All posts by n8rngtd.top

After their elimination from the UEFA Champions League in midweek, Liverpool turn their attentions back to the Premier League tonight by travelling to Elland Road to take on Leeds United.

Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to secure three points as the Reds aim to secure a top four finish, despite the looming prospect of the Super League proposals.

In order to do that, he must start midfielder Curtis Jones for the first time in the league since early March.

At just the age of 20, the Reds’ academy graduate is already the club’s highest-scoring midfielder this season with four goals. Couple this with the four assists that he has already managed to accumulate and that takes his total direct goal contributions to eight.

For comparison, the next most productive midfielder in the Reds’ squad is Georginio Wijnaldum who has only managed to score on three occasions, whilst having not managed to tee up his teammates at all.

Considering Jones has started just 21 matches in all competitions for the reigning Premier League champions, that is a remarkable achievement.

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It is no surprise then when looking at Jones’ statistics per match, he continues to outperform his somewhat more illustrious teammates.

According to WhoScored, the £27m-rated midfielder attempts one shot per game, a figure not matched by any other Liverpool option in the centre of the park.

Meanwhile, only Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara account for more key passes per 90 minutes than Jones in league play, whilst the latter only just outdoes his 1.1 dribbles per game.

It goes without saying then that should Jones be included, the Reds will surely be more of a threat, of course, a useful asset as Liverpool attempt to seal what could be a key three points in their pursuit of a top-four finish.

Previously labelled as “unbelievable” by the Reds’ U23 coach Gary O’Neil, the England U21 midfielder simply has to be selected from the start at Elland Road if he’s passed fit after missing out against Aston Villa and Real Madrid.

AND in more news, the Reds could find their perfect Wijnaldum replacement with a current England star…

Celtic have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Eddie Howe this week…

What’s the word?

According to The Scottish Sun, the incoming Hoops boss has already started work on summer transfer targets, with the 43-year-old making Joshua King one of his first signings.

The pair were together at AFC Bournemouth and it is thought that Howe sees his former talisman as an ideal successor to Odsonne Edouard, who is unlikely to stick around at Parkhead past the current campaign.

King has struggled for game time at Everton since his January deadline day move, failing to start a single match and could well depart at the end of his £45k-per-week contract, opening the door for a reunion in Glasgow.

Source of encouragement

Howe is yet to be confirmed as Neil Lennon’s successor but is expected to be announced as early as next week, though he may not take the helm until the summer.

The former Cherries genius has a huge rebuild on his hands – long-serving skipper Scott Brown is following CEO Peter Lawwell out the door, four loan players are set to return to their parent clubs and several key stars are either entering the final 12 months of their contracts or are wanted by other teams.

So it’s hugely encouraging that he’s already ‘working flat out behind the scenes,’ as per the aforementioned report. This will please majority shareholder Dermot Desmond immensely, especially after the mooted setback earlier this week.

It suggests that Howe is set on taking the job, and that means Desmond has got his man, barring that official announcement, having been questioned over his own status recently.

He won’t be selling his shares as he’s clearly wanting to be a big part of this new era that Celtic Park is about to embark on.

Incoming CEO Dominic McKay will be taking up his role three months earlier than expected, so it’s now a case of getting Howe through the door sooner rather than later.

But the fact that the ex-Bournemouth manager is already eyeing up a target in King will prove to be music to the ears of many. It’s hugely encouraging and surely means the deal is all but done.

He’ll need to hit the ground running this summer and getting ahead now could be a masterstroke in the long run.

AND in other news, Howe and McKay could instantly save Celtic millions this summer…

Jordan Jones is perhaps putting himself back in Steven Gerrard’s good books with some impressive performances on loan at Sunderland in League One and Ross Wilson should arguably think again about letting him leave Ibrox this summer.

After a breach of the lockdown guidelines in November 2020, both Jones and George Edmundson were given seven-game bans, and were subsequently sent on loan to Sunderland and Derby County respectively.

The 26-year-old winger had made just four appearances in all competitions for Gerrard’s side before the suspension, in which he contributed one goal – an impressive finish in the 5-1 win against Motherwell in September.

