All posts by h716a5.icu

Marcel Brands must secure a last-ditch loan deal for Everton midfielder Beni Baningime to join Wayne Rooney’s Derby County on Deadline Day.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, Rooney has contacted club figures at Goodison Park to sound out the 22-year-old’s availability in late efforts to bolster the core of his Rams side.

Derby are staring down the barrel of a full-blown relegation fight this season, with even a run of three-straight wins only moving the Pride Park outfit five points clear of the Championship drop zone, where 22nd-placed Rotherham United hold two games in hand.

Carlo Ancelotti is said to be happy to sanction a deal for Baningime to see out the rest of the season away from Merseyside, following several enquiries from clubs showing an interest in the Toffees product during the winter transfer window.

Derby are on pole for his signature, as Rooney looks to replace Millwall-bound George Evans and Swansea City-bound Morgan Whittaker.

Baningime is yet to play a second of senior football this season with Ancelotti opting to omit the £1m-rated talent from each of his matchday squads across all competitions, but has started all 13 of Everton’s Premier League 2 fixtures under David Unsworth this term.

Unsworth has previously described Baningime as a player in the mould of former and current Chelsea enforcers Claude Makelele and N’Golo Kante, but has failed to see the £8,000-per-week prospect build on his 12 career first-team outings for the Blues.

Should Everton let Baningime join Derby?

Everton’s Director of Football Brands should be leaping at the chance to reach an agreement for Baningime to see out the remainder of the season at Derby, as Ancelotti clearly does not consider the 22-year-old to be at a high enough standard for the Toffees first-team.

It has been a long time since the midfielder featured in the senior fold at Goodison Park, with his last outing coming back in April 2018, despite Unsworth lauding the “class act” and suggesting he “shouldn’t be playing at this level” following an U23s win in September 2019.

Derby would represent a great opportunity for Baningime to kick start his career with Rooney being an admirer of his potential, having played alongside the DR Congo-born enforcer during the England icon’s second spell with Everton.

Rooney is also showing that he is not afraid to place his trust in young players now that he has taken the step into the management, with 19-year-old talent Jason Knight playing the full 90 minutes in each of his four games in charge and even captaining the Rams in three of those matches.

Kamil Jozwiak, 22, also opened all four of those Championship fixtures, while 20-year-old Max Bird played the last 135 minutes of the Rams’ second-tier encounters after a bit-part campaign.

Baningime needs that level of trust placed in him in a senior setting for his development, otherwise the youngster’s progress will only continue to stagnate. With his Everton contract also up in the summer of 2022, the Toffees need him playing if they are to ever see him as a part of their future, and Derby could be the dream destination for all involved.

AND in other news, an Everton gem with “unbelievable pace” must step up as £13.5m-rated flop nears exit…

Tottenham Hotspur will be without their leading talisman Harry Kane for their trip to Brighton & Hove Albion this evening, which is probably Jose Mourinho’s biggest nightmare.

“There are some players you can’t replace,” said the 58-year-old after defeat to Liverpool in midweek.

It now provides a major problem for the next few weeks with Kane on the sidelines – does he push Heung-min Son up front as he did last January? Does he trust Carlos Vinicius? and what of Gareth Bale?

On the Chalkboard

Since his sensation return from Real Madrid in the summer, it certainly has been a curious case for Bale in north London. Indeed, he’s only started one Premier League match and has been restricted to 722 minutes in all competitions.

Injuries and fitness issues hampered his chances in the lead up to the festive period but after his first 90 minutes of the campaign against Wycombe Wanderers six days ago, he’s surely set to benefit in Kane’s absence – or at least, he should.

Earlier in the season, BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves hinted that a tactical change could benefit the Welsh superstar tenfold. After a 3-1 win over Ludogorets, he told viewers [5th November 19:10]:

“Out wide, he’s got to be tracking back but with his fitness, he isn’t going to do that,” adding “[Through the middle], he is closer to the goal and that’s what you want. He could be unplayable.”

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In his final season at Spurs under Andre Villas-Boas (2012/13), the £18m-rated attacker was deployed centrally ten times and it paid dividends as he bagged six goals and delivered five assists, via Transfermarkt.

This trend continued briefly at Madrid where in 41 games, Bale provided 27 goal contributions, so there is a possibility we see him deputise in Kane’s absence.

Even if Mourinho doesn’t see him as a striker, there’s a chance he still comes into the starting XI. If Son is pushed further forward, there will be a need for a winger.

