All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester United travel to Italy on Thursday for a crunch UEFA Europa League last-16 tie against AC Milan.

The two teams find themselves level following the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last week but with Stefano Pioli’s men scoring an away goal, the onus is really on the Red Devils.

Having played just four days ago, and with an FA Cup quarter-final creeping up this weekend, will Ole Gunnar Solskjaer be tempted to make any changes to his starting line-up?

Considering the importance of the tie, there might only be two alterations to the Man Utd XI and they will be in line with Solskjaer’s normal changes for Europa League matches.

Dean Henderson should remain in between the sticks with David De Gea only recently returning to action.

However, two changes should occur in front of him. Alex Telles has started all but two of the Red Devils’ European games so will likely replace £19.8m-rated Luke Shaw once again, despite the left-back currently being in excellent form.

Meanwhile, after sitting out the first leg, Victor Lindelof may also be swapped out for fellow centre-back Eric Bailly.

Despite that, the backline should remain otherwise the same.

Midfielders Donny van de Beek and Paul Pogba have handed Solskjaer huge boosts in their returns to fitness. However, having both been out for a considerable amount of time, they may be only afforded places on the bench, meaning Scott McTominay and Fred will once again be the Red Devils’ midfield pairing.

The attack meanwhile should have a very familiar look to it. Bruno Fernandes is likely to be flanked by Marcus Rashford and Daniel James. Owing to Edinson Cavani’s continued fitness problems, Mason Greenwood will continue in the centre-forward role.

AND in more news, read why the Red Devils have to make a move for Sporting CP’s Pedro Goncalves…

Many Derby County fans are slating David Marshall following his performance in the Championship match against Nottingham Forest.

The Rams have started to pull away from the relegation battle with Wayne Rooney at the helm and if you include their 1-1 draw against Forest on Friday night, they have only lost one in the last five, winning three of those games (SofaScore).

It was definitely a night to forget for Marshall though, as the goalkeeper picked up a 5.7 rating (SofaScore) and this was the lowest of anyone on the pitch. He made a brutal mistake which led to the opening goal by the Reds, allowing James Garners bobbling strike to squirm under him. To make matters worse for the Scotland international, he picked up an injury just before the end of the first half, so had to be taken off for Kelle Roos.

His replacement managed to get a rating of 7.0 as he made four saves, three of which were inside the box, and this form might warrant Rooney to select the Dutchman ahead of Marshall, even when he returns from injury.

Here is how Derby fans reacted:

“Poor. No way should that go through Marshall! #dcfc”

Credit: @SimonW_69

“People will make up excuses, but Marshall is going to end up costing us this game. And he doesn’t actually deserve to be in the side. Fact. #dcfc #dcfcfans”

Credit: @MJRose

“David Marshall has fully bottled this game”

Credit: @linford_sam

“Went flat after conceding that goal, Marshall could of done better! Prior to that we were the dominant side, think we need 2 up top today maybe swap bird for gregory”

Credit: @viksinghdosangjh

“If knight scores then imo it’s a different game completely. Marshall made a howler form a poor shot and since then Forrest have completed bossed us should be 2 up if it wasn’t for a alert Roos need to step it up a gear”

Credit: @ConnorDcfc

“A commanding start but then we completely switch off at the set piece. Poor from Marshall but he knows that. Defending was inexcusable, much for Rooney and Co to ponder at the break. A quick start needed in the second half.”

Credit: @AshWoody90

In other news: Derby fans raged at this news, find out more here.

Over the last few weeks, it looked as though Wolves were back in business. Yet, enter Manchester City.

The Citizens have now won 21 games in a row so on paper, Nuno Santo’s men stood no chance.

They gave Pep Guardiola’s side a good game and it wasn’t until the final ten minutes that City finally began to run riot. Though, what didn’t help Wolves’ performance was some risky changes from the manager.

Nelson Semedo started at right-wing, further forward than he traditionally plays, while Adama Traore led the line over the so-far disappointing Willian Jose.

Yet, the biggest risk was at right wing-back where Ki-Jana Hoever started and he was given a rough evening during their 4-1 defeat.

Against Manchester United in December, he looked imperious and in the words of Birmingham Live reporter Alex Dicken, “didn’t put a foot wrong.”

Though, on this occasion, he proved why Nuno has difficulties in trusting the young Portuguese ace. In that defeat to United, his communication levels with Conor Coady were top drawer. Yet, with Leander Dendoncker behind him on Tuesday, he evidently struggled.

It may have been the towering Belgian who scored an own goal, but if we assess both of their performances, it was undoubtedly Hoever that came off worst.

He was given a horrible night by Raheem Sterling and the dynamic Joao Cancelo down City’s left-hand side.

