All posts by z3u9t.icu

This summer will witness a changing of the guard at Parkhead. Celtic will have a new manager, a new CEO and they may also have a director of football on their hands.

We could also see plenty of players leave. Diego Laxalt, Jonjoe Kenny and Moi Elyounoussi will all depart at the conclusion of their loan deals while Scott Brown is also out of contract.

Odsonne Edouard has regularly been linked with a move to the Premier League but there is a rarely-seen player who could walk through the exit door; Jack Hendry.

The 25-year-old has only ever been a bit part of Celtic’s plans and as such, was loaned to Belgian side Oostende this season. His performances have been eye-catching, however, so much so that he’s now also being linked with a move to England.

It’s been reported that Burnley, Brighton and Sheffield United are all chasing his signature. That’s without forgetting about Oostende’s option to buy the centre-half once his loan deal expires.

Though, Celtic would be rather foolish to bin Hendry without handing him a second opportunity at Paradise.

One of the Bhoys’ biggest problems this season has been defensively. They’ve shipped 14 more goals than Rangers in the league and conceded 19 strikes in six Europa League games.

Shane Duffy and their goalkeepers have been particularly error-stricken. Consider that Kristoffer Ajer could also leave this summer and it only adds further worries.

He has been one of a few players actually binding this team together in 2020/21. Hendry, however, could be an immense replacement for the Norwegian.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-transfer-news-onuachu-edouard-dembele-turnbull” title=”The latest Celtic news and views!”]

Speaking about the defender this term, his manager at Oostende, Alexander Blessin said: “He’s a great talker in defence. He makes the people he’s playing with better. You can see them listening to him. He’s been a tower of experience for us.”

Blessin continued: “Jack’s the most important member of the team this season and he’s one of the best defenders in the league. He can defend, he’s fast and he’s also a useful weapon at attacks because of his height.”

A player with great height, a weapon from offensive situations and a leader of men; Hendry possesses all of the traits that make Ajer such a useful asset for Celtic.

You only need to look at the statistics for a clearer indication of what he can bring. In the Belgium Pro League this season, the centre-back has won an imperious 2.9 aerial duels per game. For comparison, Ajer has won 3.2 aerial battles per match. Evidently, there is little between them.

Like Celtic’s Norwegian colossus, Hendry is also adept at playing out from the back, amassing a pass success rate of 84.5% this term.

With all of this in mind, selling the centre-back during the summer would be madness. He has developed significantly this season and would fit seamlessly into the Bhoys’ backline. He must be unleashed next season.

AND in other news, Celtic could find their Brown heir in £50k-p/w gem, he’d be a “really good signing”…

Crystal Palace have earned wins in their past two Premier League fixtures and could go three games unbeaten on the trot for the first time since the 2019/20 season.

The south London-based club currently sit 13th in the table and could leapfrog Leeds United when Roy Hodgson’s side travel to take on Marcelo Bielsa’s men in Monday.

Leeds, meanwhile, welcome Palace to Elland Road looking to end a poor run of form that only features two wins in their last five matches across all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

Eberechi Eze scored a sublime free-kick to mark his first goal for the Eagles the last time the two sides met, and Hodgson is likely to field a near-identical starting XI to November’s dramatic five-goal thriller against the same opponents, as they seek to build on their new-found momentum following an inconsistent start to the season.

Hodgson is optimistic that James McArthur will be available for selection having missed Tuesday night’s nail-biting win over Newcastle, and if he passes a late fitness test, then he must be granted a starting berth alongside the ever-reliable Jairo Riedewald as he will be tasked with the duty of keeping Patrick Bamford quiet when the striker drops deep.

In terms of the statistics, the numbers suggest that he should be able to do this, having kept Bamford in his back pocket for most of the game at Selhurst Park. Indeed, McArthur won five duels overall, which suggests that he managed to get the better of Bamford, who could only win one from eight attempts in total, although he did manage to get a shot away on goal to halve their lead.

Other than Tyrick Mitchell, no player in the squad records more tackles (3.2) per 90 in the Premier League than the 33-year-old Scotsman while his average number of passes (42.9) is the third-highest in the team, via WhoScored.

Unlike some of his teammates, McArthur, who was dubbed “fantastic” by the Palace boss, clearly is not one to go missing, that’s for sure.

Therefore, should he prove his match fitness, Hodgson must ensure the £55,000-per-week earning veteran is recalled for their upcoming fixtures against Leeds and Burnley, respectively.

AND in other news, Sean Dyche could be an ideal heir to Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace…

Manchester United’s Premier League season has hit a few bumps in the road in recent weeks, with three draws in their last four games putting an end to any realistic hopes of winning the title.

