All posts by n8rngtd.top

Frank McAvennie has been left fuming at what he has now heard from Newcastle United’s recent takeover case.

The Lowdown: Newcastle threatened

As cited by The Daily Telegraph, the St. James’ Park faithful were threatened with expulsion from the Premier League during the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) hearing on Wednesday.

This is one of two legal battles Mike Ashley is fighting the top flight over, as the separate arbitration case between the two parties over the stalled takeover deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium is now set to take place on January 3rd.

The Latest: McAvennie on threat

Speaking to Football Insider, former Celtic and West Ham United striker McAvennie, 61, has now expressed his fume at the division after hearing about their threat to the North East club:

“It’s ridiculous they would say that.

“Why would they clamp down that hard on that? They can’t just kick clubs out of the league. They can’t do that.

“I’m sure they can threaten it but there is so much legality in kicking someone out. I don’t know if they can.

“I’m glad it sounds like this will all be done soon because the Newcastle fans need answers.

“We need to know what happened and why this has taken so long. It’s a disgrace from the Premier League.”

The Verdict: Pressure mounting

For the Premier League to threaten the Tyneside outfit with expulsion suggests that the pressure is now mounting on them as the takeover saga develops.

It is a threat that was and is certainly not needed going into the arbitration process next year, as the two parties need to come to an agreement over the direction of where the bid is likely to be heading.

Nonetheless, if the top flight were to go through with their threat, then there would no doubt be yet another legal battle brewing between them and the Magpies, as tensions are seemingly never going to stop rising.

In other news, find out what ‘positive news’ on arbitration emerged here!

Rangers will be looking to reclaim their spot at the top of the Scottish Premiership as they host Hibernian at Ibrox on Sunday.

Hearts are two points ahead of Steven Gerrard’s team as it stands, having played their eighth game of the campaign on Saturday. Hibernian, meanwhile, are third and could also go top with a win against the Gers, as they sit on 15 points.

Gerrard’s side will have to bounce back from a Europa League defeat to Sparta Prague in order to come out on top against Hibs. They lost 1-0 to the Czech side and that result could force the manager into making some changes to his XI.

One player he should unleash on Hibernian is Colombian centre-forward Alfredo Morelos.

We published an article on Saturday explaining why Fashion Sakala should be axed from the XI. The striker’s performance against Sparta was disappointing as he struggled to make any tangible, positive, impact on the match, losing possession 20 times and managing one shot and zero key passes.

This could open the door for Morelos to start. Gerrard must unleash him from the off and allow the attacker to get at Hibernian and cause them issues, as he has the quality to be a match-winner for Rangers at this level.

Speaking anonymously to The Athletic in 2019, one Premiership defender lauded Morelos as ‘deceptive’ with his strength on the pitch.

He told The Athletic: “When he goes to shield the ball it’s so difficult. His body strength and ball control are very good, so he makes it very difficult for you. He is deceptive with his physical attributes, but what I’d say he’s best at is when the ball is played up to him. He lets you think that you can nip in front of him and then his timing to put his body in and spin you is excellent.”

This highlights how difficult the £33k-per-week dynamo can be to play against for Premiership defenders. His record in the division also proves that he can be a match-winner. In 115 league matches, Morelos has scored 55 goals and provided 23 assists for the Gers.

He has produced a direct goal contribution every 1.47 games in the division, which shows how much of a threat he is at this level. Therefore, he could be the player to win the match for Gerrard against Hibs with a goal or an assist. That’s exactly why Sakala should be dropped in order for Morelos to take his place in the starting XI.

AND in other news, Gerrard masterclass: Rangers beast has seen his value soar 33.3% in less than 2 years…

Noel Whelan expects Leeds United youngster Lewis Bate to make his first-team debut ‘sooner rather than later’.

The former Whites forward was discussing the 18-year-old’s prospects with Football Insider.

The lowdown

Leeds beat the likes of Liverpool, Leicester City and West Ham United to the signature of Bate back in July. He penned a four-year contract on his arrival at Elland Road (via The Athletic).

So far this season, all of Bate’s football has come at youth level. He’s made seven Premier League 2 appearances and also had an outing in the EFL Trophy (via Transfermarkt).

He may have been expected to feature for the first team in the domestic cups, but he’s been overlooked for the recent games against Crewe Alexandra and Fulham.

Other members of the Under-23 squad, like Charlie Cresswell and Crysencio Summerville, have featured for Marcelo Bielsa’s side in the early part of the campaign.

The latest

Whelan says he felt at the outset that Bate’s path to the senior side would be swift.

He explained that Leeds will want their established midfielders to be aware of the extra competition.

“To come to Leeds, I felt this was another signing which we could see, probably, making his breakthrough into the first team sooner rather than later,” he told FI.

