All posts by h79snht.top

Leeds United have been in a torrid run of form of late, picking up just six points from a possible 30 in their last 10 Premier League games.

These results unsurprisingly have left Jesse Marsch’s position looking somewhat unstable, as he has led a side that invested £93.91m over the summer to 18th place in the top flight standing, two points adrift from safety.

As the pressure ramps up and potential candidates begin to be sounded out by the media, it is worth looking back at who they could have got when they dismissed Marcelo Bielsa back in February of this year.

Although he was yet to be sacked at the time of this report, The Telegraph nevertheless claimed that Ernesto Valverde was one of three candidates in line to replace the Argentine who was revered across Yorkshire.

The Spaniard has flitted across Europe with his managerial exploits, earning vast experience before being offered the Barcelona job in 2017.

During his three-year stint in Catalonia, he managed to win four trophies including two La Liga titles, before being sacked due to issues regarding his play style.

Since then, the club have won just one Spanish Cup.

He has earned most of his praise for his various work with Athletic Bilbao, in which he secured Champions League football and brought them their first trophy in 31 years with a Supercopa de Espana win over the side he would later manage.

It marked a monumental task completed for a club that relies so heavily on signing players solely from the Basque region.

Perhaps under constraints at Leeds, he could have been the man to keep them safe and ensure a stronger start to the season than the one they are currently suffering.

In a recent interview, Xavi was full of praise for a man he dubbed “extraordinary” who had completed “excellent work” at the club.

Enjoying a bold and attacking brand of football, Valverde would surely have become an instant fan favourite were he to have brought even a modicum of his previous successes to Elland Road.

It seems like given their current form, Victor Orta dropped a clanger when he opted for Marsch instead of his compatriot.

Southampton striker Che Adams has been in solid form this campaign, having received little help from the rest of his underperforming front line. His three goals make him the club’s top scorer, with only Joe Aribo nearby with two.

This lack of firepower has unsurprisingly seen them slump to 17th, just one point from safety.

With Adam Armstrong still yet to kickstart his career on the south coast, and the aforementioned former Rangers man yet to truly prove himself, Ralph Hasenhuttl might have to turn to the January transfer window to try and salvage their season.

With a preference for a 4-4-2 formation, having one of the front two sit slightly deeper could offer up the perfect role to be filled by Zakaria Aboukhlal.

He could certainly give Aribo a run for his money, given how he has performed thus far in Ligue 1.

The Saints are reportedly one of two Premier League clubs interested in signing the Toulouse forward, who is valued at around €25m (£21.5m).

The Moroccan is set to star in the upcoming World Cup but has recently earned praise since moving to France for his performances all across the front line.

With three goals and three assists in just 13 league games, he is far outperforming anyone currently playing at St Mary’s.

Not only this, but his outstanding characteristics listed by journalist Hanif Ben Berkane suggest he could be a comfortable fit for the Premier League.

He is said to be a “physical monster” who is “hyper combative”, and at just 22 years old he has plenty of room to grow too.

Clearly blessed with an eye for both a goal and a pass, he could be the perfect man to act as a bridge between midfield and attack.

The former Dutch youth international ranks in the top 2% of players in his position across Europe’s top five leagues for progressive passes received and the top 8% for assists per 90.

He could latch on to the progressive passes of James Ward-Prowse, of which he makes 3.61 per game, and then feed the Scotsman who has been starved of service this campaign.

On paper, it sounds like it could be a sensational piece of business that would work out perfectly. Aboukhlal might well just be the perfect partner for Adams.

A big claim has emerged on Glasgow Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his current situation at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell has revealed that the Light Blues will not be parting ways with the Dutch head coach in the immediate future.

He Tweeted: “Business as usual for Rangers & Van Bronckhorst ahead of Hearts. No ultimatums been made over his position despite falling 7pts behind. Various factors will be considered if and when it’s decided he is to go, but focus on two big games before the break.”

In the accompanying article, Campbell suggested that two wins for the manager in the final two matches before the World Cup break – against Hearts and St. Mirren – could help him to save his job.

He states that nothing has changed in regard to his situation at the club but that a defeat in one of these next two games could force the board to seriously consider his position.

Huge mistake by Ross Wilson

The Gers sporting director and the board could be making a huge mistake by keeping the head coach in his post for the games against St. Mirren and Hearts this week.

Rangers supporters appear to be at boiling point already after a section of the Ibrox crowd chanted for the manager to lose his job during the 2-1 defeat to St. Johnstone last weekend, with Campbell claiming there were also ‘mass calls’ on social media for the Dutchman to be sacked.

The Light Blues are already seven points behind Celtic at the top of the Premiership table after drawing two and losing two of their first 13 matches. Rangers also finished bottom of their Champions League group as they became the worst team in the history of the competition – with zero points and a -20 goal difference.

