All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Crystal Palace fans are in agreement over Christian Benteke as PalaceEagles shared a quote recently made by the Belgium international striker.

Benteke told Gazet van Antwerpen (via Sport Witness): “Maybe I want to take on a challenge in another country”, suggesting that he could leave the Selhurst Park faithful at the end of the 2020/21 term.

The former Aston Villa and Liverpool man has not been the most prolific in front of goal so far this season, with a mere five goals in 23 games in total over all competitions for the South London club (Transfermarkt).

Given that he is 30 years of age as well, now may be the best time to let him go and find a suitable replacement, potentially with the permanent signing of Jean-Philippe Mateta following his loan spell from Mainz.

Crystal Palace fan reaction to Benteke quote

These CPFC supporters were all in agreement on Twitter to let Benteke go at the end of the campaign, with his current contract with the Eagles set to expire:

“Offload Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham and Michy Batshuyai. CPFC really need a complete refresh in attack and also in central midfield if we are to progress. It’s been way too long since CPFC last had a double figure goal scoring striker”

Credit: @neiog

“I’d like to think we have a bigger strategy about rebuilding rather than on a player-by-player basis. Due to his wages I’d probably let him go as it adds flexibility to the squad.”

Credit: @PeteJArmstrong

“I would personally let him go, free up our wage bill and bring in a younger option”

Credit: @johno_102

“Bye bye chap.”

Credit: @bellabiteme

“Not worth the money. Get rid of him ASAP!!!”

Credit: @Cjenner1Jenner

“Will pay for his ticket”Credit: @dowdycpfcIn other news, fins out which Championship ace Palace are keen on signing here!

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting angrily to a tackle on Reds star Naby Keita during the international break.

Keita has suffered from over ten separate injuries since moving to Anfield (Transfermarkt), leading fans to shudder at what’s happened now.

Liverpool don’t play again until next Saturday evening, when they make the trip to Arsenal for a must-win game in the Premier League top-four race.

A number of a Reds stars are currently away on international duty, as Jurgen Klopp looks on and hopes they return to the AXA Training Centre injury-free.

[freshpress-quiz id=“306736”]

One of those who is off representing his country is Keita, who is the star man for Guinea, having won 37 caps to date, also scoring eight goals.

A clip has emerged of the 26-year-old being kicked nastily in his nation’s clash with Mali on Wednesday – a match in which Keita’s men won 1-0.

Considering Liverpool’s No.8’s past injury woes, it was immediately concerning to see him be on the wrong end of such a bad tackle, but it doesn’t look as though any lasting damage has been done.

Liverpool fans fume at tackle on Keita

These Reds supporters were still not happy with what they saw, however, providing their thoughts on the challenge on Twitter.

“No wonder Klopp doesn’t wanna send them. Completely pointless nasty challenge out of pure jealously probably”

Credit: @RMarsden94

“Glad he got up, they are too rough”

Credit: @oni_kzz

“Needs to retire from international football if he wants to have a long career”

Credit: @okabandai

“Out for the season”

Credit: @BillyVidal10

“If he doesn’t retire internationally he doesn’t have a future here”

Credit: @kevinhopatcong

“Players for their country with that standard of football shouldn’t be allowed. It’s like a Prem player going to play for a pub team and getting whacked by big Dave because it’s funny”

Credit: @BMacritchie

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been lauding an injury update on one Reds player – read about it here.

Many Manchester United fans have been left to fume as some early team news before their game versus Granada in the UEFA Europa League has emerged.

Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match against the La Liga side, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed that Eric Bailly will not be available to play and has thus travelled back to England.

With Harry Maguire suspended for the second leg after picking up a yellow card in the first, it only really leaves the Red Devils with Victor Lindelof and Axel Tuanzebe at the heart of the defence.

Bailly has never been able to run away from his constant injury problems while at Old Trafford, and this is yet another setback for the Ivory Coast international in what could have been a match to really stamp his authority with Maguire out.

The update has left several MUFC supporters frustrated and growing impatient with his continued absence.

Manchester United fans on Bailly update

These Man Utd fans fumed upon reading the update on the 27-year-old central defender on Twitter:

“Oh God why ???…please buy a CB. That contract isn’t getting extended”

Credit: @ahnnyjekyll

“PAIN. #38 gonna play”

Credit: @MarwanM__

“Hahah this guy is truly made of glass”

Credit: @rahulprem7

“What at all is wrong with Bailly’s legs?”

Credit: @d_essuman

“Smh.”

