All posts by z3u9t.icu

It’s easy to see why Nigel Adkins took the Charlton Athletic job.

The vastly-experienced 56-year-old has a proven track record in the lower leagues of English football and would’ve leapt at the opportunity to save them from their freefall.

He arguably made his name at Southampton, where he led the south coast outfit to back-to-back promotions from League One to the Premier League, handing them a shot at the big time after a seven-year absence.

There are plenty of similarities between that Saints side and the Addicks now; former top-flight teams dwindling in the third tier, foreign owners prepared to stump up the cash to save the club, and a fanbase to fit a 27,000-seater stadium.

But could Adkins take inspiration from a side that won promotion a decade ago? He’s certainly well-equipped to…

On the Chalkboard

In Preston loanee Jayden Stockley, the Charlton manager could find his next Rickie Lambert – a powerful striker fit to lead the line at this level.

The 27-year-old talisman has very much had a comparable career to that of the Saints legend, prior to their arrivals at their respective clubs, both were well-travelled.

Lambert jumped from club to club in the lower leagues, playing for the likes of Blackpool, Macclesfield Town, Stockport County and Bristol Rovers before finding his feet at St Mary’s.

Stockley has played for 14 different clubs, thanks largely to boyhood club AFC Bournemouth shipping him out on loan every year.

Both stand at 6 foot 2, and are known for their target man ability. Indeed, WhoScored list the £810k-rated forward as a threat from set-pieces whilst a whopping 6.3 aerial duels won across League One and the Championship only reinforces that thinking.

No other Addicks star is managing to win as many battles in the air as Stockley (9.4). Speaking about his strength, former teammate Sean Maguire once said: “He’s a fantastic player. The guy can hold up a house. He’s strong and his hold-up play is one of the best I’ve played with.”

This sort of ability should see Stockley fit in a range of systems and tactics – two-up top? one-man? He should be able to do it all. Just like Lambert at the Saints.

Adkins could be onto a winner if he draws inspiration from his old side, and the five-goal loan star must be at the centre of it all up top.

AND in other news, Forget Famewo: Charlton ace who lost possession 21x vs AFCW has already badly let Adkins down…

Mike Ashley faces a tough decision at Newcastle United after reports claimed SL Benfica are willing to listen to offers for Nuno Tavares.

What’s the word?

According to O Jogo, Benfica may look to cash in on Tavares and Grimaldo at the end of the season after identifying Ruben Vinagre as a potential replacement.

Newcastle and Burnley are believed to be eyeing summer swoops for Tavares, but could face a rival approach from Serie A heavyweight SSC Napoli.

The Toon and Clarets also face paying a whopping €30m (£27m) to sign Tavares, yet Benfica’s stance has weakened with SAD now open to offers.

Tavares and Grimaldo could soon leave the Estadio Sport Lisboa e Benfica as Aguias boss Jorge Jesus has given his blessing to a pursuit of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ left-back Vinagre.

Jesus believes the 21-year-old has qualities that will increase the competitiveness of his squad, while supporters have deemed the young defender to be a priority target after a below-par title challenge.

Benfica intend to pursue a deal for Vinagre at the end of the season as the Liga NOS giants feel they can sign him for less than €10m (£8.5m), having joined Wolves for close to €2m (£1.75m) in 2018 but only started 14 of 35 Premier League appearances.

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Vinagre joined Portuguese side FC Famalicao on loan this January and has started all 13 available top-flight fixtures to date, while being named in one of SofaScore’s Team of the Weeks and registered his first assist last Sunday.

Should Newcastle sign Benfica’s Tavares?

Reports surfacing in Portugal that Benfica are willing to listen to offers for Tavares will leave Ashley facing a big question this summer, as the Newcastle owner is not expected to make funds available to strengthen Steve Bruce’s squad.

A fee of around £27m would no doubt be considered too much for the Magpies to pay for Tavares, as the £4,900-per-week full-back has only started 12 of his 21 appearances across all competitions this season for a combined 1,097 minutes on the field.

But Newcastle have held a long-standing interest in the 21-year-old, with previous reports by O Jogo claiming that United lodged a €15m (£13m) bid back in 2019 and have clearly not been discouraged by his reduced game time.

The St. James’ Park natives are also thought to be in the market for a new left-back in the next transfer window, with The Shields Gazette noting recently that club chiefs are searching for competition for Jamal Lewis with Matt Ritchie expected to be sold.

It obviously remains to be seen how low Benfica are willing to reduce their asking price, but a fee closer to what the Toon bid two summers ago could be enough to see Ashley consider dipping into his pocket providing he is funding transfers for a Premier League side.

Doing so may also see Newcastle land an exciting upgrade on Lewis, who has lost his place in Bruce’s squad following a £15m transfer from Norwich City last year – having been left an unused substitute in United’s last four Premier League games.

