All posts by z3u9t.icu

A number of Liverpool supporters have reacted negatively to a claim that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will need a scan on an injury picked up against Brentford.

The Reds returned to winning ways in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, picking up a much-needed 3-0 victory against the Bees.

Fabinho opened the scoring for Jurgen Klopp’s side just before half-time and Oxlade-Chamberlain headed home in front of the Kop to double the advantage midway through the second half. Takumi Minamino put the game to bed late on.

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While it was a good day at the office for Liverpool, Oxlade-Chamberlain limped off late in proceedings, in what looks like another injury concern for the Reds.

According to The Daily Mail’s Dominic King [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], the 28-year-old will undergo a scan to reveal the extent of the problem, in what is a worrying update given the ex-Arsenal midfielder’s dreadful record on the injury front since coming to Anfield in 2017.

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Liverpool fans react to Oxlade-Chamberlain update

These Liverpool fans provided their thoughts on the news on Twitter, with some Kopites’ patience wearing thin.

“Time to get rid of all these injury-prone players”

Credit: @emrysp

“Ox scored. Ox injured. Can’t believe this”

Credit: @ImChamikara17

“Big fan of Ox but availability is best ability. It’s time to cut our losses in the summer with injury-prone, unreliable mids and sell both Ox & Keita”

Credit: @Homes19LFC

“He’s been injury-free for the most part of a year now and he got injured rolling his ankle. How unlucky is that, this isn’t even about injury proneness”

Credit: @passingmfer

“Can’t catch a break can we sigh”

Credit: @l_manuel_

“We are getting very thin”

Credit: @CWinENC

In other news, some Liverpool fans have also responded negatively to a new transfer claim. Read more here.

Celtic have been linked with a move for Union Berlin’s Niko Gießelmann, according to German newspaper Sports Bild, relayed by 67 Hail Hail.

The Lowdown: Gießelmann profiled

Gießelmann is 30 years of age and is primarily a left-back who can also turn out at centre-back or even as a left-midfielder. [Transfermarkt]

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He’s been with the Bundesliga side for 18 months and has made 37 appearances for the club, 22 of which have come this season.

Gießelmann has registered 34 assists during his career and is valued at £1.62m by Transfermarkt, making him the biggest star of his agency, GMBH, who will no doubt want to extract every penny out of any possible deal.

The Latest: Hoops interest

67 Hail Hail relayed a report from Wednesday’s print edition of Sports Bild, who claimed that Celtic and a number of unnamed English sides are keen on Gießelmann.

The German is out of contract at the end of the current campaign, meaning the Hoops could look to secure a pre-contract agreement in the New Year, while it also puts the player and his representatives in a strong negotiating position.

The Verdict: Left-back competition?

Celtic have been heavily linked with Reo Hatate, who can also play as a left-back, however, the Hoops reportedly see him as a midfielder.

In that case, bringing in Gießelmann could be a smart idea to rival Greg Taylor at left-back. Ange Postecoglou had to use right-back Josip Juranovic, youngster Adam Montgomery and even outcast Boli Bolingoli during Taylor’s absence earlier in the season.

Bringing Gießelmann in who has plenty of experience to challenge Taylor may be a masterstroke by Postecoglou, so this link could be one to keep a close eye on.

In other news: Possession lost 40x, 21 duels lost: Celtic’s 3 worst players v Betis who didn’t take Ange chance. 

BBC pundit Noel Whelan has been reacting to Newcastle full-back Jamal Lewis’ hamstring injury, as per Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Lewis pulls up

The 23-year-old was making just his fourth Premier League start of the season against Liverpool on Thursday but had to make way after just 15 minutes.

The Northern Ireland international was starting to become a regular under Eddie Howe, but he now looks set for a spell on the sidelines, with Howe admitting after the 3-1 defeat that his issue ‘looked bad’.

Matt Ritchie replaced Lewis at Anfield, with the latter possibly missing the entire festive period due to his muscle problem, which starts with today’s clash against leaders and champions Manchester City.

The Latest: Whelan reacts

Whelan, who regularly features as a pundit for the BBC, was talking to Football Insider regarding the injury.

This is what he had to say in reply, labelling it as a ‘massive blow’ for Howe and Newcastle:

“He will be a big miss.

“He’s got that real energy and is capable of getting up and down the pitch in that natural wing-back position – that’s why he was signed from Norwich.

“It’s yet another muscle injury, and that just shows what a demanding season it is for everybody – and it will have been the last thing Eddie Howe wanted. He’s lost an integral part of the team.

“It’s a massive blow for him. He must be thinking: ‘When are things going to change for me?’”

