All posts by z3u9t.icu

Lawrie Sanchez believes that appointing Frank Lampard would be an exciting prospect for Crystal Palace supporters.

Lampard enjoyed a glistening career with both club and country, but has experienced a difficult start to life in management and will be hoping to be given another Premier League opportunity following a six-month break since leaving Chelsea.

He guided the Blues to Champions League qualification and the FA Cup final but failed to meet expectations last season despite spending more than £200m, and paid the price when Roman Abramovich pulled the trigger back in January.

His only other managerial vacancy was at Derby in the Championship, but he’s now being considered for the role in south London after Roy Hodgson stepped down after four years.

It would give Lampard another chance to bring through some talent, and get Palace playing some exciting football after some productive, but occasionally tedious style inherited under Hodgson.

When Sanchez was asked which candidate for the job would please the Palace faithful most, he told Football FanCast:

“I think Lampard would appeal the most, he’s the big name, he’s the glamour player, he had the glamour, he managed Chelsea.

“The fans love a shiny new thing, and he would be a new shiny thing.”

John Beaton has been confirmed as the referee for Sunday’s crucial Scottish Premiership clash between Celtic and Rangers at Parkhead.

The Lowdown: Massive game at Parkhead

Ange Postecoglou’s side kept up their six-point lead over their rivals on Sunday afternoon, picking up a precious 2-0 victory away to Ross County.

Next up for the Hoops is this weekend’s critical Old Firm derby meeting at Parkhead, with a win for the hosts all but securing title glory after missing out last year.

It is a game that can sometimes be defined by the refereeing performance – Bobby Madden’s display drew plenty of conversation in the cup semi-final – and the man in the middle has now been confirmed for Sunday’s meeting.

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The Latest: Beaton takes charge

It is Beaton who will take charge of proceedings at Parkhead, reports The Scotsman, and based on his own judgement, Hoops fans may not be particularly pleased to see him with the whistle.

Back in 2020, Beaton himself admitted that Celtic supporters would ‘absolutely love’ to get rid of Scottish referees for this fixture, claiming ‘everybody’ except the officials themselves want them replaced.

The Verdict: Unpopular choice

The appointment of Beaton will not go down well with Postecoglou and his players, or the fans for that matter – he has even hinted at preferring refereeing behind closed doors, saying in those comments back in 2020 life was easier without the intensity from the fans.

That said, Celtic need to focus on the task at hand and ignore any controversy – if the Hoops allow the referee to get to them, the only people it is going to affect is themselves, on what is a potentially defining afternoon in the title race.

Essentially, all the pressure is on Rangers, who really have to win the match – the only hope is that Beaton doesn’t end up having a negative say on matters.

In other news, an ex-Celtic hero has taken a dig at Rangers ahead of Sunday’s game. Read more here.

Marcel Brands must block Everton from signing Merih Demiral in the summer transfer window after Juventus reportedly set a £34.5m valuation on Carlo Ancelotti’s target.

What’s the word?

According to Calciomercato, the Old Lady have warmed to the potential departure of Demiral in the off-season after previously deeming the Turkey international to be non-transferable.

Juve Sporting Director Fabio Paratici is a keen advocate of the 23-year-old’s potential and resisted Premier League and Serie A approaches for his services in January, but needs to raise €100m (£86m) in profit this summer.

As such, the Turin powerhouse have eased their position on Demiral and will listen to offers for a permanent transfer, but have set a €40m (£34.5m) asking price and will not entertain any discussions over a loan deal.

Juventus being willing to listen to offers will come as a boost for Ancelotti, who Gazzetta dello Sport had claimed would welcome Demiral at Everton after rejecting player-plus-cash deals involving Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot or Federico Bernardeschi for Moise Kean.

The Bianconeri were claimed to have put forward the quartet in recent discussions as they would be unable to match the Blues’ €50m (£43m) demands for Kean, and would hope that the inclusion of a player would result in a more amicable agreement being reached.

Demiral has only started 10 of his 14 appearances in the Serie A this season under Andrea Pirlo, partly due to spells on the sidelines with muscle and thigh injuries and contracting coronavirus while on international duty.

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Juventus recorded three clean sheets in the league fixtures that Demiral started, while shutting out two opponents in the Champions League and two in the Coppa Italia including Serie A leaders Inter Milan.

Should Everton sign Demiral?

While Ancelotti may be willing to include Demiral in any potential player-plus-cash exchange for Kean, Brands must step in and block the deal being agreed if Juventus are insistent on holding Everton to a £34.5m valuation.

