rangers score from Morelos, body language is terrible. Still like a huffy child sometimes. His best has come and gone”

Credit: @AlanWyseDJ

“Morelos’ finishing is depressing.”

Credit: @Greg_1872

“Morelos’ body language is very lazy right now. Would hook him for Roofe at HT”

Credit: @rosscofaz

“Morelos is dreadful man”

Credit: @wullieboy78

In other news, find out whose display against Hibernian was slammed by some Gers fans

Leeds United have been handed a huge boost in their bid to keep Raphinha at Elland Road beyond the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Paul Gorst’s recent report for the Liverpool Echo, with the journalist stating that – despite Liverpool being believed to have scouted the winger on a number of occasions this season, as well as being heavily linked with a swoop for the former Rennes wizard – Jurgen Klopp’s side look unlikely to make a move for the 24-year-old in the winter market.

In his report, Gorst writes: “Leeds United’s Raphinha is another who club scouts are believed to be running the rule over, but a January move will almost certainly not be forthcoming.”

Bielsa will be buzzing

Considering just how important Raphinha has become to Leeds since his £17m move to Elland Road last summer, the news that Liverpool are not planning to launch an offensive for the Brazil international in January is sure to have left Bielsa buzzing.

Indeed, over his 30 Premier League appearances last term, the £34m-rated forward highly impressed for the Whites, bagging six goals, providing nine assists and creating 12 big chances for his teammates, as well as taking 2.2 shots and making 2.1 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player who Illan Meslier dubbed “unbelievable” and a “storm” earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.14, ranking him as Bielsa’s third-best performer in the league as the Brazilian played a crucial role in his team securing a remarkable ninth-placed finish on their return to the top flight.

With Leeds having struggled so far in the current campaign, Raphinha’s performances have been even more important for his manager, with the £58k-per-week winger scoring seven goals, registering one assist and creating four big chances over his 14 league outings – returns which have seen him average a SofaScore match rating of 7.16.

As such, the news that the Reds do not look as if they will make a move for the 24-year-old this winter will undoubtedly come as a major boost to Bielsa and his side, as retaining the services of the Brazil forward would very much appear to reduce the Whites’ chances of being pulled into a relegation scrap come the end of the season.

In other news: Leeds eyeing 20 y/o beast with “a little Luis Suarez about him”, fans will be excited

Frank McAvennie has claimed that Ange Postecoglou’s backroom staff are now ‘hindering’ him after the Celtic boss won October’s Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month.

The Lowdown: Deserved award

Earlier this week, the 56-year-old was awarded the manager of the month (MOTM) award for the Scottish top flight, but he was pictured claiming it alongside his backroom staff.

He guided Celtic through an unbeaten month, picking up four wins and a draw in the Premiership, as well as a 2-0 win against Ferencvaros in the Europa League group stage (BBC).

The award was well-deserved for Postecoglou, who has taken on a big job to try and beat Rangers to the league title this time around.

The Latest: McAvennie reacts

Speaking to Football Insider, former Hoops striker McAvennie has been left disappointed by how his former club chose to present Ange’s award, with the inclusion of his backroom staff in the images striking the wrong note with the 61-year-old. He raged:

“It’s big for Ange. He’s had a good month and we have gone unbeaten, you can’t ask for more than that.

“Did you see the pictures? He was stood there with the award with his backroom staff.

“I’m not having that. They have done nothing. This is all down to him.

“I have said many times that Ange should have been allowed to bring his own team in when he joined.

“I think they are hindering him if anything. The club wants to show a united front, I get that.

“But this should be a moment for Ange to cherish, he’s doing so well at the moment.

“It’s his award, no one else’s.”

The Verdict: Results down to Ange

We’re with McAvennie on this one. Postecoglou’s backroom staff may have helped him along his Celts journey so far, but the recent run of results are mainly down to him as the players now seem to be performing for him on the pitch.