The Verdict: Ritchie to the rescue…

Howe currently has three defenders out injured, two of whom are left-backs, so he may have no other choice but to rely on Ritchie over the coming weeks.

At least the 32-year-old is a player Howe knows well from his time at Bournemouth, and the Scot already has plenty of game-time under his belt this season.

Hopefully Ritchie will stay fit between now and the New Year, as otherwise Newcastle and Howe may have to use round pegs in square holes to fill the left-back void.

In other news, NUFC have made a huge offer to sign this ‘force of nature’

Leeds United are eyeing a January transfer move for Middlesbrough midfielder Marcus Tavernier, with Victor Orta said to be a big fan of the player.

What’s the story?

According to TEAMtalk, Marcelo Bielsa’s side have joined the chase for the 22-year-old, with the likes of Southampton, Burnley and Brighton all having watched him closely among Premier League suitors.

The report added that Orta is a confirmed fan of the player, having overseen his rise during his time at the Riverside Stadium a few years ago.

Could be Leeds’ own Mason Mount

With the ability to play out wide on either flank, and in the centre of midfield, there’s a lot to like about Tavernier and what he could potentially bring to the table at Elland Road.

His former manager Tony Pulis once stated: “Some days he comes in and he’s brilliant, some days he’s a bit lackadaisical. He’s going to be a top player. He’ll eventually play in the Premier League.”

Indeed, former Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock has even suggested that Tavernier could well end up emulating the success of Mason Mount and the kind of impressive step-up he has made in recent times.

Warnock added: “I think he has a few strings to his bow to be honest. I looked at Mason Mount and how he’s come on in the 12 months, there’s no reason why Tav can’t do that in the next 12 months.

“If he motivates himself and listens he’s got some great attributes and good habits, and one or two not so good. All being well we can put him in the right direction and he’ll become a very good player. Not that he isn’t now but I think he could become even better.”

At 22, Tavernier could come on leaps and bounds under Bielsa’s guidance at Elland Road, and the man with 14 senior goals to his name could possibly enjoy a rapid rise to stardom with a move to Yorkshire.

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

Leeds United managed to secure a point in their latest Premier League game with a 2-2 draw against Brentford after Patrick Bamford made his return to action with a last-minute goal that stopped Leeds from suffering another defeat.

Tyler Roberts opened the scoring in the first half with his first goal contribution of the campaign, but two goals from the visitors put them behind before Bamford came in to save the day.

Despite Bamford’s late heroics, it could be argued that one other Leeds player was Marcelo Bielsa’s hero on this occasion – Raphinha.

With 90 minutes under his belt, the Brazilian not only assisted Roberts’ goal, but he also managed to have one shot at goal, complete three successful dribbles and make five key passes with four crosses and three long balls, making him a real nuisance for Brentford’s defensive players.

Raphinha also did his bit for the team in a defensive sense as well by making two tackles and two interceptions in the game, showing that he is more than just an attacking outlet for the team.

This performance earned the winger an overall match rating of 8/10, making him Leeds’ highest-rated player on the day according to SofaScore, showing just how impressive he was.

Labelled as a “magician” by fellow Leeds winger Dan James, Raphinha has more goals in the league than any other Leeds player at this stage of the season with six and is also listed as their highest-rated player based on his overall performances with a season rating of 7.38/10 according to WhoScored.

Moving forward, even though Leeds couldn’t grab all three points against Brentford, the Brazilian’s performance was certainly a big positive to take away from the game, and if he can keep delivering performances like that, the Whites shouldn’t have any worries about potentially getting relegated this season.

Looking even further down the line to the end of the season and the next summer transfer window, Leeds will have to make sure they keep hold of the 24-year-old for as long as they can because his performances could well be attracting other teams that would want to have him in their squad such as fellow Premier League side Liverpool, who have been linked with him in the past.

In other news: £60k-p/w Leeds liability who lost possession 28x v Brentford is embarrassing Orta – opinion

It may have been pouring with rain at full-time at Old Trafford on Sunday evening but for Liverpool, all they could see was sunshine and rainbows.

This was a blisteringly good performance from Jurgen Klopp’s men as they completely demolished one of their biggest rivals on their own patch.

The Reds struck five unanswered goals past Manchester United as a devastating hat-trick from Mohamed Salah really put the gloss on what is proving to be a fine season for the Egyptian.

There have been cries in recent weeks that he is the best player on the planet and despite United’s woeful defending on Sunday, he was still mesmerising in the opposition’s penalty area.

None of his goals were of the pure ingenuity we saw versus against Manchester City and Watford but he was still a class apart.

