All posts by z3u9t.icu

Nigel Adkins’ reign as Charlton Athletic boss began with a 2-2 draw against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon, though but for a defensive error, it could have been a perfect start.

The Addicks went into the break with the lead before the Dons were gifted a peach of a goal just 20 minutes into the second half when Ryan Longman tapped home his second after Akin Famewo clumsily under-hit a backpass to Ben Amos.

“We’ve conceded two really poor goals. The second, in particular – it’s about decision-making. I don’t understand why they have gone and made that decision,” lambasted Adkins in his post-game interview.

A lot of the blame could be shifted onto the young 20-year-old Norwich City loanee, but there were far more experienced members of the squad that let Adkins down in his very first game.

No visiting player was as wasteful as Chris Gunter, who has played under Adkins before at Reading.

The 31-year-old Welsh international lost possession a whopping 21 times, which was the most of any Addicks player, meaning he was at fault for handing the ball back to the opposition more than anyone else.

This will surely have Adkins fuming as he should be able to rely on the veteran.

Gunter also struggled to help contribute further up the pitch, failing to provide a single accurate cross from four attempts. Having opened the scoring with a header from Jayden Stockley, you’d expect to hit the opposition and their glaring weakness more often but the right-back failed to do that.

To cap an abysmal showing all-round, the 5 foot 11 dynamo was dribbled past once and could only make 71% of his 45 passing attempts – the second-worst of any outfield player in red, via SofaScore.

Had Gunter not been so careless with possession, then the Addicks may have been able to create more genuine goalscoring opportunities, and thus the one lapse in judgement from Famewo would’ve meant very little.

Aside from that, the centre-back was solid. He managed to record six clearances, two blocks and one tackle, whilst also winning nine of 13 duels, as per SofaScore.

It was Gunter who let his old boss down with a very underwhelming showing on Saturday afternoon.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Rob Lee reacts to Nigel Adkins’ appointment as Charlton manager

Crystal Palace have joined Premier League rivals Sheffield United in the race to sign Wolves centre-back Dion Sanderson.

That’s according to an exclusive report from Football Insider, who claim that the Eagles and Championship outfit Huddersfield Town are now in the hunt for the 21-year-old alongside the Blades.

Sanderson open to move away from Wolves

Sanderson, who has been out on loan at Sunderland this season, is hoping to make his mark with his parent club.

However, the report claims the defender is privately open to a move away from Molineux, should Wolves decide to cash in on him.

Sanderson, who wants regular game time, is out of contract in the Midlands in 2022 and could cost just £2m this summer.

Transfer Tavern take

Sunderland manager Lee Johnson heaped praise on Sanderson just last month, calling him a ‘Rolls-Royce’ and a ‘leader’ even at his young age, so at just £2m this could be a good move for the Eagles to make.

Palace have just one centre-back under the age of 30 on their books at this moment in time, so an injection of youth may prove beneficial in the coming years.

Sanderson has gained plenty of experience at the Stadium of Light this season, making 22 appearances in all competitions.

He’s also plied his trade with Cardiff City in the Championship, so if Palace can offer him game time next season, a deal may well be on the cards.

In other news: Many Palace fans react as ‘shocking’ transfer twist emerges, find out more here. 

Liverpool certainly need to sign a striker in the summer if they are to bounce back from their dreadful title defence this season.

As it stands, the Reds are set to score approximately 20 goals fewer in the Premier League than last season, with centre-forward Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino having netted just seven goals between them in all competitions.

Two potential arrivals with whom Jurgen Klopp’s troops have already been linked are strikers at opposite ends of the age spectrum; Atletico Madrid’s Luis Suarez and Dusan Vlahovic of Fiorentina.

According to Calciomercato, the former Reds predator is eyeing a move back to Anfield, whilst Milan Live has suggested that Klopp could also be interested in a move for the 21-year-old Serbian.

Whilst Suarez is by far the older of the two forwards, he should certainly be the striker the Reds recruit in the summer. Not only has he found the net more often this season – 19 to Vlahovic’s 15 in Serie A – the Uruguayan’s statistics continue to see him outperform the younger marksman.

According to WhoScored, the 34-year-old attempts more shots per game than the current Fiorentina man with 3.2 compared to 2.4. Meanwhile, Suarez is far more of a creative influence on his side, averaging 0.8 key passes per 90 minutes, Vlahovic can only average 0.4.