Whilst Bale has barely featured this campaign, he has still scored four times – once in every competition – at a rate of one goal every two games (180 minutes).

By comparison, Lucas Moura has bagged once in the Premier League since December 2019 with Steven Bergwijn suffering a similar barren spell of form as his last goal in the English top-flight came in June – the first game back post-lockdown.

In November, the 31-year-old came off the bench against tonight’s opponents, Brighton, to score the winner. In just 20 minutes of action, he was rated better than any other Spurs player (7.7) per SofaScore.

Following the game, Mourinho said: “He knows we care about him and we know he cares about us, the team and the club, Spurs. He’s the perfect fit, he’s very calm, very intelligent, he has good feelings.”

On his day, he has the ability to cause anyone nightmares, which is why he needs to be given that opportunity this evening. He could well be that ‘unplayable’ game-changer that Hargreaves mentioned and Spurs may well need with the 19-goal and 14-assist Kane absent.

Bale won’t have a better time to break into the starting XI than now, whether that’s on the wing or through the middle, so the Spurs boss must unleash him against the Seagulls tonight so he can finally prove himself in his second stint at Tottenham.

AND in other news, £36m-rated calamity who was ROASTED by Mourinho must be AXED tonight!

Tottenham Hotspur’s forgotten man, Dele Alli, is in line to feature this evening as the north Londoners head to Everton for an FA Cup fifth-round encounter.

That’s according to The Sun, who claim that Jose Mourinho could recall Alli as well as the recently dropped Eric Dier tonight.

The 24-year-old hasn’t featured for Spurs since starring against non-league outfit Marine in the third round and has since held ‘clear the air’ talks with the manager after a late switch to Paris Saint-Germain fell through in the winter window.

Speaking about the situation, Mourinho said: “What’s changed? He is available and not injured. He is happy to be training and we’re happy to have him back.”

So, here’s why he should start – if fit…

On the Chalkboard

Spurs ended a run of three straight defeats with a win over relegation-threatened West Brom at the weekend but they shouldn’t be fooled into a false sense of security as they only managed to stick two past the division’s worst defence.

Harry Kane’s return helped as he and Heung-min Son combined for both goals once again but there was still a creative influence lacking from midfield.

Mourinho opted to deploy Tanguy Ndombele in a deeper role alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, giving the nod to Lucas Moura to play in behind the striker despite being a winger by trade.

His passing accuracy of 70% that afternoon, just 2.4% below his average for the campaign, suggests that it’s not the best long-term role for him and as such, we ought to see Alli feature there instead.

The 37-time England international has consistently been a creative influence throughout his Spurs career, averaging 0.2 expected assists per 90 with a career-best of 0.27 coming in 2016/17, the season in which he provided ten assists in 36 league appearances, via Understat.

By comparison, that figure would see him rank fourth for those that have started 12 or more league matches this term – behind Kane, Son and Serge Aurier.

He’d even be ahead of Sergio Reguilon, who has provided the third-highest number of assists this term.

It’s no wonder that Alli once drew comparisons to Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard by Spurs legend Darren Anderton, he said (via Goal):

“I’ve got to say that I loved Stevie G as a player and Scholesy but Dele Alli for his age is just a freak of a talent. I love his arrogance on the pitch, how clever he is in finding the positions that he does and his willingness to try everything. He is a real joy to watch.”

Now valued at just €30m (£26m) by CIES Football Observatory, Alli finds himself at a crossroad and it is opportunities like this he must grasp in order to convince Mourinho into trusting him in the long run.

After all, the Portuguese boss is still a massive fan at heart, dubbing him a “team player” and “one of the best players in the world” since taking the helm in November 2019.

Alli’s creative spark could be the gamechanger for Spurs this evening. He must start at Goodison Park.

AND in other news, Mourinho must ruthlessly axe £85k-p/w Spurs dud tonight, Dier dubbed him a “nightmare”…

With Wolves unbeaten in their last five Premier League games, it would appear that Nuno Santo has engineered somewhat of a revival at Molineux.

After the defeat to West Brom last month, fears of relegation started to be talked about at Wolves. However, they have shaken off those concerns by responding in an emphatic fashion over the last few weeks.

A win over Arsenal seemed to be the wake-up call that Nuno’s team needed but they are still struggling in one particular department; their attack.

The Old Gold did their best to strengthen that part of their squad in January. They had a bundle of targets but ultimately settled on Willian Jose following Raul Jimenez’s injury.

