All posts by z3u9t.icu

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been reacting to Dean Smith’s comments on Wesley Moraes on social media.

The 24-year-old made his first appearance of the season in the 2-2 draw with West Brom on Sunday evening.

Smith described Wesley’s long-term absence due to a cruciate ligament injury as one of the most significant injuries he’s seen in football.

The Villa boss revealed that the Brazilian, who joined in a deal worth £22.5m back in 2019, received a round of applause from the Villa players after he named the squad in training for the clash with Sam Allardyce’s side.

Wesley has made a total of 22 career appearances for Villa so far, scoring on six occasions and registering a single assist.

Villa fans react

Villa shared the footage of Smith talking about the striker on Monday lunchtime on their official Twitter page.

Several supporters gave their views on his comments, with a selection available to view below.

“Is this man going to take us any further or do you think it is the end of the road”

Credit: @Dylanjo70365265

“my heart”

Credit: @fokkos2

“Love that”

Credit: @nickgd99

“I love this club soo much utv”

Credit: @Marco60921015

“Keinan may have scored the equalizer, but it was Wes who made the impact. Big lad like him in the box for the last minutes, well, we all saw the chaos it caused for West Brom. More options in attack, nice to have him back !”

Credit: @JarkkoKyn

“Man like big Wes! Cannot wait to see him back fully fit. Support him lads! It was a massive injury.”

Credit: @jSG50

In other news: £47k-a-week Aston Villa man a shock target for Premier League giants, find out more here. 

Nuno Santo’s Tottenham side will be looking to bounce back in the Premier League when they host Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening, and the north Londoners could pile the pressure on under-fire Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a victory.

Spurs recorded a narrow victory against Burnley in the Carabao Cup in midweek, where 29-year-old winger Lucas Moura was the difference-maker with his 68th-minute header.

The Brazilian was called into action earlier than expected after he replaced the injured Bryan Gil early on in the first half and it proved to be a fortuitous decision as he netted the game’s only goal.

As such, he must be in contention for this weekend’s clash with the Red Devils as he is in the sort of form which could punish the out-of-sorts visitors, who were whitewashed by Liverpool last Sunday – a result which saw them sink outside the top six.

Somehow, the Lilywhites find themselves one point ahead of the team which has Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho amongst their attacking options.

It is in defence where United’s problems lie, having failed to keep more than one clean sheet across their last 20 matches in all competitions, another reason why Nuno should call upon Moura.

He currently ranks as their second-best player for the season so far, earning an average WhoScored rating of 7.05, which is only bettered by the less attacking Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

The £18m-rated dynamo, who stands at just 5 foot 8, leads the way at Spurs for aerial duels won (3.6) and dribbles (2.9) per game, proving to be a major influence in the final third. Meanwhile, only Harry Kane and Heung-min Son have averaged more shots per game than Moura (1.8), as per WhoScored.

According to teammate Eric Dier, the former Paris Saint-Germain star is an absolute “nightmare” to train against, so if he can bring that sort of energy to the match on Saturday, he could prove to be a massive nuisance against a team which seemingly can’t defend right now.

Moura’s involvement from the off could help pile more misery onto Solskjaer, and seeing United sink further down the table will only bolster Spurs’ top-six credentials.

AND in other news, “Been watching him”: Sky Sports journo drops Spurs transfer claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur ‘insider’ and club source John Wenham has made an exciting claim on young talent J’Neil Bennett.

The Lowdown: Barely seen at Spurs…

The 19-year-old, whilst currently shining out on loan at Crewe Alexandra, has only made one senior competitive appearance for Spurs.

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Indeed, Bennett even scored his first goal for The Railwaymen last weekend – marauding down their left hand-side and driving an arrowed shot into the far corner against Burton Albion.

Despite not amassing many chances at Tottenham, it appears the teenage talent is making plenty of impressions elsewhere on his temporary stint away, with Lilywhites insider Wenham now making an exciting claim.

The Latest: Spurs source makes Bennett claim…

Speaking to FI, the club source, who regularly breaks news on his Lilywhites Rose social media page, has been left blown away by Bennett and insists he is ‘very gifted’.