Tavares carries possession out from the back 59.3 times per 90 minutes in the Liga NOS this season, far more often than Lewis (27.4) has in the Premier League. He also covers a higher progressive distance away from his goal (207 to 67.6 yards) and ventures into the final third for 24.4 touches to 11.8, per FBref.

The 6 foot Tavares is additionally willing to put his body on the line more often with 2.22 blocks to Lewis’ 1.72 and applies pressure outside the defensive third 11.11 times per 90 to 7.53.

Much will depend on Benfica’s asking price, but the Liga NOS giants considering offers will be a big boost to Newcastle in the race for his signature even if Ashley faces a tough call over funding a move.

But with football agent Cesar Boaventura hailing Tavares as “fast” and someone who could be “one of the best in Europe”, Ashley can kick-start an exciting new era at Newcastle by landing the 21-year-old starlet this summer.

AND in other news, Newcastle could offer a new contract to a player Steve Bruce has never spoken to…

Celtic have been linked with a move for Juventus scout Matteo Tognozzi in recent weeks.

The Hoops are looking to appoint a director of football in an off-field overhaul, with David Webb and Fergal Harkin two other names to be linked with the newly created Parkhead position.

Manchester United’s new man Murtough

Manchester United reportedly joined Celtic in the race for Tognozzi, however, the Red Devils confirmed on Wednesday that they have appointed John Murtough as the club’s new Football Director.

The announcement from the European giants appears to rule out any possible move for Tognozzi, leaving Celtic with a potential clear run to tie up a deal for the Italian.

Transfer Tavern take

With Dominic McKay coming in to replace Peter Lawwell this summer, appointing a director of football could turn out to be pivotal in regards to communication between Neil Lennon’s long-term successor and the new CEO.

Tognozzi has worked with Zenit St Petersburg, Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen prior to his current job with Juventus, earning plenty of experience all across Europe in the process.

He speaks good English and makes profits on players while also securing solid replacements, citing Porto’s model as one that has inspired him.

It seems as if a summer rebuild both on and off the pitch will get the green light, and Tognozzi, should he be appointed, could play a major role in the club’s summer transfer plans.

In other news: Celtic could miss out on an £8m profit on 25-year-old ace, find out more here.  

Steve Bruce could deliver a masterclass at Newcastle United by convincing Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye to accept a Deadline Day loan move.

What’s the word?

According to L’Equipe, via GFFN, Gueye has snubbed the offer of joining the Magpies after emerging as a potential target for the St. James’ Park outfit.

The French sports newspaper had reported on Sunday that Toon chiefs had contacted their Parisian counterparts to discuss a deal for the 31-year-old to see out the remainder of the season on Tyneside.

Gueye was not thought to be opposed to a return to the Premier League following three years with Everton but would favour a move to a club higher in the table than United, who sit eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Newcastle had reached an understanding with PSG over a loan move for Gueye before the 74-cap Senegal international rejected the deal, with his future in the French capital appearing increasingly bleak following the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino.

Gueye had started 10 of a potential 17 Ligue 1 fixtures under Thomas Tuchel this season, restricted by ankle and hamstring injuries, but has only played nine minutes since being replaced in the 56th-minute of a 3-0 win over Stade Brest on January 9 by Pochettino.

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Should Newcastle push for Gueye?

Gueye has experience of tasting relegation from the Premier League from his one-year spell with Aston Villa in 2015/16, so it is hardly surprising that he would prefer to avoid a dogfight upon a potential return to the division.

Yet Bruce should do all he can to convince the £16m-rated beast to accept a last gasp move to Tyneside, in what would be a masterclass in the market from the under-pressure Magpies boss who has faced relentless calls to be sacked over recent weeks.

While Gueye is seen in France to have struggled to adapt to Ligue 1 as he does not boast the personality needed for a club like PSG, he was one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League with Everton and earned a wealth of praise for it.

Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Phil Neville could only wax lyrical over the Senegal international following a 3-0 win for Everton over Sunderland in September 2016, with former Blues defender Neville describing him as “sensational” and “really special”.

He continued to build on those early efforts in Royal Blue to the point that in his final season, in 2018/19, Gueye ended the term with the second-most successful tackles (142)– one shy of Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi (143) – and the sixth-most interceptions (74) by any player in the division, per WhoScored.

Bruce would no doubt adore seeing Gueye mop up possession in the engine room at St. James’ Park over the remainder of the season, and should not relent on his interest in the out of favour PSG brute on Deadline Day.

AND in other news, Newcastle United have faced enquiries over a £15m deal to sell a Steve Bruce outcast…

Ahead of what will be a huge match for Leicester City in their chase for the title, they have been dealt a major injury blow. Brendan Rodgers confirmed that the problem James Justin picked up during their narrow FA Cup win over Brighton is the team’s worst fears.