However, he has shown his class with Lee Johnson’s side in recent appearances, with two goals and three assists in his last six league appearances, including an impressive display in their most recent league victory against fellow promotion hopefuls Portsmouth.

Considering his contract with Rangers is not set to expire until 2023, Ross Wilson may well be licking his lips at the prospect of Jones’ value increasing as a result of his form in England, but you could argue that he now deserves another chance to show what he can do with the Ibrox outfit.

Although he has struggled for the Gers since signing on a free transfer from Kilmarnock, with just one goal and two assists in 19 appearances, perhaps this loan at Sunderland was just what he needed to boost his confidence ahead of next season.

If it were not for the winger’s mistake regarding the lockdown rules, you would imagine that Gerrard would have kept him in and around the first-team this season, having labelled him a “real threat” earlier in the season.

Therefore, if his impressive form continues at Sunderland, then he should definitely be given a chance in the Rangers first-team set up next season, even if Wilson feels that it is the ideal time to cash in on him this summer.

And, in other news… Wilson should go all out for 13-goal beast if Defoe leaves this summer; he could be a game-changer

If anything summed up Wolves’ season, it would be the last couple of weeks.

Throughout February, the Old Gold were brilliant as they bounced back from some relegation talk to go through the month unbeaten.

Nuno Santo has been nominated for the Manager of the Month award while Ruben Neves is in the conversation to be crowned Player of the Month.

However, the cracks are starting to appear in Wolves’ armoury again. They are now winless in three successive outings with their performance against Aston Villa on Saturday providing very few positives.

Nuno’s men drew 0-0 as they lacked ruthlessness in front of goal. It has been the same story in their last two matches, drawing 1-1 with Newcastle and being battered 4-1 by Manchester City.

It has been a poor week for the Midlands outfit and nothing typifies that more than their ability or lack of it rather, to find the net.

Willian Jose is still yet to score in a Wolves shirt while Adama Traore’s goal drought goes on. It would seem that they’re beginning to rely on their defenders to score the goals.

Conor Coady netted in midweek, while he and Romain Saiss had their best chances against Villa on Saturday.

Pedro Neto whipped in a mean ball from the right during the second half which found its way to Coady at the back stick. He hit the post and then with the goal at his mercy, Saiss somehow missed an open goal from a matter of yards.

Tim Spiers claimed the effort “defied the laws of physics” and it’s hard to argue with that point. The Moroccan just needed to tap the ball home but instead skied it miles over the bar. It was a moment that ultimately cost Wolves the game and left every Old Gold player in the camera shot with their head in their hands.

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It was a bewildering miss, one that might just go down as the worst of the Premier League season. Though, it was an incident that just about summed up a woeful night for Saiss; a player who never got going at Villa Park.

The £22k-per-week defender has been inconsistent this term and his display on Saturday evening proved that very point. Nuno likes his defenders to be able to play out from the back but he failed in that department, achieving a pass success rate of just 70%.

That tally happened to be the worst of any Wolves outfield player. It was also a number that was 12% worse than his seasonal average of 82% this term.

The Express & Star were rather damning in their assessment of the defender at full-time, saying; “Headed the ball with authority, however, his passing was inconsistent throughout. But it’s the miss of the season that will cause the Moroccan international some sleepless nights.”

Saiss was kept busy by the likes of Trezeguet and Ollie Watkins but he often came out second best, winning just a solitary tackle in the entire match. In addition, the centre-back surrendered possession on 15 occasions.

It was an uncharacteristically poor performance from Saiss, someone who should now be wary of his place in the team.

With Willy Boly back among the substitutes, Nuno must consider wielding the axe on his place in the starting XI and replacing him with a more reliable defender. Boly is certainly that.

AND in other news, Wolves gem who made just 23 passes let Nuno down a lot, Spiers said he “offered nowt”…

According to Football Insider, Glasgow Rangers remain ‘hopeful’ that Steven Davis will sign a new contract to keep him at the club.

What’s the word?