“J’Neil is a really interesting player,” he explained.

“He came onto my radar as a 15 or 16-year-old, he was playing up with the Under-18s. He is very, very gifted.

“I have been really impressed with him. He has a signature move where he runs down the left, cuts in and bends it into the far corner.

“He went on trial to Crewe earlier in the summer and clearly impressed them, which is why he joined. He has such an unpredictability about him.

“I’m really pleased for him, I hope next season he can come back and maybe get another loan into the Championship or maybe challenge in the squad.”

The Verdict: Exciting times for Spurs academy…

By the sounds of Wenham’s exciting claim, Bennett can be added to the long list of talents emerging from Spurs’ academy.

There have been no shortage of them, either, with Oliver Skipp, Dane Scarlett, Nile John, Joshua Oluwayemi all turning heads in recent times.

Given Tottenham’s struggles financially due to COVID, posting losses of around £63.9 million last year alone, they may be more reliant than ever when it comes to their starlets breaking through and saving millions in transfer fees.

In other news:  Spurs now want ‘outstanding’ 29 y/o who Pochettino wanted to make one of his highest earners, find out more here.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has a gigantic task on his hands to pull the club out of the relegation zone in the Premier League this season.

The Magpies are rock bottom of the table and are yet to win a match in the top-flight, with the transfer window still a month away from opening.

With a number of games to be played before Howe can make any signings, he could look to change things up by offering a chance to some of the talented young players in the academy set-up.

Nolan 2.0

One player who could have the quality to come through and make an impact at senior level is attacking midfielder Elliot Anderson, who could be Kevin Nolan 2.0. He has already caught the eye of the new coaching set-up. Howe’s assistant Jason Tindall has pointed to his potential, saying:

“He’s certainly a bright talent from what we’ve seen on the training ground. He’s got very good potential.”

The 19-year-old has shown promise in the youth set-up on Tyneside for a number of years. He scored seven and assisted five in 22 under-18 games before moving onto the U23 side and finding his best goalscoring form with 16 strikes and three assists in 31 matches. This includes an impressive five goals in six league outings this term.

He has already played twice for the first team, having been handed his debut by Steve Bruce. The Ex-Magpies boss previously claimed that the midfielder has a big future, whilst gushing with praise of his talents. He said:

“A big positive. I thought the kid was very, very good. He’s been with us and knocking on the door for a while now so it was good to see the young lad making his way. He’s got a big future ahead of him hopefully.

“As soon as he comes onto the pitch, he accepts the ball, receives the ball. He’s got that lovely way of never looking like he’s rushed. It’s effortless to him and easy.

“So we hope he’s got a big future. He’ll remember his debut today, he could have scored in the last minute, couldn’t he. What a wonderful debut that would have been but I’m very pleased with his progress and he’s one that we hope can do us a good turn over the season.”

Anderson could be likened to ex-Newcastle midfielder Nolan, who was known for scoring from the middle of the park. The former West Ham man found the back of the net 30 times in 91 matches for the club and the fresh Magpies academy product could be the next goalscoring sensation from midfield if Howe offers him a chance in the first-team this season.

The 19-year-old wizard’s statistics for the club’s youth teams suggest that he has the potential to step up and be a goalscorer at senior level, but it is down to him to live up to his own hype and perform consistently. If he can do that then he could be Nolan 2.0.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Dubravka: NUFC flop who lost 62.5% duels let Howe down badly…

While Raphinha has developed into a superstar on the right-hand side for Leeds United, Marcelo Bielsa has had more trouble on the opposite flank.

Jack Harrison had that position nailed down for the majority of this Premier League season, and delivered some fine performances, racking up six goals and providing four assists in the top-flight alone.

But recently, his form has dropped off considerably, so much so that he was taken off at half-time in two out of the last three games, before being dropped to the bench against Aston Villa. Helder Costa came in and took his place, but looked woefully out of place, and Bielsa must make a ruthless call on him.