Credit: @MrFemiOwoeye

“Definitely not good news”

Credit: @kent_shot_it

In other news, find out what update about the Burnley clash has left United fans fuming here!

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Tottenham captain Gary Mabbutt has backed his old side to overcome the challenge of Dinamo Zagreb before securing a positive result against Arsenal in the north London derby.

Jose Mourinho’s side take on the Croatian outfit in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League tie then follow that up with a trip to the Emirates to face their rivals in a big week for the club.

And Mabbutt, who rates the squad Mourinho has at disposal very highly, is confident they can pick up some good results.

Discussing the upcoming fixtures in an exclusive interview with FFC, Mabbutt said:

“Don’t even look at the form book at the moment.

“I would look at his players and the group of players and the way those players are playing as individuals and as a team, the confidence within the squad, the camaraderie within the squad, and I think we have all of those. So, you know, I’d be going into these games with confidence that we can get two positive results.”

Indeed, the north London club have certainly been performing of late after a difficult period, with Gareth Bale being one player who has really stepped up during this resurgence.

The Welshman was on fire in that recent 4-1 victory against Crystal Palace, managing to grab two goals for himself. And he was joined by a usual suspect in Harry Kane, who was also able to find the back of the net on two occasions.

If both players can carry this sort of form into the games against Dinamo Zagreb and Arsenal, then there is a good chance that Mourinho will get the results he wants from these two important fixtures.

Everton midfielder Anthony Gordon must step up for Carlo Ancelotti as Bernard reportedly nears a move to UAE outfit Al Nasr.

What’s the word?

According to the Liverpool Echo, Toffees chiefs are in official negotiations with Al Nasr over a deal for Bernard.

The Brazilian has entered into the final 18-months of his £120,000-per-week contract and has fallen out of favour under Carlo Ancelotti, with the Italian only starting him twice in the Premier League this season.

Everton are hoping to see a deal for Bernard finalised before Monday night’s deadline in order to clear his lucrative terms from the club’s wage bill, and may even allow the 28-year-old to secure a free transfer just two-and-a-half years on from joining the Blues.

Bernard was omitted from Ancelotti’s matchday squad as Everton lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle United on Saturday after being an unused substitute in the prior 1-1 draw with Leicester City, the 12th time this season that he had failed to enter a top-flight fixture from the bench.

Previous reports had suggested that Al Nasr had agreed to sign Bernard on loan with a €5m (£4.5m) obligation to turn the deal permanent at the end of the season, despite claims of Everton wanting £9m amid interest from AS Roma.

Everton parting with Bernard before Monday night’s 23:00 shut off is likely to have implications on Gordon’s future at Goodison Park, with the winger unlikely to be allowed to leave on loan following interest from Championship and Bundesliga clubs.

Time for Gordon to step up

Everton retaining Gordon, if Bernard’s deal to join Al Nasr goes through, will leave Ancelotti needing the youth product to step up, after a handful of underwhelming outings from the youngster in recent weeks and months.

David Unsworth has previously backed Gordon to find a home for himself on the wing, for he boasts “unbelievable pace” and a growing eye for the final pass, but the forward let Everton and Ancelotti down when fielded in the FA Cup against Rotherham United earlier this month.

Gordon was criticised for his poor body language during the third-round tie having shrieked into the shadows after a promising start, going from turning defenders inside out and carving the backline apart to rarely completing a pass and offering no end product.

That performance also came in only the 19-year-old’s third start of the season across all senior competitions, while playing a mere 87 minutes of Premier League action thanks partly to being hauled off just 10 minutes into the second-half at Sheffield United.

Gordon failed to create many one-vs-one opportunities at Bramall Lane and Ancelotti will need to see the England U20 do more if he is to offer the threat from the left that £13.5m-rated flop Bernard could not offer Everton.

It was also those performances that have helped to see Lucas Digne emerge ahead of Gordon, as well as Bernard, in Ancelotti’s pecking order for wide-left options, after the French full-back opened the Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester games in midfield.

If Gordon is to stay at Goodison Park and not leave on loan in line with Bernard’s exit, it has to be time for the Liverpool-born prospect to step up and make the position his.

AND in other news, a £70k-p/w gem let Carlo Ancelotti down as Everton lost to Newcastle…

Reports by 90min earlier this week claimed Newcastle United have been offered the chance to sign free-agent Daniel Sturridge, but Steve Bruce should ignore a desperate bid to replace the injured Callum Wilson with the former Liverpool striker.

The Magpies are due to be without their 10-goal top-scorer for the best part of two months after Wilson sustained a deep hamstring tear during his side’s 3-2 win over Southampton earlier this month.