Allowing Kean to return to Turin in a deal that would return less than £10m in cash would be considered a grave error by the Toffees’ Director of Football, who would then need to operate shrewdly in the summer market to replace the Italian.

Everton are expected to target a new centre-forward in the off-season if Kean departs and Joshua King leaves at the end of his contract in June, with Ancelotti otherwise content with his supporting options to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison.

The Blues would also be in effect paying a large sum on potential once again, which failed to prove worthwhile during Kean’s time on Merseyside before joining PSG on loan with the 21-year-old only scoring twice in 31 Premier League games following his £25m arrival.

Demiral is by far not a finished product, either, with the centre-back – who Maurizio Sarri claimed was “bursting with energy” during his time in Turin – slammed by the Italian press last month after Juventus crashed out of the Champions League to FC Porto.

In snippets shared by Football-Italia, Corriere dello Sport wrote ‘the mistake that leads to Porto’s penalty is unforgivable,’ as his actions were ‘naïve and hasty, like a defender who doesn’t think.’

Tuttosport also suggested Demiral was ‘too impulsive,’ while La Repubblica claimed his ‘absurd’ actions that led to the penalty was just ‘one of many useless’ moves he made.

Demiral may have sizable backers in his corner who believe in his potential, but the fee Everton would need to agree to acquire that is surely too much for Brands to sanction.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti could have Everton’s next Idrissa Gueye on his hands in a “terrific” academy talent…

West Ham have been linked with a move for Ukrainian striker Roman Yaremchuk this summer and his signing could help to unleash Andriy Yarmolenko in David Moyes’ side next season.

What’s the word?

It was reported by EuroSport earlier in the summer that West Ham were seriously considering an offer for the Gent forward after his impressive performances at Euro 2020.

The 25-year-old scored twice and registered one assist for Andriy Shevchenko’s side as they reached the quarter-finals of the competition before a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of England.

It was also an impressive season for Yaremchuk at club level, as he hit 23 goals in all competitions for Gent, including 20 strikes in the Jupiler Pro League in just 34 appearances.

He was in top form at the Euros, being described as “phenomenal” by reporter, Zach Lowy.

Could Yaremchuk unleash Yarmolenko?

Yarmolenko was another key player for Ukraine at the European Championships this summer, scoring two goals and assisting twice in five appearances, which may have left many West Ham fans wondering why he isn’t able to produce those sorts of performances on a more regular basis in the Premier League.

Since signing from Borussia Dortmund in 2018, the winger has managed just ten goals and six assists in 54 appearances for the Hammers, whilst he managed no goals in 15 top-flight appearances last season.

The 31-year-old’s contract at the London Stadium is set to expire at the end of next season, so it would not be a surprise to see him sold this summer. However, the potential arrival of Yaremchuk could give him a new lease of life with the west London club.

The two worked well together effectively at the European Championships and could form an excellent partnership in Moyes’ side next season if he is given more opportunities to start in the Premier League.

Yarmolenko is clearly appreciated by those at West Ham, with Moyes singing his praises earlier in the summer, saying:

“Andriy Yarmolenko is a footballer with terrific technical ability and a mentality that allows him to thrive on such a grand stage.”

Therefore, if one of his international teammates is brought in, perhaps we will start to see the Yarmolenko who turns up for Ukraine, rather than the one who rarely seems to turn up for West Ham.

And, in other news… West Ham dealt transfer blow with £22.5m-rated “top player”, Moyes surely gutted

Wolves see winger Pedro Neto as a key part of their squad, journalist Luke Hatfield has told Football FanCast.

Neto is currently being linked with a move away from Molineux, with the 21-year-old thought to be attracting interest from other Premier League clubs.

According to 90min, Liverpool and Tottenham have enquired about the player as they both look to make improvements for the new season.

The same report states Juventus are also keen on Neto. After coming fourth and surrendering the Serie A title to rivals Inter Milan last term, the Italian giants are almost certain to dip into the transfer market to bolster their squad.

The likes of Massimiliano Allegri and Neto’s former boss Nuno Espirito Santo, though, may need to look elsewhere, with Wolves viewing the Portugal international as integral to their plans, according to Hatfield.

“Wolves very much see Neto as a key part of their squad, albeit with him out injured and us unlikely to see him [at his best] really until maybe the new year,” the Express & Star journalist said.

Last season, no Wolves player came up with more goal contributions than Neto in the Premier League (via WhoScored), so you can understand why the Midlands club see him as an important member of their squad and would be reluctant to sell him this summer.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Steve Howey, who made 150 appearances for Newcastle United, claims the Magpies don’t have the players require to pull of Graeme Jones’ much loved split striker system.