“Whether that’s on the bench, he’s a good young player doing good things in the under-23s.

“That’s what you want to do. You want players coming in, catching the eye of the manager and putting pressure on the first team.”

The verdict

It looks as if Leeds are adopting a patient, cautious approach with Bate, and that’s fine.

He needs ample time to prepare himself given that there are few coaches who demand more of their players than Marcelo Bielsa.

Fans will hope, however, that he doesn’t find himself in a similar position to Joe Gelhardt, who can’t seem to get his chance despite his starring performances at Under-23 level.

In other news, read this journalist’s intriguing Diego Martinez claim.

Newcastle United are now reportedly expected to make a transfer offer for Wesley Fofana after contacting his entourage.

The Lowdown: Big names linked

It was always going to be inevitable that the St. James’ Park faithful were going to be linked with some big names in the world of football after the takeover by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium was completed.

Among those names in recent days are the likes of Aaron Ramsey and Lorenzo Insigne, as it seems as if the new owners would like to strengthen in all areas of the pitch.

The Latest: Fofana contact

As per RMC Sport, the North East club have now come into contact with Fofana’s entourage ahead of a potential move, and the Leicester City central defender is now becoming a ‘priority’ for them.

A concrete offer is expected to be made for him ‘in the coming weeks’, once he recovers from injury.

The Verdict: Sign

Even though Fofana is injured at the moment, the new owners should still be looking to bring him to Tyneside at all costs.

Currently rated at £36m by Transfermarkt, the 6 foot 3 beast was instrumental in firing the Foxes into fifth spot in the Premier League table once more last season, winning no fewer than 6.5 of his duels per game, while also averaging 3.3 clearances, 2.2 interceptions and 1.8 tackles per match (Sofascore).

Brendan Rodgers, who has been strongly linked with replacing Steve Bruce himself, dubbed him as ‘colossal’ back in November.

Nonetheless, he would certainly be the type of statement signing that the Magpies need to kick off the new era.

In other news, find out what Fabrizio Romano has revealed about two NUFC targets here!

Crystal Palace have been warned that it’s likely to take a substantial fee to prize midfielder Conor Gallagher away from Chelsea on a permanent deal.

What’s the story?

The highly-rated 21-year-old joined Palace on a season-long loan deal from the Blues over the summer and has already established himself as a fan’s favourite following a string of full-blooded displays.

And now, journalist Tom Barclay has claimed the Eagles are going to have to stump up between £30m and £40m if they want to secure the youngster’s services on a long-term basis.

The reporter told GIVEMESPORT: “If Chelsea do want to cash in on him and don’t think he’s quite good enough for them, he’ll go for a lot of money, I imagine.

“He signed a five-year deal under Frank Lampard, so he has got another three years or so on that. We’re probably talking about £30m or £40m, I imagine. You’ve also got to think how much is it going to cost to replace a player like that?”

Crystal Palace fans may be concerned

Gallagher burst onto the scene during a 12-month spell with West Bromwich Albion last term, scoring two goals and providing a further two assists in a hugely disappointing Baggies side.

Although the box-to-box dynamo was unable to prevent the Midlands outfit from suffering relegation from the Premier League, he caught the eye with several impressive performances.

The England U21 international did enough to earn another chance in the top-flight with Palace, and he’s already shown why Eagles boss Patrick Vieira brought him to Selhurst Park.

A return of two goals and one assist in his opening eight league outings has endeared Gallagher to the south London outfit’s passionate fanbase, but pulling on a Palace shirt on a permanent basis is likely to take a substantial outlay.

With his current contract not expiring until the summer of 2025, the youngster’s current market value is £13.5m, and that fee is only set to rise.

Therefore, the capital club’s supporters may be concerned at Barclay’s latest revelation regarding their midfield maestro, with worries over life after Gallagher already setting in.

And, in other news…Vieira must unleash “fearless” £13.5m-rated Palace wizard, he could have a huge impact 

Crystal Palace have often struggled to produce top-class talent within their own academy, but things are slowly beginning to change in south London.

The likes of Wilfried Zaha, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tyrick Mitchell have been nurtured at the capital club’s youth academy in recent years, which has recently been awarded Category 1 status after extensive redevelopment.

And the newfound status of Palace’s facilities should allow them to compete with their more affluent rivals both on and off the pitch, as outlined by chairman Steve Parish.

“Our ambition is to have one of the country’s leading football academies to capitalise on the hotbed of footballing talent in south London,” said Parish.

“The investment in the playing facilities, education offering and player care provision will enable us to attract and develop the next generation of Wilfried Zahas and Aaron Wan-Bissakas.”

