All posts by z3u9t.icu

Leeds United have been forced into experimenting in a key position.

Kalvin Phillips’ injury has forced Marcelo Bielsa into conjuring up a plan that involves playing Pascal Struijk as a defensive midfielder, and that should set alarm bells ringing in another man’s head.

Indeed, Adam Forshaw should be watching Struijk’s performances in the holding midfield role with a vested interest as his Leeds career may hinge on it.

Forshaw hasn’t played in over a year due to injury, but if he were available he’d likely be United’s second-choice in that defensive midfield role behind Kalvin Phillips. However, if Struijk slots in there and shines, he may drop further down that pecking order.

The former Middlesbrough man’s Leeds career already looks to be dangling by a thread, with United making no secret about the fact they wanted to sign a new midfielder in the summer. Their highly-publicised pursuit of Michael Cuisance fell apart at the 11th hour, and if Struijk usurps him in the defensive midfield hierarchy that may be the final nail in his coffin.

It’s a real shame to say that as well because Forshaw was one of Bielsa’s favourite players when he was fit and available with the Argentine previously saying that he combines the best qualities of Phillips and Mateusz Klich, but a lot has changed at Elland Road since Forshaw last played.

Struijk certainly has the talent to succeed in that role and he has earnt a lot of praise from Bielsa, who has described him as a “complete player” and “valuable” in the past.

The 21-year-old faces a huge challenge in trying to fill Phillips’ shoes over the next six weeks, but if he can show that he’s a capable defensive midfielder it could spell trouble for Forshaw’s future at Elland Road.

It’s certainly something to keep in mind in the coming weeks.

Just days after reports had suggested Tottenham had made serious enquiries about Beijing Guoan’s Kim-Min jae, it appears things aren’t as straightforward as it seemed.

Sky Sports now claim that the centre-back has been told to stay at the Chinese Super League side, and that they have insisted they “do not want to sanction a sale”.

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The report further adds that “it will take a big offer for Guoan to consider a sale later this summer”, with the South Korea international said to be frustrated at his side’s stance.

And after hearing about the update on their move for Kim, Spurs fans flooded to Twitter to share their reactions.

A couple of Spurs supporters questioned how quickly things have changed, with earlier reports even suggesting that Kim was flying into London in order to agree personal terms.

Understandably, some Spurs fans don’t seem to think Daniel Levy will be splashing the cash this summer.

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With this being Jose Mourinho’s first summer transfer window in charge, the Portuguese man will no doubt be impressing upon the Spurs chairman just how important new signings will be for the future of the club.

Getting a deal for Kim over the line would be a statement that they are heading in the right direction.

Celtic could reignite their interest in one of Neil Lennon’s former transfer targets and he’d be the ideal man to fill the creative void left behind by Stuart Armstrong two years ago…

What’s the word?

According to The Scottish Sun, the Bhoys are set to pursue Motherwell playmaker David Turnbull for a second time as they ramp up their scouting efforts.

It’s claimed that Lennon sent first team coach Gavin Strachan to watch the 21-year-old in action against Hibs last weekend – over a year after his £3.25m move from Fir Park collapsed.

There is a belief that the Hoops chief could pull the trigger before the transfer window shuts on October 5th.

Armstrong successor

Turnbull’s switch to Parkhead fell through due to a knee concern in his medical, but it appears he’s come on leaps and bounds since following successful surgery.

He’s featured in all four of Well’s Premiership matches this term, impressing once more. Per WhoScored, Turnbull has averaged a whopping 3.8 key passes, 3.3 crosses and 2.3 shots per game.

Which only goes to show that he’s back to his creative best, if not better.

Lennon admitted last year that the young Scotsman was an “elegant” player “we’ve admired for a while” whilst skipper Scott Brown believed the potential move for his fellow countryman would have been “fantastic” as he’s got “the winning mentality”.

The 6 foot 1 maestro clinched the SFWA Young Player of the Year award in 2019 after 13 goals from midfield in just 25 league starts, becoming Well’s hottest property since James McFadden.

The Scottish champions, arguably, are yet to truly replace the gap left behind by Armstrong, who swapped Celtic Park for St Mary’s in June 2018 – he provided 17 goals and seven assists during the 2017 treble season.

If the Bhoys can secure him for around £3m again, it would be a steal.

Turnbull is very much in the same mould as the Saints man and should absolutely be secured this time around. He’d be a surefire hit in Glasgow.

AND in other news, Commons believes there’s “absolutely no chance” Bhoys STAR leaves club this summer…

After Steven Bergwijn opened the scoring for Tottenham on Friday, Manchester United were preparing for the worst.