They secured the forward on loan from Real Sociedad with an option to buy him for £18m in the summer. However, after his first month at the club, it would be surprising if they saw his long-term future at Molineux.

Truth be told, Jose has been poor. He is yet to score for Wolves and his performance against Newcastle on Saturday was abject, to say the least. He completed just 11 passes and had fewer touches of the football than goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

The Brazilian has offered very little in the way of a presence in attack and perhaps, Jeff Shi and Nuno chose to sign the wrong player in January.

It would take a bold man at Wolves to admit that was the case but when they were chasing someone like Olivier Giroud, well,it is night and day in terms of form between him and Jose.

Chelsea signed the powerful striker for £18m back in 2018 and although he’s not been too prolific, he’s come up with some golden moments in a Blues shirt.

He scored four goals against Sevilla in the Champions League earlier this term, a performance that Glenn Hoddle described as “out of this world.”

For a tall man, he is blessed with magical feet, something his overhead kick goal against Atletico Madrid last week testifies. He is supreme in the air but like Jimenez, is comfortable in possession of the ball.

He brings players into play like very few in the game. You only need to look at how influential he’s been for France. They won the World Cup with Giroud at the top of their attack but he didn’t have a single shot on target in the entire tournament. They primarily used him in order for Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann to make runs off him.

Dubbed the best target man in world football by Eden Hazard, even the very best appreciate his play style.

For Wolves, a player with his attributes would have been game-changing. They miss a presence in attack and Giroud offers that in abundance.

AND in other news, Forget Neves: Electrifying Wolves gem who managed 14 dribbles stole the show…

Speaking to Football Insider, former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper and Sky Sports regular Paul Robinson has touted a north London exit for Cameron Carter-Vickers at the end of the season to pave way for new signings – coming after the same outlet revealed that Daniel Levy is not planning to renew the defender’s contract.

Carter-Vickers, who made his senior debut for the Lilywhites at 18-years-old in the EFL Cup five years ago, has been sent out on loan to Swansea City, Ipswich Town, Sheffield United, Stoke City and Luton Town since then.

Bournemouth are the latest club to take him on a temporary stint away from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the USA international shining under new Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate.

Robinson touts Tottenham exit for Carter-Vickers

Despite this, Robinson expects there is no way back for the 23-year-old at Spurs – coming after it was recently revealed by Football Insider that there are no plans to offer him a contract extension.

“I think Carter-Vickers will leave Spurs this summer and I think he will be among others,” explained the ex-Lilywhite.

“The summer is fast approaching and it is a big window for Spurs. There has been a lot of upheaval over the past 12 months and I think this summer will be really important.

“Jose Mourinho has time to assess his squad and look at who he will clear out to make room for new faces. I think there will be a lot of movement in and out at Spurs in the next window.

“Yes, they have a very strong squad but there are a few he would like to move out and that will pave the way for new signings.”

Transfer Tavern take

Described as a ‘fantastic player’ by former teammate Sonny Bradley during his stint at Luton (Luton Today), an exit does seem inevitable for Carter-Vickers given his deal is up come the end of this campaign.

Jan Vertonghen also called him an ‘absolute beast’, and Tottenham fans may be left wondering what might have been if he thrives elsewhere.

In other news: talkSPORT pundit lifts the lid on this ‘amazing’ starlet in ‘good news for Spurs’, find out more here.

Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf has suggested Glasgow Rangers’ Old Firm clash could be postponed if he does not receive ‘absolute assurance’ over security concerns ahead of the game.

Yousaf drops Old Firm bombshell

The Gers are set to face their fierce city rivals Celtic on March 21st. The Gers have already wrapped up the Premiership title, but that is unlikely to take all of the tension out of the clash.

Speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland radio programme (via The Evening Standard), Yousaf said:

“We are at the most critical juncture in our fight against the virus and we cannot, simply will not, tolerate the scenes that we saw last weekend.

“And therefore if I cannot get absolute assurance, and the government cannot get absolute assurance, that we won’t see a repeat of such scenes or even worse things – potentially scenes of disorder involving groups of fans – then of course every option will be considered, that would include deferring the game.”

More threats

This is not the first time a member of the Scottish government has threatened football. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon previously said the campaign could be ended prematurely if clubs did not do more to avoid coronavirus outbreaks (The Guardian).

As the Gers’ status as champions was confirmed last week, thousands of supporters took to the streets to celebrate. Given there is no longer any competition to worry about, it is unlikely so many fans will go outside before, during or after the match.

