All posts by n8rngtd.top

Xisco Munoz’s Watford are considering a move for Mbaye Diagne this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Sky Sports, who claim that the Hornets, as well as Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, have put the Galatasaray centre-forward on their list of potential targets in the upcoming transfer window.

It is also reported that, following West Bromwich Albion’s relegation to the Championship, a permanent move to the club where the 29-year-old has spent the second half of the season on loan now appears to be off the table.

Giaretta must move

Despite having only linked up with the Baggies in January, Diagne has nevertheless had an impact on the club over his 15 Premier League appearances. The £2.7m-rated striker bagging three goals and registering two assists, as well as averaging 2.2 shots and 0.5 key passes per game, culminating in an average WhoScored match rating of 6.72 – ranking him as West Brom’s seventh-best player in the top flight.

It would appear as if the £39,000-a-week (£2m per year) forward knows how to find the back of the net and provide assists in the Premier League, which is no mean feat when playing for a team with the third-worst attacking record in the division.

However, if the Galatasaray striker were to link up with Watford’s Ismaila Sarr – who has scored 18 goals and registered eight assists over his first two seasons in English football – this summer, it is not difficult to imagine Diagne benefiting from the creativity and clinical nature of the Hornets winger. In turn, that could easily lead to the 29-year-old returning much greater figures at Watford than during his time at West Brom.

As such, Cristiano Giaretta should be doing everything in his power to convince Diagne – who West Brom journalist Joe Masi described as “dangerous” – of a move to Watford this summer, as the 29-year-old would very much appear to be an impressive addition to Xisco’s attacking arsenal at Vicarage Road.

In other news: Watford suffer huge blow in pursuit of “talented” £25k-p/w gem, Giaretta will be livid – opinion

A big transfer claim has been dropped on Joe Willock and his future at Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Newcastle want Willock permanently

It is not secret of the desire for the St. James’ Park faithful to sign Willock on a permanent deal from Arsenal, with Steve Bruce even admitting to talkSPORT recently that they will be looking to make his move to the North East a permanent one after his loan spell ends.

Willock has also reportedly told his teammates that he would like to stay for the 2021/22 term as well, potentially on a permanent basis.

The Latest: McLeish backs Willock deal

McLeish, who is now a pundit after previously managing in the Premier League, has backed the Tyneside club to sign Willock permanently in some comments that he has made to Football Insider:

“Oh, my word. You talk about ‘impact’, that is a great word.

“Another great word is inspirational and that’s what the kid has been.

“To come up with the vital goals he’s come up with in recent weeks, it was truly incredible. 

“He’s ready to be plucked by Newcastle, depending on who they’re targeting for next season to make it not as stressful a season.”

The Verdict: Newcastle should sign Willock

Although it may not be an easy deal to do, given his form and potential, the Magpies should be looking to try and lure Willock away from the Emirates Stadium permanently.

The 21-year-old offers athleticism and the ability to carry the ball from midfield, and his knack for a goal, with which he has scored no fewer than five important ones already, is an asset very hard to turn down.

The Gunners may be looking for a mass clear-out at the Emirates Stadium after a disappointing season, and with them potentially out of Europe, they will need to find a way to raise some cash.

Given that they were willing to let Willock go out on loan in the first place, the Toon could be a major beneficiary in the summer window.

In other news, find out what five Willock alternatives NUFC could sign here!

Many Sunderland fans were far from happy with the performance of Bailey Wright during their 3-3 draw with Accrington Stanley on Saturday.

The Black Cats were in action as they attempted to consolidate their place in the League One play-offs. They have been in poor form over the past few weeks, losing three and drawing one of their last four (Sky Sports), and they were once again unable to grab victory in a match that twisted and turned.

A Charlie Wyke brace gave Sunderland the lead early on but Colby Bishop halved the deficit after the break. Then, Luke O’Nien put the ball into the back of his own net. Max Power looked to have grabbed the win before Sean McConville popped up to level things up once more (Sky Sports).

However, Wright struggled at the heart of the back four. He lost possession 17 times and was culpable of a number of misplaced passes (SofaScore) – Johnson will be expecting more from him between now and the end of the season.

These supporters were unhappy with they saw from the defender, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on his “awful” performance.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Wright below

“Bailey Wright is abysmal”

Credit: @MKA97FTM

“Bailey Wright is a massive worry for me”

Credit: @DeanoCummings85

“Why does Bailey Wright insist on taking 5 touches on the ball every time, sometimes just get rid man”

Credit: @elliot_d_p

“That goal all stemmed from a dreadful ball from Wright to Scowen.”

Credit: @PlannerMarj

“Watching the partnership between Hume & McGeady, its hard to fathom the manager pondered long & hard before he got a start. Wyke is playing well with his back to goal & 2 great finishes. Bailey Wright & Burge still giving me heart attacks though – even at 2 up!”

