All posts by z3u9t.icu

Southampton would do well to add strength and depth to their side during the January transfer window and Ralph Hasenhuttl will surely be more than up for that.

This comes after the Austrian manager has seen his side become more and more inconsistent and, for a club like Southampton, they need to do better.

With the players they have and a number of them coming good once again, things are looking a lot more positive at St Marys Stadium, yet new faces could change things around completely.

A finish much higher up the table is not out of the question for Southampton, they merely have to invest in the right players and a rise up the league will follow in due course.

So what exactly do they need? Due to Nathan Redmond being Southampton’s only consistent winger, someone to provide quality on the other side could be Leeds’ youngster Jack Clarke.

18-year-old Jack Clarke would definitely suit being a Southampton player and he may be motivated to join the Saints, after seeing how successful young English players have gone on to do from St. Marys.

The club are notorious for giving their youngsters a chance to shine and Jack Clarke although not their own player initially, could be the next English talent on a long list at Southampton.

Clarke has massively impressed since getting the chance to prove his worth under Marcelo Bielsa, with two goals and two assists.

If he continues the form he has shown, bigger teams could quickly come calling although Jack Clarke could find it the most beneficial to move to Southampton seeing as he will get plenty of opportunities.

Do you agree… Let us know!

[ad_pod ]

Craig Beattie believes that Celtic will remain top of the heap for as long as Brendan Rodgers is in charge.

During his time in charge of Swansea, the Hoops boss brought Beattie to the Welsh side as he guided them into the Premier League and the most successful period in their history.

Rodgers’ future as Celtic manager has come into some doubt recently, after the former Liverpool manager was linked with a return to the English game in January through the Leicester City job.

Asked about the reaction to Rodgers potentially departing, Beattie said as quoted by The Evening Times: “Well, they will be celebrating in one – the Rangers boardroom – when Brendan is no longer there.

“The rest of them, I don’t think they will be overly fussed. I don’t think he has any real bearing on any other team, they are getting their money just the same, because Celtic will always bring huge gates. But over in Govan they will be celebrating. Because as long as Brendan Rodgers is there I think it [Celtic] is a winning machine.”

Rodgers is under contract with Celtic until 2021 and appears perfectly happy with the club, delighted by a return of seven consecutive domestic trophies.

Last summer he did express some frustrations about Celtic’s transfer dealings but during January he appeared to be in sync with the boardroom as three loan signings were brought in as well as the arrival of Vakoun Issouf Bayo.

Over the last year Callum McGregor, Ryan Christie, James Forrest, Scott Bain, Tom Rogic and Kris Ajer have signed long-term deals, with Scott Brown signing up for two more seasons last week.

[ad_pod ]

Chris Sutton led the praise for Scott Brown’s unlikely blockbuster against St. Johnstone.

For the first time in two years the Hoops skipper was on the score-sheet with his stunning strike almost worth the wait.

Fans, team-mates, opponents and pundits were left stunned by the goal which killed off St. Johnstone’s hopes as Zander Clark dived in vain to prevent his side going 2-0 down within 10 minutes.

The goal was the highlight of another stellar performance from the Hoops skipper who recently signed a new contract to extend his Celtic career.

Back in November, Celtic hit a purple patch of form that had some fans questioning whether there was a place for the 33-year-old when Brendan Rodgers’ side pass with pace.

Throughout his career Brown has been told what he can’t do but since the winter break he has reminded the doubters why he has been picked more than 500 times for Celtic and been captain under four very different managers.

Here’s a look at how Chris Sutton and other Celtic fans reacted to Brown’s goal on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham Hotspur host Leicester at Wembley Stadium this weekend and will be hoping that they don’t have to grind a win out in the fashion that they have had to in recent weeks, although the Foxes represent another test for a Lilywhites side missing Harry Kane and Dele Alli, most notably.

Despite the duo’s absence, a pressing concern seems to be that Christian Eriksen could be leaving in the summer, with Mauricio Pochettino reportedly adding James Maddison to his list of potential players to replace the Dane. The Spurs boss can test just how good the number 10 is on Saturday, by giving one player a specific instruction.

On the chalkboard

According to The Times, the north London club are lining up a move for Maddison, who they see as a replacement for Eriksen should he seek pastures new in the summer.

Tottenham are keen to secure more homegrown talent and the signing of Maddison would see the Englishman join up with the likes of Alli, Kane, Kieran Trippier and Harry Winks.

The former Norwich man has impressed in his first season in the Premier League, scoring five and assisting four, so it is no wonder that the bigger clubs are sniffing around.

Sunday’s clash with Leicester presents Pochettino with the opportunity to see the player in action against his own side – the Argentine will surely want to put the Foxes’ danger-man through his paces in order to see how good he really is.