So, with Leeds’ wide options on the left currently in a bit of a rough patch, Bielsa must turn towards another exciting talent to potentially step into the gap: Ian Poveda.

The 21-year-old has played ten times in the Premier League this season, but that has only amounted to a total of 243 minutes of football, instead spending more time playing for the club’s U23s.

But, there’s no questioning the kind of talent and ability he’s got, and with him being able to play on both flanks, could offer Bielsa another option down the left side.

Talking about Poveda earlier this campaign, Noel Whelan said: “You can see now when you talk about people changing games and bringing a different dimension, he’s very, very quick, got great feet, very tricky, likes to run at players. Very much like Raphinha as well.

“He just looks a lot stronger this season, body-wise, mentality wise. He looks like he’s there to push people rather than just take up a bench place.”

Paul Robinson added to the winger’s list of admirers, insisting last March: “I think we’re going to see Poveda come through next season. Leeds have signed him for a reason, Bielsa knows he’s a top, top player.”

With both Harrison and Costa short on form in recent weeks, bringing the £10k-a-week earning Poveda into the fold could help Leeds set up a new and exciting wide duo with Raphinha.

Given Whelan’s comments on how Poveda plays makes him sound very similar to the Brazilian too, that makes for a mouth-watering combo.

Meanwhile, Leeds could hire Bielsa’s dream successor in this 36 y/o…

Everton travel to West Bromwich Albion on Thursday looking to move inside the top-four of the Premier League standings, for a few hours at least.

The Toffees will move above Liverpool, Chelsea and West Ham United and into the Champions League positions with a win at the Hawthorns, before Jurgen Klopp’s Reds and Thomas Tuchel’s Blues face off at Anfield later tonight.

Everton have played one game fewer than their rivals for a UEFA berth and will hope to put the pressure on their competition, but Carlo Ancelotti faces a wealth of fitness concerns ahead of his side’s midweek contest.

With the Goodison Park natives also in action at Stamford Bridge on Monday, Ancelotti will be expected to rest and rotate his squad. So, with that in mind, here’s a potential line-up that the Italian tactician could name against Sam Allardyce’s Baggies…

Ancelotti has shown a willingness to rotate his goalkeeper options this season and may have sought to afford regular number one Jordan Pickford a break against West Brom, but may be forced to stick with the England international due to concerns over Robin Olsen’s fitness.

The AS Roma loanee is one of several Everton players facing late fitness tests to feature at the Hawthorns, where defender Yerry Mina plus midfielders Fabian Delph and Jean-Philippe Gbamin will be unavailable due to respective calf, tendon and Achilles injuries.

“We are going to check these players in training to see if they will be available or not,” Ancelotti said on Wednesday, regarding Seamus Coleman, James Rodriguez, Tom Davies and Olsen.

“For sure, we will not have Mina, Delph and Gbamin. The other players, we will also check.”

Ancelotti added that Allan is also a doubt following his return from a hamstring injury, noting: “After a few months out, he was maybe not 100 per cent fit [against Southampton].

“I think the staff worked hard on him. He was in good condition. He was motivated and wanted to play. Of course, he is a player we have to check today [Wednesday] to see if he can play against West Brom.”

With Davies being ruled unavailable, alongside the absences of Delph and Gbamin and doubts about Allan, that might force Ancelotti into naming Abdoulaye Doucoure and Andre Gomes as his sole engine room occupants at the Hawthorns.

The pair opened Monday’s win over Southampton beside Allan, while Mina’s injury plus the concerns over Coleman could see that Mason Holgate, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey and Lucas Digne feature in an unchanged backline despite the need for rotation.

Ancelotti playing Rodriguez’s return cautiously after resting the Colombian at home to the Saints will likely see Gylfi Sigurdsson remain in the creative midfield role, joined by Richarlison and a return for £50,000-per-week winger Alex Iwobi in place of Allan.

Top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin may be afforded a rest against West Brom, after the “determined” striker, per Joleon Lescott, delivered a tireless display against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s St. Mary’s natives during his first start since returning from a hamstring injury.