United have lacked a cutting edge in front of goal to kill those teams off and while the imminent return of Edinson Cavani does give them a focal point in attack, where does that leave Anthony Martial, the man currently earning a massive £250k-per-week?

The Frenchman had a fine 2019/20 season after scoring 23 times in 48 appearances across all competitions and he played a key role in United’s late surge into third place.

But frustratingly, the Red Devils’ number nine has failed to build on that momentum this season and has scored just seven times in 32 games to date, with ex legendary skipper Roy Keane believing he has a lack of “love for the game.”

Martial’s average SofaScore match rating has decreased from 7.11 in 2019/20 to 6.82 this season, highlighting that the forward’s standards have declined.

His modest score of 6.8 in the recent 3-1 win over Newcastle United fell some way short of the numbers from Bruno Fernandes (8.2), Daniel James (7.2) and Marcus Rashford (7.8), despite him being deployed in the main centre-forward role from where he had so much success last season.

He seems to have lost his way in a United shirt, and despite netting a brace in the 9-0 mauling of Southampton, that was the only time Martial had scored for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side in his last nine Premier League appearances.

What needs to happen?

Martial’s underwhelming displays leave little room for encouragement that the Frenchman can turn around his season.

While the arrival of Alex Telles has seemingly pushed Luke Shaw to up his game in a red shirt, the acquisition of Cavani seems to have had the opposite effect on Martial.

A heat map on SofaScore shows Martial more often veering towards the left in a bid to take more of the ball, whereas this same indicator of movement shows that Cavani is more inclined to stay in the penalty area and give the team that much-needed focal point.

Apart from last season, Martial has never really scored on a consistent basis for United since his arrival from Monaco in 2015. His best campaign from a goalscoring perspective before last season came in 2015/16, when he found the net 17 times in 49 appearances across all competitions. Since then, his goalscoring totals in the following three seasons were eight, 11 and 12.

For someone whose best position is supposedly centre-forward, those numbers are not what Manchester United need to take themselves to the next level and to challenge for the game’s best prizes.

It may now be time for Solskjaer to put the Frenchman on the bench and use this as an opportunity to give Cavani the nod and afford Mason Greenwood further chances to impress and learn.

And in other news, Kylian Mbappe has interest in an Old Trafford move

With Wilfried Zaha heavily linked with the Selhurst Park exit, Crystal Palace will need to find a replacement for the talisman at some point, and chairman Steve Parish can make amends in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to WalesOnline, Crystal Palace are among a number of Premier League, Championship and European clubs interested in securing a loan move for Rabbi Matondo from Schalke, who are currently rock-bottom of the Bundesliga.

Premier League rivals Brighton and Championship duo Bournemouth and Watford are also keen to land the diminutive 5 ft 7 speedster, whose contract is set to expire in 2023.

Matondo has been one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise dismal season for Schalke despite suffering an injury-disrupted campaign. He’s scored twice in 32 appearances for the Royal Blues, though it’s worth noting at least twelve of those have come off the bench.

Zaha’s heir?

He played 23 games for Manchester City’s U23s, scoring 11 goals and supplying five assists in all competitions, via Transfermarkt, before he left the academy for better opportunities in the Bundesliga.

In his sole appearance in the UEFA Nations League, the Wales international is averaging two shots, one key pass and four dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

It’s fair to say the youngster will have some big shoes to fill if Zaha departs Selhurst Park and Parish can get a deal over the line, that’s for sure.

Just like Zaha, Hodgson could transform the 20-year-old winger into an inside forward who can also play out wide. Don’t forget, he already has experience of playing as a second striker during his time at Cardiff City.

His national team manager Ryan Giggs has heaped praise on his young charge in the past, saying: “Just like Dan James he has electrifying pace. And that always keeps you interested.”

This isn’t just your average spectator from the stands, this is a Manchester United legend who is genuinely in awe of Matondo.

Valued at a mere £7m via Transfermarkt, Parish could land Palace an absolute bargain if he can beat their competition to his signature.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace must reignite their pursuit of Watford winger Ismaila Sarr…

Manchester City are reportedly targeting Inter striker Romelu Lukaku ahead of the summer transfer window and the Belgian international would be a big upgrade on Gabriel Jesus if he were to join the Citizens.

Recent reports have suggested that Pep Guardiola will be given £200 million to spend this summer and the former Manchester United striker has been targeted as a potential striker to replace Sergio Aguero, should he depart on a free transfer when his contract expires.

The Belgian international has impressed since joining Antonio Conte’s side from United in the summer of 2019, as he has contributed an impressive 51 goals and nine assists in just 74 appearances for the Serie A side.

His form this season has been superb, as he has managed 12 goals and three assists in just 15 appearances in the Italian top-flight, which has seen him average a 7.45 rating.