Sit Sissoko on Maddison

Eric Dier is unavailable due to a virus and so it looks likely that Moussa Sissoko will continue alongside Winks at the base of midfield – the Frenchman has enjoyed his new role this season and will be key if his side are to nullify the visitors’ attack.

Maddison is the lynchpin for his side, carrying the ball; connecting the dots; playing his teammates in and working chances for himself. If Spurs want to stop Leicester from having anything in their half, Pochettino should task the powerful Sissoko with following the 22-year-old wherever he goes.

Either this will help the Lilywhites to the three points or, if Maddison deals well with the constant pressure from the Spurs number 17, it will be confirmed in Pochettino’s mind that he is a top class player.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

[ad_pod ]

Pundit Liam Rosenior believes Leeds United have struggled for form because of the ‘spy-gate’ scandal, per the Hull Daily Mail.

Manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted last month that he had sent a member of his staff to watch Derby County train, before then further claiming to have done the same for every opponent Leeds have faced this season.

What’s the word?

Bielsa’s admission has led to a hefty fine from the EFL, worth £200,000.

Since his revelation, on January 16, Leeds have won just two of their five games in the Championship, against Rotherham and Swansea City.

That form has seen them slip out of the automatic promotion places, and Rosenior believes that the scandal has served as a distraction to the Whites’ players.

Speaking on The Debate, via the Hull Daily Mail, he said: “A points deduction would have been a little bit harsh seeing as though there was no set law or precedent for what Bielsa did in terms of sending someone to watch Derby to train.

“But at the same time for the game it was wrong and even Bielsa has held his hands up. Now it gives Leeds an opportunity to move forward. It’s no coincidence for me that when this spygate stuff started coming out that their form began to tail off.

“They have a lot of young players who haven’t experienced real pressure and I started to see dips in their performances. This is now finished and now the focus is on getting the club back to the Premier League.”

Move on and get up

Leeds are tantalisingly close to promotion, sitting level on points with second-placed Sheffield United but holding a game in hand. They are only two behind leaders Norwich City.

And Rosenior is right to claim that the focus is now simply on promotion.

The EFL’s investigation into what Bielsa said had become something of a sideshow but there are no excuses now.

Leeds have been one of the best teams in the Championship, and should, given their form this season, be claiming their spot in the top-flight next season.

It is now down to Bielsa to ensure there are no more slip-ups.

Liverpool were unable to find a way past Bayern Munich at Anfield in the Champions League.

The Reds were without Virgil van Dijk for the first-leg against the German champions but the Dutchman wasn’t missed. Jurgen Klopp was left to rue missed chances as Bayern defended superbly for the majority of the game. Even though the score finished goalless, the ex-Dortmund boss will be confident of progressing to the next round with a strong performance at the Allianz Arena.

Liverpool’s decent showing leaves the boss with a massive selection headache ahead of a crucial away fixture to rivals Manchester United in the Premier League. Jordan Henderson performed extremely well in defensive midfield with Fabinho replacing van Dijk in the back four. With the Brazilian proving to be an influential player in the centre of the pitch, it is expected he will move into the midfield three to face the Red Devils. Gini Wijnaldum has been in excellent form meaning the Dutch international should also be one of the first names on the team sheet.

One man who shouldn’t lose his place is Naby Keita. The £56m addition – now rated at £58.5m by Transfermarkt – endured a difficult start to life on Merseyside but is finally enjoying a spell in the first-team. The Guinea international was brilliant against Bournemouth last week and helped transition defence into attack against the Bavarians. Liverpool are likely to absorb pressure and counter-attack – Keita will be key to finding Liverpool’s front three.

The Reds can’t afford to drop points against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men and Keita would provide the creative spark needed to end their recent good form. It remains to be seen whether Klopp will be bold with his team selection.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Everton still remain in with a chance of securing seventh place this season, something that will again allow them to play European football. 

After missing out last season, the Toffees will hope to finish best of the rest, like many others sides as well.

Marco Silva and his side have suffered from inconsistent performances all season long and that’s a worrying sign for the supporters in attendance.

For a long time. they haven’t seen Everton be successful but they have always pushed themselves to at least finish high up the table.

To achieve that next season, they need to make some improvements to their team and the first player on their mind should be Hull City winger Jarrod Bowen.

Bowen, (who is valued at £7.2 million on Transfermarkt) has set the Championship on fire so far this season, making waves and hence inviting teams – both the Toffees and Tottenham were linked with a move in the Mirror some months ago – to take up an interest in acquiring the 22-year-old.

As a young, English prodigy coming through the ranks, Bowen already has vast amounts of experience on his side and that can be looked at by Everton as a positive.

With 16 goals to his name in 33 appearances this season, he has already outdone his total of 15 goals in 44 appearances from last year.

That alone proves that one, he is not a one-season wonder and two, is that he is getting better.

Wingers generally are the more inconsistent players and that would definitely apply to the likes of Theo Walcott and Bernard this season.

