All posts by z3u9t.icu

[ad_pod ]

Big things were expected from Wolves when they won promotion to the Premier League in 2018, but finishing seventh last term was nonetheless a huge achievement.

That was well deserved for Wolves as the West Midlands club formed a reputation for themselves as a team that could go toe-to-toe with anyone in the division, beating the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham last season, but they’ll need to strengthen for next season.

Europa League football is on the horizon and they’re now much less of an unknown quantity capable of catching teams off guard. Everybody will know what to expect, from three at the back to the technical quality in midfield.

Recruitment is needed and one player who has been linked is West Brom striker Salomon Rondon, who was mooted as a target via the Express and Star at the very start of June.

But more recent reports suggest a move is off the table as Football Insider have claimed that Wolves have snubbed a move for Rondon due a high price tag. Here are two reasons why the Premier League side are making a mistake not pursuing the target man…

A match made in heaven for Raul Jimenez

With Wolves favouring a two-striker formation, it makes sense that the club have been looking at a player who has the capabilities to make the attack much stronger. Diogo Jota proved to be good strike partner for Jimenez last season as the duo combined nine times on the pitch together.

But Rondon is a natural striker compared to the Portuguese attacker who is at best a support act, so Wolves could be missing out on a trick by fielding two true number nines together, something that is rare to see in the Premier League these days.

Even if the plan was only ever to use Rondon on a rotational basis, European football next season means Wolves’ squad needs plenty of depth. A player proven in the Premier League, producing 35 goals in 140 appearances, would no doubt help in that respect, whether he’s mainly playing in Europe or the top flight.

Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Wolves could inadvertently strengthen a rival side

With Wolves out of the race for Rondon it now opens the door for a Premier League side to swoop in instead for the striker. Newcastle and West Ham have both been linked and teams who finished below Wolves last season could easily close the gap on them with the forward amongst their ranks.

Rondon’s game is suited perfectly to the Premier League with the attacker winning 4.6 aerial dues in the previous season, the 12th highest overall in the league and the 7th highest out of all the strikers. Couple that with his 11 goals and seven assists for Newcastle and you have yourselves a number nine that is ideal for a mid-table side.

Wolves only finished in seventh place by three points, and if a player like Rondon is to join another mid-table Premier League side, the race for that final European spot in the table could be a lot tighter.

[ad_pod ]

June 26 was quite a special day for the Beckham family.

Sandra Beckham, the mother of the Manchester United legend and an all-time great, David, celebrated her 70th birthday and her son was quick to pay tribute to her on social media.

Beckham posted a heartfelt message on his

/BzLTmVaBQOm/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram profile, wishing his mother all the best and saying a couple of nice words to go along with it. Naturally, this attracted a lot of attention from the rest of the footballing world.

Beckham’s ex-teammates, his friends and even his rivals took to the platform to congratulate Sandra on her landmark birthday.

The likes of Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, his long-lasting fellow Red Devils, were among the first to the scene and they smothered the comment section with emojis and best wishes.

Robbie Keane and John Terry were also among the many legends replying and congratulating the whole family.

David Beckham spent eight years at Manchester United’s senior team after progressing through their younger squads, before he left for Real Madrid in 2003.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Liverpool’s transfer business this summer is set to be quiet according to The Mirror. However, that hasn’t stopped them from completing one deal already in the window.

In through the door came 17-year-old Sepp van den Berg but beyond that activity has looked thin on the ground.

Dortmund’s Jacob Bruun Larsen, however, has been linked, with the club reportedly in a three-way battle to sign the player as Manchester United and Arsenal have also emerged as candidates for his signature.

Yet, it could prove to be a setback for one of Jurgen Klopp’s current players.

Liverpool don’t need to improve much going into the new season, especially on the left flank where Bruun Larsen has been so effective for at Dortmund.

In 2018/19 he contributed to six goals for the German club and at the age of 20 is one of the brightest talents rising through the Bundesliga.