The England international sitting out his side’s trip to the Hawthorns will likely offer January arrival Joshua King a chance to earn his first start in royal blue, amid claims the Merseyside outfit will look to retain the Norway international beyond the end of the season.

AND in other news, Everton eye a £22.5m-rated speedster who is “hungry for success”…

A transfer claim regarding Manchester United’s chances of signing Frenkie de Jong this summer has emerged…

What’s the word?

Super-journalist Fabrizio Romano provided an update on United’s pursuit of the former Ajax starlet, ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.

Romano took to his Twitter page to relay the claim which read: “Barca manager Xavi shuts down rumours on Frenkie de Jong leaving & Man Utd links.”

The Italian’s tweet contained quotes from Xavi on the potential departure of de Jong, with the Barcelona manager saying this: “Frenkie’s a very important player for me and for the club. He has to mark an era.

“I’m happy with him. If it were up to me he’ll continue for many years at Barca.”

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Ten Hag will be gutted

With Ten Hag’s recent appointment at Manchester United amidst fluctuating game-time for Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona, it looked like this reunion was written in the stars for the Old Trafford side.

Since departing Ten Hag’s Ajax back in the summer of 2019, the Netherlands star has continued his development across his total of 136 appearances for the Blaugrana.

With Paul Pogba’s rumoured departure, a move for the 24-year-old looked like a sure-fire switch, with the Dutch coach enjoying unlimited success with de Jong – winning the Eredivisie title and Dutch Cup – in a season that saw Ajax reach the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019.

The signing of the midfield maestro would have been the epitome of the next chapter for United, with the £63m-rated midfielder offering something completely different in the Red Devils’ engine room.

De Jong is quite simply a pass master, averaging an insane 90% pass completion total per 90, with an average total of 56 passes per match.

The Netherlands international is forward-thinking. His passing is productive and allows his side to progress the ball forward, whilst also creating a number of chances for his teammates – with his shot-creating actions total of three per 90 reflecting this.

Though, his style is much more offensive than defensive, with his metrics for the latter looking poor, considering his position.

As such, United may have had a lucky escape, as it is no secret that the lack of defensive solidity across the midfield has been one of the biggest issues for the side this season.

United need to identify a well-rounded and unselfish central midfielder who can cover both aspects of the game, as well as an outright central defensive midfielder who sits back and acts as the metronome.

It would have been nice to see de Jong reunite with Ten Hag, and although he may not be what the Red Devils need, it will be a big blow to the new boss nonetheless.

AND in other news: Ten Hag can instantly get OT rocking as MUFC plot bid for “top-class” £13.5m-rated gem – opinion

Leeds United picked up a great result against Newcastle United on Wednesday night as they won 5-2. However it was a surprise to see Helder Costa not feature in the match day squad.

What Bielsa had to say about Costa

When asked if there was an injury to Costa and whether that was why he was not involved against Newcastle, Bielsa simply said: “No injury.”

Helder Costa has to prove himself

This simple message highlights that at the moment Bielsa believes there are 18 better players than the winger who deserve a spot in the squad more than him.

He definitely has the quality to succeed, with his former manager Nuno Espirito Santos saying: “The first season we were in the Premier League, Helder was immense and had a huge impact on the team.

He’s a very talented player, but things happen naturally, players move from here to another place. It happens in football. Honestly, I’m delighted he’s showing his quality and enjoying his football.”

However this season has not shown his quality. The 26 year-old has scored twice, in ten appearances, and has only managed on average 0.9 shots and 0.7 key passes a game (WhoScored).

The player now knows that he has to perform better and more consistently when given the chance if he wants to be playing more for the club.

In other news, Leeds United tipped to go in for £14.4m-rated Premier League winner.

Leeds must land Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham this summer amid Noel Whelan’s transfer claim.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days and weeks have suggested that the Blues are ready to offload the England international this summer, and Whelan has urged Marcelo Bielsa’s side to throw their name into the hat.

He said: “Gosh, I’d like Leeds United to be linked with Tammy Abraham. A natural goalscorer, somebody with that stature. Very much like a Patrick Bamford sort of player as well, probably a little bit more clinical in front of goal.

