All posts by n8rngtd.top

Pep Guardiola has been handed a big boost at Manchester City this week, as despite concerns over Ilkay Gundogan’s wellbeing in midweek after he was on the end of a horror tackle, the German midfielder has confirmed on social media that he will be able for upcoming fixtures.

The former Borussia Dortmund man was one of City’s best performers in the 2-1 win against Paris Saint-Germain but there were serious fears that he would have to come off in the second half after Idrissa Gueye was shown a straight red card for his high challenge on Gundogan, which left him requiring treatment.

Whilst the 30-year-old finished the game, it would not have been surprising if he had carried on due to the adrenaline of the game only to realise afterwards that the injury was more serious than first thought.

However, after being asked by a concerned Man City fan on Twitter, Gundogan was quick to respond, reassuring fans that he is absolutely fine as he said: “All good. Thanks for all your messages”.

Therefore, it would not be a surprise to see him keep his place in Guardiola’s side for City’s important game against Crystal Palace at the weekend, where three points could seal the Premier League title depending on Manchester United’s result against Liverpool the following day.

The £36m-rated ace has been one of City’s top performers so far this season, averaging a 7.29 WhoScored rating for his performances in the Premier League, which is the fourth-best of any player in Guardiola’s squad.

His 12 top-flight goals also rank him as City’s top scorer in the league this season, so Guardiola will undoubtedly be relieved that the tackle from Gueye didn’t result in an injury and that the Germany midfielder should be available for the final few games of the season.

Hopefully he will be able to continue his impressive performances for City and help them potentially win the treble this season.

In other news… Forget Mahrez and KDB: “Exceptional” Man City beast ran the show against PSG

STV presenter Raman Bhardwaj has revealed Celtic are in discussions with Lowland League for their Colts side to play in their league next season.

The Lowdown: Celtic youngsters leaving in numbers

A number of Celtic youngsters have departed the club recently, including goalkeeper Liam Hughes, who left for Liverpool back in January and Cameron Harper, who joined New York Red Bulls in March.

Another Hoops shot-stopper in Vincent Angelini wants to quit Parkhead, and there have also been reports that winger Karamoko Dembele could seal an exit over the coming months.

However, news dropped by Bhardwaj may help the club keep hold of some of their prized assets in the long run.

The Latest: Raman Bhardwaj’s post

Bhardwaj shared the news late on Wednesday night of Celtic and rivals Rangers discussing with the Lowland Leagues to play in their league from next season on Twitter.

He added that if approved, it appears as if it would be for one season only for Celtic’s Colts outfit.

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The Verdict: Could be a huge boost to McKay

To us, should discussions go well and a move be agreed upon, it could be a huge boost in regards to new Celtic CEO Dominic McKay keeping hold of some of the club’s up and coming prospects in the long run.

It would allow Celtic’s academy players to be introduced to senior competition, should loan moves away to other first-team clubs not be available.

By giving the club’s youngsters to test themselves at senior level, not only may it help in their development, but it could also benefit the club when they look to keep hold of some in-demand starlets, something former chief Peter Lawwell often failed to do.

It could also help the Lowland League clubs in regards to finances. The appeal of playing Celtic and Rangers’ youth sides in competition could draw more supporters through the turnstiles, so it seems as if a deal may have a lot of perks for the Hoops.

In other news: 47 y/o drops Eddie Howe announcement claim, find out more here. 

Southampton return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon as they take on Burnley at St Mary’s in the early kick-off, and with captain James Ward-Prowse potentially sidelined for the game, Ralph Hasenhuttl should consider unleashing Alexandre Jankewitz in his midfield.

Ward-Prowse was forced to withdraw early from international duty earlier this week and was sent back to Southampton as a precaution after picking up a calf problem.

The Austrian manager has since confirmed that, whilst he is hopeful the Saints captain will be fit, the 26-year-old hasn’t been training with the squad in the build-up to the game against Sean Dyche’s side.

You may worry that Ward-Prowse’s run of playing 90 minutes in every single Southampton fixture so far this season could soon come to an end, and with Oriol Romeu also sidelined through injury, Hasenhuttl has a big decision to make when it comes to selecting a midfield partner for Ibrahima Diallo.

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Fortunately, Southampton have a more than capable midfielder waiting in the wings in the form of Jankewitz, who has been the name on many Saints fans’ lips this week after some impressive performances with Switzerland at the European Under-21 Championship.

The 19-year-old hasn’t been seen for Southampton since getting himself sent off on his full Premier League debut in the defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier in the season, but Hasenhuttl should put his faith in the teenager to make a much more positive impression against Burnley on Sunday.