Yet, if he were to arrive at Anfield, it could well spell the end for Harry Wilson.

The latter has reportedly had a £21m price tag slapped on his head this summer and if Bruun Larsen arrived then the potential of him leaving would surely become elevated.

Wilson was a big presence on the right-hand side for Derby last term but also shone on the left wing in the Championship.

The Welshman is two years older than Larsen, but despite having a more impressive season, scoring 16 goals, he continues to look out of favour. The interest in the Dane is arguably evidence of that.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

The 5 ft 8 winger was nothing short of magnificent but Liverpool’s apparent desire to sign someone who can play in a similar role to Wilson doesn’t bode well.

Perhaps performances in this pre-season could change minds at Melwood. But The Mirror claims that a number of clubs are chasing him and at 22, if he’s not going to start playing regularly for Liverpool the club may as well look to cash in.

Wilson could have been a valuable option for Liverpool in the forthcoming season and beyond, particularly with Lallana’s contract due to expire in 2020.

However, it appears Klopp is looking to bring in someone from the continent to play second fiddle to Sadio Mane and company next season, thus providing a further setback for their Welsh winger.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the signing of Jack Clarke from Leeds United, their first purchase in over a year.

What’s the word?

The 18-year-old winger has been immediately loaned back to the Championship club, where he will spend the entirety of next season.

The BBC claim that the fee for the winger totals around £10m.

Clarke made just four Championship starts last season under Marcelo Bielsa but he will return to Elland Road and attempt to aid the club as they look to win promotion to the Premier League.

He said: “I’m delighted to join Tottenham and in the short term I’ll be giving my all to hopefully help Leeds win promotion.”

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Manna from heaven

Spurs fans have waited an awfully long time for this.

The last permanent signing the club made came in January 2018, as Lucas Moura joined from PSG.

Clarke, of course, is unlikely to have a similar immediate impact but his acquisition at least shows that Mauricio Pochettino is looking to strengthen his squad.

And that is absolutely needed, despite the club reaching the Champions League final.

More are likely to follow, with Tanguy Ndombele said to be nearing a move to the club, but this is a promising first step from Spurs.

And supporters are likely to savour this feeling for some time, given how long ago they last saw a deal confirmed.

[ad_pod ]

One of the most in-demand transfer targets this summer, Lille’s hot-shot forward Nicolas Pepe has been linked with some of the best sides in European football after a stunning campaign in which he scored 23 times.

Reports in recent weeks and months had suggested the frontrunners for the Ivorian’s signature included the likes of Liverpool and Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

Now, according to a tweet from The Daily Mail’s Dominic King, Liverpool reportedly have “absolutely no interest” in signing Pepe and a deal for the winger will not be happening.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

After hearing the latest news on Pepe, Reds fans took to Twitter to voice their opinion on the matter and many were seemingly divided over the situation.

Some supporters of the Merseyside club seemed rather pessimistic about the club’s chances of making a significant signing this summer and wondered whether they would be heading into the next campaign with little movement in the transfer market.

Others however felt that Pepe is just not good enough for the club and insisted youngsters like Rhian Brewster and Harry Wilson would get more of a chance in the first-team without the 24-year-old being involved.

Check out some of the reaction of Liverpool fans below:

[ad_pod ]

Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to moan about Adam Lallana, after the midfielder missed yet another pre-season game through injury.

The former Southampton man missed the 2-1 loss to Sevilla entirely with a dead leg, an issue which also meant he didn’t feature in the game against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday either.

“It reminds me of a bus seat!” – Watch a damning verdict on Chelsea’s new kit in the video below…

Lallana, 31, made just 13 Premier League appearances last term, starting just five games, and his injury problems are starting to become a bit of an issue in terms of him being consistently available.

With no new signings of significance appearing to be coming through the door at Anfield this summer, Liverpool will need to rely on all of their assets to match the might of Manchester City and their resources – if fringe players like Lallana can’t be depended on, however, the squad will become stretched.