Jones was Roberto Martinez’s assistant at Swansea City, Wigan Athletic, Everton and Belgium before taking his first managerial job at Luton Town which ended up in him being sacked before the season finished.

The split striker system is what Martinez often uses with Belgium, however, it has been strongly discussed on Tyneside by Rob Lee who saw it first hand at Luton where it also didn’t work.

Speaking on what is required to make the system work and why Newcastle won’t be able to pull it off, Howey told FFC:

“A system can work but you need to get your players to, first of all, buy into it and second of all, be capable of actually pulling it off.

“Roberto Martinez uses it at Belgium so I think that’s possibly where he’s [Jones] got it from but Newcastle haven’t got Lukaku or Kevin De Bruyne.

“You’ve got to look at your players and try to pick the best formation which suits your team and players.”

The Magpies have managed to find themselves all but safe from relegation after a recent uplift in form, sitting nine points above 18th placed Fulham with just four games of the campaign to play.

Many Southampton fans want the club to sign Ryan Christie after they were linked with a move for the Celtic midfielder.

The Saints are planning ahead for the new campaign after finishing in a lowly 15th place in the Premier League last term. Ralph Hasenhuttl has revealed that Southampton will unlikely be able to spend more than £10m on any one player this summer (Sky Sports), so they will need to be clever in the transfer market.

However, it seems they may have found themselves a very good deal if they can pull it off. According to The Sunday Post (via The Scotsman), the Saints are interested in signing Christie, who is reportedly keen to leave Scotland this summer and could be available for just over £1m – an absolute bargain for a player who has managed 65 goals and 68 assists throughout his career and is rated at £6.3m by Transfermarkt.

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from Southampton supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the speculation as they again seek to raid Celtic, from whom the Saints also purchased Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama and Stuart Armstrong.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Christie link below

“1 million?”

Credit: @Hasenhuttl1

“Tell him the South Coast is abroad”

Credit: @BobJame13215912

“Heck let me just find out my bank balance…… Get my bank balance then times it by 100, pay 1m for his transfer and give him 500k as a bonus. Easy money let’s get it”

Credit: @@Hyper_SFC

“I’m still not overly convinced that he’ll add a whole lot to our squad, but for 1M?!? I’d pay this in a heartbeat if I’m us, low risk – high reward.”

Credit: @Ingsanity

“Stu come get your boy”

Credit: @neuhausenmatt

“For £1 million we have to”

Credit: @sfcjo_

In other news, Southampton are set to confirm the sale of this player.

Marcelo Bielsa is weighing up the idea of using Raphinha in a number 10 role for Leeds United moving forward, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Raphinha shines for Leeds

The Brazilian has been a superb signing for the Whites, joining from Rennes last year and scoring nine goals in 38 appearances to date.

Raphinha has generally shone as a right winger, cutting inside onto his deadly left foot and wreaking havoc with his dribbling quality.

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The Latest: Number 10 role mooted

It could be that Bielsa looks into using the 24-year-old in a more central number 10 position, however. Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic on Saturday following Leeds’ 1-0 win at home to Watford, Hay outlined the possibility of Raphinha’s role changing.

When asked by a supporter if Bielsa would try Raphinha in a role behind the centre-forward, the journalist replied:

“I’m told that they have been discussing the possibility of Raphinha as a 10 but it’s not something Bielsa wants to rush into without working on. I can see aspects of Raphinha which would suit 10 although a Bielsa 10 needs to do a lot of defensive work too.”

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The Verdict: Interesting move by Bielsa

It would be an ultra-attacking move to play Raphinha as a number 10, allowing both Jack Harrison and Dan James to start out wide, forming a speedy three-pronged attack behind Patrick Bamford or Rodrigo.

As Hay hinted, though, the Brazil international would need to produce a strong work ethic to thrive in that position, with Bielsa simply not accepting a luxury player there.

It still feels like Raphinha is best out wide – he has registered nine assists for Leeds – but it would be intriguing to see how he fares more centrally if the manager considers redeploying him.

In other news, one Leeds transfer target has a £10million release clause in his contract. Read more here.

Luke Edwards has dropped a big update on Newcastle manager Steve Bruce, regarding his future at St. James’ Park. 

What’s the talk?

Telegraph journalist Luke Edwards has claimed that he is expecting the Newcastle boss to be sacked before this weekend’s clash with Tottenham.

Edwards has revealed that Bruce had an hour-long meeting with the new owners where they thanked him for the job he had done, with another, less-pleasant, conversation now seemingly set to take place.