In total, Hoever was dribbled past on five occasions, the highest number of anyone to take the field at the Etihad Stadium. Defensively, the teenager was not up to scratch and played a poor part in City’s second strike.

He allowed Kyle Walker to race down the right-hand side completely unopposed and unmarked. That meant the right-back had all the time in the world to pick out a cross for Gabriel Jesus to fire home.

Unfortunately, the defender was also poor in possession. No Wolves player surrendered the ball more times than Hoever’s 16.

Considering this was a night where he barely got forward either, that kind of statistic should be of even more concern, especially when he was losing the ball in the defensive third of the pitch.

The 19-year-old has only started three Premier League games this season and on this evidence, you can see why. He was caught ball watching for the second goal and against such high-class opposition, you cannot afford a lapse in concentration like that.

However, he shouldn’t be too disheartened after playing against undoubtedly the league’s best side this season. There will be easier tests to come but it’s fair to say he let his manager down at the Etihad.

AND in other news, Wolves may have their new Saiss in rarely-seen “talent” who is “wise beyond his years”…

Aston Villa have struggled recently due to an outbreak of COVID in their squad. Gregg Evans has provided fans of the club with an update on their game next weekend against Everton.

The latest on Villa’s fixture vs Everton

The outbreak is at its worst currently for Villa, and this was emphasised by the fact they had to field an academy side against Liverpool in the FA Cup.

Evans, who is a journalist for the Athletic, tweeted: “#AVFC vs #EFC will take place on Sunday.”

This update is good news for Villa

The fact that the game on the weekend will go ahead suggests that the club are close to coming out of this bleak period and that most of the squad should have recovered by the game against Everton.

Their midweek game against Tottenham Hotspur had to be postponed. With the club already behind on matches, this will be a worry for Dean Smith. The fixture list is already heavily congested this season. Therefore, to have to postpone more fixtures will only make this issue worse. It would create a lot of fitness and injury issues so it is best that the game against Everton goes ahead at the end of the week, provided that it is safe to do so.

In other news, Dean Smith discussed a tactical decision he made in a recent fixture. Have a read of what he had to say here!

One of Tottenham Hotspur’s reported targets has just been made available for loan.

According to Football Insider, West Ham boss David Moyes has given the green light over Issa Diop leaving the club this transfer window as he has fallen drastically down the pecking order behind the likes of Angelo Ogbonna, Fabian Balbuena and Craig Dawson.

Earlier this month, Spurs were linked with interest in the French central defender – as per respected Irons outlet Claret & Hugh, who claim Jose Mourinho is a big fan and was mulling over the prospects of making a bid.

Well, that door has just been opened as the above report suggests he’s free to leave the London Stadium on loan before the February 1st deadline, though any interested party will need to cover his £62.5k-per-week wages as well as a sizeable fee.

It’s thought that the Spurs boss would like a pacey centre-back this window, but given finances at the club and across the whole of the footballing world right now, it may not be possible to make a major splash in the next ten days.

Therefore, a swoop for the 24-year-old makes the world of sense as Mourinho would not only be getting that speedy operator, but also a player experienced in the Premier League and one that he knows all about having once dubbed him a “monster” in 2018.

After his Manchester United side were dominated by the Hammers, Mourinho told BT Sport (via the Evening Standard): “[He had a] fantastic match. Congratulations to the scout that found a 21-year-old kid Diop – a monster who dominated in the duels.”

Whilst former West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini was excited by Diop’s “pace” and “power” upon arrival in east London, and also claimed he was a “great talent,” as per Sky Sports.

Indeed, the £18m-rated beast could be the short-term solution until Daniel Levy and Steve Hitchen can work out targets for the summer.

Diop may have only featured five times for 387 minutes this season, but overall, he’s made 69 appearances in Premier League and has also played 85 times in Ligue 1, which shows he’s more than adept at the elite level.

Mourinho will need to call upon his squad depth as Spurs are still competing in all four competitions available to them, and those fixtures will start to quickly rack up when the Europa League returns next month.

He clearly doesn’t trust Davinson Sanchez having snubbed him ten times since that 3-3 draw at West Ham in October, so adding Diop only makes further sense.

Throughout the course of Diop’s career, he has averaged 4.5 clearances, 1.9 interceptions, 1.9 aerial duels won and 1.5 tackles per game, via WhoScored, which all-round makes him a solid and reliable option on the face of it.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/20-01-spurs-stories” title=”Latest Spurs news, transfer rumours and more!”]

But even more so when you compare such numbers to the current options in Spurs’ squad – indeed, he’d fit right in as he’s averaging more clearances per game than Sanchez, more tackles per game than Eric Dier, and over six times as many interceptions as Toby Alderweireld this term, as per WhoScored.