The former Liverpool forward’s form has often seen him praised by his team-mates. Atletico winger Angel Correa has labelled the Uruguayan a “great forward” with “excellent” characteristics.

Furthermore, Suarez’s return to Anfield would be much more affordable for Liverpool. Rated by Transfermarkt at £13.5m, it is reported that he could leave his current employers on a free transfer. On the other hand, it is suggested that Fiorentina have slapped a €40m (£35m) fee on their Serbian forward.

This would leave the Reds with far more to spend on other areas of the squad, a huge benefit in a window which is surely set to be affected by the financial impacts of the global pandemic.

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Whilst both strikers would be excellent signings for Klopp as he attempts to rectify the club’s lack of goals, Suarez should certainly be the preferred option for the club in the summer transfer window if they can only obtain one.

AND in more news, a blow for Virgil van Dijk could be a huge positive for Liverpool…

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans are reacting to a tweet from Dom Howson in which he discusses midfielder Sam Hutchinson.

The journalist tweeted: “Why I think Sam Hutchinson could solve Darren Moore’s key defensive problem”, with an accompanying link to a Yorkshire Live article explaining his stance, and this caused many to start debating the Hillsborough ace.

The Englishman left the Owls in September and moved to Cypriot side Pafos FC (The Star). However, he was soon released and this has opened the door to him coming back to Hillsborough. The 31-year-old had a successful career at Wednesday as he made 165 appearances over seven seasons for the Yorkshire outfit.

The Owls are suffering in the Championship and need a miracle to reduce the seven-point gap to 21st before the end of the season. Since re-signing for the club, Sam Hutchinson has featured 11 times and has contributed much defensively as he has averaged 1.9 tackles, 2.4 interceptions and three clearances per game (WhoScored).

Therefore, it is easy to see why Howson believes he could solve the defensive issues and hopefully he can help turn things around for the club. However, the 31-year-old seems to be a divisive figure, judging by these replies from Wednesday fans on Twitter:

Here is how Wednesday fans reacted to Howson’s tweet:

“Are you on his payroll mate”

Credit: @kanewhelan2

“I was so excited listening to the early interviews with the new Boss. He came across as being positive, dynamic and passionate. Sadly, that hasn’t yet seemed to have transferred over to the players. Sam is a player who usually embodies those things, so you could be right.”

Credit: @NelsPalmerur

“Do you ‘think’ this could do it as it already has? when he was first re-signed he was next to Lee’s and they were solid”

Credit: @chrisma50n

“Got to be better than he is in midfield, not as good as Joey, he’s either not fit, trying not to get hurt /sent off or his legs have gone. He’s been poor.”

Credit: @SteveAuntsVan

“If we’re going to play it out from the back Hutchinson and Dunkley should be our centre-backs”

Credit: @DeLudoScribo

“Agree; hutch is a centre half not a holding midfielder player anymore.”

Credit: @hirsty9

In other news, these SWFC fans discussed one player that got away!

This has been a rather troubled January for Leeds United. They have won just once and have failed to strengthen their ranks in the transfer window.

Though, despite Marcelo Bielsa insisting he’s happy with his squad, rumours of potential incomings are swirling around.

On the chalkboard

One of the names linked with Leeds in recent days has been Nottingham Forest youngster Brennan Johnson.

The winger is currently on loan at Lincoln City where he’s been tearing League One to shreds with five goals and six assists in 20 outings.

It’s an impressive record for a 19-year-old who is doing all the right things in terms of his personal development.

The Whites haven’t been afraid to strengthen their youth ranks in recent years and that was evident last summer. Victor Orta brought in the likes of Joe Gelhardt, Sam Greenwood, Cody Drameh and Crysencio Summerville.

Though, with a host of young attackers in their midst, signing another even if they are talented, fails to make much sense.

Unleash Poveda

There is no doubting the supreme talents of Johnson. However, rather than spending on new recruits this month, Leeds must look at unleashing someone already in their ranks.

That happens to be Ian Poveda. The 20-year-old signed from Manchester City a year ago but has only made one senior start since.

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He has appeared ten times as a substitute in the Premier League this term but is yet to play from the off. Poveda’s only chance to shine from kick-off was against Crawley in the FA Cup.

Of course, that was a dismal affair for the Whites as they lost 3-0. However, the English winger was a ball of energy and if anyone could come away from the game with credit, it was him.

He was devastating in the final third and a wonderful piece of trickery in the first-half summed up his game. Poveda attempted four dribbles – two of which were successful – and also provided a key pass all within 58 minutes.