The Northern Irishman has entered the final remaining months of his current deal as his future at Ibrox hangs in the balance and his manager is said to be keen on tying him down to a fresh deal.

Ibrox boss Steven Gerrard revealed back at the beginning of February that he wants Davis to extend his time at the club.

Since then though, no announcement has been made, despite the fact Davis has played a pivotal role in Gerrard’s side surging up to the top of the Scottish Premiership table.

The onus, therefore, is on Gerrard to push Ross Wilson and co. to put pen to paper and extend his contract beyond the end of the season at the very least.

Get it done

Davis has scored one goal in 36 games for Rangers so far this season. But don’t let those numbers fool you so easily, as he has been a key cog in the midfield.

Despite his advancing years, the 36-year-old has continued to turn back the clock and boasts an impressive WhoScored match rating of 6.99 which sees him rank 11th out of the entire Rangers squad, just behind Ryan Jack and ahead of Ianis Hagi and Glen Kamara.

By the numbers, he ranks joint-second for interceptions per 90 in the Premiership (1.3 pg), third for tackles per game (1.7 pg), and eighth for clearances (0.9 pg), which only further illustrates his value.

He’s perhaps one of the most underrated signings of the post-Pedro Caixinha era, with Gerrard deserving immense credit for sanctioning such a move.

Davis, who reportedly earns wages worth £18,000-a-week, deserves every single penny that’s coming his way, whether that be from Ibrox or elsewhere, and Gerrard must push those above him to make sure that it’s the Scottish champions-elect who pay him such a salary.

AND in other news, Rangers in three-club transfer battle for 19-year-old Wigan strike prodigy Kyle Joseph…

Glasgow Rangers like making life difficult for themselves, don’t they?

Ross Callachan scored with the last kick of the game to give Scottish Premiership strugglers Hamilton a well-deserved draw with the runaway league leaders.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard made three changes to the side which secured a midweek win over St Johnstone and it backfired almost immediately as the Gers struggled to gain a foothold in the game, with the Accies going close on several occasions only to be denied by the outstretched arms of the in-form Allan McGregor.

Having arrived from French Ligue 2 side Amiens on a short-term loan deal until the end of the season, Bongani Zungu was the shock inclusion as he started ahead of regulars Steven Davis and Ryan Jack.

But it was nothing short of an alarming performance from the Bafana-Bafana midfielder. He has plenty of experience in European competitions, but he was badly caught out of possession with a string of poor passes, particularly in the first half, with former Rangers winger Neil McCann criticising him on BBC Sportsound.

He said: “Zungu’s had a number of slack passes today, his distribution has been poor. He doesn’t look sharp out there and I think McGregor just gave him a little reminder to waken up.”

Left on the bench against Saints, Zungu missed a carbon-copy chance this afternoon to stake his claim for a place in the starting line-up.

SofaScore graded the 28-year-old as one of the worst players on the pitch with a low 6.9 rating, that being bettered by Davis (7) after his introduction in the second half.

Zungu’s struggles were obvious throughout the contest and despite being at the centre of the supply chain, he was rarely involved, as he took fewer touches than Ianis Hagi, as per SofaScore, who also endured a torrid time against the Accies.

Defensively, he failed to put much pressure on the opposition, having won just three out of eight duels overall (37%), and didn’t register a single tackle either.

Gerrard introduced Davis late on in an attempt to try to rescue the game and it’s perhaps telling that the Northern Irishman made a noticeable difference after he orchestrated the opening goal by combining with Borna Barisic down the left flank.

Despite being on the pitch for just over 10′ minutes, the contrast was stark, as Davis was still more effective. He attempted the same amount of dribbles as Zungu and also completed a tackle as well.

An unconvincing performance like this should show Gerrard that he can’t start games without Davis and Jack in the midfield. Zungu was a liability against the Accies on Sunday afternoon and should be dropped for the next game against Kilmarnock.

AND in other news, Glen Kamara has become virtually undroppable for Glasgow Rangers…

West Brom could be about to fill a long-standing void, if latest reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Baggies are one of several teams eyeing up a move for Crystal Palace midfielder James McCarthy as the Irishman is out of contract in the summer.