If Jankewitz isn’t entrusted with any minutes between now and the end of the season, then you worry that Southampton could lose him permanently in the not-too-distant future, especially after he handed in a transfer request in January as a result of his lack of playing time in the first team.

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The last thing Hasenhuttl wants to do is make Ward-Prowse’s injury worse by selecting him when he’s not fully fit, so he should forget about picking his captain against Dyche’s side on Sunday and instead give Jankewitz another chance to impress.

In other news… No goals this season: Hasenhuttl must axe 25 y/o flop this summer, he’s stealing a living

Leeds United player Ezgjan Alioski has reportedly agreed to join Galatasaray this summer, bringing an end to his time at Elland Road.

The 29-year-old joined the Whites back in the summer of 2017, making the move from Swiss side FC Lugano. In the years since, the left-back has proven to be a key performer for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, playing an important role in them returning to the Premier League.

In total, Alioski has made 162 appearances for Leeds, scoring 22 goals and also chipping in with 16 assists for good measure. He also has 39 caps to his name for North Macedonia.

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Alioski set to join Galatasaray this summer

Alioski’s £15,000-a-week contract at Elland Road expires in the summer, and it now looks as though he already has his next club sorted.

According to Football Insider, he has agreed a pre-contract with Galatasaray prior to joining them ahead of the start of next season.

Transfer Tavern take

In truth, it has seemed increasingly clear that this would be Alioski’s final season at Leeds, having failed to agree an extension on his current deal.

He will always be remembered as a cult hero for the Whites, though, and someone who largely contributed positively to a great period in the club’s history, featuring prominently as they ended their 16-year top-flight exile last year.

In other news, Leeds are believed to be keen on a move for a hugely experienced Serie A player this summer. Read more here.

Plenty of Manchester City fans have been reacting to the performance of Kelechi Iheanacho during Leicester City’s 5-0 victory over Sheffield United this past weekend.

The Foxes were in fantastic form against the Blades, and the £13.5m-valued Nigeria international (per Transfermarkt) particularly enjoyed himself as he picked up a hat-trick to take his tally to 10 goals in all competitions this term. It was also a big win for Leicester, who put themselves eight points clear of fifth place (Sky Sports) as they attempt to qualify for the Champions League.

The Citizens sold the striker to the East Midlands outfit in 2017 for a fee believed to be around £25m (BBC). He had a solid record at the Etihad Stadium, netting 21 times in 64 games despite not being a regular starter, but with Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus to contend with, it made sense for him to move.

After this latest display, though, these Man City fans were delighted with Iheanacho’s showing, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts after @City_Xtra commented on his display.

One even stated that they would rather see the Nigerian back at the Etihad than reported City target Erling Haaland, who has been scoring goals for fun at Borussia Dortmund.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Iheanacho below

“So happy for him”

Credit: @hipyjon

“Well done!”

Credit: @SaucySilvaaa

“Bring him home, perfect false 9”

Credit: @MaoistSamaras

“Come back straight swap for Jesus!”

Credit: @robbierust81

“tears in my eyes, well done Kelechi”

Credit: @ryann_aden

“Bring him home Perfect Aguero replacement forget about Haaland”

Credit: @KZN22_

In other news, some Man City fans slammed this player’s performance against Fulham.

Steve Bruce must strive to better utilise Jacob Murphy after the Newcastle winger’s influential cameo performance against Aston Villa in Friday night’s 1-1 draw.

Murphy had started the match on the bench as he continues to serve a bit-part role for the Magpies, having not started a Premier League game since January’s 2-1 loss to Leeds United.

The Whites’ visit to St. James’ Park marks Murphy’s only start across all competitions this calendar year, and was followed by the 26-year-old being omitted from three squads and being left an unused substitute on two of five possible occasions.

Bruce only gave Murphy the final 11 minutes of normal time against Aston Villa to prove that he deserves a greater share of the action on Tyneside, but was made to look naïve for overlooking his services so often.

With the deadlock yet to be broken, Bruce introduced Murphy in place of Ryan Fraser and soon saw the £3.15m-rated dynamo rattle the crossbar when his shot curled onto the woodwork after twisting smartly to shrug off Douglas Luiz.

Villa took the lead shortly afterwards through Ollie Watkins, who steered his header past Martin Dubravka via a cruel deflection off Ciaran Clark, but Murphy refused to let the fortuitous goal break Newcastle’s spirit and went on to set up Jamaal Lascelles’ stoppage-time equaliser.

Aston Villa gave Murphy all the time in the world to pick out where to cross the ball from the left-hand corner and he found Lascelles on the edge of the six-yard box to powerfully head home and snatch what could be a vital point in Newcastle’s fight for Premier League survival.