However, we want to focus on the player who provided the goal that sealed his match ball; Jordan Henderson.

The midfielder’s future in Merseyside appeared to be in doubt at the beginning of the campaign but after penning new terms at Anfield, he is continuing to deliver consistent performances on a regular basis for the Reds.

It was a timely performance from the England international who with Thiago Alcantara injured and Curtis Jones only regaining his fitness, was one of the stars of the show for Klopp.

His ball for Salah’s third and final goal was stupendous. He took the ball in midfield and then sprayed a quite delightful pass in behind that left Liverpool’s most important player to prod the ball home.

It was a piece of play that rolled back the years to a former Liverpool captain, one that goes by the name of Steven Gerrard.

Henderson might not like those comparisons but on the biggest of stages, he handled the pressure just as Stevie G did on so many occasions.

He ran the game in the middle of the park and put in a near-perfect display that will undoubtedly have sent the supporters home happy.

As well as providing that delicious ball in behind for Salah to add the club’s fifth, the 31-year-old completed 128 passes at a success rate of 96%.

That is a mind-boggling number, especially when you consider that he made more passes over the 90 minutes than Fred, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba put together.

His touch count of 144 was also more than McTominay and Fred combined, exacerbating just how good he was this weekend.

What made Henderson’s impact even better were the three key passes that he provided for his teammates.

Incredibly, the experienced midfielder only conceded possession on six occasions. Given how many times he picked up the ball, that is a phenomenal tally, one that proved just how composed he was in the middle of the park.

Liverpool’s attackers will deservedly grab the headlines in tomorrow’s newspapers but Henderson deserves praise too. He laid the platform with a delicate display from the base of Klopp’s XI.

AND in other news, Signed for £0, now worth £7.2m: Klopp has struck gold on “unbelievable” LFC beast…

Everton are one of several sides eager to secure the services of Lille forward Jonathan Ikone as the January transfer window fast approaches.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet MilanLive (as relayed by the Liverpool ECHO), the Toffees are joined by fellow Premier League outfit West Ham United and Italian giants AC Milan in the race for the 23-year-old’s services.

The report states that both Everton and the Hammers are “seriously considering buying the player” over the coming months, with Milan taking a backseat for now.

Ikone is under contract at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy until the summer of 2023, though, meaning Lille are expected to demand a sizeable fee for one of their prized assets.

Everton fans will be buzzing

News that director of football Marcel Brands is reportedly plotting a potential move Ikone will have Everton fans buzzing with excitement.

The versatile attacker has established himself as one of Ligue 1’s most exciting talents since swapping boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain for Lille back in the summer of 2018.

Last term, the youngster played a pivotal part as Les Dogues shocked French football to claim their first Ligue 1 title in 10 years, scoring four goals and providing five assists in 37 top-flight appearances.

And although he’s struggled to provide goal contributions on a regular basis this term – finding the back of the net on just two occasions – Ikone’s underlying numbers have remained impressive.

As per WhoScored, the four-cap France international has averaged 1.2 shots per league game in 2021/22, one key pass and 0.8 dribbles, placing him in the top-five for each metric amongst his teammates.

Ikone has also been lauded as a “midfielder with a great future” by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and a “very talented young player” with “great potential” by Lille’s deputy CEO Marc Ingla, both via the same source.

Therefore, a move for the £22.5m-rated wizard would make a lot of sense for Rafa Benitez’s charges as the Spanish tactician looks to bolster his attacking options.

Only time will tell if the Everton hierarchy sanction a move for Ikone in the winter window, but his arrival is one that would surely be lauded by the Merseyside outfit’s supporters.

And, in other news…Worse than Rondon: Benitez must bin £60k-p/w Everton flop, he’s not “good enough” 

Tottenham Hotspur have endured quite a horrid time ever since their defeat in the Champions League final in 2019.

Mauricio Pochettino was sacked soon after, Jose Mourinho has been and gone. Ryan Mason even returned in a caretaker capacity.

And the north Londoners are yet to break back into the top four – a stark contrast from their run of three successive top-three finishes under the Argentine.

The squad had got very stale, with several players way overstaying their welcome. It was only this summer that the likes of Erik Lamela and Moussa Sissoko were finally moved on.

Player recruitment has always been questionable throughout chairman Daniel Levy’s time at the helm but he does deserve plenty of credit for perhaps their biggest shining light throughout these tough few seasons.

Last summer, the Spurs supremo managed to haggle Southampton for their skipper, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who only cost £15m. The Saints had been wanting over double that (£35m) beforehand.

