All posts by z3u9t.icu

Liverpool’s James Milner has made more fouls per 90 minutes than anyone else in this season’s Premier League, WhoScored data shows.

Milner has started three top-flight matches so far this term, lining-up in midfield for the opening day win at Norwich and then slotting in at right-back against Crystal Palace and Manchester City in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Should Milner’s fouls have led to a red card?

He was at the centre of controversy against his former club City last time out. After being booked in the 42nd minute, he escaped a sending off for a challenge on Bernardo Silva in the second half. Pep Guardiola said after the game that he believed Milner should have been given his marching orders.

Jurgen Klopp has said that he hopes to have Alexander-Arnold back available for selection after the international break, when Liverpool are due to travel to Watford before facing Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Fan feed Anfield Edition relayed the statistic about Milner’s foul concession, and here’s what some Reds supporters made of it, with one fan describing his tendency to give away free kick as an “accident waiting to happen”.

Liverpool fans express Milner concern

“He is lucky we weren’t down to 10 against City. Thank God the refs were shook off Anfield.”

Credit: @MauUprising

“Great servant and incredible work ethic but we need to move on from him.”

Credit: @ReneOuld

“Never…I would never have guessed…an accident waiting to happen.”

Credit: @Dazmay66

“He will cost Liverpool precious points this season which is why he mustn’t be used as a full back.”

Credit: @johnhak7

“That’s because he’s old and slow. Coaching role methinks.”

Credit: @StephenMcCaig2

“Get rid of him”

Credit: @LaVillanelle

In other news, many Liverpool fans were left livid as this Reds ace was snubbed.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Paul Brown of The Daily Star has shared what he knows as West Ham United eye a move for Flamengo forward Gabriel Barbosa.

The Lowdown: West Ham enter talks…

As first reported by Sky Sports, West Ham have been in talks to sign the Brazil international and even tabled a loan bid with the option to make his move permanent for €30m (£25m).

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Barbosa is believed to be keen on a move to England and the Premier League amid David Moyes’ search for a centre-forward alternative to Michail Antonio.

New recruitment chief Rob Newman and the east London club are still yet to bring in a signing for that position as the January transfer window enters its final week, with Brown now sharing an update on their bid to sign Barbosa.

The Latest: West Ham move ‘on the table’…

Speaking to GiveMeSport, citing ‘lots of little leaks’, he claims that a move for the 25-year-old is still ‘on the table’, believing it is due to the fact we don’t actually know what Barbosa wants himself.

“The only reason that one is still on the table is we don’t really know what the player himself wants,” Brown stated.

“There’s been lots of little leaks here and there that he really wants to come to the Premier League and that he really wants to come now and he likes West Ham and the way they play, and thinks he could be a really good fit there. But we haven’t really heard any of that from him.”

The Verdict: Time to step up bid?

Amid this uncertainty surrounding Barbosa’s future in South America and the reports indicating he wants a move to Europe, we believe West Ham need to either step up their pursuit or swiftly move on to other targets.

The January window has just over a week remaining and Moyes needs to address the centre-forward position as soon as possible, especially given Antonio’s history of injury problems and their real lack of natural alternatives.

Having scored 29 goals in all competitions throughout 2021, Barbosa is proven in front of goal and still at a fairly young age as he comes with the potential for sell-on value. Given his torrid spell at Inter Milan, though, you can understand why the Irons haven’t yet lodged an outright permanent bid and are more interested in a loan with the option to buy.

However, now is the time to make a final decision on whether to continue pushing for his arrival as we enter a crucial period of the transfer window.

In other news: ‘I know’ – Sky journalist makes live TV transfer claim involving West Ham and 28 y/o ‘beast’, find out more here.

Manchester United have no intention of selling forward Anthony Martial during this summer’s transfer window, according to reports.

What’s the story?

The 25-year-old had been heavily linked with a move to Italian champions Inter in recent days as they search for Chelsea-bound Romelu Lukaku’s successor.

However, according to Sky Sports, Martial is believed to be part of United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans for the upcoming campaign, ruling out an Old Trafford exit.

Fans will be absolutely buzzing

Martial has often been a frustrating figure for the Red Devils since his arrival from Monaco six years ago, with world-class performances often coming between lengthy barren spells in front of goal.

He appeared to add a much-needed consistency to his game throughout the 2019/20 campaign, though, bagging 23 goals and laying on a further 12 assists in 48 appearances for United.

Staying true to his infuriating nature, Martial was unable to build upon that fabulous season last term. A serious knee injury ended his campaign early, limiting him to just 16 goal contributions in 36 outings.