He has also notched four goals in the Champions League, one in the Coppa Italia and five in five international experiences, suggesting that he is enjoying a prolific season in front of goal.

If we compare these stats to Manchester City striker Jesus, there is only one winner.

The Brazilian has just four goals for Guardiola’s side in 14 appearances in all competitions and the Citizens have performed well in recent matches by deploying the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva up front, which suggests that he is not currently favoured by the Spanish manager.

Lukaku has also outscored Jesus in every single season he has been with Manchester City, despite many suggesting that he was poor at Manchester United, so it seems clear that he would manage more goals than the Brazilian in Guardiola’s side.

In a recent Belgium win against Denmark, Lukaku emphasised just how effective he can be and worked brilliantly with De Bruyne, who provided the assist for the striker’s first goal by playing him in behind the Denmark defence.

The former Everton man then thundered in a header from a Thorgan Hazard cross for his second, emphasising how much of a threat he can be in the air, which is something that City currently lack up front.

Finally, Lukaku occupied the defender for Belgium’s fourth goal, allowing De Bruyne to come in and provide the finish.

Belgium manager Roberto Martinez was full of praise for the striker in 2019, saying:

“Everyone wants to tell him the first touch should be better, that he should be stronger in the air, that he needs to make more room. But what they miss is his outstanding trade as a goalscorer. Look at his stats. He is one of the most significant scorers at his age.

“In Romelu’s case, he’s always been a top goalscorer.”

Therefore, you could definitely suggest that he and De Bruyne would work well together at City, should sporting director Txiki Begiristain swoop for the 27-year-old in the summer.

And, in other news, Forget Stones: MCFC beast who played three key passes was Pep’s star vs Palace…

West Brom were punished in more ways than one during their 5-1 capitulation at the hands of Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon…

What was the word?

At the centre of the Eagles’ dominance was attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze, one of the Baggies’ mooted summer transfer targets and it seems that their failure to sign him this summer has already proven to be a costly blunder.

The Express & Star reported in August that Albion ‘were in the hunt’ to clinch the 22-year-old sensation but his asking price was too much for the Midlands outfit to pay upfront.

Palace would go onto sign Eze for an initial £16m in a deal that could rise to £20m and included a 20% sell-on clause, as per Sky Sports.

Made to pay?

And boy did Slaven Bilic feel the effects of not signing one of his targets this weekend.

Eze practically ran the show for the visitors at the Hawthorns, aside from Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke notching themselves a brace apiece.

The former QPR wizard assisted Palace’s fourth strike but also made 52 of 58 passes (90%), four of which being key passes as well as winning four free-kicks, managing two dribbles and winning seven of 11 ground duels, via SofaScore.

In just six Premier League starts, Eze has now contributed to three goals and is averaging 1.9 dribbles and 0.9 key passes per game as Roy Hodgson’s main focal point behind the talismanic Zaha.

But that should hardly come as a surprise given just how good he was for QPR in the Championship last term, scoring 14 goals and assisting eight more in 46 appearances, per WhoScored.

It’s no wonder he was lauded as a “tremendous talent” and “very special” – and the fact that he’s already left Zaha in awe speaks volumes, the Eagles superstar told their club website:

“[Eze] is a quality player, he literally glides through people. It’s nice [having] someone on your wavelength, that’s a tricky player as well because I know half of the stuff he’s going to do, so I just position myself to get the ball. It’s been a joy.”

Luke Dowling got it ever so wrong by not signing Eze this summer and that 5-1 was merely the consequence of his failure in the transfer market.

AND in other news, Bilic got it so wrong over West Brom’s £9m-rated dangerman…

Whether it was their time as a Premier League force, or the years spent toiling away trying to get out of the Championship, Leeds United have seen a lot of players come through the door.

Some carved out legendary careers and etched themselves into folklore, whilst others…well, it’s probably better left unsaid.

FootballFanCast have created a bumper quiz designed to test the knowledge of those die-hard Leeds fans who have been following the club week-in and week-out over the years.

Sure, faces like Mark Viduka and Ian Harte are recognisable to absolutely everyone. But how about those players who barely played a minute of football in a Leeds shirt, or those who came and went without a whisper?

See if you can put a name to these obscure faces, and truly prove once and for all that you’re the biggest Leeds fan going around!

Completed it? Why not share it with your friends and family and find out who the real Leeds United fans are!

Meanwhile, Leeds could find their Pablo Hernandez successor in this Scottish gem.

Leeds United have been one of the standout teams in the Premier League so far, but there has been one side that have arguably been a bigger surprise package this season, West Ham United.

The Hammers barely escaped relegation last season, but this term they’ve held their own against some of the best teams in the league and have claimed some massive scalps along the way.

