All posts by z3u9t.icu

West Ham’s approach to Sunday night’s game against Manchester United will have strengthened Declan Rice’s desire to move on from the club, according to The Mirror journalist Andy Dunn.

Dunn was critical of the Hammers for their lack of ‘ambition’ at Old Trafford after they failed to register a single shot in the first half and were unable to test Dean Henderson after the interval.

Moyes had opted for a conservative shape comprising three central defenders, two wing-backs and three defensive midfielders.

“Containment does not scream ambition. And containment does not keep £100million-plus players,” Dunn wrote.

Who might be looking at Declan Rice?

Rice is a player in demand. According to The Guardian, Chelsea were interested in bringing him back to the club after his eight years in their academy. Frank Lampard was said to be the driving force behind that proposed move, so his sacking in January may nip it in the bud.

However, The Guardian’s report also cited ‘suggestions’ that Rice could be a summer target for Liverpool.

Still, after West Ham’s hugely impressive ascent from relegation candidates last season to top four chasers now, plenty of supporters were unhappy with Dunn’s comments, which one Irons fan dubbed “embarrassing”.

Journalist under fire for Declan Rice column

“how is this allowed to be published?”

Credit: @WHU_MG

“So negative that Moyes has his team fifth in the table, three points off a CL spot? Come on Andy, you can do better than that.”

Credit: @kumbdotcom

“literally 5th in the league”

Credit: @scairrr

“It was one game”

Credit: @danwhu_

“We’re sitting 5th, who even is this guy”

Credit: @WHUFC_COYI_

“Embarrassing from a so called journalist.”

Credit: @nobby_hammer

“Here we go, press on the move to unsettle. Last night wasn’t great bit we still showed how far we have progressed.”

Credit: @gdcad

In other news, find out who’s top of the list for GSB as scouts sent on a mission.

Jordan Rhodes’ recent form has presented Sheffield Wednesday with a fresh problem.

The Owls’ club-record £8m signing is out of contract in the summer and after scoring the most goals since Darren Moore’s appointment, he looks to finally be finding his goalscoring boots once again.

A lot of his Hillsborough career has been forgettable.

Indeed, the 31-year-old talisman, who is just eight more strikes from becoming the Championship’s all-time record holder, has only scored 19 goals in 103 appearances for the club – he joined in February 2017.

In that time, he’s even had a stint away on loan to Norwich, helping the club to the league title. Canaries boss Daniel Farke dubbed Rhodes “the most special, unique guy I’ve worked with,” so clearly he left an impression.

Moore is clearly a fan of his, having worked with him at Blackburn Rovers in the past, too. The 46-year-old lauded the Scotsman in his very first press conference, he said (via YorkshireLive):

“Jordan is a good striker. He can finish and we don’t doubt that finishing ability.

“There’s plenty more football left in Jordan. There’s a wonderful talent if we are looking at him as an isolated figure.

“He’s a goalscorer, and he knows where the back of the net is.”

To make the situation worse, this sudden upturn in form has coincided in interest ahead of the summer transfer window, and local rivals Huddersfield Town are among the teams keen to land him.

That move would make a ton of sense given the Terriers’ lack of striking options, but the Owls simply cannot let that happen. Instead, Dejphon Chansiri must offer all he can do to keep hold of him.

His brace against Barnsley last time out was atypical for a poacher – a deft, well-placed header, and neat, calm finish. Speaking after the match, the smiling £810k-rated forward spoke about his mood at the club. He said (via YorkshireLive):

“I feel like I’m playing with a smile on my face, and I’m really enjoying it. It’s nice to be out there and it’s nice to be wanted again. I’m doing my best.”

If that’s the case, then Rhodes is happy at Wednesday, happy under Moore and perhaps would accept an extension. If the former West Brom coach is to be the long-term manager here, then he ought to get to keep his goalscoring talisman.

Chansiri must tie the 14-time international down before it’s too late. He cannot leave for Huddersfield, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday handed fresh injury boost…

Fans of Sunderland have been reacting to a post on Twitter, in which Jordan Jones reflected on the Black Cats’ recent draw with Peterborough United.