Adding strength and depth is what the signing of Jarrod Bowen would bring to Goodison Park and it would be an exciting deal for Everton to ponder over.

Do you agree… Let us know!

[ad_pod ]

Unai Emery insists he will not follow in the footsteps of Mauricio Pochettino and call for governing bodies to help clubs with the scheduling of matches, per ITV.

The Tottenham Hotspur boss, per Goal, was furious that Borussia Dortmund were given an extra day to prepare for their Champions League last-16 second leg tie on Tuesday, which Spurs won 1-0 to seal a 4-0 aggregate triumph.

What’s the word?

Pochettino’s words ultimately rang a little hollow after Spurs turned in a superb performance at Signal Iduna Park to seal their progress to the quarter-finals.

But he is not the only manager to call for a change; Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri also appealed for more help from the Premier League in October.

Per the Daily Mail, he said: “In Italy, if you are playing in the Champions League you can ask to play the match before on a Friday or Saturday.

“If you play in the Europa League away, not at home, you can ask to play on the Monday night. I think this is right.”

Arsenal have been victims too, with Rennes given a free weekend to prepare for their Europa League tie while the Gunners played Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

But Emery insists he is not interested in debating the merits of scheduling and has told his players they have no excuse for not performing in the coming weeks.

“It is not an excuse for us, we have the habit to play a lot of matches week by week,” he said, per ITV.

He added: “I respect them, the Premier League they decide the schedules for our matches and we adapted.

“Our adaptation is to prepare for the matches on the days we can have but, above all, our habit is to play a lot of matches during the week, so it is no excuse.”

A risk

It is admirable that Emery is so insistent that he will not lean on easy excuses and he is absolutely right to remind his players that he expects a minimum level of performance.

With Arsenal looking to qualify for the top four and overhaul Manchester United, who they play this weekend, while also looking to triumph in the Europa League, Emery will have to rotate his squad between now and May.

But he can have no complaints after backing the way the Premier League and the FA work.

It is certainly a risky strategy, to be so public in his insistence that his players should not be affected.

Emery, of all people, will surely be aware that his words could well come back to haunt him if the Gunners fall short both at home and in Europe.

With another win under their belts, what’s not to love about West Ham at the moment? Manuel Pellegrini has got the boys playing brilliantly and with a bit of consistency from now until the end of the season, their European aspirations may still be a possibility.

Whether you want Europa League or not, it would be a terrific achievement for West Ham to finish in seventh place, having stumbled out of the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, making their season looking utterly miserable at times.

Disappointment has now turned to positivity, surrounding the brilliant unveiling of the Billy Bonds Stand and the football on the pitch has improved as well.

Having spent an eye-watering £100 million on new players last season, West Ham aren’t finished yet. Clearly, they’re on the hunt for constant improvement and the players they’re linked never seem to dry up.

One of those is reportedly (as per the Daily Mail) Newcastle midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, a player that seems to fit the billing of a West Ham player.

Shelvey, (who is valued at £13.5 million on Transfermarkt) still remains an attractive proposition for West Ham, despite Rafa Benitez seemingly dropping him to Newcastle’s fifth-choice midfielder.

Having made 12 appearances this season, Shelvey has gone from being the Magpies main man to someone who can’t get a game.

A transfer to the Hammers has always been discussed amongst fans but never fully come to fruition, which could all change this summer.

Although there might be doubt, what cannot be argued is the Englishman’s work-rate, determination and skill.

Getting the best out of Jonjo Shelvey would make for a very happy set of West Ham supporters because he could be the missing man in their current set-up. Alongside Declan Rice and Mark Noble, Shelvey could complete the Irons’ midfield, making the team a lot easier on the eye and giving Jack Wilshere something to think about.

The capture of the former Arsenal hasn’t worked out at all and Shelvey’s potential arrival would go some way into capturing some of the talents Wilshere can no longer provide consistently enough.

Do you agree… Let us know!

[ad_pod ]

Leeds United maintained their charge for automatic promotion to the Premier League with a comfortable 3-0 win over strugglers Reading at the Madejski Stadium on Tuesday night.

Of course, they could give their promotion credentials an even bigger boost with victory over Sheffield United at Elland Road on Saturday.

The Blades are also in the thick of the Championship promotion race, and this weekend’s clash could be a season-defining encounter for both clubs.

Marcelo Bielsa will be desperate to guide the Whites to victory over the Bramall Lane outfit, and will know that his side have what it takes.

However, the recent 3-1 defeat at the hands of fellow title-chasers Norwich City may still be in the back of the minds of the Leeds squad.

28-year-old centre-back Pontus Jansson is clearly optimistic though, as the 20-cap Sweden international has taken to Twitter to urge the Elland Road faithful to arrive early, in their droves, to support the team.

Have a look at how fans reacted down below…

Many Leeds fans have taken to Twitter themselves to respond to the 6’4” star’s post…