All posts by z3u9t.icu

A number of Liverpool supporters are delighted after key pair Fabinho and Thiago were pictured in training ahead of the clash with Atletico Madrid.

The Reds had a disappointing afternoon in the Premier League at the weekend, drawing 2-2 at home to Brighton. It was a sloppy performance in which two valuable points were dropped and a response is needed in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

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Atletico make the trip to Anfield looking for a repeat of their 3-2 win there in March 2020 but Liverpool know that victory will secure a place in the last 16.

On Monday, the club’s official Twitter account posted a photo of Fabinho and Thiago training alongside one another, suggesting that both could be available after recent injuries.

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Liverpool fans react to Fabinho and Thiago photo

Needless to say, the image went down a storm with these Reds fans on Twitter, who reacted positively to seeing the duo back in training at a time when Jurgen Klopp’s midfield has been rather depleted.

“Oh god I’m crying”

Credit: @LFCViking6024

“Love it!!”

Credit: @prngcht

“What a boost, we miss you lads”

Credit: @_Harithh_

“I swear I’m not crying”

Credit: @apenggent

“What a way to start the week”

Credit: @JamieHolme

“Someone hold me, I’m weak”

Credit: @itsmeg_statham

“Omg, my heart”

Credit: @LadyToluu

In other news, some Liverpool fans have bemoaned an injury update regarding one player. Read more here.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) are now reportedly ‘ready to spend’ to bring Aaron Ramsey to Newcastle United.

The Lowdown: Midfield targeted

Given that the likes of Florian Wirtz and James Ward-Prowse have been linked with a move to St. James’ Park over the last few days, it is clear that the new owners are looking to strengthen the midfield position.

New players will certainly need to be brought in in the January transfer window, given that the North East club are currently in a relegation battle, sitting in 19th spot in the Premier League table before today’s round of fixtures.

The Latest: Ramsey ‘courted’

As per Tuttosport (via Sport Witness), Ramsey is being ‘courted’ by the Tyneside outfit ahead of a potential move.

PIF are now ‘ready to spend’ on the Juventus midfield player, despite his €14m (£11.8m) yearly wages.

They are ‘not scared’ to pay his salary, and the Old Lady are ‘keen’ to get them off of their books, meaning that a move back to the top flight, and more specifically the Magpies, is now possible.

The Verdict: Avoid

While money is no object to the new owners, Ramsey is a player that they should be avoiding.

Even if they are willing to pay his astronomical wages, it would lead to other players in the squad wanting their pay package to go up, which could leave them in a sticky situation.

Wales international teammate Joe Allen claims that he can be ‘world-class’ on his day, and that is true, given his goals and assists record throughout his club career, but he is 30 years of age now, and has been suffering with injury problems as of late.

Nonetheless, the Toon already have plenty of midfield options in the squad already, and thus should be focusing on strengthening other areas of the pitch first of all, and certainly not splashing out big wages on an injury-prone player in his thirties.

In other news, find out who NUFC have been ‘alerted’ to the possibility of signing in January here!

After a fairly poor start to the season, Ralph Hasenhuttl has seen his Southampton side win three out of their four previous league matches, scoring five goals and conceding just two in the process.

After the current international break, Southampton will be looking to continue their good run of form with a clash against Norwich City next up for the Saints.

However, according to a recent report, it seems as though there could be some speculation over which dugout Hasenhuttl could find himself in for that match.

What’s the news?

According to Sky Sports, Hasenhuttl is one of the names being linked with the manager position at Norwich after Daniel Farke recently left the club.

The report also claims that former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard and former Aston Villa manager Dean Smith are also in the running for the job at Carrow Road.

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Since joining Southampton back in December 2018, Hasenhuttl has taken charge of 127 games with the club across all competitions, winning 47, drawing 27 and losing 53 along the way.

Despite his rather inconsistent results at Southampton, the Austrian, who has been labelled as an “exceptional” manager by Pep Guardiola in the past, has managed to keep the Saints in the Premier League since his arrival and even secured them an 11th place finish in the Premier League in the 2019/20 season, showing how well he has done at the club.

He has been game-changing for the club, introducing a high-pressing style while players like Tino Livramento, Kyle Walker-Peters and James Ward-Prowse have been taken to brand new levels under his stewardship.

With all of this in mind, we feel that it would undoubtedly be a nightmare for Gao Jisheng and the club if they lost Hasenhuttl to Norwich and rightfully, it would outrage plenty of Saints fans.