For various reasons, he hasn’t been given a regular chance in the Premier League but we reckon that should change in the back half of the campaign. After all, he possesses qualities that can frighten defenders.

Discussing the youngster earlier this season, 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.”

If Leeds really do have another Raphinha in their clutches, it can only be a good thing. The Brazilian has been a radiant ball of attacking quality since signing from Rennes and with three goals and three assists, is improving all the time.

It’s time Poveda was given a similar platform to try and do the same. Leeds would only harm his development further by bringing a player like Johnson to the club.

They must ignore him and unleash their own young players.

AND in other news, 3 new signings, Bielsa favourite axed: How Leeds’ XI could look after deadline day…

Sunderland fans are absolutely delighted after it was revealed the club’s CEO James Rodwell has decided to step down from his role at the club.

It has been a busy few days for the Sunderland. On Thursday, it was finally confirmed that Kyril Louis-Dreyfus had completed his takeover of the Black Cats from former owner Stewart Donald – the latter still retains a minority stake in the club (Sky Sports). The former regime was extremely unpopular amongst the supporters (Chronicle Live), so there is no doubt the change in ownership will have delighted the fans.

Things are changing fast, it seems, with Rodwell now leaving the club. Given his ties to Donald, it is no surprise to see the fans are enjoying the news of his exit.

The update was shared on the club’s official Twitter account, and the fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

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

“should have happened ages ago. What a disaster”

Credit: @Rokermark30

“The week that keeps giving #safc”

Credit: @AticaSi

“Good riddance”

Credit: @anorthernbullet

“Couldn’t run a raffle”

Credit: @nricho68

“What a start to Friday. More deadwood out the door”

Credit: @al_smith11

“Bain mark 2 gone”

Credit: @2ndoneout

In other news, Sunderland fans hammer this man against Lincoln City.

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.

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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”…

If you’d been following Wolves news in the last week or so, you will have seen a trend emerging.

Wherever you look, it’s following Nuno Santo’s team.

What’s the word?

The theme we’re talking about is the need for a new striker at Wolves. Ever since Raul Jimenez fractured his skull against Arsenal, it has been a topic of hot debate at Molineux.

Patrick Cutrone has now been recalled from his loan spell at Fiorentina but that hasn’t stopped a number of rumours from circulating.

Whether it be Divock Origi or Diego Costa, a plethora of options are on the table for Wolves.

However, one of them could well be Bournemouth forward Josh King. That’s according to the club’s transfer guru Tim Spiers who spoke about a possible deal on the Molineux View podcast this week. He said:

“Another one who has been doing the rounds for quite a few clubs is Josh King at Bournemouth who has had great success in the Premier League before, scored a fair amount of goals and he’s not playing for Bournemouth at the moment because he’s out of contract in the summer as well.

“So it would only be a sale, and from what I’m told, they’d probably be looking for around £10 million for a player who is out of contract in the summer, as is their right, they’re not going to sell him on the cheap, so I think that would be a bit of a sticking point for Wolves at this moment in time.”

Sign him

Wolves simply cannot afford to let a mere £10m transfer fee be a sticking point in this window.

They may want to acquire someone on loan as cover for Jimenez but King – who is capped 51 times – is a proven Premier League striker and would be a fantastic squad rotation option.

He might not be as pedigreed as a certain Diego Costa, but if you consider their respective salaries and the baggage that would come with the former Chelsea man, King would surely be a safer option.

Costa was on a weekly wage of £265k-a-week at Atletico Madrid compared to the £45k wage that King currently earns at Bournemouth.

Yes, the Spain international is more proven at the elite level, but they’d be walking into a financial disaster by signing him.

King might well come with a transfer fee attached but his salary would be less of a sticking point.  Furthermore, he’s pretty similar to Costa, Eddie Howe once said that the Cherries striker is “outstanding physically.”

Having scored 48 times in 161 top-flight outings, he isn’t a bad option at all.

AND in other news, Fosun set for inexcusable Wolves mistake with swoop for “powerful” £20m “goal machine”…

Crystal Palace return to Premier League action when Roy Hodgson’s side travel to Turf Moor to take on Burnley on Monday night.

The top flight paused for a couple of weeks due to the international break but now it’s back fans will be bracing themselves for a busy festive period, where the Eagles will want to build on their newfound momentum after they ran riot over Leeds United at Selhurst Park.