Credit: @Hag_SAFC

“Luke O’Nien and Bailey Wright just don’t work together do they… both had awful awful games”

Credit: @MattyCrichton

In other news, many Sunderland fans slam this manager’s comments.

Charlton Athletic will still be without Conor Washington for their crunch encounter with Ipswich Town this weekend…

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Addicks manager Nigel Adkins provided an update on the fitness of the 28-year-old to the club’s official website, saying: “Conor’s the one that won’t make this game but you never know where he is for the rest of the week which is pleasing.”

Washington was withdrawn just five minutes into Adkins’ first game in charge of Charlton as they drew 2-2 against AFC Wimbledon and has not featured since.

Big blow

This comes as a massive setback to the Addicks and their quest to make the play-offs this season, as the Northern Irishman is one of their major sources of goals with 11 in 32 appearances. That return is bettered only by Chuks Aneke, so it cannot be disputed that Washington would be likely to start up front if he were fit to feature.

Before Lee Bowyer left The Valley last month, he emphasised just how important the 28-year-old was to his side as he provides plenty of energy and work rate on top of his goalscoring ability.

“Conor is so important. Jayden [Stockley] and Chuks Aneke’s mobility isn’t natural to them. Conor does the dirty work for them, running into channels in between the centre-halves,” explained the 44-year-old. “He works so hard for the team, I’m so pleased for him. He does a lot of unselfish work.”

Indeed, Washington manages an average of 1.8 dribbles per 90 minutes at a success rate of 55%, which is far better than Aneke and Stockley, as per WhoScored.

Charlton are just three points adrift of a play-off position right now but could quite easily be leapfrogged by the Tractor Boys if the visitors come out on top at The Valley this weekend.

Stockley has scored just once in Washington’s absence, so to be without one of their biggest threats is certainly a big blow ahead of kick-off.

AND in other news, Forget Amos: “Unbelievable” beast who had 4 tackles was Adkins’ unsung hero last time out…

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which commented on recent footage of Gareth Bale appearing to deliberately elbow Ondrej Kudela, the player accused of racially abusing Rangers star, Glen Kamara.

Kudela is currently being investigated by UEFA after allegedly aiming, quite frankly, disgusting remarks towards the Gers’ Kamara during a meeting between Slavia Prague and Rangers in the Europa League round of 16.

However, seemingly in an effort to assert his own form of rough justice in Wales’ World Cup qualifying fixture against the Czech Republic on Tuesday evening, Bale appeared to intentionally target the defender with a swinging arm, catching Kudela in the face and rendering the 34-year-old unable to continue in the match.

And, following the clash, with footage of the incident circulating on social media, the Rangers fan account, Heart & Hand Podcast, took to Twitter in praise Bale’s part in the encounter, with many more fans of the club piling in to thank the Welshman for his efforts.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Gareth Bale’s challenge on Ondrej Kudela?

“Ampadu left one on him earlier too. Beautiful!”

@nicky13anderson

“Harry Wilson and someone else had a nibble at him as well at one point. Kudela went down as if a sniper had hit him.”

@StevenK86

“Was lovely to watch.”

@wulliemci2

“Karma.”

@AndrewM31015121

“Get in there Gareth Bale.”

@robertmcnaught

“Lovely.”

@chr1sbett

In other news: this ‘superb’ £6.2k-p/w star lifted the lid on talks with the Rangers hierarchy – find out more here!

A number of Liverpool fans have been calling for the Reds to sign Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma following another impressive performance from him.

Jurgen Klopp may be expected to be in the market for new players this summer, adding fresh blood to his squad after a disappointing season. Defensive reinforcements look to be at the top of the agenda, but additions in midfield shouldn’t be ruled out either.

With Gini Wijnaldum’s future still up in the air, not to mention James Milner now being 35 and question marks over Naby Keita’s worth, it could be that Klopp eyes up a new face in that area.

Bissouma has been linked (ESPN) with a move to Liverpool as a Wijnaldum replacement, as he continues to shine in the middle of the park for Brighton this season.

He was excellent in the Seagulls’ 0-0 draw at home to Everton on Monday night, taking home the Man of the Match award in the process and earning praise from Jamie Carragher in the form of being called “a top-quality player”.

Liverpool fans want to sign Bissouma

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to talk up the idea of the 24-year-old heading to Anfield this summer and called for the club’s FSG ownership to try and land the ‘brilliant footballer’.