Celtic are now just four points behind Rangers in the Premiership after it looked like they were going to be cut adrift once more at one point. Their 30 goals in the league and nine conceded are the most scored and fewest let in out of any other team so far (BBC), suggesting that their attack and defence are clicking.

Postecoglou finally looks to be getting a tune out of his players, and long may it continue if they are going to catch their bitter rivals at the top of the table.

In other news, Celtic have been dealt a transfer blow over this midfielder

Leeds United winger Raphinha could leave the Whites and forge a ‘devastating’ partnership with Mohamed Salah at Liverpool, according to journalist Emmet Gates.

The Lowdown: Raphinha Leeds’ star man?

The Brazilian has been a revelation since moving to Elland Road from Rennes in 2020, scoring 11 goals and registering nine assists in 41 appearances.

Raphinha has also taken his club form with him to the international stage, already scoring twice in his first five caps for the South American giants.

There is a strong argument to say that he is Leeds’ best player, along with Kalvin Phillips, and it is no great surprise that he has been linked with a move elsewhere.

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The Latest: Journalist makes worrying claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Gates has talked up the idea of Raphinha moving to Liverpool and wreaking havoc alongside Reds superstar Salah:

“I think they’ve also been linked with Leeds’ winger Raphinha, again who also players in Salah’s position but if you could put him on the opposite flank, that would be a devastating duo.”

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The Verdict: Inevitable exit soon

Raphinha is a priceless player for Leeds, and ideally, he would stay put for many years to come, but it is hard to see that happening currently.

The 24-year-old has announced himself on the international arena and may want to test himself in the Champions League – something the Whites simply can’t offer at this moment in time.

It could be that Raphinha moves on at the end of the season, especially if Leeds get relegated, but the one bonus would be the huge fee the club would likely receive for him, with his current deal not expiring until 2024.

Should he depart, the Whites may then spend the cash they receive on both a suitable replacement and bolstering other areas of the squad.

In other news, Leeds are reportedly plotting a bid for one player. Find out who it is here.

Tottenham Hotspur return to Premier League action this weekend and it’ll be no easy task as Nuno Santo looks to build on their victory last time out.

The north Londoners head to the northeast to face Newcastle United at St James’ Park, where there is expected to be an electric atmosphere as it’ll be the first game under their new ownership.

Spurs defeated Aston Villa to put an end to their run of three successive heavy league defeats but they will need to continue that form with a result away from home today.

Nuno has been under increasing pressure in recent weeks and that leaves him with a tricky dilemma in terms of team selection – he’ll have to get it spot against the Magpies.

For all of the positives against Villa, there were still some aspects that could be improved on, particularly in the final third. It was actually the first time the side had bagged more than one goal in the top-flight this season.

Despite that, Spurs still sit second-bottom for average number of shots per game (10.4) in the Premier League – even the three teams in the relegation zone have fired off more attempts, whilst they also rank third-bottom for expected goals (7.25 xG).

The Portuguese head coach opted for Tanguy Ndombele in the no.10 role right before the international break but it’s a decision that failed to pay off as the Frenchman, who was not selected by Didier Deschamps last week, barely had an influence in the attack.

As per SofaScore, he managed only 41 touches, which was the lowest of any outfield starter for Spurs, whilst he made 18 passes – for context, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made just three fewer.

One is meant to be the team’s playmaker.

Furthermore, Ndombele won just 50% of his midfield battles, proving to be ineffective and rather weak.

That has very much been the tale of the £36m-rated dynamo’s time in N17. A player, who on his day can be a world-beater, but those occasions are far and few between.

His performances when it really counts have been inconsistent, to say the least, but according to Joe Hart, the 24-year-old club-record signing is an exceptional talent.

During Spurs’ FA Cup clash with Wycombe Wanderers last season, the backup goalkeeper waxed lyrical about his former teammate to BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand.

“I said to Joe, how good is he? And he said ‘this kid is a world-beater, he can do anything.’ He just turned around during the game and said ‘this kid is unplayable’,” he claimed (via football.london).