Evidently, he has a different skill set to the aforementioned trio, so forget about your Milan Skriniars, Sven Botmans and Nikola Milenkovics, Diop is the temporary fix.

Mourinho and Levy should strike in the next week. He’s available for loan, and that would suit Spurs immensely right now.

AND in other news, Sabitzer in, Alli gone: How Spurs’ XI may look after deadline day…

Liverpool winger Sheyi Ojo is once again showing his quality out on loan but considering the winger is now 23-years-old, it seems clear that he’s never going to make it in the Reds’ first-team, so they should try and cash in on him in January.

The youngster joined the Merseyside club from MK Dons’ academy side in 2011 but has managed just 13 appearances for the first-team in the nine years since, with him spending a lot of time out on loan.

During the most recent summer, he joined Cardiff City on loan in the Championship and is impressing with Neil Harris’ side, having contributed three goals and four assists in 17 appearances for the Bluebirds, so it is clear that he is establishing himself as a key player with the Championship side.

His performances in the second division have seen him average a solid 6.79 rating, which ranks him as the Welsh side’s ninth-best player in the league so far this season.

Considering Ojo is valued at just £1.8 million by Transfermarkt, if he continues to impress, then perhaps we will see Cardiff or another side, attempt to buy him in the January transfer window.

Back in 2018, the winger signed a new five-year deal with the Reds, meaning his current deal isn’t set to expire until 2023, which suggests that the Reds would be able to demand a decent fee for the 23-year-old should other clubs come knocking.

Earlier this season, Ojo was hailed by his manager Neil Harris, who said:

“I think Sheyi is showing us his importance, with a couple of goals and a couple of assists.

“He had just been missing that final end product – in the first half he got into some great areas of the pitch, but the cross wasn’t what it should be.

“But in moments, he’s unplayable. His counter-attacking ability and his ability to dribble are excellent, and he’s unpredictable.”

However, Ojo reportedly earns £32,500 a week at Liverpool, which considering his lack of appearances for the first-team seems crazy, so it could certainly be suggested that he has been bleeding Michael Edwards and the Liverpool board dry.

Therefore, the Reds can save themselves a lot of money by cashing in on the winger in January, as his impressive performances in the Championship will hopefully be enough to attract some interest in the 23-year-old.

And, in other news… Klopp can sign his next Marco Reus in “complete” £72m-rated outcast offered to LFC 

In recent comments made on Twitter, Italian journalist Nicolo Schira has claimed that Tottenham Hotspur have offered RB Leipzig midfielder Marcel Sabitzer a five-year contract.

According to Schira, Sabitzer is the ‘first-choice’ midfielder for Tottenham in the January transfer window and the 26-year-old ‘wants to make the move to London’.

Schira continues by stating that Tottenham ‘have offered’ the £31.5 million-rated man a ‘contract until 2025’ and that the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, will ‘open talks’ with Leipzig regarding a transfer fee for the Austria international.

Tottenham have been heavily linked with a January move for Sabitzer, who has scored 46 goals and provided 38 assists over his 204 appearances for Julian Nagelsmann’s side, and now, if Schira is to be believed, it would appear that the club have moved one step closer to landing the 26-year-old in the winter window.

Transfer Tavern Take

Considering Sabitzer’s importance to the Leipzig side – the midfielder is the Bundesliga side’s club captain – as well as his current market valuation, it is not difficult to imagine that any deal for the 26-year-old would be an expensive one to complete in the January transfer window.

However, with Spurs struggling for goals from anyone other than Harry Kane or Heung-min Son in the Premier League this season, perhaps the injection of a midfielder with the goal record of Sabitzer could be worth the price for Jose Mourinho’s side.

In other Spurs news, Tottenham have received a boost in their pursuit of this ‘dream’ signing, find out more here!

Liverpool put in a hard shift at Anfield to keep their unbeaten home streak alive last night. Despite conceding through an early Pablo Fornals goal, the Reds were resilient enough to keep their heads and grab the win.

A VAR decision against Diogo Jota looked like it could paint the rest of game’s dynamic but the Portuguese target man was on song yet again with a goal to mark his third in five league appearances. Jurgen Klopp’s newest signing was undoubtedly the man of the hour, but the whole team rallied together to produce a solid performance.

One man especially who went under the radar was Gini Wijnaldum in the middle of the park. Despite being without playmakers Naby Keita and Thiago, the Dutchman was able to fill in and pull the strings from midfield.

Gini Wijnaldum stats vs West Ham

Starting the match alongside Jordan Henderson and Curtis Jones, the 29-year-old did well to trouble West Ham and create chances for the Reds.