“I’d like to see us linked with a Tammy Abraham, that would be quite a good signing. He works hard, he’s got the right attributes that I believe we could benefit from. I could see it.”

Bielsa’s perfect striker

Called the “real deal” by former Villa manager Tim Sherwood, Abraham has got all the qualities to be a real dream striker for Bielsa, given his ability to do all facets of the game up front, whether that be holding the ball up, running the channels, and just providing a finisher’s touch inside the box.

Last season in the Premier League, when he was much more of a regular starter under Frank Lampard, Abraham scored 15 goals, and his heat-map as per Sofascore shows a striker who spent most of his time in the penalty area, but drifted much deeper and out wide too.

Bielsa himself has previously lauded Patrick Bamford for his work rate, saying: “If you see the players in the best teams in the world, not the best players, they are players who always play at one hundred percent.”

And in Abraham, the Leeds boss could find something very similar.

Speaking after he netted during a loan spell against Swansea a couple of seasons ago, Aston Villa boss Dean Smith said: “Tammy is a handful and he knows better than me that he should have been walking away with the match ball tonight. But he scored the winning goal, he’s a hell of a talent. Tammy put in a hell of a shift up front on his own and proved he is a fine player.”

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Tall and physical just like Bielsa’s former favourite at Athletic Bilbao, Fernando Llorente, the £36m-rated Abraham has got the combination of athleticism and technical ability to be a real star for Leeds.

Meanwhile, a Leeds source has revealed some exciting plans at Thorp Arch…

Celtic’s new manager will have to revamp the team’s defensive structure, according to Mark Wilson.

Wilson, a right-back, made over 100 appearances for the Hoops between 2006 and 2012.

Celtic have endured a dismal season -they trail champions Rangers by 23 points in the table and crashed out of the Europa League in the group stages while their arch-rivals progressed to the Round of 16, and a large part of their struggles has been down to their torrid defending.

How much have Celtic struggled defensively?

Celtic conceded 19 goals over their six continental fixtures, a joint-competition-high (alongside Dundalk and Ludogorets).

They’ve shipped 29 in the Scottish Premiership, and though that equates to fewer than one per game, their defensive record pales in comparison to Rangers, who have let in just 13.

For Wilson, it’s clear where the outstanding problems lie for Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.

‘Celtic must address weakness Gerrard exploited’

“Any manager who is looking at this Celtic side and has done their homework throughout the season, not just against Rangers, can clearly see the weaknesses,” he told Sky Sports, via Daily Record.

“Steven Gerrard played on that and said after the match he played on that weakness of the backline and goalkeeper.

“That is the priority for any manager coming in – a goalkeeper and two full-backs and a centre-half.

“If they can keep Kris Ajer it’s a good start, but it’s a tall order.”

Who would be getting replaced in Celtic revamp?

It was reported at the start of the season that £3.6million-rated Ajer wanted to leave Celtic, and he’s now about to enter the last year of his contract.

Scott Bain (£540,000) is currently the no. 1 ‘keeper at Parkhead, having started the last 11 matches.

Everton loanee Jonjoe Kenny (£6.3million) occupies the right-back position, with AC Milan’s Diego Laxalt (£3.6million) predominantly the man stationed on the opposite flank.

That makes about £14m worth of talent that could need replacing and upgrading.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Celtic need an overhaul this summer, but they can’t focus all their attention on the defence – let’s not forget that while Sunday’s Old Firm turned into a goal-fest, the Hoops had mustered just one goal in the previous four clashes against the Gers this term.

Odsonne Edouard could leave, forcing the club to try and repeat the trick of identifying a diamond in the rough up front, just like they did with Moussa Dembele before him.

Indeed, his mooted £15million sale could be crucial for fundraising and one would hope it can stretch to more than just a couple of defenders – if the club were to upgrade at the back but lose Edouard without an adequate replacement, we can’t see them properly challenging Rangers for the throne next term regardless of how many clean sheets they keep.

In other news, Celtic have been warned about offloading this midfielder.