In his place, the likes of Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and Mason Greenwood thrived for Solsjaer’s charges, and the arrival of former Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho has threatened to push the Frenchman further down the pecking order.

Nevertheless, with Marcus Rashford facing up to 12 weeks out following shoulder surgery and Jesse Lingard also facing a spell on the sidelines after testing positive for Covid-19, Solskjaer is not expected to allow Martial to leave this summer.

This latest revelation is likely to leave the club’s supporters absolutely buzzing. Although he can be a constant source of frustration, Martial is still only 25 and has a very respectable record for the club considering his age.

In all competitions, the versatile forward has found the back of the net on 78 occasions in 258 games for the 20-time English champions, providing 50 assists along the way.

That’s an impressive return for someone yet to hit their peak years, and Martial could benefit from the improved support system Sancho’s arrival will bring.

Therefore, a large section of United’s fanbase will be delighted to see him pull on a red shirt next season; they’ll just be hoping it’s the Martial of 2019/20 rather than 2020/21 that turns up.

And, in other news…John Murtough plots Man Utd move for “technically savvy” £35m gem, he has “everything” 

Many Everton fans are livid with the club’s transfer dealings after Seamus Coleman picked up an injury while away with Republic of Ireland on international duty.

The Toffees brought in four new players during the summer transfer window – Demarai Gray, Andros Townsend, Asmir Begovic and Salomon Rondon were the faces to make the move to Goodison Park. However, given Coleman’s previously known injury issues (Transfemarkt), it was a surprise the Merseyside outfit did not look to bring in another right-back, where Jonjoe Kenny is the only natural backup to the Irishman.

Rafael Benitez has been left in a potentially difficult position after what occurred during the international break. Coleman was in action for Ireland against Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifying on Saturday, but the 32-year-old picked up an issue and may now be a doubt for Everton’s clash against Burnley this weekend.

Unsurprisingly, many of the club’s supporters are fuming with Marcel Brands and the Toffees’ board for failing to bring in another right-back.

The fans took to social media platform Twitter to share their anger over the state of affairs.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Coleman’s injury

“So Coleman gets injured and Everton didn’t buy the replacement. Clowns”

Credit: @beachy4579

“7 windows of incompetence by Brands”

Credit: @ste50efc

“All of a sudden I’m less confident about upcoming games…”

Credit: @shaun00012

“The club is an absolute joke – nailed on he’d get injured sooner rather than later”

Credit: @StevenRoche2

“You could write this at 22:55 on transfer deadline day. We’re Everton, make ludicrous and costly decisions & still cannot run a business no matter which multimillionaires are involved. I’ve been disgusted like never before the last few months.”

Credit: @KingMantisBand

“Well done Brands , Not signing a quality backup for Coleman is the latest in a whole string of bad judgement calls by Brands @everton. We need to give JJ his chance if our captain is out for a while. In our badly depleted squad. Anyone else wants Brands’ head.”

Credit: @chloewil82

In other news, this man spoke to Everton about a potential transfer.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has confirmed that Leon Bailey will once again be missing from action ahead of their match against Spurs in the Premier League.

What’s the story?

The Jamaica international has had a mixed start to life at Villa Park following his summer move from Bayer Leverkusen, with injuries causing him to miss a couple of games in late August.

After making his recovery, Bailey showed exactly what he could bring to the table with an electric cameo against Everton, scoring one goal and setting up another as Villa ran out 3-0 winners.

However, after being forced off though injury just minutes after coming on against the Toffees, the 24-year-old looks set to be ruled out until after the international break; and speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of today’s fixture, Smith has delivered an update on the winger.

The manager said: “I’m hopeful that he will start training during the international break, and we will assess him then.”

Villa fans will be gutted

After initially seeing Bailey go down with injury, former Villa defender Alan Hutton responded by saying: “He’s a little bit different to some players because he’s so explosive. That’s kind of a red flag. You need to be careful, especially if you’re coming back from a hamstring injury or things like that. He’s that quick off the mark that he needs to be right.

“The intensity of the Premier League is massive so it’s always going to put strain on your body. They’re going to have to be careful with him, he is playing catch up.”

Hutton concluded: “I’m sure over the coming weeks, depending on how bad he is, they’ll take their time with him and try bed him in really slowly.”

Bailey’s display against Everton showed just why he can be a real game-changer for Villa with his sheer pace and skill, and coming up against a struggling Spurs side, he surely would have relished today’s contest.

Villa fans will no doubt be gutted at seeing him miss out today.

Meanwhile, Gregg Evans has dropped an Aston Villa transfer update…

Lee Ryder has claimed that Newcastle United could sign Tom Davies in a potential swap deal with Sean Longstaff before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Davies linked before

The St. James’ Park faithful were reportedly linked with a move for Davies in last summer’s window, before he ended up staying at Everton.