The Eagles are yet to begin talks over an extension, so he could be free to leave Selhurst Park, thus putting the likes of Celtic, Burnley, West Ham, Brighton, Bournemouth and of course, Albion on high alert.

It is thought that the 30-year-old is on around £50k-per-week at Palace.

A new Brunt?

Whilst it is no secret that Sam Allardyce needs a new holding midfielder – something that McCarthy is not – he could do no wrong in finally replacing a former West Brom stalwart.

After 13 years at the club, veteran Chris Brunt left the Hawthorns in the summer and really, Slaven Bilic never replaced him.

It was the right decision to move the 36-year-old on, but someone of his influence would have certainly been needed as the Baggies are deep in a relegation battle.

Over the course of his Albion career, Brunt averaged 1.6 tackles, 1.6 key passes, 1.5 clearances, and 1.4 shots per game, via WhoScored, proving to be valuable at either end of the pitch.

McCarthy is almost a carbon copy, if not a better defensive option than the Hawthorns legend as throughout his career, the 30-year-old has averaged 2.6 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, only one other current starter (Conor Gallagher) has managed more tackles per game this campaign, whilst it is only Darnell Furlong that can top his interception figures, also per WhoScored.

So the 42-cap international may play further forward than an anchorman, but evidently, he’s still a hard man to bypass in the middle, which ultimately is something Big Sam needs to find as his defence has enough pressure on their heads having leaked more goals (43) than any other Premier League side this term.

Indeed, earlier this season, McCarthy was praised for his ability to break up Manchester United’s attacks, Jermaine Jenas told Match of the Day (via Pundit Arena):

“When United players get the ball, McArthur is there on to him, and his partner in crime James McCarthy is there backing him up. They’re never that far apart. They knock you out of your rhythm. It’s James McCarthy getting the block and stopping the attack.”

The Baggies boss knows him well from his time at Everton too, once lauding him as their “shining light” whilst ex-Albion manager Roy Hodgson has also dubbed him a “class player” who “deserves an awful lot of credit.”

And just like Brunt, he’s vastly-experienced in the big time after surpassing over 260 top-flight appearances this campaign.

If Big Sam can strike a deal this window, in a similar way to that of Robert Snodgrass, he should absolutely encourage the board to do it as West Brom could finally replace Brunt and get that brute force back into their engine room.

AND in other news, West Brom dealt potential transfer boost in striker pursuit

If anything summed up Wolves’ chaotic season so far, it would be their 2-1 win over Arsenal in midweek.

The Old Gold tasted victory for only the fourth time in their last 14 outings and it came in the strangest of ways.

A penalty and two red cards told a sorry story for the Gunners but Nuno Santo won’t care; he has finally ended the diabolical rut his team were on.

On the chalkboard

Most pleasing for Nuno last Tuesday was not just the win but the performance of Joao Moutinho. The Portugal international hadn’t scored all term before that victory but fired home a rasping drive from long-range that ultimately won the game for the Old Gold.

Going forward they were a threat but it was the same old story defensively. Wolves have kept a solitary clean sheet in the league since October and they were given a torrid time once again by Nicolas Pepe.

That was largely down to the performance of Nelson Semedo. The right-back was abject at the back and let Arsenal players surpass him all too easily.

Semedo set the tone when Cedric got past him in the opening exchanges. His fellow Portuguese full-back danced a merry jig past the former Barcelona defender but it only got worse.

Pepe flew down the left-hand side in a similar fashion to Cedric and then with a lovely piece of tricky advanced past Semedo with absolute ease. The Ivorian was then able to find the net in unerring fashion.

The summer signing was absolutely bullied down the right-hand side, losing 67% of his duels, but this is hardly surprising judging by previous performances in recent weeks.

He has been letting his side down for weeks, being branded a “liability” by journalist Tim Spiers for his mediocre performances in defence.