Having joined Sunderland from Rangers on a three-month loan deal back in January, Jones has impressed over his 11 League One appearances for Lee Johnson’s side, with the 26-year-old winger scoring two goals and providing four assists for the club, as well as averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.03 – ranking him as the Black Cats’ joint fourth-best performer in the third tier.

And, following the club’s recent draw with Peterborough United, Jones took to Twitter, claiming he felt that the result was a “good point” on what was a “tough pitch”, before stating that his and his team’s “full focus” is now on Saturday, when Sunderland face Charlton Athletic.

In reaction to his tweet, fans of Sunderland flocked to have their say on the matter, with many taking the opportunity to beg for Jones to remain at their club beyond his current loan spell.

So, what exactly did these Sunderland fans have to say in reaction to Jones’ latest comments?

“Get it signed.”

@swainyFTM

“Obviously subject to promotion… or is it? Be a part of something beautiful, my friend.”

@ChrisMacBP

“Keep running at those defenders lad and sign permanently.”

@Micky_A_Lawson

“Exactly. Get out of there unscathed and move on. Brilliant.”

@DavidGl13279946

“SIGN THE CONTRACT.”

@SAFCLJ25

“Please stay.”

@DJfenwick

In other news: Loads of Sunderland fans gushed as the club confirmed this ‘huge’ news – find out more here!

Liverpool are continuing to be linked with a move for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Florian Neuhaus, and he could be the man to help unleash Thiago in the Reds midfield if he were to join.

According to Sport BILD journalist Christian Falk (via Express), the 23-year-old is willing to join the Reds in the summer, and they are now the number one contenders to sign the German, due to Dortmund-bound manager Marco Rose not wanting to sign any of his current players from Monchengladbach when he makes the switch, whilst Bayern Munich are low on funds after their signing of Dayot Upamecano.

Neuhaus has established himself as a top prospect in Europe with his performances in recent seasons, contributing four goals and two assists in 30 Bundesliga appearances last season, resulting in an excellent 6.96 average rating.

The midfielder looks well on track to surpass these statistics this season, having already managed four goals and four assists in 22 appearances in the German top-flight.

Neuhaus would likely arrive as a replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, who looks set to depart Anfield in the summer when his contract expires, and he arguably could be better-suited to this Liverpool midfield than the Dutch international, as his style of play would suit Thiago.

The German is taller than Wijnaldum and would provide more of a physical presence in midfield, which may take some of the pressure off Thiago to defend and try and win the ball back, which doesn’t really suit his skill set.

The Reds need an all-round midfielder with an excellent work rate such as Neuhaus, who averages 13.44 pressures per 90 minutes, as this would allow Thiago to conserve his energy and make himself available for when Liverpool win the ball back with their press, rather than doing all of the chasing himself.

Neuhaus has earned a lot of plaudits with his performances for Monchengladbach, with teammate Marcus Thuram labelling him an “outstanding” player last year, and with Die Fohlen languishing in mid-table in the Bundesliga, he deserves a move to a side that can challenge for trophies next season.

Certainly, his all-round style of play in midfield would definitely compliment Thiago and allow him to get back to his best, as so far, he has failed to reproduce the level of performances he showed in his time with Bayern Munich.

Michael Edwards will be aware of Neuhaus’ quality and availability, sanctioning a move for the Monchengladbach ace could prove to be a masterstroke.

And, in other news… Edwards should swoop for £63m beast who silenced Messi at 19 

Sheffield Wednesday may well be in need of a new manager, but another off-the-pitch move could be game-changing for their season…

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas, former Owls midfielder Sam Hutchinson is in talks over a return to Hillsborough Stadium following his release from Cypriot outfit Pafos last month.

The versatile 31-year-old ended a six-year association with the south Yorkshiremen in the summer, but after just five appearances for the Cyta Championship side, his contract was terminated.

Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri spoke about the links after Tony Pulis’ sacking, he told reporters: “He [Pulis] wanted Sam to come back. I didn’t have any issue with that but of course, I ask questions about his fitness and where he would fit in.”