“How is Bissouma still at Brighton? Brilliant Footballer this lad. Can improve any Top team. Good age. Great injury record. LFC do something”

Credit: @Lunga_WeeeSiba

“Bissouma with a fantastic tackle from behind to stop an Everton counter-attack! Didn’t rate him much when he was initially linked to a move to us but steadily he’s impressing me more and more”

Credit: @Kloppista_LFC

“Wouldn’t mind Bissouma at Liverpool”

Credit: @EntireDesign_

“Come to Liverpool”

Credit: @LFC_Kareem_YNWA

“Bissouma is such a Klopp-type of player, won’t be surprised if he tries to sign him soon”

Credit: @Deji500

“Bissouma please, FSG”

Credit: @JamieHolme

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been buoyed by a Real Madrid injury update. Read more here.

After Kalvin Phillips was ruled out with a minor injury against Brighton, Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa turned to Robin Koch as the man to fill the void in midfield.

A centre-back by trade, the summer signing endured a difficult game in a wholly unfamiliar position, and Leeds Live’s Beren Cross outlined one of the key problems the German faced, saying that “his passing had nothing like the expanse of Phillips’s, nor the accuracy at critical moments as attacks were threatening to build.”

With reports in recent days claiming that Leeds have made signing a new holding midfielder a priority for the upcoming summer transfer window, some much-needed cover for Phillips is set to arrive. However, for the here and now, rather than turning to Koch, Bielsa must surely now unleash academy starlet Nohan Kenneh.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay dubbed the teenager as “supremely gifted”, and he’s capable of playing in holding midfield as well as further back in central defence. Also, at a imposing 6 foot 2, he seems to have the physical attributes to hold his own at Premier League level.

The 18-year-old has already admitted to modelling himself on Phillips, while he also added that he’s a fan of Arsenal Invincible Patrick Vieira too. He said: “Currently I look up to Kalvin Phillips as (we) both play in a similar position, but I occasionally watch videos of Patrick Vieira for his qualities in midfield.”

Describing himself as someone who is “aggressive and hard-working who likes to break down play”, but also likes “getting forward and scoring long-range goals”, Kenneh seems like he could thrive in the anchor man role if given the chance by Bielsa.

This season he has spent all of his time with the club’s academy side, making 11 appearances at Premier League 2 level and helping them clinch the Division 2 title recently.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

The next step for those batch of players who tasted academy success is to make their mark on the first team, and given the injury problems faced by Phillips last weekend and this season as a whole, Kenneh should be the man to whom Bielsa turns sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, a Leeds source has revealed the club’s exciting plans for the summer…

Having previously signed Naby Keita from RB Leipzig, Liverpool could potentially be looking to sign another of the German club’s midfielders in the form of Marcel Sabitzer.

The Austrian has long been linked with a move to Anfield among other clubs in the Premier League, and has now conceded that he could “imagine” a switch to the English top flight at some point in the future.

He could be the perfect addition to Jurgen Klopp’s squad on Merseyside.

Since arriving at the Red Bull Arena from Rapid Vienna, Sabitzer has established himself as one of the most consistent midfield operators in the German top flight and indeed Europe.

He has made 137 Bundesliga appearances, scoring 30 goals and providing 26 assists, with seven of those strikes coming during the 2020/21 season alone. As a matter of fact, Sabitzer has not scored fewer than five goals in a single campaign since his breakthrough season with Admira Wacker in 2010/11 – remarkable consistency for a midfielder.

The Austrian has also made a further 21 appearances in the Champions League, again proving to be an extremely accomplished player on the European stage. Rated at £37.8m by Transfermarkt, whichever club elects to move for Sabitzer would certainly be getting a midfielder of supreme quality.

That is where Liverpool could come in. Heading into 2021/22, the Reds could potentially need a midfield player.

Georginio Wijnaldum looks set to depart upon the expiry of his contract in June, whilst the ever-reliable James Milner may not be able to contribute as much at the age of 35.

Sabitzer has also had a huge impact against English clubs in the past, having won three out of six meetings against Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, racking up two goals and an assist in the process.

Having previously signed fellow midfielder Keita from RB Leipzig, the Reds should certainly try to profit from that relationship once again and make a move for Sabitzer as soon as this summer, especially with the Austrian soon to be in the final year of his contract.

AND in more news, Fabrizio Romano has revealed the huge mistake that FSG and Michael Edwards could be making this summer…

Plenty have been calling for Tottenham Hotspur to appoint Marcelo Bielsa as Jose Mourinho’s successor this week…

What’s the word?

The ‘Special One’ was sacked after 17 months at the helm, with former midfielder Ryan Mason taking the reins until the end of the season, when Daniel Levy will look to appoint a permanent replacement.

Several names have been linked with the vacant role, ranging from mooted number one target Julian Naglesmann to Brendan Rodgers and even Athletic Bilbao’s Marcelino, but it is Bielsa’s name which is on the lips of many.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Dean Windass claimed the Leeds United boss “would be the one on the lips of Daniel Levy” and he’s not the only one thinking this.

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara stoked the fire even more when he told talkSPORT: “I think he’d be absolutely brilliant and the fans would love him. If you can try and prise him away form there it’d be unbelievable.”