In other news, Rangers fans react to this journalist’s tweet.

Liverpool secured their place in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday evening with a 4-0 aggregate win against RB Leipzig.

It was Mo Salah and Sadio Mane who got the goals for the Reds and who arguably stole the headlines as the Merseysiders got back on track. In midfield, both Fabinho and Thiago had excellent games too.

However, it was at the other end of the pitch where the real star was and that man was 23-year-old defender Nathaniel Phillips.

The Reds’ academy graduate turned in an eye-catching performance throughout the game and one that was probably befitting of a player his senior.

Partnered with Ozan Kabak at the heart of the Liverpool defence, he was able to keep the Leipzig attack quiet all evening – no mean feat considering that Julian Nagelsmann’s troops are the third-highest goalscorers in the Bundesliga this season.

According to WhoScored, Phillips contributed a total of three tackles throughout the match, whilst also managing a further five clearances – only second to Leipzig’s Lukas Klostermann.

A further two successful aerial duels added to an eye-catching list of crucial contributions from the £1.62m-rated centre-back.

He did not stop there though, also having the confidence to get on the ball.

Throughout the clash in Budapest, he had 57 touches. Only full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and midfielder Thiago had more.

Phillips was also only beaten by fellow academy graduate, Alexander-Arnold, on passing, with the centre-back completing 48.

Despite having somewhat flown under the radar during the match, with Fabinho also turning in an extremely impressive showing and getting nominated for the Champions League Player of the Week award, Phillips’ display was certainly appreciated by his manager.

Jurgen Klopp labelled Phillips as a “monster” following the game, praise that was certainly justified and the club’s fans agreed as those who voted on social media helped him win the club’s Man of the Match award.

With the Reds still suffering injuries at centre-back, the performance of Phillips will certainly be a welcome relief to the club as him playing so well at the back will allow Klopp to use Fabinho in midfield.

AND in more news, Rob Lee has called for patience with Reds midfielder Thiago in an exclusive chat with Football FanCast…

Manchester City fans have been reacting to the news that Pep Guardiola will ask Sergio Aguero if he wants to stay at the club and, ultimately, it will be down to the player to decide whether he wants to stay or go.

The £31.5m-valued Argentina international (Transfermarkt) made the move to the Etihad Stadium in 2011, and has since gone on to become a club legend. With 257 goals for the Citizens in all competitions, he is their record goalscorer (bluemoon-mcfc.co.uk), and his strikes have helped the Manchester outfit win four Premier League titles.

However, his importance is dwindling at City. He has played just 32 league matches across this season and last (Transfermarkt), with a number of injuries keeping him out of the action for sustained spells. He is out of contract at the end of the season, and it is not clear whether he will stay with his current employers.

According to journalist Lu Martin, Guardiola will ask Aguero himself whether he wants to stay – it will be down to the 32-year-old himself to make the decision. The news, which was shared on Twitter account @City_Xtra, has delighted the City supporters, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

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

“Aguero is our greatest legend ever! He will remain no1 in our hearts no matter what ! I’m happy pep is giving him a choice!”

Credit: @BlissMcfc

“Good”

Credit: @FPL_Ben_

“Pls be true”

Credit: @DavidsQuests_

“you love to hear it, all I’m asking is for Agüero to surpass Rooney as the 2nd greatest goal scorer in EPL history. He only needs 28 between now and next season”

Credit: @secondImpact

“Best news ever”

Credit: @Libulele_

“I’ll tear up if he actually stays another season but If he wants to leave understandable”

Credit: @MCFCAG

In other news, Man City fans react to this £128m transfer claim.

Mike Ashley must sanction a summer swoop for Newcastle United to re-sign Adam Armstrong from Blackburn Rovers.

What’s the word?

According to TEAMtalk, Toon chiefs are ready to push on with plans to lure Armstrong back to St. James’ Park at the end of the season, regardless of what division they are in.

United presently sit just two points above the Premier League drop zone, having only won two of their last 18 games to see a 10-point lead over Fulham be almost entirely eliminated.

Armstrong left Tyneside for Blackburn in 2018 for £2m in a deal sanctioned by Rafa Benitez but has excelled at Ewood Park to now be worth a reported £25m after scoring 19 goals in 33 Championship appearances this term.

Yet Newcastle could land Armstrong in the summer for far less, as the Magpies included a 40% sell-on clause in their agreement with Rovers. As such, the 24-year-old is expected to be available to Ashley for around £16m.