Speaking to the club’s website, the manager revealed that the 22-year-old has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and will be undergoing surgery.

Since signing for the Foxes in 2019, Justin has been a revelation in the Leicester defence. This season in particular, the versatile right-back has been a stalwart for Rodgers, playing every single minute of Premier League football so far. In that time, he contributed nine clean sheets, two goals and two assists, as per Transfermarkt.

But this is now Justin’s season over. Steve Howey spoke with Football FanCast about the impact of his injury and how it will affect Leicester moving into their clash with Liverpool this afternoon.

“It’s a huge blow,” the former Foxes man said. “I think when you’ve got a player that you can rely on week in, week out, not only to play every minute, but to play every minute with the high quality that he gives Leicester then of course he’s going to be a big miss.”

Justin’s ability to play on either flank as well as in midfield has made him an indispensable cog in Rodgers’ well-oiled Leicester machine. According to Transfermarkt, the youngster has played just five Premier League games in his natural position at right-back. For the other 18 matches, Justin has played at left-back, left and right midfield and even centrally.

The boss has no choice but to rely on Ricardo Pereira, with Timothy Castagne still also sidelined due to injury. With an ACL injury, Justin will be out for a number of months and Leicester must work out how to cope without him.

In other news, Exclusive: Carlton Palmer waxes lyrical about Leicester’s transfer policy…

A report from The Times has explored the extent of financial damage relegation can cause for Newcastle United.

The Magpies find themselves 16th in the Premier League and only a single point ahead of 18th-placed Fulham, who have played a game more. They are also one point ahead of Brighton and find themselves in the middle of a relegation scrap, but failure to avoid the drop could have disastrous financial consequences.

NUFC players don’t have relegation clauses

A report from Martin Hardy in The Times has talked about the finances which can be affected by Newcastle’s potential relegation. It stated that the Magpies could witness ‘devastating’ financial consequences, as the club’s players don’t have relegation clauses in their contracts.

The Tynesiders have previously done that to avoid signings from being deterred from joining and, as a result of this clause, the club would have to take their Premier League wage bill to the Championship. The report added that their wage bill stood at £96.8m in June 2019, but since then they have roped in Joelinton, Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser and Jamal Lewis.

Clubs use relegation clauses to ensure that they manage the revenue drop in the absence of Premier League money, but the Magpies don’t have that in place.

Relegation could be disastarous for NUFC

While financial issues would likely crop up in case of relegation, it has been stated by journalist Liam Kennedy that dropping out of the Premier League could dramatically reduce chances of a potential takeover for the Magpies.

This clearly shows that they can’t afford to get relegated and could have severely damaging consequences, so Steve Bruce’s side need to turn their form around soon to avoid this unenviable scenario.

In other news, one Newcastle man could be set to return to the first team soon – read more here.

With Paul Pogba heavily linked with the Old Trafford exit, Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward could land the perfect replacement in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to veteran journalist Jonathan Shrager, the Red Devils are interested in Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma.

Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool are also said to be keen on landing the diminutive 5 ft 9 in midfielder, amid interest from a whole host of clubs from across Europe.

However, Brighton boss Graham Potter has dismissed these claims as sheer baloney. “There have been no approaches,” he said, as quoted by The Daily Mail. “As I’ve said before, just because it’s in the newspaper, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true.”

Whatever the case may be, Woodward simply must sanction a swoop for the former Mali international at all costs by any means necessary.

Solskjaer’s plan B

Bissouma has been in such fine form for the Seagulls since the start of the season, having provided one goal in 13 appearances in the Premier League, via Transfermarkt, while he is averaging 1.5 shots, 1.5 dribbles, 3.3 tackles and 1.6 clearances per game, via WhoScored. By comparison, even Pogba has only managed 1.2 tackles and 1.1 clearances on average per game in the Premier League so far, as per WhoScored.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been delighted with the Frenchman’s attitude in training and in matches amid intense speculation over his future at Old Trafford and insists .

If all else fails, if he cannot convince Pogba to stay at the club, a move for the Malian makes perfect sense in the meantime.

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Peter Crouch was effusive in his praise for the 24-year-old after the 2-1 defeat to Spurs in November. He told Match of the Day 2, as quoted by the Brighton & Hove Independent: “There is so much to admire from Brighton today apart from the cutting edge. “So often they had just one player in the box. Bissouma was fantastic throughout. Bissouma drove forward all afternoon but there were no runners, I don’t know where Neal Maupay was?â€

Even in the event that Pogba does end up leaving Old Trafford, this sort of forward-thinking midfielder would be most welcome in Manchester and signing a player who is capable of covering and replacing Pogba would be a shrewd bit of business, especially when you consider the fact that he is currently valued at a mere £11m via Transfermarkt, which is a fraction of the price Woodward paid Ajax for Donny van de Beek in the summer.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Former Hull City striker Dean Windass says Jadon Sancho shouldn’t join Manchester United…