Bergwijn beat Harry Maguire and David De Gea with blistering pace, before the Red Devils clawed their way back into the game with a penalty from Bruno Fernandes.

While this could be a minor blip, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has indicated he wants to sign a new centre-back in the summer, and has identified Kalidou Koulibaly at the top of his shortlist.

Now, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, as per Sport Witness, Napoli have only received one offer for Koulibaly so far, which has come from the Red Devils.

Koulibaly has been linked to most of Europe’s biggest clubs at some point in his career to date.

It is fair to say the 28-year-old is one of the best defenders in the world, making 15 appearances in Serie A for Gennaro Gattuso’s side this season and featuring in 6 games in the Champions League – attempting 2.2 tackles per game, averaging 1.5 interceptions and completing a whopping 5.2 clearances on average in the European competition (WhoScored).

Man United have shockingly conceded three more goals than Premier League newcomers Sheffield United and ten more than Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Although Maguire has been solid at the back, his partner-in-crime Victor Lindelof has never looked particularly convincing. Indeed, the Swede has been given a below-par WhoScored rating of 6.65 for his performances so far.

With Marcos Rojo and Phil Jones seemingly heading out the door in the summer, there is room for another veteran to take their place.

However, United are only prepared to offer €80m, which roughly equates to £72m, for the Senegalese defender.

Ed Woodward is unwilling to go any higher, which will not be enough to convince Aurelio de Laurentiis.

Clubs are operating in uncertain times, and the executive vice-chairman has made it clear United’s summer spending could be limited as a result of the financial repercussions of the coronavirus crisis. As it stands, Solskjaer may miss out on Koulibaly when the transfer market opens.

United fans, should Ed Woodward splash the cash to sign Kalidou Koulibaly in the summer? Let us know down below!

Tottenham Hotspur are looking to make a summer swoop for Willian as his contract stalemate with Chelsea continues.

The Brazilian playmaker has attracted attention following his form since the Premier League restarted, particularly as his current contract is about to expire. According to Football Insider, Jose Mourinho is keen on taking Willian to Spurs and is lining up a lucrative deal to convince him to make the move across London.

In an interview with Expediente Futebol (via Football Insider), the 31-year-old revealed that Chelsea are only willing to offer him a two-year extension on his contract. However, the winger is looking to pen another three years.

“I think it will be very difficult for me to renew because Chelsea offered me two years, I asked for three and it ended there, we didn’t talk anymore, we didn’t negotiate anymore,” Willian said. “Three years – Chelsea said it would be impossible, so for now there’s this difficulty.”

If the Blues can’t make a three-year deal work or otherwise convince the Brazilian to stay, he will be on the market as a free agent once the season ends.

Willian has been involved in seven of Chelsea’s goals since the restart, netting four and assisting three in six appearances (via Sofascore). His recent contributions take him to 63 goals and 62 assists in his time at Chelsea (via Transfermarkt). If he becomes available for free this summer, clubs will be swarming for his signature.

Mourinho’s side haven’t been up to scratch this season, earning just 49 points and sitting in a disappointing 9th place in the Premier League table. To bring in a proven goalscorer like Willian would be a huge step in the right direction for Tottenham – their current right wingers on record have scored just six league goals between them this season whilst the Brazilian boasts nine on his own (via Transfermarkt).

However, Chelsea would be foolish to let Willian go without a fight this summer. With the current form he is in, he could be an integral part of Frank Lampard’s team that hopes to challenge for the league title next season.

Do you think Chelsea should keep or sell Willian, Blues? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Loads of Tottenham Hotspur fans have been reacting on Twitter after TranSpurs relayed a story where goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga suggested Boca Juniors midfielder Jorman Campuzano as a potential signing for the north London outfit.

The Spurs stopper was being interviewed by radio station 94.7FM, with the quotes published by TYCsports.

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Gazzaniga said: “If Mourinho asks me for a reinforcement of Argentine soccer, I tell him to bring Jorman Campuzano.”

Obviously, it is unlikely that Jose Mourinho will ask one of his players for some transfer tips, but it is interesting that the former Southampton keeper has suggested a defensive midfielder.

It is a position where Tottenham look to need reinforcements, with Victor Wanyama leaving for America and the likes of Harry Winks, Eric Dier and Tanguy Ndombele not really being up to scratch when they have featured there.

The 5 foot 9 midfielder has made 33 appearances for Boca, and the 23-year-old showed that he isn’t afraid of putting his foot in having picked up 11 yellow cards in 33 outings for previous club Atletico Nacional.

Some of the Spurs supporters have clearly been looking the midfielder up on YouTube if they hadn’t heard of him before, with one comparing him to a “young Mousa Dembele” – a player Tottenham are arguably yet to replace unless Ndombele comes good.