Murphy had come close to having his assist moments earlier when the winger easily ran past Matt Target and into Emiliano Martinez’s area, but Dwight Gayle could only flick his cutback into the Argentine’s hand before the Villans scrambled clear the danger.

Bruce should not have been surprised to see Murphy offer a creative touch in the dying stages, as the summer free agent almost set Joelinton up to win it against Wolverhampton Wanderers last month, only for Romain Saiss to bundle the Brazilian’s effort over the bar.

Like against Targett on Friday, Murphy made a great run before cutting the ball back into the area to meet a wide-open Joelinton on the penalty spot, only for Saiss to save Wolves a point as the Newcastle striker was unable to convert a glaring opportunity to score.

Despite his creativity, Murphy – who Noel Whelan has lauded as “a fantastic player” – was left an unused substitute for last Sunday’s goalless draw with West Bromwich Albion and in the dugout for much of Friday’s meeting with Aston Villa.

However, Bruce’s decision to leave Murphy out of the starting line-up against Dean Smith’s Villans was made to appear foolish, as he earned SofaScore’s highest match rating at 8.2 out of 10 thanks to creating each of his side’s two big chances to score.

He further won each of his three ground duels and two attempted dribbles, more than Gayle (2 duels won, zero dribbles) achieved throughout the full 90 minutes having started the game on the left wing before a move into the centre for the second half, per SofaScore.

Bruce must now look to unleash Murphy from the off when United visit fellow strugglers Brighton and Hove Albion next weekend in what will be a crucial six-pointer for both teams’ hopes of staying in the Premier League.

In other news, Newcastle eye summer swoop for £16k-p/w maestro once lauded for being “the most gifted” player…

Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton could reportedly be listening to offers for the club’s Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Football Insider recently reported about Sigurdsson’s situation at Goodison Park, saying that the former Tottenham man will likely be on the market in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Everton prepared to sell Sigurdsson despite loss

The report from Football Insider has stated that, while Ancelotti happens to be an admirer of the former Swansea man, he turns 32 later this year and he will also enter the final year of his contract next season. Also, despite fine form, the report added that Everton feel he hasn’t lived up to the fee for which they signed him in 2017.

It has been reported that Everton are looking to sell one key player in the summer to bolster and reinvest in their squad, and Sigurdsson could certainly be that player. The Toffees are prepared to sell the midfielder, even if they will incur a loss on their initial investment.

Having said that, the 31-year-old’s current salary could prove to be a stumbling block in any potential sale, as Sigurdsson earns more than £100,000 per week.

2021 could be a good time to sell Sigurdsson

While Sigurdsson is currently valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, his value has fallen over the last two years and that isn’t a good sign for Everton, especially considering that he signed for a fee of £44.46m.

While he has an impressive six goals and nine assists this season, Sigurdsson isn’t getting any younger; and since his current contract expires in the summer of 2022, they can’t afford to let him go for free next year.

Because of his age, reducing value and contract length, it would make sense for Everton to sell Sigurdsson in the summer if an ideal suitor can be found.

In other news, Everton have been dealt a blow in their chase for a French ace – read more here.

Hugo Lloris has been the first-choice goalkeeper at Tottenham Hotspur for nearly a decade now, with the North London club having signed him from Lyon in 2012, but his recent performances have emphasised why they need to hasten their search for a replacement.

The French international shipped five goals in midweek against Everton, including a dreadful error when he palmed Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s effort into his own goal.

His poor form continued in the 3-0 defeat against Manchester City on Saturday, as first he was unable to keep out Rodri’s tame penalty before he allowed a weak shot from Ilkay Gundogan to trickle underneath him, at which point, it was game over for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Lloris is 34-years-old now and the form that once established him as one of the best goalkeepers in the world looks to have abandoned him. This season, he has averaged a disappointing 6.72 rating for his performances in the Premier League, in a campaign that has unfortunately been littered with mistakes.

Earlier in the season, when he made an error in Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace which arguably cost the Lilywhites all three points, Mourinho was quick to stand by his captain, claiming that he is still one of the best shot-stoppers in the league.

However, after his recent errors, you wonder how long the Portuguese manager will continue to stick with Lloris in goal, as there is no doubt that he has cost Spurs points in recent fixtures.

With Paulo Gazzaniga out of favour and currently out on loan, and with Joe Hart perhaps only at Spurs because he helps with the home-grown quota, it seems clear that Daniel Levy needs to look at bringing in a long-term replacement for Lloris in the near future.

The Frenchman, who reportedly earns £100k per week at Spurs, has previously admitted that he won’t finish his career with the North London club and with his contract set to expire at the end of next season, the Lilywhites may need to act quickly if they want to bring in a quality replacement as they might not be the only team looking for a new ‘keeper this summer.