Tottenham Hotspur can count their lucky stars that they have someone of Harry Kane’s calibre there to net the crucial winner, though it was one of his teammates that deserves to take all of the plaudits.Jose Mourinho’s men needed an 88th-minute header from their long-serving talisman to seal all three points at West Brom, a victory which temporarily took them to the top of the Premier League table.In reality, Spurs struggled to break down a compact Baggies side who were fighting for their lives. The north Londoners failed to record an attempt on target throughout the entire first half with the home side looking the far more encouraging between the two teams.And Mourinho can thank his defence for holding firm, especially Eric Dier who was an absolute rock in the heart of the defence.Per SofaScore, the 26-year-old won seven of eight duels (87.5%), which included a 100% rate for aerial duels, cleared the ball seven times, made 47 passes and blocked one shot.Dan Kilpatrick at the Evening Standard graded the England international an 8/10 and claimed he was Spurs’ “outstanding player in the first-half” and added: “A composed and committed display in his third start in a week was one of the few real plusses for Spurs.”

Kane will quite rightly take the limelight having scored the only goal of the match, but it is Dier who kept them in it throughout the 90 minutes. On another day, or perhaps with the particularly error-prone Davinson Sanchez at the back, it could have been a different story.

The Baggies recorded a total of 12 shots at goal and had more corners with nine attempts, so the £85k-per-week star certainly needed to be at the races and as evident above, he did a fine, fine job.

The £19.8m-rated midfielder-turned-defender was Mourinho’s real match-winner at the Hawthorns.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Gary Mabbutt slams Spurs summer decision…

Leeds United will face their next Premier League challenge as they host West Ham at Elland Road this evening. Marcelo Bielsa has already revealed his starting lineup amid a double injury blow which sees both centre-backs Robin Koch and Diego Llorente sidelined.

The backline must be on-form tonight as the Whites vie for three points, but they have a good chance of keeping the Irons at bay as they will be without attacking threat Michail Antonio.

One man who has a big opportunity to prove himself is Illan Meslier, following some unfair criticism.

Meslier can make big statement vs West Ham

Mark Lawrenson recently told BBC Sport that he “wasn’t convinced” by the Frenchman’s ability in between the sticks. Whilst he may have had a few sub-par performances this season, to doubt his skills as a goalkeeper seems unfair given his efforts so far.

Meslier helped Leeds win the Championship last campaign and secure promotion after 16 long years out of England’s top flight. Adapting to the demand and the intensity of the Premier League has been tough for Marcelo Bielsa and his team, but they are currently doing better than the likes of Sheffield United, who enjoyed strong finish in the league last season.

With Antonio out of David Moyes’ squad, Meslier won’t have to worry about facing the clinical striker. He will still need to put in a solid display but he can take the glory for himself if Leeds keep a clean sheet.

With both Koch and Llorente out, the £20,000 per week youngster has a huge chance to hit back at his critics and prove that he is the man Bielsa can rely on moving forwards.

In other news, Signing Dean Henderson will only hinder growth of Illan Meslier…

Liverpool are set to face Aston Villa in the FA Cup on Friday evening, with Jurgen Klopp’s side no doubt seeking revenge on the 7-2 hammering that was handed to them at Villa Park earlier in the season.

The fixture was in doubt after an outbreak of the virus at Bodymoor Heath, the Villa training ground, but it seems as if the Villans are planning to play their U23 side.

Therefore, this represents an opportunity for Klopp to make plenty of changes to his Liverpool side, although he will surely be keen to progress, with the Reds having last won the FA Cup in 2006 under Rafa Benitez.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the German manager to line his side up against Villa this evening, with five changes from the side that started against Southampton last time out…

Alisson keeps his place in between the sticks for this one as it could still prove to be a tough game against the young Villans.

There are three changes in defence as Trent Alexander-Arnold is rested after a disastrous performance against Southampton, with Neco Williams coming in as his replacement.

James Milner replaces Andrew Robertson at left-back, with the Scottish international getting a well-earned rest.

Jordan Henderson moves back into midfield to accommodate Rhys Williams, who returns at centre-back alongside Fabinho.

Thiago builds his match fitness by starting his second successive game in defensive-midfield, with Henderson and Curtis Jones ahead of him, with the youngster perhaps the key to providing some creativity from midfield.

The Reds have been goal-shy recently so Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino start up front and will be hoping to grab a few goals against this young Villa side, whilst Mohamed Salah drops to the bench, with Takumi Minamino replacing him.

Earlier in the season, Klopp described the Japanese international as a “machine” and after scoring on his last start against Crystal Palace, the £75k per week forward deserves a chance to start in this fixture.

And, in other news… Klopp can solve key issue by promoting teen sensation likened to Fernando Torrres