These worrying statistics explain why some of the supporters are unhappy with van Bronckhorst remaining in charge, particularly after he turned a four-point lead in the Scottish top-flight to finishing second by the same amount last season.

Decisive action is needed if Rangers want to fight back and win the title back off their bitter rivals and keeping the Dutchman in the dugout for these last two matches before the break could make matters worse.

Not only could it lead to a toxic atmosphere at Ibrox on Wednesday night but it could, given their four slip-ups in the league already this season, also lead to more dropped points and Celtic – if they win their matches – extending their advantage over the Light Blues.

Therefore, Wilson and the board are making a big mistake as the seven-point gap could widen and the relationship with the supporters could worsen if van Bronckhorst remains in charge and his struggles continue against Hearts and St. Mirren.

Tottenham Hotspur secured yet another comeback victory on Saturday afternoon, with Antonio Conte’s side coming from behind three times against Leeds United to seal a 4-3 win in north London.

Indeed, goals from Crysencio Summerville and Rodrigo saw the visitors take a 2-1 lead into half-time, with Harry Kane scoring Spurs’ solo goal in the first 45 minutes, before a late Rodrigo Bentancur brace sealed all three points for the hosts after Ben Davies had pulled Tottenham level and Rodrigo had subsequently restored the Whites’ advantage with just 14 minutes left to play.

However, while Conte will undoubtedly be delighted with his side’s grit and determination to grind out a result, there were still a number of worrying individual performances on display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Hugo Lloris and Eric Dier both failing to impress in their final club game prior to the start of the Qatar World Cup later this month.

Having said that, while the Frenchman and Englishman were both disappointing on Saturday afternoon, it was yet again the display of right wing-back Emerson Royal that will be the biggest cause for concern for the 53-year-old manager, as the Brazilian turned in another abject display against Jesse Marsch’s energetic Leeds side.

Indeed, over the course of his 49 minutes on the pitch, the £35m-rated full-back offered his side extremely little going forwards, completing just 25 of his 34 attempted passes – a success rate of a mere 74% – failing to find his man with either of his two attempted crosses and losing possession of the ball on 11 separate occasions.

The £40k-per-week talent also missed a glorious chance to get himself on the scoresheet, inexplicably firing Ben Davies’ cut-back miles over the Leeds bar when it appeared easier to hit the back of the net.

Emerson was not much better in metrics more typical of his position, blocking one shot, making one interception and one tackle during his time on the pitch, before being hauled off early in the second half – with his withdrawal met by a chorus of cheers from Spurs supporters, something that Tim Spiers described as “horrible to watch”.

Indeed, Alasdair Gold awarded the right-back a disappointing five in his own player ratings, while Hunter Godson questioned how bad the 23-year-old has to be in order for Conte to drop him, with the journalist stating in a post on Twitter: “Can someone explain why Emerson is undroppable? Is it that his positional play is pretty good? Genuinely wondering.”

And, with recent reports suggesting that Tottenham would be open to parting with the Brazil international in the January transfer window, considering the fact that Spurs will play just one Premier League game between now and the opening of the winter market, this may well be the final time the Lilywhites faithful see Emerson in action for their club.

However, judging by their reaction to his substitution on Sunday, the potential sale of the defender would not appear to be something that many Tottenham fans will have sleepless nights about.

Newcastle United are now over a year into the PIF regime, although there has yet to be a true marquee, statement addition at St James’ Park in that time, with the uber-rich ownership having perhaps taken the wise decision to adopt a more pragmatic approach to the transfer market.

That could, however, be about to change in the winter window, with reports in Spain suggesting last week that the Magpies are one of the clubs interested in a possible swoop for Real Madrid forward, Eden Hazard.

The report suggests that the Tynesiders would be willing to strike a loan agreement with an obligation to buy of around £17m, with a departure from the Bernabeu now seemingly inevitable for the 31-year-old, as he targets a return to the Premier League.

The suggestion is that the La Liga outfit ‘no longer trusts’ the Belgian superstar amid his ongoing woes at the club, with the 122-cap sensation having started just 42 games since his arrival from Chelsea on an £88.5m deal back in 2019, providing only 18 goal involvements in that time.

That lack of game time – which has largely stemmed from the player’s injury and fitness woes – will no doubt be of concern to Newcastle supporters, with the fear that the club may be lumbered with a costly, expensive mistake were Hazard to join.

While those fears are justified, pundit Frank McAvennie has suggested that it would still be a “good bit of business” were the northeast side to bring the “serial winner” back to England on a loan deal, such is the playmaker’s undeniable quality.

For all his current struggles, the fleet-footed magician was a truly fearsome prospect during his previous spell in the Premier League, having scored 110 goals and laid on 92 assists in 352 games during his glittering seven-year stint at Stamford Bridge.