Meanwhile, according to Tony Cascarino in his column for The Times, Bielsa “could regenerate Tottenham”.

Could ruin Kane

The 65-year-old is a very intriguing option to consider, but there must be a few question marks over whether or not he’s actually the right fit for Levy and Tottenham.

He has exceeded expectations at Elland Road and has delivered a strong maiden season back in the Premier League, especially as he’s largely been deploying what is the bulk of his Championship title-winning squad.

They sit tied on points with Arsenal in 10th place and have won away to Manchester City and Leicester, who occupy two of the top three spots.

Mauricio Pochettino is a huge admirer of his, having played under him at Newell’s Old Boys. “For me, he’s a person I will always admire,” revealed the former Spurs manager. “He’s a genius. A person with charisma and a personality very different from us normal coaches, and that’s what makes him special.”

However, the bulk of this success has come down to the 65-year-old’s philosophy – a relentless press, the mantra of putting the side before self, and working on the method before the result.

This means a lot of work is put into training, such as his ‘murderball’ sessions which Leeds’ top scorer Patrick Bamford recently described as “about ten times harder than a [Premier League] game.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-manager-transfer-news-and-rumours” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs manager news, transfer rumours and more!”]

It’s also claimed that Bielsa’s teams suffer from burnout in the final thirds of the season due to built-up fatigue because his high-intensity system places such serious physical demands on the players.

Ultimately, this may well spell serious trouble for Harry Kane, who suffered another ankle injury this week.

In 2019, BT Sport presenter Gary Lineker expressed his fears over the England skipper in an interview with Goal. He said: “It is always a worry when you get a recurring injury and there is clearly a little weakness in there,” adding: “The more you do it, the more you worry the weakness will become a problem.”

Given Bielsa’s ruthless training sessions, let alone his intense pressing from the front in matches, you’d have to have major concerns over the 27-year-old talisman if the Argentine replaces Mourinho.

Spurs rely heavily on the goalscoring and creative exploits of Kane; he has accounted for 60.7% of their 54 league goals this term through either scoring or setting them up.

There’s one other factor which should put Bielsa down the pecking order, as his Leeds side has often suffered from profligacy. Despite winning the Championship last term, the Whites ranked amongst the five worst teams for goal conversion at just 12.5%.

That hasn’t really risen in the Premier League, with Leeds only converting 8.1% of their 614 shots at goal, as per Transfermarkt. In some games they find the net three, four, even five times, but in others they draw a serious blank despite creating so many chances – Kane could well suffer as a result of that, too.

If Levy listens to the aforementioned calls, then he would risk ruining his superstar striker. As good as Bielsa is, he just isn’t the right man to replace Mourinho in N17.

AND in other news, Levy would be appointing Mourinho 2.0 in “stubborn” 62 y/o flop…

Gareth Southgate is one of the latest names to be linked to the newly-vacant managerial post at Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

According to the Guardian’s Dave Hytner, the England boss could emerge as a potential candidate after the European Championships this summer.

It’s claimed that the 50-year-old, who has only managed Middlesbrough briefly at domestic level, would like to return to the club game at some point and is only under contract at the Football Association until 2022.

There is a further suggestion that his involvement with Harry Kane could be a positive factor as the pair are said to have an excellent relationship.

Disaster?

What is most interesting, however, is the claim that Daniel Levy is plotting a move for an attack-minded manager after handing Jose Mourinho his marching orders following a tumultuous and negative few months in north London.

Hytner goes onto state that the Spurs chairman is ‘keen for the replacement to be modern in outlook and have strong credentials in the development of young players.’

Kind of in the mould of Mauricio Pochettino.

Southgate somewhat has the latter attribute on his side, having won the 2016 Toulon tournament with the Three Lions’ U21 side but in terms of attractive football, he doesn’t pass the test whatsoever and that could not only be counter-productive towards his desire to change the culture at Spurs, but too could put many more supporters off.

One game that emphasises the dull, drab football on offer under our country’s leading boss was that dreadful goalless draw with Denmark last year. That kind of epitomised his recent gameplan since World Cup heartache in 2018.

Three central defenders, two holding midfielders yet the team has plenty of attacking talent like Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho to accompany Kane.

“Negative and protective system” is how the BBC’s chief football writer Phil McNulty described it after the game, whilst Barney Ronay lambasted it a “tactical flaw and a turn-off for viewers” on the Guardian.

Not much has changed since, with England only just scraping past Poland in their most recent outing at the end of March.

On the above evidence alone, the appointment of Southgate in north London would be more Mourinho than Pochettino, and that should be enough to have Levy searching elsewhere.

If he were to appoint the former Palace and Villa defender, then he deserves every bit of criticism that would undoubtedly come his way.

AND in other news, this latest ESL update could spell trouble for Spurs and Kane…