Right now, however, it could be argued that the ex-Lyon star is holding Nuno’s side back as they cannot afford him coasting through some matches and then delivering in others.

It could be wise for the Portuguese to be ruthless and axe him at Newcastle this afternoon.

AND in other news, Nuno Santo hints at Spurs injury blow ahead of Newcastle clash…

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting to the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw, with the Reds pitted against Leicester City in the last eight.

Jurgen Klopp’s men are in superb form at the moment, not only in the Premier League but also in cup competitions.

A win away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League was followed up by the astonishing 5-0 victory at Manchester United, before Preston North End were dispatched of in the Carabao Cup.

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Liverpool have had to wait a few days to find out who their opponents will be in the quarters, but all was revealed on Saturday morning and confirmed on the club’s official Twitter account.

Klopp’s side will take on Leicester at Anfield, meaning Brendan Rodgers returns to his former club, in what looks like an exciting tie.

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Liverpool fans react to quarter-final draw

These Liverpool fans provided their positive thoughts on the draw on Twitter.

“Yeaahhhhhhh we are going to accidentally win it this year”

Credit: @zackerigi

“Home game, we’ll win it”

Credit: @kj__95

“Bring it on”

Credit: @ImranSyaffi

“Sound”

Credit: @shaunplfc_1906

“Origi will be ready and waiting”

Credit: @WEBBZJAY

“We’re winning it all”

Credit: @beamerrrrrr

In other news, some Liverpool fans are delighted with some injury news that has emerged. Read more here.

Celtic’s woes in the Europa League continued last week as they were hammered 4-0 by Bayer Leverkusen on their own turf.

This came after they lost 4-3 to Real Betis in their opening group stage match, with Ange Postecoglou’s side now facing an uphill battle to qualify for the knockout stages.

One player who has struggled in Europe in recent seasons and featured against Leverkusen is defensive midfielder Nir Bitton. In 24 minutes against the Bundesliga side, the 29-year-old lost half of his duels and won possession back once, whilst giving the ball away six times.

The Israel international has been a terrific servant for Celtic over the years. He joined from Ashdod in 2013 and has made 241 appearances for the club in the subsequent eight years, including 153 times in the Scottish Premiership for the Hoops.

A major issue he has had throughout his career in Scotland is his availability. He has been out of action for 12 different reasons since joining Celtic, ranging from the ongoing pandemic to groin injuries and problems with his knee. This has restricted him to less than 20 Premiership appearances in each campaign since the 2016/17 season.

Despite that, his value from August 2018 to January 2019 stood at a respectable £1.80m, according to Transfermarkt. Less than three years later, however, Bitton’s value now stands at £720k and has been steadily declining in the intervening period – dropping four times since January 2019.

This means that his value has plummeted by 60% in under three years, despite being in what should be the prime years of his career as a holding midfielder. It’s hardly a surprise, therefore, that he’s been dubbed a “walking joke” by popular Celtic platform, Bhoys Analytics.

His performances in the Europa League, along with his injuries, may have played a part in his valuation flopping in recent years. He averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.72 across five games in the 2019/20 edition of the competition, making one tackle and interception combined per game.

The following year, he averaged a score of 6.63 in three appearances as the overall quality of his displays lowered, despite him averaging 2.7 tackles and interceptions per match. This suggests that he was not performing to a high enough standard in the Europa League, irrespective of any accomplishments domestically, and that could hint at why his price has been falling.

He has struggled on the pitch in Europe and off the pitch in terms of his availability and there are no signs to suggest he is on the way back up. Could it be time for Celtic to part ways with the midfielder?

AND in other news, Postecoglou provides fresh injury update that should excite Celtic supporters…

Many Aston Villa fans slammed Axel Tuanzebe during their Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday afternoon.

Villa were looking to return to winning ways against their Midlands rivals after falling to a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur prior to the international break. Wolves, meanwhile, were gunning for a third straight win, having beaten Southampton away and Newcastle United at home.