After all, they are still fighting against relegation and their current boss has proven in recent years that he has what it takes to keep the south coast side in the division.

With the manager’s contract at St. Mary’s not set to expire until the summer of 2024, it should help put to rest any concerns the Southampton fans may have that their manager could leave anytime soon. Couple that with the report from Sky Sports claiming he is seen as a long shot for Norwich compared to the currently unemployed Smith and Lampard and supporters will be able to rest a little easier.

However, if he does become a genuine contender, Southampton should not entertain any offer that may come their way. He is too vital to the club for them to lose him.

In other news: Big blow: Southampton dealt huge double setback, Ralph will surely be gutted – opinion

Many Wolves supporters have been gushing over news which has emerged on Dexter Lembikisa.

As per the official website of the club’s academy, the 18-year-old has now put pen to paper on his first professional contract at Molineux as a reward for his ‘excellent’ start to the season with the under-23s.

Technical director Scott Sellars claimed that the teenager has ‘really kicked on’ with his development and ‘progressed really well’, adding that his performances at youth level have been ‘excellent’.

He has played in 26 games throughout the youth setup over the last three campaigns, including eight appearances in Premier League 2 and one in the EFL Trophy so far this term (Transfermarkt).

Wolves fans on Lembikisa contract

These Wolves supporters were left gushing over the news of Lembikisa’s contract as it was shared on Twitter, with one saying that he was ‘thunderous’ in a recent match against Midlands rivals West Brom, which ended 1-1:

“Looked good whenever I’ve seen him play”

Credit: @dmarsden1988

“Look how proud his dad looks. That is everything.”

Credit: @GWooldridge5

“Watched him against the Albion in U23s last Friday. Was absolutely thunderous down that left flank, excited to see him push on in the first team”

Credit: @bagnall_brad

“How lovely”

Credit: @carolq59

“Love this!”

Credit: @Annie62916459

“Well done young man”

Credit: @neilcostin

In other news, find out what update involving four loan players has left these Wolves fans buzzing

As relayed by The Guardian’s match preview, Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has been dealt another injury worry ahead of today’s clash against Leeds United after Cristian Romero came back from international duty with a hamstring problem.

The Lowdown: Conte without key men for Leeds…

As the Italian aims to get Tottenham back near the top of English and European football, it looks like he will be without a handful of key players for his second Premier League game in charge of the club.

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Indeed, marquee summer signing and 2020/21 Serie A MVP award-winning defender Romero will not be able to feature in north London today due to his hamstring injury (The Guardian).

Meanwhile, Conte will also be without midfield gem Oliver Skipp for a different reason, with the 21-year-old currently serving a ban after picking up his fifth booking of the season against Everton.

The Latest: Lo Celso blow emerges…

As per The Guardian, Tottenham have been dealt another injury worry as midfielder Giovani Lo Celso is also doubtful for the clash with Leeds this evening.

Indeed, the attacking ace has suffered a knock and it is currently up in the air as to whether he will feature today.

The Verdict: Blow for Conte…

The Argentine’s performances have attracted criticism in parts but Conte’s arrival comes with plenty of speculation that Lo Celso could thrive in a three-at-the-back formation.

Indeed, the playmaker is capable of rotating with club record signing Tanguy Ndombele in a number 10 role just behind deadly duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, as some critics believe this could be the way forward (Alasdair Gold).

As Conte works out the kinks of his new team, potentially losing Lo Celso today could come as a blow given that he will likely want to test out the 25-year-old as much as possible.

If the Argentine can transfer his performances at international level down to Tottenham, Conte may well have a player on his hands, with Lo Celso’s national team coach Lionel Scaloni even calling him ‘one of the best in the world’ (Today.in-24).

Meanwhile, former Lilywhites boss Jose Mourinho called him ‘phenomenal’, indicating that the 25-year-old has no shortage of quality.

Perhaps one of Conte’s biggest tasks at Spurs is getting the best out of Lo Celso on a consistent basis.

In other news: Tottenham tell rising star he is free to leave as they green light surprise exit from N17, find out more here.

West Ham United will be looking to bounce back from successive Premier League defeats when they return to the London Stadium later this evening.

David Moyes’ side welcome Brighton and Hove Albion to east London with their spot in fourth place still intact but he will need to see a reaction, having lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers and defending champions Manchester City in the past week-and-a-half.

It is, however, the Irons’ third game in the space of seven days, so there could be some tired legs and they do have the tough test of rivals Chelsea on Saturday to contend with, too.