Bruce opted to fill the ex-AFC Bournemouth marksman’s void with Miguel Almiron playing a false nine position at Chelsea on Monday night, while Allan Saint-Maximin and Dwight Gayle operated in wider roles at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle’s makeshift system failed to result in taking any points from south west London with each of Almiron, Gayle and Saint-Maximin taking one shot but only Gayle forcing a save from Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Second-half substitutes Joelinton and Andy Carroll further failed to record a single effort, to see that the pair plus Gayle remain on just one goal each in the Premier League this season.

The Toon could look to outside options in their search for goals amid a relegation fight, with it claimed that Sturridge has been offered on a short-term deal.

West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United are thought to have contacted the 31-year-old to discuss a potential Premier League return, while an intermediary has reached out to the Magpies following Wilson’s injury.

90min further added that Sturridge has been keeping fit following his release by Super Lig side Trabzonspor last March in anticipation of a return to football.

Sturridge played just 16 games for Trabzonspor after being dropped by Liverpool at the end of his contract in 2019, in which he scored seven goals across all competitions but was axed by the Turkish club 17-months before his deal was due to run out.

The £3.5m-rated forward is now said to be under consideration for a potential return to English football by Newcastle, but Bruce should walk away from the intermediary offering Sturridge’s services.

Newcastle would have no guarantees over what sort of player they would be signing in Sturridge, who may have scored 77 times throughout his career in the Premier League but only hit two of those in his final 18 games following another two-goal campaign in 2017/18.

The 6 foot 2 man also struggled to establish himself at Trabzonspor prior to his release, with Sturridge only starting 11 of his 16 appearances and playing an average of just 52.75 minutes a game.

That’s before 11 months on the sidelines, that will surely have taken a toll on his fitness no matter the regime the 26-cap England international has put in place.

Injuries have taken its toll on the striker, and he seems to be a player on a downward slope. The Magpies mustn’t fall into the trap of making a desperate move for him to remedy their number nine woes.

AND in other news – Exclusive: Steve Howey drops verdict on Graeme Jones replacing Steve Bruce…

Phil Hay has singled out four players at Leeds United for praise in their 0-0 home draw with Chelsea in the Premier League at Saturday lunchtime.

As per a tweet from The Athletic journalist, he thought that Diego Llorente, Kalvin Phillips, Pascal Struijk and Tyler Roberts were all ‘impressive’ against Thomas Tuchel’s team.

Leeds impress defensively

Considering the form of the Blues going into the game, Marcelo Bielsa’s side certainly did well to keep them at bay at Elland Road.

Leeds’ two central defenders and central midfield players were vital in making sure that the ball did not hit the back of their net, with Llorente making the most clearances (three) out of any Whites player to have set foot on the pitch, while each of the other players recorded at least one (Sofascore).

Struijk blocked no fewer than three shots on his goal, more than any other Leeds players combined, while he also made three interceptions, as Phillips topped the tackling stats with four in total (Sofascore).

Each player did their bit own individual jobs for the team and, as a collective, they were pivotal in making sure that the Yorkshire club came away from the match with a point and a clean sheet.

In other news, find out which player’s Leeds career Hay claims is ‘over’.

When it comes to the January transfer window, Wolves’ plans solely revolve around finding a new striker.

After Raul Jimenez fractured his skull against Arsenal, they have been relentlessly searching for someone to fill his void.

Fabio Silva has scored just once since the Mexican was ruled out for an unspecified amount of time and as a result, the club recalled Patrick Cutrone from his unsuccessful loan stint with Fiorentina.

The Italian has failed to score all season so it’s rather questionable that Nuno Santo believes him best qualified to replace Jimenez.

That being said, they are surely no better targeting Stephane Bahoken. The Cameroon international has been linked with a switch to Wolves in the last few weeks but hasn’t particularly caught the eye since.

Judging by the acquisitions of Romain Saiss and Rayan Ait-Nouri from Bahoken’s club Angers, he’d be a good signing, but his performance off the bench on Saturday was nothing short of a horror show.

His team were defeated 3-0 by Monaco and the striker came on and played the final 34 minutes of the encounter. Unfortunately, he failed to inspire a fightback.

The 28-year-old cut a frustrated figure as he completed just 57% of his passes – four out of seven. Coincidentally that was a worse tally than Cutrone managed when he came off the bench for Wolves last Friday in the FA Cup.

He only managed three passes but was successful with all of them at least. From just ten touches of the ball, Bahoken lost it on four occasions and only managed a solitary shot towards goal.