Game-changer

The Owls are sitting perilously at the bottom of the Championship table, even despite an unbeaten run of four league games, they remain six points from safety at the half-way stage.

Indeed, the hunt goes on for their next permanent manager with the likes of Paul Cook, Slavisa Jokanovic, Vladimir Ivic and Darren Moore all being linked to the vacant post over the past month.

Aside from the obvious need to appoint a new leader, the struggling Yorkshiremen could be handed a major boost through the reintroduction of Hutchinson as he’s a vastly-experienced pro who knows this club inside out.

Per Transfermarkt, the former Chelsea graduate has played 154 times for the Owls, and 152 times in the Championship, including both of their last playoff campaigns under Carlos Carvalhal in 2015/16 and 2016/17.

Hutchinson was one of Wednesday’s most reliable and best players in that latter season, averaging a WhoScored rating of 7.13 from 34 starts, which was only topped by the long-serving Tom Lees.

The Athletic’s Brighton correspondent Andy Naylor dubbed him an “effective midfield enforcer” in that campaign too.

Whilst the veteran defensive midfielder, who is equally adept in central defence, has averaged 2.3 tackles and 2.3 interceptions throughout the course of his career, which would rank him second once again for both statistics in this current Owls squad, per WhoScored.

We know how committed he was too, as seen by these comments from Fabrice Muamba over an impressive tackle in 2016. Similarly, former skipper Glenn Loovens once said: “We know how important he is. I thought he also did brilliant as well as a centre half, so it shows you what kind of player he is, that wherever you put him he will do a job for the team.”

His experience, versatility and evident defensive ability could be a game-changer for a team in the relegation battle like the Owls. He’s been there and done it in for their highs, and could be the sort of signing that sparks an encouraging impact in the lows right now.

Chansiri must sign off on a contract offer for the self-proclaimed “full-blooded” midfield beast as soon as possible.

AND in other news, Owls could land their dream manager in “intimidating” 52 y/o winner…

Manchester United’s new signing Amad Diallo has been likened to legendary Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto’o.

What’s the word?

Former Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu has heaped praise on the 18-year-old right-winger, saying he shares certain similarities with the African great.

Agyemang-Badu told BBC Sport Africa: “Diallo is a mix of some quality African players.

“He has this quality of Eto’o’s of being very strong on the ball, knows how to hold the ball and is a good passer. (He is like) Gervinho when it comes to pace.”

Diallo made four Serie A top-flight appearances for Atalanta and bagged a brace against the Liverpool U23’s in a Premier League 2 game last month.

Upgrade on Daniel James?

Juan Mata has been a top performer for the Red Devils over the years but the former Atalanta kid could be just as good, if not better, than both Mata and Daniel James.

In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that United may have found themselves a gem floating above the Serie A youth system and are already polishing him into a player who could be a long-term replacement for Mata and a significant upgrade on James at the same time.

A lively, quick and energetic dribbler, he’s proven to be a hard man to combat due to how he can trouble the opposition in so many ways, whilst he has shown that getting up and down the pitch is no problem for him, having fired home 36 goals across all competitions for Atalanta’s development squads.

However, it should be remembered that he still remains relatively untested at the highest level, with one sole appearance for Atalanta in the Champions League this season.

But it’s fair to say that the Ivory Coast winger gave a rather good account of himself against FC Midtjylland – on the night, he took three shots and one key pass inside 22′ minutes, as per WhoScored.

By comparison, that’s more shots than the likes of James (1.3) and Mata (0.6) have averaged in all competitions this season. Given his age, it’s fair to say that Mata has entered the twilight of his career, and Diallo could be the man to fill his boots.

There’s certainly been a fair amount of hype surrounding Diallo, and for obvious reasons – after all, it’s not everyday you get a player at such a young age who has already been compared to Lionel Messi.

Whilst it’s still too early to judge whether or not he will be a success at Old Trafford, if his recent performances for Atalanta are anything to go by, we see no reason why he won’t be able to make the jump to the first team.