The Scot has plenty of selection decisions to consider heading into kick-off, one of which is surely whether or not he includes Jarrod Bowen in his starting XI after axing him at a wintery Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Bowen, valued at £27m by Transfermarkt, has been in mixed form as of late, but on his day, he is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous players in this Hammers squad.

He has scored three goals and provided five assists in 18 appearances across the top-flight and Europa League this campaign, and only ranks second to Declan Rice (7.35) for average WhoScored rating (7.25) in the league.

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No player has provided more assists (four) and he also leads the way for dribbles (two per game), as he proves to be a threat in the final third.

During his time at Hull City, the side he signed from in a £22m deal back in January 2020, he was labelled an “unplayable” attacker on his day and since then, he has earned even more praise, with talkSPORT pundit Simon Jordan dubbing him a “world-beater”.

Interestingly, 40% of the Seagulls’ attacks come down Bowen’s side on the right flank, so he could expose the gaps left behind by Graham Potter’s left-sided wing-backs, and that has got to be a mouth-watering prospect for Moyes ahead of kick-off.

In addition to that, 15% of all their shots conceded are from that side too, and with the 24-year-old averaging 2.2 attempts per outing, he could well feast at the London Stadium tonight.

Recently lauded as “an absolute manager’s dream” by Paul Merson, Bowen must be let off the leash against Brighton this evening.

AND in other news, West Ham handed January transfer boost over £9m-rated “real force”…

Everton have reportedly lined up Denmark manager Kasper Hjulmand to replace the under-pressure Rafa Benitez following a run of disappointing results.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, the Toffees have made the highly-rated 49-year-old their ‘main candidate’ to replace Benitez should results not improve over the coming weeks.

The report states that: “Kasper Hjulmand, the brilliant Danish coach of the national team from his native country, is the main candidate to take over the reins of the club if the Spaniard leaves.”

Fans will be ecstatic

Benitez only arrived at Goodison Park over the summer, and things got off to a good start for the former Real Madrid, Liverpool and Inter tactician.

A run of just one defeat in Everton’s opening seven Premier League fixtures sparked optimism around the club, but a string of injuries to the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Yerry Mina saw a dramatic drop-off in results.

The Blues are currently enduring a seven-game winless run after falling to another defeat at the hands of Brentford over the weekend, with Benitez’s charges now sitting just six points above the relegation zone.

As a result, several managers including Nuno Espirito Santo and Frank Lampard have been linked with succeeding the 61-year-old in recent weeks.

However, there now appears to be a new frontrunner in the race to take over the Everton reins, and the club’s supporters will surely be ecstatic to learn that Hjulmand is in contention for the role.

The Scandinavian rose to prominence after guiding Danish minnows Nordsjaelland to the Superliga title in 2011/12, a feat which was compared to Leicester City’s remarkable Premier League success by former American defender Michael Parkhurst.

Hjulmand’s impressive exploits at club level landed him the national team job back in August 2020 and has once again worked miracles during his short tenure.

After star midfielder Christian Eriksen collapsed during their Euro 2020 curtain-raiser, Hjulmand guided the Red and Whites to the semi-finals of the competition, winning several plaudits along the way.

The Athletic sources quotes from local outlets in Denmark, hailing the head coach. A magazine called Euroman read: “The national coach has been honest, vulnerable and at the same time tough if needed.

“This is how a modern leader acts, and Kasper Hjulmand has shown the way for all other leaders in this country. Hjulmand is the leader of the year.”

Therefore, he is likely to be a popular choice to replace Benitez should he be unable to turn Everton’s season around, providing the fanbase with a renewed sense of hope and optimism.

And, in other news…Rafa could solve major EFC issue with “sensational” 18y/o gem whose “future is bright”

Despite managing to win all of the four games he’s had in charge of Rangers since being appointed as their new manager, Giovanni van Bronckhorst could be heading for his first misstep at the club regarding the future of defender Connor Goldson at Ibrox.

With it recently being reported that Goldson has rejected a Rangers contract offer and is eyeing a Premier League return, it should be a main priority at the club at the moment for them to make the defender change his mind and pledge his future to the club.

Since joining Rangers back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal worth a reported fee of around £3m, Goldson has gone on to make a total of 188 appearances for the Scottish club across all competitions, scoring 17 goals and providing five assists in the process, showing how important he has been for the team since his arrival.

Described as a player that has “incredible leadership” by former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard, Goldson has played in 26 games so far this season across all competitions, completing the full 90 minutes in every league game he’s appeared in.