A truly “unique” asset – as described by former Blues boss Maurizo Sarri – the £523k-per-week dynamo has the ability to bamboozle defenders with his speed and trickery when in full flow, having regularly delighted both fans and pundits alike during his time in west London.

The one-time Lille maestro has been limited to just six appearances this season thus far – providing two goal involvements in the Champions League triumph over Celtic at Parkhead – although the expectation is that he could go on to thrive at the upcoming World Cup, having been dubbed a true “natural talent” by Belgium boss Roberto Martinez.

A player who “takes responsibility” – in the words of Martinez – with his desire to take the ball in tight areas and in “high-pressure situations”, the 5 foot 9 ace could well be the extra sprinkling of quality that Howe’s men are in need of.

While the current Magpies side are currently thriving with their cohesive unit and collective strength, the introduction of a potential talisman such as Hazard could be the difference in the quest for a top-four berth, with the Madrid man having previously proven himself in English football in the past.

Undoubtedly a gamble as a result of the player’s age and recent lack of action, it could well be a risk worth taking for PIF to sign the highly-regarded “genius”, as dubbed by Sarri.

Glasgow Rangers sacked Giovanni van Bronckhorst on Monday morning and now Ross Wilson is on the lookout for his successor at Ibrox.

With the next domestic match taking place on 15 December, Wilson will be aiming to make a swift appointment in order for the new manager to bring in his own team and start work with the players.

The likes of Peter Bosz and Kjetil Knutsen have so far been linked amongst a host of other names, however, it should be someone a bit closer to home that should be Rangers’ real target.

A special manager on the way?

Under Steven Gerrard, Rangers won their 55th league title, however, it was Gerrard’s first team coach, who was the brains behind the system that propelled the Light Blues to that historic title.

A certain 42-year-old joined the former Liverpool captain when he took over at Aston Villa, before leaving in the summer to pursue a managerial journey of his own, and it has been working out pretty well so far, with his side sitting just outside the playoff spots in the Championship.

The man in question is Mick Beale, who just so happened to turn down the job at Wolverhampton Wanderers in recent times. He is now a target for the Gers, with Wilson reportedly making him his number one target to take over from the Dutchman before the 47-year-old was even sacked.

However, the 4th Official tweeted that “as per my source close to the Rangers board”, he is now “interested” in the job in what should be a piece of extremely positive news for Rangers.

It appears the club aren’t hanging around in terms of making the appointment, and with the coach having worked previously at Rangers, it’s arguably the most logical move.

Gerrard praised him when they worked together in Glasgow, saying: “What I’ll never do is try to do someone else’s job when they are better than me at doing it. A lot of people won’t have a clue what Mick Beale does on the training pitch, but what he does is really quite special.

“I haven’t had the luxury of retiring early from the game or not being a player, in terms of having that pitch time to really become a coach for the past 20 years like a Brendan Rodgers, a Mourinho or a Beale.”

This acclaim just shows how much he contributed towards the landmark title success and with the previous history, a positive rapport with the supporters, and excellent tactical acumen, bringing him back to Ibrox could be really special.

CBS Sports journalist Ben Jacobs has shared that Leeds United have ‘reached out’ for AC Milan attacker Charles De Ketelaere ahead of the January window.

The Lowdown: Contact made

It was reported earlier this week that the Elland Road outfit have been in contact with Milan over De Ketelaere, and have asked to be kept in the loop regarding his situation.

Both Victor Orta and Jesse Marsch remain big fans, and would be keen on a move if he was available, even if just on loan.

Andrea Radrizzani even admitted that the club agreed on a €40m (£34.4m) fee with Club Brugge in the summer for his signature, but De Ketelaere ended up moving to the San Siro.

The Latest: Leeds have ‘reached out’

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jacobs has shared that the Whites have ‘reached out’ again for De Ketelaere ahead of January, and are ‘still’ interested in his signature:

“I think one name to mention is still Charles De Ketelaere.

“Leeds have reached out to Milan to see whether anything is or isn’t possible and they’ve previously been linked with De Ketelaere.

“He had a standout 2021/2022 campaign for Brugge. He scored 18 goals, got 10 assists and then, of course, he only just joined Milan.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-updates-11/” title=”Latest Leeds United updates” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Loan would be perfect

Given that De Ketelaere has big-money move to Milan, signing him presents a risk for the Peacocks.

Thus, getting him in on loan in January could be perfect, as if it does not work out, the 21-year-old could then go back to Italy.

Lauded as a player who possesses ‘stunning’ technical qualities, Belgian De Ketelaere has even been compared to Manchester City superstar and fellow countryman Kevin De Bruyne (BBC), after a stunning 2021/22 campaign with Club Brugge where he managed 18 goals and 10 assists in 49 matches in total over all competitions (Transfermarkt).