The 27-year-old put in a similar performance when Everton came to Molineux in January. He was caught out of position for Alex Iwobi’s opener and failed to get tight enough to Lucas Digne. The Toffees full-back was able to deliver a large haul of six crosses that day, something that only demonstrates Semedo’s ineptness in recent months.

Nightmare inbound?

With that in mind, he could be given a torrid time by Leicester on Sunday. Jamie Vardy is in contention to return while Harvey Barnes has been a rampant force down the left-hand side for the Foxes this term.

He’s scored seven Premier League goals while registering three assists in the process. With that in mind, perhaps Nuno could benefit from picking Ki-Jana Hoever?

The youngster established a valuable connection alongside Conor Coady when Wolves suffered a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United in December. The skipper was barking orders at Hoever and it very nearly worked.

The Molineux outfit held on until injury time in a game where Hoever stood out on his first Premier League start.

Having dealt comfortably with the likes of Marcus Rashford you sense he could do a similar job against Barnes. After all, Birmingham Live reporter Alex Dicken said after that United game that Hoever “didn’t put a foot wrong.”

It’s time to axe the £73k-per-week Semedo and bring in Hoever.

AND in other news, Wolves could finally axe Moutinho by signing “intelligent” £13m gem Keogh once bullied…

Rhys Williams looks as if he will be regularly called upon by Jurgen Klopp for the rest of the season at Liverpool as a result of their injury concerns but his performance against Aston Villa emphasises that he is a long way off being first-team quality for the Reds.

After a loan spell with Kidderminster Harriers last season, the 19-year-old has earned a promotion to Liverpool’s first-team this season after injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and more lately, Joel Matip.

The academy graduate has impressed at times, particularly in the 5-0 win against Atalanta and the 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur but his performance against Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Friday emphasised that he isn’t ready to be a first-team regular for the rest of the season.

The young defender was outpaced by 17-year-old Louie Barry for Villa’s equaliser and he never looked likely to catch the young striker as he raced through on goal, before finishing past Caoimhin Kelleher.

He also picked up a 6.7 rating from SofaScore, which was the joint-worst of any Liverpool player who started the game on the night.

Whilst a partnership of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho at centre-back didn’t produce ideal results in the Reds’ last Premier League fixture when they were beaten by Southampton, Williams’ lack of pace will likely be exploited by Manchester United in their next fixture, so Klopp must axe the 19-year-old.

Earlier in the season, Trent Alexander-Arnold was full of praise for the centre-back after he replaced Fabinho in the 2-0 win against FC Midtjylland, saying:

“That position’s probably a bit bare, to say the least. But we’ve got an amazing squad, you’ve seen Rhys Williams stepping in and doing a world-class job, at a young age with such little experience. He’s got a bright future ahead.”

Despite this, Williams must be axed by Klopp for the Reds’ next fixture, as his disappointing performance against Villa exposed his lack of concentration and pace, something which United’s dangerous front three will surely punish at Anfield later this month.

And, in other news… Exclusive: Pundit claims he “wouldn’t be surprised” if Virgil van Dijk was back soon

Mauricio Pochettino may reportedly sign Tottenham Hotspur ace Hugo Lloris for PSG, according to Football Insider.

As per the news outlet, the former Spurs boss may be looking to raid his former club for his ex-captain, as he assesses his squad and identifies his own transfer targets.

Lloris is now into the final 18 months of his current deal at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, with a new contract not being agreed as of yet, so he runs the risk of only having a year left when the summer transfer window comes about.

This may well give Poch the perfect opportunity to pounce on the 34 year-old, who has been dubbed as his ‘best friend’.

Lloris is ‘top-class’

Lloris has proven time and time again that he is a ‘top-class’ goalkeeper, evident by being a key figure in France’s 2018 FIFA World Cup win, in which he captained his country to glory.

He has also been a mainstay in the Lilywhites’ team for the last nine consecutive terms during his time in North London, playing in no fewer than 346 games in all competitions and keeping a very impressive 119 clean sheets in the process (Transfermarkt).

The French veteran would certainly be missed at THFC if he were to make the switch to Paris Saint Germain.

In other news, find out which Southampton star Spurs have been tipped to swoop for here!