It seems as if they could revisit their previous interest this summer, as the new 2021/22 Premier League season draws ever closer.

The Latest: Swap deal?

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, Tyneside journalist Ryder has claimed that Longstaff could be used in a swap deal to bring Davies to the North East.

The move has been played down at this moment in time, but it has not been ruled out.

The Verdict: Avoid

It seems a bit unnecessary for the Tyneside club to swap Longstaff for Davies, as they are both very similar players.

They both managed no goals and just one assist in the top flight last term, and while Davies, lauded as an ‘excellent’ player by pundit Paddy Kenny back in June, averaged more interceptions, clearances, blocks, dribbles and passes per game, Longstaff averaged more tackles, shots, key passes, crosses and long balls (Whoscored).

Put simply, they are both tenacious midfielders with an eye for a pass, but little potency going forward and plenty of room to develop their games further.

Longstaff is also a local boy and so the Toon Army would not be pleased in letting one of their own go, unless a much better replacement was brought in.

Thus, the Magpies should only look to add Davies to their squad if Longstaff was not included as part of a deal.

In other news, find out which Premier League NUFC are ‘desperate’ to sign here!

Everton will need to get better at taking the chances they create as they have conceded more goals than they have scored this season, leaving them 15th in the Premier League going into the new year.

The attacking prowess at Goodison Park has been spectacularly flat since the arrival of Rafael Benitez in the summer, which can be put down to injuries to key attacking players like Dominic Calvert Lewin, as well as inconsistencies in the squad.

Despite the struggles Everton has faced in the first half of the season, two of the signings that Benitez made in the previous transfer window, Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend, are currently the two top scorers for the club this season. Therefore, the Spanish manager definitely has an eye for what can work in attack and should use that nous when dipping into the transfer market this month.

One player who has been linked to the club is former Arsenal star, Aaron Ramsey, who has been reported to be leaving Juventus in a matter of days, with the Welshman only going back to Turin to say goodbye to his team-mates.

It was reported earlier this week that a swap loan deal for out-of-favour Lucas Digne could be on the cards, but it now looks like Ramsey will be making different plans in the coming days and weeks, and the Toffees manager should be capitalising on the 31-year-old’s impending departure from Serie A.

The attacking midfielder has an impressive 148 goals and assists throughout his career, compared to current Everton midfielder Tom Davies, who despite being eight years Ramsey’s junior can only boast 19 goal contributions from 190 career appearances.

Davies’ team-mate Abdoulaye Doucoure would thrive with a player like Ramsey by his side, as the pair could form a deadly midfield partnership to take the Toffees back where they belong in the top half of the table by the end of the season.

Doucoure’s strength in positioning is one of his best attributes, as well as his ability to offer creativity and goals from midfield, with two goals and four assists so far this season.

Combining those strengths with Ramsey’s consistently outstanding passing accuracy from playing in many midfield positions, and his experience of elite competitions, could be a huge threat for Everton’s opponents in the second half of the season. Benitez must do everything he can to try and make it happen this month.

In other news: Everton start given green light to return as training pictures emerge

Rangers have been handed a fresh injury lift over John Lundstram…

What’s the latest?

Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed that the Gers midfielder trained on Friday and is set to be back in action in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Lundstram was taken off in the first half on Sunday in the Premiership as he struggled with a knock, but he has now recovered from that in time to be in contention to play in the European quarter-final second leg clash against Braga.

Speaking on Wednesday morning, the Dutchman said: “Lundstram is training today so hopefully available for tomorrow.”

Van Bronckhorst will be elated

This update will surely leave the Gers head coach feeling elated, as having Lundstram available will be a huge boost to his team.

The ex-Feyenoord boss may have been fearing the worst when the midfielder was forced off the pitch in the 26th minute against St Mirren on Sunday. Steven Davis was pressed into action in the first half of the 4-0 win and the Rangers chief may not have been expecting Lundstram to be back in action quite so soon.

The 28-year-old’s participation in training on Friday suggests that he is fit enough to feature against Braga, which will delight Van Bronckhorst as Lundstram’s recent form has shown that he is a key player for the club, particularly in Europe.

In the Europa League this season, only four other outfield players have averaged a higher SofaScore rating than the ex-Sheffield United man – Alfredo Morelos, Leon Balogun, Ryan Kent and James Tavernier.

He has averaged an impressive score of 6.97 in the competition across 10 appearances. In those matches, he has won 60% of his duels and made 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game, which shows that he has provided a solid defensive base to allow the attackers to go about their business in the final third.