David Moyes’ side beat Leicester and Wolves by an aggregate score of 7-0, before holding Spurs and Man City to back to back draws.

The London club have undoubtedly been brilliant, and one man they have to thank for their fantastic form is Michail Antonio.

The West Ham striker has been starring in the Premier League for a number of years now, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that Leeds wanted to sign him back in 2015.

Indeed, the Whites were in for him five years ago, but he instead ended up joining West Ham, and that’s a failed move that Leeds should be regretting to this day.

All in all, it has to be considered as one of Massimo Cellino’s biggest errors during his time as chairman at the club especially after watching him score a spectacular overhead kick against Manchester City on Saturday to take his tally to 41 West Ham goals, whilst he has also chipped in with 22 assists in his 160 appearances (Transfermarkt).

Danny Mills’ comments on the striker over the summer perfectly sum up how good he is.

“He has pace, power and lots of ability. He can score a goal and his work rate is exceptional,” Mills said.

“He is a magnificent all-round player who will give you everything week in, week out no matter where he plays.”

The thought of Antonio playing under Bielsa is certainly mouth-watering, his pace, power and athleticism would make him a perfect player in the Argentine’s intense pressing system, but because of Leeds’ failure to bring him in back in 2015, we have been denied the opportunity to see that.

This is one signing we wish Cellino had gotten over the line.

Ruben Dias produced a match-winning performance for Portugal in their 3-2 win against Croatia on Tuesday night, as he scored a brace to earn Fernando Santos’ side the victory.

The Manchester City man showed a striker’s instinct, much like teammate Sergio Aguero, to score his first goal for his country, as he stabbed home Ruben Semedo’s cut-back, before securing the win for Portugal by capitalising on a huge error by the Croatia goalkeeper in the dying moments.

Since joining from Benfica in the summer transfer window for a fee of £61.2 million, the 23-year-old has gone on to make five appearances for the Citizens in the Premier League, averaging a solid 6.81 rating (per WhoScored).

He has also impressed in his two Champions League appearances thus far, averaging a 6.98 rating for his performances in that competition.

Guardiola will no doubt be delighted with the centre-back’s impressive performance in the win against Croatia, as he picked up an 8.7 rating from SofaScore, which was enough to see him rated as the man-of-the-match.

His two goals from centre-back will perhaps remind some City fans for Vincent Kompany, with the Belgian having picked up a reputation during his time with the club for scoring important goals, just as Dias did on Tuesday night.

It was not just his offensive play that caught the eye, however, as he also enjoyed a pass accuracy rate of 87% and lost possession just eight times, highlighting his ability on the ball.

The centre-back was rarely bested during the game in Split, as he won 100% of his aerial duels during the game, and wasn’t dribbled past by any of the Croatia players.

So it was an all-round dominant display from the £45 million-rated man, which had shades of Kompany’s best performances in a City shirt, and Guardiola will now be hoping that the young defender can produce displays similar to that when he returns to the Manchester club following the international break.

Dias may have to be at his best in City’s next fixture, as they face a tricky trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face Jose Mourinho’s side this weekend.

Aston Villa continue to be linked to new left-backs during this summer transfer window but there’s an emerging name that they must simply avoid…

What’s the word?

According to Le10 Sport, the Midlands outfit hold interest in out-of-favour Spurs left-back Danny Rose, who is also wanted by Serie A outfit Genoa along with West Ham.

They claim that Jose Mourinho no longer sees a place for the 30-year-old and he’s free to find a new club before next month’s deadline.

Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain have also entered the race following the injury to Juan Bernat. He could be available for just £5m.

Must avoid

Despite the relatively low price on offer here, it’s a move that Johan Lange and co must absolutely swerve at all costs.

The long-serving Lilywhites defender had to go out on loan to Newcastle back in January, but he failed to truly put himself on the market with a string of poor performances.

Per WhoScored, Rose averaged 1.9 tackles, one foul, 0.3 key passes and just 0.2 crosses per game at St James’ Park, which is hardly inspiring for any keen party.

Dean Smith’s first-choice Matt Targett managed the same amount of tackles but produced more clearances (2.4), interceptions (2) and key passes (1) per match last term.

Rose is also quite the outspoken figure having publically criticised ‘Project Restart’ as well as questioning his manager Jose Mourinho, which was broadcast during the ‘All or Nothing’ documentary.

In the past, Gary Neville has described the Englishman as “unprofessional” and this isn’t something Smith will want ruining his dressing room this season.

It also goes against their plans to recruit young homegrown talent. Lange shouldn’t even consider this even at £5m. It could become a nightmare to deal with.

AND in other news, Aston Villa must clinch “fearless” Dean Smith favourite before deadline day…