Dean Smith made two changes from the team which lost in north London, with Tuanzebe replacing Kortney Hause in the back three and Emiliano Buendia coming in for Jacob Ramsey in midfield.

How did Tuanzebe play?

The Manchester United loanee earned a SofaScore rating of 6.3, the lowest in the Aston Villa side. He lost both of his duels, misplaced half of his attempted long passes and made an error leading to a Wolves shot. At one point in the first half, Adama Traore brushed past him with ease, with Emi Martinez ultimately bailing his defender out with a good save.

As Tuanzebe struggled, these Villa fans took to Twitter to slam his performance this afternoon, with one insisting that he “looks awkward”.

Tuanzebe under fire from these Villa fans

“Tuanzebe’s not done good enough at all”

Credit: @CharlieAEG

“Still don’t really get the Tuanzebe signing, purely sentimental from Smith, he would only have come as with first team promises and he is leagues behind Konsa!! and if he was signed to play three at the back then it makes signing two wide men and Ings strange”

Credit: @dicktonksy

“Might get shot down here….but Hause is as good or better than Tuanzebe in my opinion. Axel just looks awkward with the ball at his feet to me. Always looks like he’s gonna give it away.”

Credit: @T2Mardybum

“Him [Konsa] and Mings been decent, Tuanzebe on the other hand. If I speak…”

Credit: @DouglasAvfc82

“Villa just about on top but neither side really creating much. Tuanzebe very loose in possession”

Credit: @bozzystuff

“Yikes that Tuanzebe pass was bad wasn’t it”

Credit: @dvtavfc

In other news, Villa face competition in the race for this defender. 

Two touches are all it took for Odsonne Edouard to score his first goal for his new club after packing his bags and leaving Celtic behind.

The Parkhead hero was a dominative figure inside the penalty area for the Hoops and after finally earning his move south of the border, the former Bhoys striker has continued his career in ruthless fashion.

Edouard was a late substitute as Crystal Palace defeated Tottenham last weekend and in the process of taking just five touches of the ball in a ten minute period, he found the net twice.

Coincidentally, the forward isn’t the first Frenchman to flee the nest and go onto greater things.

Moussa Dembele left Celtic on a permanent basis in the same summer that Edouard became a proper part of the furniture in Glasgow.

His subsequent rise is something that Edouard will look to for hope but Dembele’s chance of returning to Glasgow has been robbed.

He was set to play for Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night when they take on Rangers but he has been ruled out of the clash with an injury.

It’s fortunate news for the Gers because Dembele has been in wonderful form this season, scoring four goals in five outings.

This comes after his time at Lyon looked in doubt. He was loaned out to Atletico Madrid last term but scored just once in all competitions for his parent and loan club.

More often than not, Dembele has been in the goals though. New teammate Xherdan Shaqiri described him as “one of the best” in Europe this week and it’s evident why.

The 25-year-old has beaten the goalkeeper on 49 occasions in 113 appearances for the French club and in the process, has seen his value increase rapidly since leaving Celtic.

During the 2019/20 season, his market valued per Transfermarkt soared to an eye-catching £45m, a rise of £25.3m for the £55k-per-week earner. That came as he hit the back of the net 24 times in 46 outings.

However, his price has rapidly decreased to below what Celtic sold him for in 2018. Lyon pounced to acquire his services for £19.7m but after a dismal 2020/21 campaign, he is now rated at £18m.

On that evidence, the Hoops did quite well to get what they did for him. However, given his renewed ruthless streak this term, that value is expected to rise again.

He could also join Edouard in the Premier League soon.

Regular links with Arsenal have occurred and judging by their heritage of French strikers, Nicolas Anelka, Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord and co, he’d be an exciting signing.

AND in other news, Postecoglou must unleash Celtic’s “tricky” rarely-seen 19 y/o after big Hoops blow…