The Toon hierarchy seemingly believe that Armstrong represents good value for that sort of money, as they are said to be ready to present the forward with a path back to where his career began.

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Armstrong would be interested in a return to his former academy side, per Chronicle Live, but he has endless respect for Blackburn boss Tony Mowbray for offering him the chance to reset a career stagnating under Benitez.

Newcastle are not alone in tracking the free-scoring second-tier star, also, as David Moyes is said to have marked Armstrong as West Ham United’s top striker target while Southampton, Everton and Fulham have previously been linked.

Should Newcastle sign Blackburn’s Armstrong?

Newcastle holding a 40% sell-on clause for any fee Blackburn pick up for Armstrong will undoubtedly prove beneficial should United look to bring the West Denton-born frontman back to St. James’ Park at the end of the season.

The Toon certainly ought to be exploring a reunion, as Steve Bruce is not seeing anywhere near the needed level of competition for places from Dwight Gayle, Andy Carroll and Joelinton to leave 10-goal top-scorer Callum Wilson carrying the burden.

Gayle, Carroll and Joelinton each have scored just once in the Premier League this season, to extend appalling records of netting only five in 31, one in 35 and three in 61 games respectively over the past two campaigns combined.

Armstrong would be expected to offer a much higher level of competition for Wilson in the top-flight next term, should he be signed and Newcastle stay up, or fire the goals that secure United an immediate return from the second-tier.

Only Ivan Toney (28) and Teemu Pukki (22) have scored more often in the Championship this season than Armstrong (19), but each play for sides in Brentford and Norwich who have a chance of securing automatic promotion while Blackburn are 16 points adrift of the play-off places.

Yet Rovers boss Mowbray has no doubt in Armstrong’s talent, noting last month how the forward is “special” and has “Premier League quality”. It’s that type of quality that Lee Charnley should be working to bring back to St. James’ Park and Ashley must sanction the signing.

AND in other news, Newcastle are tracking a 20-year-old talent who has “played out of his skin”…

Celtic’s hunt for a new manager was initially a rather slow process. Neil Lennon left in quite a hurry but, with John Kennedy being placed in temporary charge, there hasn’t been a great desire to bring in someone for the remaining games of the season.

The likes of Roberto Martinez and Rafa Benitez have both been linked but, like Jesse Marsch, it feels like the latter will turn down any approach from the Hoops.

As a result, Dermot Desmond has switched his attention to Roy Keane. The Irishman ended his playing career with the Bhoys before turning to management.

The boisterous pundit took charge of Sunderland and then Ipswich but hasn’t managed a team in his own right for ten years. He has been assistant to Martin O’Neill with the Republic of Ireland, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest but it’s feared that his best qualities are as a number two.

It would be a huge risk from the hierarchy to appoint someone who has been out of the game for such a long while, and hence they’d be better off looking elsewhere.

Chris Wilder is another candidate to have been lined up for the job, although sticking points have emerged this week.

The 53-year-old left Sheffield United a few weeks ago and will receive a payoff from the club for the next six months. However, if he takes up a new role, the money he earns courtesy of the Blades will be cut somewhat.

Desmond must ignore that, though, and go all-in for Wilder.

He might not have much experience at the top but his achievements with Sheffield United are remarkable. He took them from League One to the top half of the Premier League within a matter of years and he did so on a small budget.

You only need to heed words from Martin Keown. After Wilder left, he waxed lyrical about the manager on Match of the Day, comparing him to one of the greatest coaches we’ve ever seen.

“They’re in shellshock. Their Messiah. Their Alex Ferguson when you think of what he’s done for that football club. He’s their leader,” Keown commented.

Wilder is incredibly astute tactically, too – something from which the Bhoys would undoubtedly benefit following Lennon’s rather colourless final season.

He developed a 3-5-2 formation where he would create enormous overloads down the flanks. As well as the wing-backs providing an attacking threat, he’d get the centre-backs to overlap.

The wide players would hold their positions before the likes of Chris Basham and Jack O’Connell would get forward and provide even further width.

That kind of creative thinking is exactly what Celtic need in order to reinvigorate themselves.

Wilder is the man Desmond needs; not Keane. Even if a payoff prevents them from getting him until the summer, they must wait until then to hire their next boss.

Celtic cannot afford to get things wrong after such a horrendous season.

AND in other news, £833k per goal: “Anonymous” Celtic flop has robbed Desmond of £5.4m this season…