There was a distinct lack of threat from the experienced forward who didn’t do anything positive of note. Cutrone did at least try one dribble when he came on for Wolves but it would be wrong to say he didn’t struggle too.

It’s unsurprising, though, when you consider it was his first appearance of the season for the Old Gold.

That being said, he is still probably a better option than Wolves’ current target. Cutrone at least knows the demands of Nuno and how the team plays.

They must forget about Bahoken for the time being. This small cameo was a disaster.

AND in other news, Wolves can find their next Boly with swoop for £1.5m “weapon”, he’s a “great talker”…

Writing on Twitter, journalist Fabrizio Romano updated Spurs supporters with quotes from a DAZN interview, in which Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta dropped a two-word transfer hint in regards to Christian Eriksen. 

Eriksen, who has found game time difficult to come by at the San Siro since putting pen to paper on a £16.9 million move, could be on the way out in January after this huge update from the Serie A magnate.

Eriksen transfer hint dropped

Marotta, speaking to DAZN, refused to rule out a January exit for the Dane, dropping the teasing transfer message ‘we’ll see’ – potentially reason for Lilywhites to get excited following this declaration.

For the first time, an Inter Milan executive has come out to update the footballing world on Eriksen’s future in Italy – with the former Spurs fan favourite looking increasingly likely to leave.

Tottenham have also been heavily linked to an Eriksen reunion, with a recent report from Football Insider claiming that Inter have offered Daniel Levy and co a chance to re-sign their ex-star.

Transfer Tavern take

There has been much debate over Spurs’ inability to find a creative outlet in the mould of Eriksen since his departure – but Jose Mourinho has since utilised both Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele in the more forward attacking midfield positions.

Currently sitting top of the Premier League pile, this Lilywhites team appears to be clicking, and while the 28-year would surely add more strength in depth, it’s also clear that Mourinho will not want to disrupt the harmony of this squad.

In other news: Jose Mourinho dropped a subtle message for Pochettino, find out more down below.

Farhad Moshiri can save £16million by rebuffing interest from Juventus in Everton striker Moise Kean, rather than green-lighting a move to sign SSC Napoli outcast Arkadiusz Milik.

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, Juve are desperate to re-sign Kean next summer as the Turin powerhouse wish to overcome their regret at losing the Italian hitman who has exploded in Paris with seven goals in 12 games since joining PSG on loan.

Kean has provided an essential presence in Thomas Tuchel’s frontline since moving to the French capital on a season-long deal, after Sporting Director Leonardo finally acquired the striker he sought to sign for AC Milan in 2018 before leaving the San Siro.

Ancelotti has not ruled out a future for Kean at Goodison Park, but is expected to listen to offers and base his verdict on the sums presented after denying PSG an option-to-buy despite speculation of a €20m (£18.08m) clause.

Everton are expected to demand a substantial figure to release Kean, who they signed for an initial £25.1m rising to £27.5m, yet Juve are eager to forge a reunion if the price is achievable.

Kean has insisted he is “very happy” at the Parc des Princes and has opened the door to a permanent stay after enjoying the experience of learning from Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Forget Milik, keep Kean

While Ancelotti has not ruled out a future for Kean or confirmed his eventual return to Goodison Park and the striker has opened the door for PSG to sign him permanently, Everton owner Moshiri must rebuff any approach that may arrive in the coming year as the Italian is the Toffees’ future option at striker and not rumoured target Milik.

It has been claimed Ancelotti wishes to reunite with the Polish forward in January with the 26-year-old frozen out by Gennaro Gattuso, potentially allowing for Everton to strike a deal at just £10m for the Atletico Madrid target Napoli supremo Aurelio de Laurentiis values at €18m (£16.2m).

Former Italy World Cup winner Francesco Graziani also told Radio Kiss Kiss via Sport Witness earlier in the year that Ancelotti holds Milik in very high regard, claiming: “Ancelotti made a confession on Milik. He told me he is the footballer every coach wants to have.”

But Milik is not the striker Everton should want to have, as the 56-cap international is yet to play a single minute in any club competition this season and boasts just 48 career goals in 122 appearances since moving to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in 2016.

Kean, on the other hand, is proving his worth whilst on loan with PSG and should be afforded the chance to replicate his form back at Everton next season, though that opportunity will be scuppered if the Italian finds Milik has moved into his position in Ancelotti’s pecking order this winter.

AND in other news, Marcel Brands can land Everton’s new Idrissa Gueye in a £22.8m leader the Toffees’ are monitoring.