According to Sofascore, Wijnaldum maintained a 97% passing rate, won 8/10 of his attempted duels and was successful in 100% of his dribbles and long balls. He was also the most fouled player in the game, highlighting how much the Irons struggled to deal with him in the engine room.

The £75,000-a-week midfielder is into the last 12 months of his current deal with Liverpool, but he is showing no signs of lowering his form. Despite the fact he could be leaving the club for free next year, Wijnaldum continues to give his all to the club and he is proving crucial to the Reds in their hour of need.

He recently received praise from Danny Murphy over his performances for the Anfield outfit. Speaking to Sky Sports, the pundit lauded him as an “absolutely sensational” player despite going “under the radar” (via Tribal Football).

Klopp currently has a huge defensive crisis on his hands, so knowing he is solid in midfield will alleviate a bit of pressure from him. The next fixture will see the Reds take on Atalanta in the Champions League and Liverpool will need a strong performance to push forwards and they can rely on Wijnaldum to deliver.

In the meantime, perhaps it’s time for Michael Edwards to get that tempting contract offer over to the Dutchman.

In other news, shock wage revelation could be Liverpool deal-breaker in David Alaba interest…

Celtic have been linked to a move for club starlet Karamoko Dembele’s brother, Siriki. That’s according to TEAMtalk, who claim that the Hoops are looking to land a deal for the Peterborough striker in order to convince his younger brother to remain in Glasgow.

The youngest of the Dembeles is currently in Celtic’s reserve team and is rapidly making a name for himself. However, there’s clearly worry amongst the board that the 17-year-old starlet will be tempted by a move elsewhere. Peter Lawwell and co are hoping that by pushing to sign his brother from the Posh, they can retain the teenaged talent.

Dembele not worth the risk for Celtic

Whilst the logic behind signing Siriki Dembele makes sense, Celtic can’t afford to throw cash at targets that look completely random at face value. Lawwell and his club have shown that they can attract the likes of Premier League winger Mohamed Elyounoussi, who has been a stunning loan signing from the Hoops this season.

They are also currently fielding Brighton’s Shane Duffy, another well-established top flight player. Even with reports linking star man Odsonne Edouard to an exit, Celtic don’t need to rummage around in the lower leagues in order to replace him.

Dembele has made a strong start to his portfolio this season with five goals and four assists in 11 League One matches so far. However, last season only saw him find the back of the net six times in a total of 30 appearances, which isn’t exactly enough to wow the fans (via Transfermarkt).

Indeed, these stats would be impressive for a young player on the rise, but Dembele has recently turned 24-years-old and should be in peak condition right now. Plus, compared to Edouard’s return of 21 goals in 27 Premiership games for Celtic last season, the numbers simply do not compare. Plus, after being lauded by Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson as a “destructive” forward, it would probably take a handsome offer to prise the player away from London Road.

Dembele wouldn’t be a substantial like-for-like replacement should Edouard leave the club, and paying money just to keep another player in the ranks seems like too much of a far out approach.

In other news, This player was surprising with poor performance against Hibs…

According to The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Gedson Fernandes is in danger of missing out on Tottenham’s Europa League squad.

What’s the word?

Having successfully navigated past the three qualifying rounds, Spurs finally enter the group stages of the competition, and will be facing LASK, Antwerp and Ludogorets respectively.

But with there being a fixed quota on the number of non-homegrown players who can be allowed in a squad (17), McGrath has revealed that there is a major question mark on Fernandes.

The Portuguese talent has hardly featured at all this season for Jose Mourinho’s side, playing just 63 minutes of football – and even that came in the Carabao Cup clash against Chelsea.

Mistake from Mourinho

Whilst it’s absolutely understandable why Fernandes’ name is near the top of the conversation when it comes to potential players who could be left out of the Europa League squad, it would be a major mistake from Mourinho to do so.

The 21-year-old is as versatile as they come, and it was telling that even despite only joining in the January transfer window, and being young and inexperienced in English football, Mourinho used him in five different positions last season: central midfield, attacking midfield, on the left and right flanks, and even at right-back too.

That ability to perform in a number of different roles is like star-dust, particularly in European competitions. The Thursday-Sunday combination of fixture scheduling for Spurs is likely to take its toll, and there will be no way Mourinho pushes his first-team stars too hard for both games.

But having someone like Fernandes, who can operate across midfield and even as a full-back, saves him a massive headache. Whether it’s an injury, or a key player need resting, he can trust in the starlet to come in and do a job.

So whilst he may be Spurs’ forgotten man for the time being given his lack of game-time this season, Mourinho desperately needs to select Fernandes for his Europa League squad, or he risks it back-firing.