And given the fact the rest of the Premier League hasn’t seen what he can do, the £13.5m-rated gem could well be Solskjaer’s X-factor, surprising teams and catching them on the back foot with his raw ability and speed.

AND in other news, Manchester United handed huge Jadon Sancho boost as Dortmund reduce demands…

Leeds United playmaker Pablo Hernandez was not involved in the matchday squad for the game against West Ham United on Monday night and Phil Hay has revealed why this was the case.

The latest on Hernandez

The Athletic journalist spoke to Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa and confirmed via Twitter that “Hernandez has another muscle problem”

This isn’t the biggest blow for Leeds

Last season saw the Leeds faithful fall in love with Hernandez, who Hay championed as ‘unreal’ and a ‘demon’ on Twitter after he scored a crucial late winner against Swansea in the promotion run-in, part of a successful campaign in which he scored nine goals and set up another nine.

However, this season has told a very different story for the 35 year-old, who has suffered a few injuries and was even the subject of speculation over a potential Elland Road exit. Bielsa has only started him twice and subbed him on 11 times in the Premier League this term (Transfermarkt).

It looks like his best years could be behind him, but it will be a slight blow if Leeds don’t have his creative threat to come off the bench should they need one desperately in upcoming games.

In other news, Marcelo Bielsa gave an honest assessment of this Leeds star!

It’s been a great start to the season for Glasgow Rangers but perhaps they could do with just one more signing to add the icing on the cake.

Rangers right-back and club captain James Tavernier has established himself as an integral part of Steven Gerrard’s side this season thus far, providing 11 goals and 9 assists in 22 appearances in the Scottish Premiership, via Transfermarkt.

Should he succumb to injury, however, Rangers may be left feeling a little short changed as they could find themselves short of options on the right-hand side of the defence.

The Light Blues were heavily linked with a move for former Leicester City starlet Dennis Gyamfi in the summer but a move never materialised as they put their faith in homegrown right-back Nathan Patterson instead.

However, the academy graduate has struggled for game time at Ibrox this season, having been limited to just one start out of three appearances in total across all competitions so far.

Gyamfi, who is currently without a club since his contract with Brendan Rodgers’ side expired at the end of last season, could be a suitable understudy to deputise for the skipper, especially if Patterson ends up leaving the club on loan to continue his development.

Despite the current economic climate, the highly-rated 19-year-old is having a hard time trying to find a new home, and Ross Wilson should seize the chance to snap up the teenage free agent whilst he still can.

Just like legendary Rangers full-back Alan Hutton, the young defender is also right-footed. He made nine appearances in the U18 Premier League, picking up an assist against Southampton last season, showing a propensity for bombing up and down the flanks and causing havoc on the right-flank.

His former Leicester coach Ben Petty heaped praise on his “fantastic” young charge, saying:

“It’s about building all the time. I think we’ve seen some fine performances: Conor Tee’s been excellent, Dennis Gyamfi has been a real plus and so has Luke Thomas.

“Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has been an excellent captain for us too so there’s a lot to be happy with over the week. The lads have done themselves proud and the Club proud.”

Gerrard’s Gers are 19 points clear of their arch-rivals after inflicting a second defeat on Neil Lennon’s Celtic in the Old Firm derby at Ibrox. Snapping up the young defender could be a solid stop-gap should Tavernier pick up an injury.

AND in other news, Rangers must rid themselves of George Edmundson in January…

David Moyes must make a January U-turn on the future of Andriy Yarmolenko at West Ham United amid rumoured interest from Super Lig giants Fenerbahce.

What’s the word?

According to FotoMac, Fenerbahce are considering a move to sign Yarmolenko in the upcoming January transfer market, as the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium natives eye offensive reinforcements under the watch of their new Sports Director Emre Belozoglu.

Yarmolenko is the player thought to be most appealing to Belozoglu, at present, as he strives to find a replacement for ex-Irons forward Enner Valencia, who has failed to thrive for the Yellow Canaries with just one goal in eight Super Lig appearances since his summer arrival.

Belozoglu is actively exploring the conditions needed to strike a potential deal with West Ham for Yarmolenko, who he intends to sign on loan as the 31-year-old would be able to make an instant impact compared to other potential targets.