Now at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Leeds may be able to take another look at him ahead of January and hope that he can regain some of the form he showed last season.

Newcastle United have been touted to potentially take advantage of recent behind-the-scenes rumblings at Juventus and make a move to sign Adrien Rabiot. 

The Lowdown: Chaos at Juventus

Earlier this week, it was revealed that the entire board at Juventus has stepped down from their positions, with a statement saying that they had “considered the centrality and relevance of pending legal and accounting issues”.

The Toon were linked with a move for Rabiot, who has impressed for France in the World Cup in Qatar, during the summer transfer window but ultimately didn’t sign him.

Now that the January transfer window is on the horizon, it appears that the midfielder has been mentioned with a move to St James’ Park once again.

The Lowdown: Newcastle touted to make potential Rabiot move

According to a recent report from Chronicle Live, as a result of the recent behind-the-scenes chaos at Juventus, this could see Newcastle pounce and launch a move for Rabiot.

The report also mentions Moise Kean and Weston McKennie as players previously mentioned with moves to St James’ Park.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] 

The Verdict: Would be a smart move by Newcastle

Focusing on Rabiot, his performances this season have shown why launching a potential move for him in January would be a smart one from Newcastle.

In addition to scoring three goals and providing two assists across his 11 Serie A appearances for the Old Lady this term, the Frenchman has made the third-highest number of passes into the final third of the pitch (32) at Juventus, also recording the fifth-highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (33).

In the World Cup so far, the 27-year-old’s performances have earned him an overall rating of 7.36/10 from WhoScored, higher than the likes of Ousmane Dembele (7.21/10), Dayot Upamecano (7.11/10) and Aurelien Tchouameni (7.03/10).

Taking all of this into account, if an opportunity to secure a deal for Rabiot arises during the January transfer window, this is definitely something that Newcastle should explore.

Rangers look increasingly likely to sell Alfredo Morelos during the upcoming January transfer window, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke. 

The Lowdown: Morelos’s season so far

As things stand, Morelos is set to see his contract at Ibrox expire in the summer.

Having made 19 appearances for the Gers across all competitions this season, the Colombian has only started five games, with just one of those coming in the league.

Now that the domestic action is set to resume in the coming days, with the January transfer window just around the corner, it has been suggested that a winter exit could be on the cards for the £33k-per-week striker.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s Morelos exit claim

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, O’Rourke had this to say about Morelos and what the future could hold for him.

“Morelos has been linked with a move away from Rangers pretty much every transfer window, and now he’s second choice to Colak I think that it’s more and more likely that Rangers could decide to cash in on him in January.”

The Verdict: A gamble for Rangers?

Back in October, Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson revealed that talks with the Colombian over a potential new contract are ongoing.

With Michael Beale now at the helm, it seems likely that he’ll have a big impact on how much game time Morelos will have throughout the remainder of the season, which could therefore influence the striker on whether or not he signs a new deal at Rangers.

Either way, it appears as if the club have a decision to make in January to either cash in on the 26-year-old in the winter window or run the risk of losing him as a free agent in the summer.

In our view, given the attacking presence he has and the fact that he has the highest rate of goals per shot on target (0.75) at Rangers this season, the club should keep hold of him and give him some more game time to not only help the team on the pitch but to also convince him to sign a new deal.

Newcastle United have been dealt a potential injury scare following their recent match against Al-Hilal. 

The Lowdown: Newcastle beat Al-Hilal

With the World Cup still ongoing, the Tyneside club have travelled to Saudi Arabia for a warm-weather training break.

On Thursday, the Toon beat Al-Hilal 5-0 thanks to goals from Joelinton, Miguel Almiron and Dylan Stephenson.

Despite the win, the Magpies were dealt a potential injury scare in the first period of the game.

The Latest: Wood injury scare

According to Chronicle Live, Wood came off in the first half of the match in Riyadh, holding his back after a late challenge.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-7/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] 

Speaking after the match, Eddie Howe had this to say on the situation surrounding Wood and his injury scare:

“He’s got a tight back, we hope it’s nothing serious. He just wanted to manage himself and didn’t feel he could continue. There was no point taking any risks.”

The Verdict: A concern for Newcastle

Despite being given the freedom to manage his back issue himself, the fact that Wood could only complete 37 minutes of the game should be a concern for Howe and the club.

Bearing in mind how fellow Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is currently out injured with a thigh injury, potentially having Wood on the sidelines creates a serious depth problem.

Callum Wilson has had his own injury scare with England in Qatar, and given the star man’s persistent fitness problems Howe cannot afford to lose his deputies.

Even though the New Zealand striker has only started two of the 14 Premier League appearances he’s made this season, with a couple of weeks left before the Premier League resumes, everyone connected to the club will undoubtedly have their fingers crossed that Wood and Wilson will be fit and firing come Boxing Day.