It doesn’t appear to have taken long for the Selhurst Park outfit to see the rewards of their investment either, with the U18s only missing out on the league title due to goal difference last season.

One player who was instrumental in Palace’s push for success was striker Victor Akinwale. The 17-year-old bagged eight goals and provided three assists in 24 league games throughout 2020/21, and was rewarded for his efforts with four outings for the U23s.

The club’s official website describes the youngster as a physically imposing forward capable of bringing others into play, indicating he possesses similar traits to current Palace striker Christian Benteke.

“Battling from the front, he formed dangerous partnerships with David Omilabu and Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, his strength holding up the ball and playing with his back to goal complemented by the technical ability to bring others into play,” his description reads.

“His nine goals in 2020/21 were crucial in Palace’s breakthrough debut season at Category 1 level, including an early winner at Chelsea that set the precedent for their season. His performances were recognised by Shaun Derry, who rewarded Akinwale with minutes at Under-23s level.”

And the teenager has taken his game to another level in the opening weeks of the current campaign. In just six league games for the U18’s, the powerful attacker has found the back of the net on six occasions.

With Benteke set to turn 31 in December, Akinwale could prove to be the Belgium international’s natural heir at Palace, and new manager Patrick Vieira could be set to unearth the latest prospect from the club’s conveyor belt.

And, in other news…Palace liability who lost possession 22 times let Vieira down against Newcastle 

Rangers extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership with an emphatic 6-1 win over Motherwell at Fir Park on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard’s side ran riot as a hat-trick from Fashion Sakala led the scoring for the Gers in the thumping victory over the weekend.

They are now four points clear of Celtic and have won eight of their 12 league matches to date, with their attention now turning to a Europa League clash with Brondby on Thursday.

The Gers are on the hunt for their second win in the group stage of the competition and Gerrard will need to be ruthless with his decision-making to give his side the best possible chance of winning. That is why he will surely have taken note of Scott Arfield’s display against Motherwell.

In a sublime team performance by Rangers, the experienced midfielder failed to show off the best of his abilities and left a lot to be desired from his individual display.

Arfield struggled at both ends of the pitch as he recorded a lower SofaScore rating (6.4) than all three of Motherwell’s starting midfielders despite their side losing 6-1. He failed to make a significant impact in the final third in spite of Rangers’ success going forward and was a lightweight facing his own goal.

Defensively, he was not strong enough. Per SofaScore, he lost 87.5% (7/8) of his individual duels on the pitch and was dribbled past twice in the game. He did make two interceptions in midfield but failed to make a single clearance, block or tackle in the 90 minutes. This shows that he was outmuscled and outfought by the opposition when it came to 50/50 tussles, which should concern Gerrard heading into more competitive matches.

On the ball, he was not much better. Via SofaScore, he was unable to provide a single key pass for Rangers despite the side taking 30 shots in total. He also had a 50% success rate with his attempted long passes and dribbles, as he lost possession eight times. This shows that he lacked the quality on the ball to match the impressive nature of his teammates’ displays in the final third.

Therefore, Gerrard will surely be left feeling let down by the ex-Burnley man’s performance and seriously considering his place in the XI ahead of the match against Brondby. He cannot afford to have a liability in midfield and Arfield did not pull his own weight against Motherwell as he was carried by the rest of the side.

AND in other news, Forget Sakala: £7.2m-rated Rangers gem who made 8 key passes was Gerrard’s unsung hero…

Antonio Conte is the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, and that could spell trouble for midfield outcast Dele Alli.

The 25-year-old’s career has slumped in recent seasons, not only is he out of the side currently but he’s also a long way off England reckoning.

Things looked to have been different very early on this season as Nuno Santo opted to start him in Spurs’ opening six league games. And he looked like his former self when scoring against the Portuguese’s former club, Wolves.

However, the £27m-rated star was a half-time casualty during their embarrassing north London derby defeat to Arsenal right before the international break and he has not really been seen since.

Just like under Jose Mourinho, who famously branded him “lazy” in more colourful terms during Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ docuseries, Alli now finds himself at a crossroads in his career once more.

Given the Italian’s strict methods and training regimes, he should be running scared for his future in north London.

In an interview with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry for Sky Sports, Conte was asked how he would deal with problematic players, the sorts that maybe do not want to give their all on the training pitch.

“I always talk about education and respect. I give this, but I demand it,” he replied. “If someone doesn’t have the right attitude during training or the right behavior, under different circumstances, then I’d rather kill them.”

At both Chelsea and Inter Milan, the 52-year-old implemented diet plans for the players to follow in order to benefit their health and performance. Evidently, this is a key part of his plan as it brought home a Premier League and Serie A title.