He has arguably been one of their best signings of recent times, an ever-present figure under Mourinho, Mason and now Nuno Santo. And in that time, his value has skyrocketed.

As per CIES Football Observatory, the Danish powerhouse is now worth €50m (£45m) – an increase of 200% from their initial investment. A true Levy masterclass.

In the 14 months he has been at the club, Hojbjerg has already amassed 64 appearances, scoring four goals and providing five assists, as per Transfermarkt.

Back in December, Mourinho lauded the central midfielder as a “phenomenal player”.

“Pierre is, first of all, very intelligent. He reads the game very well. He’s going to be a coach one day, for sure,” the Portuguese told reporters (via Goal.com). “Physically he’s very, very strong and technically he’s much better than people think. Because sometimes people think the guy that is good technically is the guy that does the backheel. The guy that is good technically is the guy that does something wonderful. But these are not my words. These are words from coaches of 30, 40 years ago. Simplicity is genius.”

Also dubbed a “monster” by one-time Denmark and Derby County midfielder Morten Bisgaard, Hojbjerg has been a real success story for Spurs and Levy in particular, especially when you contrast it to the investment in Tanguy Ndombele.

The Lilywhites chief certainly played a blinder over signing the 26-year-old beast last season.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Spurs transfer claim ahead of the January transfer window…

A transfer specialist has revealed that Ousmane Dembele is the ‘first name’ on Newcastle United’s list ahead of a potential move to St. James’ Park.

The Lowdown: Dembele promise

Dembele was a player of such promise when he was first breaking through at Borussia Dortmund, earning him a whopping £121.5m move to FC Barcelona back in the summer transfer window of 2017.

His early spells with the Catalan giants even earned praise from the great Lionel Messi, who dubbed his then teammate a ‘phenomenon’.

The Latest: Wanted on Tyneside

As per Pedro Almeida, who is verified on Twitter as an ‘insider specialising in transfers’, Dembele is the ‘first name’ that consortium member Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) wants to bring to the North East.

However, a move in January seems unlikely, as he would prefer to sign the France international as a free agent, given that his current deal at the Camp Nou expires in the summer.

The Verdict: Sign

Dembele needs to rejuvenate his career, as he has never really been able to hit the ground running since arriving at Barca, with 30 goals and 21 assists recorded in 118 games in total over all competitions across the last four seasons (Transfermarkt).

However, at 24 years of age, he still has the potential to fulfil the promise that he had early on in his career, and could combine well with fellow French winger Allan Saint-Maximin.

Nonetheless, to get him for free, given that he currently has a market value of £45m, would represent exceptional business by the Tyneside club.

In other news, find out which ‘fantastic striker’ is now on NUFC’s list here!

Celtic’s start to the new season has been a topsy-turvy affair as the Hoops look to adapt and transition to Ange Postecoglou’s way of life.

The beginning of his tenure has been a bumpy ride with some free-flowing football but defensive mistakes aplenty at Parkhead.

He did oversee their exit from the Champions League, but after significantly improving the playing staff available to him, they qualified for the Europa League.

Their group stage campaign got underway in midweek but they tasted defeat in what was a dramatic encounter with Real Betis. Celtic went 2-0 up before they succumbed 4-3 to La Liga’s sixth-best outfit from last season.

The Glaswegian side travelled to Seville without a plethora of first-team names. Liel Abada was missing due to religious reasons while Kyogo Furuhashi is set to miss the next month through injury.

However, one of the biggest losses was in the form of Callum McGregor who had picked up a small knock. Fortunately, Postecoglou hopes to have him available when they face Livingston on Sunday afternoon.

He said: “We’ll see how Callum McGregor is, but we’re optimistic he’ll be available.”

If that sense of optimism becomes a reality, then the skipper’s return to the squad will be absolutely massive for Celtic.

He has starred so far this season, scoring an all-important goal against Midtjylland and taking on the captaincy duties with great effect.

The midfielder has also been in supreme form for Scotland, putting in a display which was described as his ‘best’ in international colours when they beat Austria earlier this month.

However, the most important aspect of McGregor’s game is his leadership and ability to calm things down. How Celtic could have done with his words of wisdom in the middle of the park when Betis began to fight back last Thursday night.

With him in the team, he may have been able to settle the nerves and grab the bull by the horns as they attempted to batter away a wave of opposition pressure.

Livingston should be an easier ride this weekend but despite that, McGregor’s potential return is a welcome boost for the club. The manager will no doubt be delighted at the captain’s swift recovery.

AND in other news, Move over Bitton: Ange has a rising star in “powerful” rarely-seen 19 y/o at Celtic…