In the Premiership, he has averaged a score of 6.88 across 25 appearances, starting 16 games. He has completed 90% of his attempted passes whilst making 2.2 tackles and interceptions per game, which shows that he has been consistently delivering solid performances domestically and in Europe throughout the campaign.

Therefore, Van Bronckhorst will be eager to be able to name him in the starting XI against Braga at Ibrox on Thursday night. The English midfielder has shown that he is built for the big occasion, netting a stunning goal against Borussia Dortmund, and the statistics suggest that he can have a big say in this upcoming quarter-final match-up.

AND in other news, From £4.5m to £25m: Wilson had huge Rangers howler over “remarkable” 12-goal gem…

Leeds Live’s Beren Cross has delivered an update on Leeds United’s pursuit of John Swift ahead of the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to recent reports in The Sheffield Star, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have their eye on the attacking midfielder, along with the likes of Newcastle United and Brentford.

Cross has now delivered an update on where things currently stand with a potential move for Swift.

He said: “Swift will certainly be a player Orta and Bielsa are aware of. An English talent at 26 with an expiring contract is hard to ignore. After a few injury issues across the past few seasons, he has continued to play well this season and led from the front with Reading. Evidently, he will leave there in January for a smaller fee or wait to go for nothing next summer.

“It is fair to say he has outgrown the Berkshire club. I am not aware Leeds have ever shown strong interest in taking Swift to Elland Road, and that includes the Championship days. Now, in the Premier League, Swift is unproven and could be considered a risk. The finances would not be an issue, but is he that much better than what Leeds already have and does he have that box-to-box profile Leeds need alongside a Rodrigo in the middle?”

Would be an exciting addition for Leeds

Swift has a track record of offering a goal-scoring threat from attacking midfield, managing an impressive 63 goal contributions in 181 games. in fact, his start to the current campaign for Reading has been quite incredible, netting eight goals in 17 matches in the Championship as well as chipping in with seven assists.

Speaking back in August after a 2-1 win over Preston, Royals manager Veljko Paunovic said of the 26-year-old: “Now he’s back, it is important we keep him healthy and motivated as he is now because that will help us a lot.

“He is super talented and he showed an urgency that he wanted to decide the game. The first couple of passes to Azeez and Joao were fantastic vision and execution of the final pass – something we’ve missed in the past. We missed those slick combinations through the middle when we progress forward so that’s something we have to keep up.”

That ability to come from deep and find the back of the net – he has scored 40 senior goals in his professional career thus far – would add a different dimension to Leeds’ side.

The fact that Bielsa and Orta will be “aware” of Swift and his progress at Reading could be crucial to potentially making a move for him in January when the transfer window opens again.

He’d certainly be an exciting addition for Leeds fans.

Meanwhile, Leeds are facing a transfer battle for this Brazilian ace…

As per Calciomercato, some news has come to light on a ‘top summer priority’ for Tottenham Hotspur and their manager Antonio Conte.

The Lowdown: Spurs targets identified?

Sharing a transfer update earlier this month, The Athletic lifted the lid on Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici’s list of summer targets for a real priority position.

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According to their sources, the Lilywhites have identified strengthening their left-sided centre-back ranks as a real priority, with a few big names reportedly on their agenda.

Writing on Twitter, Jack Pitt-Brooke claimed that Joško Gvardiol (RB Leipzig), Sven Botman (Lille) and Nico Schlotterbeck (SC Freiburg) are all targets, along with Inter Milan star Alessandro Bastoni.

Sharing an update on the latter, Calciomercato have made a claim involving Conte.

The Latest: Conte ‘probes’ for Bastoni…

As per their sources, backing The Athletic’s claim, Conte has personally given the green light to the signing of a left-sided centre-back, suggesting the move to Paratici.

In addition, Bastoni is apparently a target, with the Italian head coach now ‘probing the hypothesis of re-embracing one of his pupils’ at Spurs.

The Verdict: Make a move?

The £122,000-per-week defender, who has been tipped as an international heir to Italy footballing legend Giorgio Chiellini, could seriously boost Conte’s defensive options and come as a long-term addition at Tottenham.

Just 23 years old, the Nerrazzuri defender was a regular under Conte as his Inter side lifted the 2020/21 Scudetto, starting 33 Serie A matches in that triumphant campaign.

It’s clear that Bastoni is favoured by the Spurs manager, and with Italian football experts like Kaustubh Pandey (Get Italian Football News) calling him ‘world class’, the centre-back may well be a brilliant prospective addition in north London.

In other news: Tottenham could strike ‘imminent agreement’ for ‘magical’ £25m striker! Find out more here.