Alli was dubbed a “freak of a talent” who was up there with Paul Scholes and Steven Gerrard by Lilywhites legend Darren Anderton during one of his best-ever seasons, in which he provided a whopping 18 goals and seven assists in the Premier League.

However, since the start of the 2020/21 season, the Englishman has only bagged three times and provided five assists across all competitions alone, as per WhoScored, so the regression has been alarming.

With Mourinho’s comments over how poorly Alli trains, it would be a surprise to see him become a favourite under Conte. In fact, the opposite should be expected and as such, he could be running out of time in N17.

Conte’s appointment could be the final nail in the coffin for a once hugely promising sensation.

AND in other news, Spurs could finally replace Christian Eriksen by signing £58.5m-rated “elite talent”…

Speaking to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur ‘insider’ and club source John Wenham has made a claim involving in-form youngster Dilan Markanday.

The Lowdown: Markanday shining…

Over 2021/22, it’s safe to say that the 20-year-old forward has been in sublime form for Tottenham’s Under-23s.

Indeed, Markanday has been a constant threat for Wayne Burnett’s side this season, notching an incredible 10 goals and two assists in 10 Premier League 2 outings (Transfermarkt).

This academy run prompted Spurs to give him his first senior nod recently, with the player debuting against Vitesse in the Europa Conference League in late October.

Markanday’s form has prompted talks of another new deal after he put pen to paper on a contract extension earlier this year, one which keeps him at Spurs until the end of this season.

Sharing what he knows, Wenham has now made a claim on the starlet’s situation as things stand.

The Latest: Exit talks ‘ongoing’…

As per the insider, speaking to Football Insider, Spurs want to extend Markanday’s deal before potentially sending him out on loan in January, with those talks apparently ‘ongoing’ behind the scenes.

“There will certainly be loan enquiries in January,” Wenham explained.

“Actually, I’m told those talks are ongoing. Tottenham just want to extend that contract before he goes.

“I think if he doesn’t play between now and January, he will 100% leave in January.

“I’m certain League One clubs will already be asking about taking him on loan in January. That would be great for his development. I just want him to be playing.

“I would rather that was in the leagues instead of just in our Under 23 setup. He’s at that stage where he needs proper competitive football on a regular basis.”

The Verdict: Next stage…,

Like Wenham, we believe that a potential loan to England’s third tier could be just what Markanday needs in the next stage of his development as a Spurs player.

Having already dazzled at academy level, as evident by his rip-roaring form, the 20-year-old could now do with more senior experience whilst trying to replicate his fellow N17 graduates.

Troy Parrott has been shining on a temporary spell at MK Dons so far this season (90min), while defender J’Neil Bennett has been a regular at Crewe, starting nine League one matches while getting on the scoresheet and providing one assist (Transfermarkt).

If Markanday can go out on loan and replicate the young duo’s performances, Tottenham could be about to nurture yet another promising talent.

In other news: Spurs now close to signing ‘monster’ as Conte seeks to solve severe problem, find out more here.

It is no secret that Leeds’ injury crisis this season has had a knock-on effect which reflects their position in the table right now.

With numerous key players missing at one point or another, Leeds have struggled to establish a run of form in the Premier League this season and are currently 17th in the table, with a relegation battle in sight if they don’t pick up points over the next few weeks.

One key injury which has hampered the goal threat for Marcelo Bielsa’s side is the one to Patrick Bamford. He was an integral member of the starting XI last season, scoring 17 goals and setting up his team-mates eight times, which even sparked shouts of an England call-up from many for Euro 2020 last summer.

It is clear that the striker’s injury is a big blow with numbers like those, but with no confirmation of a return date so far, it’s looking like Bielsa will need to find another way to cover the goals and assists needed to compete in the Premier League.

The Leeds manager spoke out ahead of the Spurs game about both Ayling and Bamford, saying: “They’re not available for the game on Sunday. The evolution is controlled on a daily basis and I would not want to give you a date that won’t be met. When my responses are brief it’s because I can’t offer certainty.”

The striker picked up his ankle injury in September and was hopeful to return after the October international break but that hasn’t been the case, and Bielsa confirmed that the 28-year-old’s ankle issue was “not a simple injury”.

Leeds will have to do without the striker until further notice, but have been handed a boost with Raphinha back in action and will be hoping that he can drive the team forward with some important attacking performances to keep the side out of the relegation zone before winter break.

It is unclear if the Whites will seek to add more attacking players at Elland Road during the winter transfer window, which could be dependent on further injuries or a better picture of whether Bamford will become available before then.

With only two other teams scoring fewer Premier League goals, the continued absence of last season’s top scorer will come as a gutting blow to Bielsa as he aims to lift Leeds away from trouble.

In other news: this potential partnership could unlock success for Leeds