However, the hectic schedule presents a very difficult test for a number of reasons, as Eberechi Eze withdrew from the England U21 squad earlier this week, whilst the Palace boss will be wanting to tie down several senior players to new and improved contracts as they run down their existing deals.

But Hodgson has been dealt a huge blow as the club have so far failed to reach an agreement with Patrick van Aanholt’s representatives, leaving the former England manager with a tough decision on who will replace him if the 30-year-old does depart Selhurst Park.

What’s the word?

Reports in recent times revealed that Marseille’s Jordan Amavi has emerged as a target for Palace as the Eagles search for a replacement for Van Aanholt next summer.

It’s claimed that the south London club are closely monitoring his situation as the Dutchman’s deal expires at the end of the season, which means that he could in theory sign a pre-contract agreement and leave the club as a free agent in January.

The former Aston Villa left-back has not ruled out a return to the Premier League in the not too distant future, as his current contract with the French Ligue 1 club will run out in 2021. Speaking to L’Equipe, he said: “England is the championship that I prefer. Afterwards, we don’t know what tomorrow will be like. For now, I’m here, I’m wearing the OM jersey.”

So, Palace chairman Steve Parish can solve Hodgson’s problems by signing Amavi as the perfect replacement for Van Aanholt.

Perfect PVA replacement

The 26-year-old, who returned to his homeland in 2018, played 10 games in the Premier League for Aston Villa, picking up four assists, whilst he made 3.6 tackles, 3.7 interceptions and 3.2 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

Since then, Amavi has made six appearances in Ligue 1 this season, scoring once so far, whilst he is averaging 1.8 tackles, 3.7 interceptions and 3.7 clearances per game, as per WhoScored. He also has experience of playing in the Champions League, which is surely an added bonus.

By comparison, even Van Aanholt is only managing 0.3 tackles, 0.3 interceptions and 1.3 clearances per game in the Premier League so far this season, via WhoScored.

Quite why Villa decided to sell Amavi in the first place we will probably never understand but their loss could be Palace’s gain if Parish can get a deal done in time.

Former Villa manager Tim Sherwood once described him as a “terrific” player after he signed a five-year deal at Villa Park, whilst now-Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce insisted the versatile player is “very professional.”

The left-back position at Selhurst Park has become a bit of a problem in recent years, which could be compounded by Van Aanholt’s potential exit, but Parish could land a like-for-like replacement instead, or at the very least, someone who would be able to provide Tyrick Mitchell with some decent competition for a place in the starting line-up.

The £9m-rated defender (via Transfermarkt) certainly seems like the perfect replacement, and who knows, if he impresses, he could become the first-choice starter for years to come. He’ll be chomping at the bit to do so, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Hodgson must convince Patrick van Aanholt to stay as Crystal Palace contract talks face collapse…

Manchester City might have returned to the top-four with a 2-0 win against Fulham on Saturday afternoon but the performance of Benjamin Mendy may well have concerned Pep Guardiola.

The French international, who earns £90,000-a-week as per Spotrac, recently returned from injury and has started three of the Citizens’ last four games, with his goal in last week’s 5-0 win against Burnley always likely to lead to a star against the Cottagers this weekend.

However, despite the comfortable nature of City’s win, the left-back produced a really poor performance, which may lead Guardiola to restore Kyle Walker to his starting line-up for the Citizens’ next fixture.

As per SofaScore, the 26-year-old earned a 6.2 rating for his display, which comfortably ranked him as the Citizens’ worst player during the game.

Of the seven ground duels he was involved in, Mendy was able to win none, with the Fulham players regularly getting the better of him, despite City’s dominance.

He was also slack with his passing, losing possession nine times during the game, whilst neither of his two crosses during the game were accurate.

After an impressive start to his time with Manchester City, serious injury problems have turned the former Monaco man into an extremely inconsistent player, with him perhaps fortunate that today’s disappointing display wasn’t punished by a Fulham side that never really looked like scoring.

Back in 2019, Guardiola labelled the Frenchman as an “extraordinary player”, following a 4-1 win against Dinamo Zagreb, but he perhaps didn’t live up to that billing against Scott Parker’s men.

Considering City’s next game in the Premier League sees them travel to Old Trafford to face their old rivals Manchester United, it will be interesting to see if Guardiola keeps faith with the French left-back for that game, after today’s game demonstrated his unreliability at times.

And, in other news… Forget 2023: Guardiola will stay for life if Man City sign 20 y/o worth his weight in gold