In those league games, the 28-year-old, who is currently earning a weekly wage of £27k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has shown what a defensive unit he is by racking up an average of 3.6 clearances per game, 1.1 tackles per game and winning 67% of his duels.

With that in mind, losing him would be nothing short of a big mistake from Gers who would undoubtedly be losing one of their most important figures.

Goldson said when he joined the club that playing under Gerrard was a big factor in his decision to sign for Rangers, so it’s not surprising to hear that now the Liverpudlian has left, Goldson supposedly doesn’t want to continue at Ibrox under van Bronckhorst.

Despite his apparent rejection of a new contract, Rangers should not give up on keeping hold of Goldson and consider offering him a new and improved deal that could persuade him to stay under their new manager given how important he has been for them.

It’s clear looking at how many appearances he’s made this season that playing time would not be an issue for Goldson under their new Dutch boss, who now must convince the defender to stay at the club.

Moving forward, unless Goldson is adamant that he won’t be signing a new deal with Rangers, then the club could either see if they can pick up a fee for him in January or risk losing him on a free transfer when his current contract expires in the summer, which would be a rather large mistake given how many more years he could potentially offer the club.

In other news: 115 touches: Rangers’ “absolutely fantastic” gem with 91% pass rate was unplayable – opinion

Aston Villa have suffered a potentially significant injury blow ahead of their Premier League clash with Norwich City at Carrow Road this evening.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans, Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up a knee injury, although the seriousness of the issue is not yet known.

He tweeted: “Big blow for Nakamba sustaining a knee injury. The severity will be revealed later in the week but if it is bad, #AVFC may consider sourcing a replacement in the transfer window.

“Villa have acted on injuries before in the Jan window and will be flexible enough to do so again.”

The in-form 27-year-old has been a key player for Steven Gerrard’s charges in the opening period of the current campaign, and his absence from the matchday squad to face Norwich will come as a huge setback.

Steven Gerrard will be gutted

News that Nakamba is expected to be unavailable for the trip to Norfolk and potentially beyond will leave Gerrard feeling gutted, given his importance to the first-team squad.

The Zimbabwe international has forced his way into the starting lineup in recent weeks, featuring from the off in Villa’s last seven top-flight fixtures – including all five games of Gerrard’s short tenure.

And when taking a closer look at the defensive midfielder’s underlying numbers, it’s easy to understand why he has become a mainstay for the Midlands outfit.

As per WhoScored, Nakamba has averaged two tackles per league game throughout 2021/22 – the third-highest total compared to his teammates – and 1.5 defensive dribbles, the highest tally amongst his colleague.

The midfield gem has also produced 0.8 interceptions and one clearance while recording a passing accuracy of 86.6%, highlighting his hugely effective displays of late.

With the busy festive schedule set to kick in, Gerrard will be disappointed to lose such a pivotal player at this moment in time, and he’ll be hoping the likes of Douglas Luiz and Jacob Ramsey can step up in his absence.

And, in other news…Imagine him & McGinn: Gerrard can form scary AVFC duo with £21k-p/w “special talent” 

Many Wolves fans have been left fuming over a revelation involving Bruno Lage and some of the players at the Midlands club.

As per The Express & Star, Lage has revealed that he is now testing some members of the squad as emergency central defenders in preparation for when they will have a shortage in that area of the pitch.

Romain Saiss and Willy Boly are set to go to the African Cup of Nations in January, while Yerson Mosquera is still injured, meaning that the Molineux faithful will only be able to call upon Conor Coady and Max Kilman as their other two senior centre-halves.

Leander Dendoncker, Fernando Marcal and Ki-Jana Hoever are the ‘most likely’ to step in for the position, but the situation is certainly not ideal, especially given that the January transfer window is coming up, in which they should just buy cover at centre-back.

Wolves fans on Lage revelation

These WWFC supporters fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that it was ‘shocking’:

“This is a shambles. It just shows how Fosun have lost ambition. There’s no way Nuno would accept this situation”

Credit: @WolvesMatty

“The footballing decisions at this club are shocking. I think stick Podence there for a game just to show them how poor this looks!”

Credit: @JayWilkes34

“How about buying an actual centre-back? You know, just for a laugh.”

Credit: @MOOKWOLF

“How pathetic that Jeff Shi has got our club into this situation. SHOCKING”

Credit: @Ianph61

“Premier League club and he’s having to do this, Jeff Shi you are a disgrace”

Credit: @andybullyuk

“My word”

Credit: @fowls21wwfc

In other news, find out what exit rumour has Wanderers talking here!