West Ham’s position on Yarmolenko’s future is not claimed, though Moyes sought to retain the former Borussia Dortmund man this summer after initially identifying Manuel Pellegrini’s £17.5million signing as a player the Hammers could live without.

Moyes has since only started the Ukraine international in the EFL Cup, with Yarmolenko making each of his five Premier League appearances from the bench for a total of 97 minutes, while only contributing to the scoring against League One side Charlton Athletic (one assist) and Championship Hull City (two goals, two assists).

Moyes must U-turn again

While Moyes reverted on his initial assessment of Yarmolenko’s future this summer, the West Ham boss must make a U-turn over his decision to retain the now £6.75m-rated international, given how infrequently he has featured.

Yarmolenko has struggled to offer the creativity that West Ham need when on the field, with the 91-cap forward ranking behind Arthur Masuaku (2.73) and Declan Rice (1.38) for successful dribbles (0.88) per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season, behind Ryan Fredericks (4.74), Manuel Lanzini (2.31) and Mark Noble (1.27) for key passes (0.88) and behind Vladimir Coufal for accurate crosses (1.0 to 0.88) and ground duels won (4.2 to 2.65), per SofaScore.

The arrival of Said Benrahma makes it ever-more unlikely that Yarmolenko will be afforded many opportunities to improve his output, which is far from befitting of a player earning £115,000-per-week as West Ham’s current top-earner by a margin of £45k-p/w.

West Ham would be wise to take up Fenerbahce’s offer of a loan deal, should the Super Lig giants step up Belozoglu’s interest, having benefited from offloading Felipe Anderson to FC Porto with the Liga NOS outfit paying the Brazilian’s salary during his temporary spell at the club.

Yarmolenko, after all, is far from the player Pellegrini lauded during his time in east London.

“Andriy is a special player and I think we brought him here because he’s a very technical midfielder, but in his complete career, he always adds goals,” the Chilean said, via quotes by the Yellow Advertiser.

AND in other news, West Ham are eying a perfect £30m swoop to sign a “complete player” who has been backed for greatness.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast’s Tom Ward, ex-Baggies midfielder Carlton Palmer has delivered his verdict on West Brom’s potential takeover, claiming that it’s unlikely to make much of a difference in their current predicament.

According to the ever-reliable John Percy at the Telegraph, investors from the United States are keen to purchase the Midlands outfit from current owner, Guochuan Lai, but are put off by the £150m price tag.

It’s claimed that negotiations are still ongoing between the two parties over either a full takeover or buying a minority stake of up to 15 per cent.

Lai bought Albion from Jeremy Peace in the summer of 2016 for £200m and has frequently been unwilling to fully invest in the playing squad, which has led to tensions between Slaven Bilic and the club’s hierarchy over their transfer strategy ever since the summer.

The Baggies recorded their first win of the season last week but there is still plenty of work to be done, something that a takeover could aid ahead of the January transfer window.

However, Palmer doesn’t see it this way.

He told FFC:

“With the takeover, it might make some difference with stability, but will it make any difference in terms of their spending power? I think not.

“When you’re in that position, you have to accept that you might be a yo-yo club for a season or two, rather than go for broke, break the bank and bring in six or seven players on ridiculous money and you get relegated.

“You have to be prepared to accept that and build the club stronger.”

Indeed, this has often been the case with some teams that have come up. You only have to go back to Fulham’s last stint in the top-flight to see the risk of throwing cash at staying up.

Cottagers chairman Shahid Khan splashed over £100m on a plethora of disastrous signings as they were sent back to the Championship after just one season, whilst the same nearly happened to arch-rivals Aston Villa last season.

Although, the Midlands outfit hold some pretty poor records in the Premier League right now as they are the division’s second-lowest goalscorers as well as having the second-worst defensive record.

A cash-injection could be exactly what they need to resolve some of their issues, but as Palmer says, the Baggies need stability above all right now.

AND in other news, Opinion: Luke Dowling must offload West Brom outcast Kieran Gibbs in January