He told BBC 5 Live Sport: “I do think Steve Bruce will be gone. I think he’s going to go before the Tottenham game.

“My understanding is that they (the owners) may well have thanked him today for keeping them in the Premier League so that this takeover could happen.

“I think we’ll find out in the next 24 to 48 hours, Steve Bruce’s future, and I wouldn’t expect him to be in the dugout against Tottenham.”

Elation

Newcastle fans will be elated that Bruce is expected to be sacked before the club’s clash with Tottenham in the Premier League. The Magpies are 19th in the table and winless after seven games and supporters could be furious if the 60-year-old remained in the dugout and led them to another defeat to send them further adrift of safety.

A recent survey, prior to the takeover, by the Newcastle United Supporters Trust found that 94.3% of the fans wanted the experienced coach to be axed, with 95.3% stating that they believe the club will be relegated this season.

Another survey on Tuesday morning suggested that 97% of supporters wanted Bruce to get the boot as well.

This highlights how badly the Magpies supporters want the manager out of St. James’ Park and that is why they will be elated that he is unlikely to be in charge against Spurs.

They will be delighted that the owners are set to make a swift decision instead of dragging it out over the course of a few weeks and allowing Bruce to lose Newcastle more games in the top-flight.

It was, however, a respectable decision from the owners not to sack Bruce in their first meeting with him. If Edwards’ information is correct, it was a nice touch from them to thank him for what he has done for the club in the last couple of seasons, as it could help to end his ties with the club on amicable terms.

It also means that they may have learned valuable information from Bruce if they asked him about the squad and where he thinks it could be improved. With the January transfer window less than three months away, PIF could begin to draw up a list of targets and narrow it down based on Bruce’s advice, given that he has worked with the majority of the current squad for two years.

AND in other news, “Being discussed” – Craig Hope drops Newcastle manager claim, fans surely delighted…

Aston Villa could sign their new Gareth Southgate in Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have claimed that the centre-back could be set for a reunion with Dean Smith, having, of course, played under the Villa boss during their time in the Championship.

And now, Football Insider have delivered an update on the £50k-a-week earning defender’s situation, saying that: “A Villa source has told Football Insider that the club have been given encouragement that United are planning to let Tuanzebe go in the current window. The 20-times champions have been sounded out by Villa over a potential deal and they will listen to offers if they can secure a replacement.”

Villa’s new Southgate

Ranked by Aston Villa’s official club website as their 15th best ever player back in 2011, the current England boss and EURO 2020 hero Southgate may not be the most popular man at Villa Park given the way things ended, but there’s no questioning the quality he brought to the table as a centre-back.

That profile piece said: “Very much the thinking man’s footballer, he was one of the most cultured defenders every to wear a Villa shirt, giving the club superb service over a six-year period. And even after he had asked for a transfer in the summer of 2000, he still performed immaculately the following season before finally moving to Middlesbrough.

“He immediately struck up a fine understanding alongside Paul McGrath and Ugo Ehiogu in a three-man defence, and that trio provided the backbone to his successful debut campaign, in which Villa finished fourth in the Premiership, reached the FA cup semi-finals and won the League Cup with an emphatic 3-0 Wembley victory over Leeds United.

“Appointed club captain following Andy Townsend’s departure to Middlesbrough, Southgate led Villa to the 2000 FA Cup final, the last at the old Wembley Stadium, where they lost 1-0 to Chelsea. His transfer request on the eve of Euro 2000 made him unpopular with Villa fans but he continued to produce excellent performances before heading for Teesside.”

And in Tuanzebe, Villa could find someone who also has the leadership skills to become a real force at Villa Park, but also have the technical ability to be very much a modern-day centre-half.

The £7.2m-rated ace came in for some big praise from United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earlier last season after helping to PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, who lauded both his ability and his character.

He said: “Axel’s a tremendous defender, a great leader. He’s come through the academy and we’ve known for years that he’s going to be a top player for us and he’s got the character and the attitude that a Man United player should have. Sometimes you’ll get in a foot race with Mbappe and you have to run with him and we know Axel’s qualities, he’s a top defender.”

While he may not have had too many minutes in the Premier League last year, Tuanzebe showed exactly why Villa are after him, averaging 1.4 tackles per game and boasting an impressive 88.6% pass accuracy – as per Whoscored, both of those stats are actually better than Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings.

While Southgate may be in the manager’s dugout now as England take on Italy in the final of EURO 2020 on Sunday, Tuanzebe could well arrive at Villa Park aiming to replicate the success the former centre-back had at the club.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa could wreak havoc with this signing…