Some Liverpool supporters seem to know this all too well, and have expressed annoyance on Twitter at the news that the 5 foot 8 midfielder is injured yet again.

Let’s take a look at some of the best tweets…

[ad_pod ]

Things are getting pretty heated in Shanghai already as Manchester United are now preparing for their fourth challenge of the 2019 summer pre-season tour.

The first three games were a success and the Red Devils managed to pick up three impressive victories, beating Perth Glory, Leeds United and Inter Milan along the way.

Currently, they are getting ready to battle it out against Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham side on Thursday night, with Spurs representing a more familiar face on the pitches of China.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Still, it seems like training under the heat of the Asian country is not affecting the team’s good spirits.

Marcus Rashford posted a teasing

/B0Q3OOAH90h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram snap from the training grounds as he skipped past Luke Shaw in a duel of the two young Red Devils.

He even captioned it with “You sure, Shaw?”, implying that the defender can’t really stop the pacy forward from winning this “battle”.

As of right now, there’s no response from the full-back but if this kind of snap is any indication, the squad is having quite a lot of fun on their travels.

[ad_pod ]

284 days was how long Real Madrid lasted without their mastermind – the man who once again propelled Los Blancos to unimaginable heights, winning silverware and hearts in the process. 284 days they were separated but now, Zinedine Zidane is back and in a blink of an eye, everything is once again well in the Spanish capital – the crisis averted, the fires extinguished and the kings are ready to sit back on the throne once more. But unfortunately, things are not really that simple in football, even though Real Madrid might wish they were.

It is, however, no coincidence that the Galacticos wanted the Frenchman of all people back at the helm. Their little experiments with Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari ended dragging the team ever closer to the abyss and who better to claw them back to where they belong than the legendary Zidane – an icon for Real Madrid from every imaginable point of view; whether it’s with his blades on his feet or in a suit and a tie, it makes little difference – he is the man for the job.

And for Real Madrid, it has to be said, this deal was the only sensible course of action. After all, no one has quite the pedigree and the reputation of the Frenchman. He was crowned the champion of Europe within the first five months of his appointment, took the Spanish crown right in front of Barcelona’s noses and most importantly, clinched the Champions League title three times in a row, writing history along the way and, what might prove to be his own demise right now, setting an unimaginable standard both for his team and himself as a head coach.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

From Zidane’s point of view, however, this appointment makes little if any sense at all. After all, what exactly does he stand to gain from such a mammoth of a task, even in the for now unlikely scenario he somehow steers the sinking ship from the ruins and then over the finish line? Glory? Eternal fame? A place in Real Madrid’s pantheon of icons and legends? Florentino Perez’s and fans’ undying love and appreciation? Maybe, but he already has all of that.

No other Real Madrid manager has achieved what Zidane had done. Nay, no other manager on the planet has achieved what he has, and just for that and his Champions League endeavours, he has reached immortality, at least among the Galacticos. The only thing he can do right now with this appointment is throw it all out of the window.

Yes, he returned because he loves the club and when Perez called, he presumably couldn’t say no. But why did he leave in the first place, then? He knew something was wrong or rather, he knew he squeezed the last possible atom of strength his squad had left and there was nothing more to give – the team was drained and he was drained alongside them. There’s a reason they say you should quit while you’re ahead.

Because, quite frankly, looking ahead right now, Zidane’s Real can only go down and all the Frenchman can do is tarnish his reputation, and tarnish it badly. Similarly, when his counterpart in Pep Guardiola, who has the same reputation at Barcelona, decided to leave, he left because he didn’t have anything else to give. Staying would’ve only hurt the team and his legacy, which is now, partly because he timed his departure almost flawlessly, immortal.