And, in other news… 27 y/o Spurs dud proved he’s no longer good enough vs City; Sterling had him on toast

Craig Dawson was lucky not to be punished defensively by Aston Villa having let boss David Moyes down in West Ham United’s 3-1 win on Wednesday night.

The Watford loanee has become a pivotal cog in the Hammers backline in recent weeks, with his no-nonsense style proving tenacious beside Angelo Ogbonna.

The pairing restricted Dean Smith’s Villans to only two shots on target during the midweek affair at Villa Park, of which both come in the final 35 minutes.

Aston Villa relentlessly found themselves restricted in the final third as West Ham took control of the game to record the double over their fellow claret and blue side, an accomplishment last achieved in the 2005/06 season.

But the tone was almost set on the other foot in the 27th-minute, when Jack Grealish pounced on a miscontrol from Dawson and played a brilliant reverse pass through to Ollie Watkins. The striker could only bend his shot around Lukasz Fabianski and onto the outside of the post, though.

Watkins’ effort came moments after Michail Antonio had failed to break the deadlock and minutes before Ross Barkley sent a good chance wide from a Villa set-piece, and either of those strikes nestling in Fabianski’s goal would have placed the Villans in the ascendancy.

Instead, West Ham rallied with Aaron Cresswell, Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal all having attempts on Martinez’s net, before Antonio thread Soucek in to score early in the second period and Jesse Lingard hit the first of his debut double to take the wind out of Aston Villa’s sails.

Dawson’s first-half error was a rare misstep from the £40,000-per-week brute, who was Moyes’ hero at Everton on New Year’s Day in a 1-0 win that sparked West Ham’s run of four straight Premier League victories.

He continually got his body in the way of shots as the Irons beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 last month, as well, and there was little more the 30-year-old could do to prevent Liverpool from winning at the weekend.

But his poor touch that freed Grealish to play Watkins in during the first half was not Dawson’s only error. He also turned over possession in dangerous positions a few times that on another day, could have seriously cost West Ham had Villa made the most of their opportunities.

And had those chances been taken by Villa, Dawson would not have been able to atone for his off moments by producing two vital stops in the second period, with a block and a pivotal diving challenge to deny Watkins a brace.

At worst, his off night resulted in Dawson committing his first error in claret and blue that led to a shot being taken on goal, per SofaScore. And Moyes will be keen for Wednesday’s performance to be a rare blip and not a tone-setter ahead of Saturday’s London derby with Fulham.

AND in other news, West Ham eye future swoop for prolific £30m striker with “absolutely superb” movement…

When Jake Vokins stepped into a Sunderland shirt for the first time last weekend, fans will have been rejoicing.

At long last, their problems in a left-back area had been solved – so they thought anyway. The error-prone Callum McFadzean had been ditched and in came a young defender with a portion of Premier League experience; Jake Vokins.

Though, after two helpings of action for the Southampton loanee, it’s clear that McFadzean might actually be the better option.

The Mackems tasted defeat on the road under Lee Johnson for the very first time on Tuesday evening, bemoaning a night of individual mistakes that ensured they lost 2-1 to Shrewsbury.

Goalkeeper Remi Matthews came racing out of goal but missed his punch for the first and then for the second, it was Vokins who was caught napping.

A ball from the left-hand side was curled deep towards the back post where the 20-year-old had switched off, failed to track his man, and thus, enable a simple tap in.

But while Matthews atoned for his error with a fantastic stop from a corner, mistakes appeared to litter Vokins’ game.

In short, he was abysmal at left-back, being caught out of position on numerous occasions and diving into challenges. It followed a desperate display on debut against MK Dons last weekend. On this occasion, he didn’t dive in but instead let his opponents enjoy the freedom of Buckinghamshire, failing to close them down.

Writing after the match, Roker Report were incredibly damning in their analysis of the young defender. They said: “Hard to remember many worse Sunderland debuts. Vokins gave off strong Brendan Galloway vibes with his inability to read the flight of the ball. His passing and decision making was substandard too.”

It seems as though the youngster’s confidence was dented by that outing judging by the display he put in on Tuesday. Vokins won just two of six ground duels he contested, proving to be incredibly weak in the challenge. Shrewsbury winger Harrison Chapman bombarded him down the right, not only scoring but winning a colossal eight duels from 11 attempted.

The Southampton man saw very little of the ball, completing just 15 passes – a percentage of 68% from the 22 he tried to make. That tally was worse than every single Mackems player on the night besides Charlie Wyke.

It was a miserable performance and it will now take quite something for the defender to prove himself to Johnson. It’s safe to say this hasn’t been the brightest of starts to Kristjaan Speakman’s recruitment campaign.

AND in other news, 1 goal in 15 games: SAFC ace who left Parkinson fuming has been a passenger for months…