Here is just a selection of the reaction…

In other Tottenham news, talkSPORT pundit Adrian Durham has launched a brutal attack on Harry Kane & Jose Mourinho…

A lot of West Ham fans were quick to praise former Iron Steve Potts after COYIrons wished the player happy birthday.

It clearly seems that the Englishman left fond memories at the club as fans discussed how good he was and it is easy to see why as he enjoyed a great career in East London.

The defender managed to make 506 appearances for the side, per West Ham United, from 1985-2002 and even managed to score one goal along the way, whilst picking up the accolade of ‘Hammer of the Year’ twice, once in 1993 and again in 1995.

It is amazing to see how long the player was at the club, and his loyalty has not gone unrewarded as he now finds himself as a coach for the youth sides and the young academy prospects will surely be starstruck that they are learning from a legend of the club.

Here is what fans had to say following the tweet, with one even dubbing him as “Mr Dependable”:

Hammers fans, how good was Steve Potts? Comment below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Since leaving Liverpool earlier in the summer for £6.4m, Simon Mignolet appears to be rebuilding his career with Belgian outfit Club Brugge.

The shot-stopper was a regular for the Reds for much of his time there, making 204 appearances across six years, and he managed to keep 66 clean sheets along the way. Now back in his homeland, he appears to be doing rather well, having not conceded in 11 of his first 20 games for his new club.

In the north of England, though, there were portions of the club’s fanbase who often lambasted him for his displays, and it was not without justification.

During his time at Liverpool, he made 18 errors that led directly to goals in the league. For context, that places him at joint-sixth on the Premier League’s official website. That makes his claims that he was unfairly treated by Liverpool rather bizarre. He told Het Belang van Limburg (via The Daily Express): “If I could really fight for my place, I might have stayed. But if I had ended up in goal if Alisson picked up injury, I would be allowed to push ten shots out of the box.”

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Jurgen Klopp wanted a top-class goalkeeper, and he went and signed one in Alisson. The Brazil international cost £67m, but has since repaid the money spent on him with his impressive performances. Across one-and-a-bit campaigns, he has an average save percentage of 76.8%. Mignolet could only manage 64.7% during his time there, and he never matched the 27-year-old’s 77.8% last time out in one campaign.

The fact of the matter is, Mignolet just wasn’t good enough to be a member of a title-challenging side like Alisson is.

These comments about him being unfairly treated are nothing short of delusional. Had he proven his worth to Klopp when he had the chance prior to the former Roma man’s arrival, it may have been a different story, but his failure to impress is no-one else’s fault other than his own. As Liverpool now top the Premier League table, it is unlikely any sleep will be lost over these quotes.

Loads of fans have been left stunned by something Virgil van Dijk said about his time at Celtic, as he revealed the best player he played with for the Hoops.Captain, leader and legend Scott Brown? Up and coming Leigh Griffiths? Prime Kris Commons? No, according to van Dijk, the best player he ever shared the pitch with in green and white hoops was Stefan Johansen.

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The Liverpool star was hosting a question and answers session with supporters on Twitter when he was asked about his greatest Celtic teammate, and fans were shocked when he opted for Johansen.

The Fulham midfielder has bagged four goals this season, but it’s fair to say he was slightly more prolific during his time in Glasgow, netting 13 goals and providing 10 assists in the 2014/15 season.

The Norway professional grabbed four goals and nine assists the following season after van Dijk had left the club that summer, and it seems he certainly left an impression.

Check out some of the stunned Twitter reactions down below…

Peter LawwellÂshould be eyeing a big chance to cash in on Celtic star…

Manchester City fans have hit back at Ryan Giggs after the Manchester United legend claimed the treble-winning team of 1999 would win the title today.

Giggs claims that the United team two decades ago would surpass City’s unstoppable force in England right now, as they were “something special”.

The Welshman told The United Stand: “Would the 1999 team win the league? 100 per cent.

“It would not be easy, but we would. The City side are fantastic, with a fantastic coach, but that team was something special.”

City fans, as you would expect, are not in agreement with the ex-Premier League star. Some City fans have pointed out that United only achieved 79 points, which is a fair statement when you consider Pep Guardiola’s side have won 100 and 98 points respectively in the past two seasons.

Furthermore, the Citizens won a domestic treble last campaign, but have failed to reach the pinnacle of the Champions League like United did.

Also, there would be a tense battle between two of the best-ever in Pep Guardiola and Sir Alex Ferguson, which in itself is a major talking point.

However, City fans seem to think there would only be one winner in this title race, and it’s them…