Check out an epic rant about Real Madrid fans that we can all relate to below…

But Zidane’s legacy was looking to endure the sands of time, just like Guardiola’s has but now, it’s still very much up in the air. The new Real Madrid team looks extremely shaky, to say the least. Zidane’s return had that initial surge but now it’s more and more apparent – they are in a real crisis.

Of course, this is not to say that we’re looking at the end of Real Madrid and the end of their ever-lasting presence in the world of football. No, football clubs, especially the ones of Real Madrid’s size, have a tendency of being quite self-sufficient. There is no way they just disappear due to one difficult spell after years of domination.

Zidane’s reputation and his legacy, however, are more fragile than one might think. He wouldn’t be the first one to go from the would-be saviour to a martyr, and the likes of Arsene Wenger and co. can surely attest to that. People love heroes but one thing they love more than heroes is to see them fall.

[ad_pod ]

And with Cristiano Ronaldo long gone but never truly replaced, Gareth Bale still not coming to terms with the Frenchman and an ageing core of the squad looking prime for a major overhaul, Zidane is looking at an uphill battle with high risk and low reward waiting at the end. In fact, the only reward waiting at the finish line is retaining his already established reputation at the club. The other side of the coin, however, looks far darker than that.

With his return to Santiago Bernabeu, Zidane now has a mountain of a task of achieving success and domination once again because it is the very same standard that he has set for himself back when he was first appointed. Only this time, he is not playing the game on easy with the best squad in Europe anymore.

Now, the tables have turned and the gritty and gloomy part of rebuilding the squad is on his shoulders. The expectations are high but if the first pre-season clashes were any indication, the team is not really firing on all cylinders.

The clock is already ticking and Real Madrid are playing catch-up. The ball is in Zidane’s courtyard but the fence between him and glory has never been higher.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Steve Bruce has confirmed that he wants to keep striker Dwight Gayle at Newcastle United this summer, per Chronicle Live.

What’s he said?

The Daily Star had claimed that Leeds United were eyeing a loan move for the striker as they look to strengthen their squad for another promotion push in 2019/20.

But Bruce, who has been active in the transfer market since his appointment as manager, with the signings of Joelinton, Allen Saint-Maximin and Jetro Willems all confirmed under his tenure, says he would like Gayle to stay at the club.

He said: “As I keep saying, you’re only as good as your strikers.

“In that area, we need a threat and Gayle has always been part of my plans. We hoped he’d be ready after China but he’s gone backwards.

“It’s a disappointment because I like him.

“I’ve tried to buy him before but not been able to afford him!”

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Second chance

Gayle has been on the books at Newcastle since 2016 but his time at the club has been rather stop-start.

Signed after the club slipped into the Championship, he scored 23 goals in 32 Championship outings in his debut season but struggled in 2017/18, scoring just six times in the Premier League and completing the 90 minutes on a mere eight occasions.

[ad_pod ]

A loan spell at West Bromwich Albion last season saw him net 24 goals in the second-tier but now it appears he is set to get another chance under Bruce’s management.

Clearly a talented striker, there is a suspicion that perhaps he is too good for the Championship but not quite good enough for the top-flight.

That theory will certainly be tested this season but it seems that, at last, he is set to get a second chance at the Magpies.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Aston Villa announced on Wednesday that summer signing Douglas Luiz has now been cleared to play for the club having received his work permit.

Dean Smith’s side signed the Brazilian from Manchester City towards the end of last month.

Luiz never actually turned out for the Premier League giants, instead spending each of the last two seasons at Girona.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

City had attempted to secure a work permit for the 21-year-old ahead of the 2018-19 campaign but that was turned down.

The attacker has now been cleared to represent Villa, though, and linked up with his new teammates at Bodymoor Heath on Wednesday.

Villa’s official Twitter account later posted the message – “Signed. Sealed. Delivered”.

[ad_pod ]

As expected, the image of Luiz brought a strong response from the club’s fans on social media, who might well have the chance to see their new signing in action against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]