All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Newcastle United fans have slammed the performance of Matt Ritchie in their 1-1 draw at Watford in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.

Despite dominating the game in terms of chances created, the Magpies had to settle for a point in the end after Ismaila Sarr cancelled out Sean Longstaff’s superb strike in the first half.

Primarily a winger, Ritchie struggled at times at left-back, picking up an early yellow card and then making a few dangerous challenges which could well have seen him sent off on another day.

Some Newcastle fans were particularly critical of his set pieces, as he failed to record a single shot on target, while only 30% of his crosses in the match found a teammate (Sofascore).

The Scotland international also lost possession of the ball on 14 separate occasions, the fourth-most out of any of his teammates (Sofascore).

Newcastle fans on Ritchie’s display

These Magpies fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one Newcastle supporter going as far as to claim that the 32-year-old is ‘dreadful’ at free kicks:

“Get Ritchie off set pieces and the pitch”

Credit: @darrenfarmer20

“Time to get Ritchie off set pieces. Every one of them has been so poor today.”

Credit: @evan_kiropoulos

“Still don’t understand how Miggy Almiron doesn’t get those set pieces in the edge of the box. Matt Ritchie’s technique from them is awful.”

Credit: @ASmithSJ

“Pig sick of Ritchie, like. The amount of times he lashes it into the wall/off someone with his left and with minimal thinking then just swipes at it with his right, man.”

Credit: @MattCobb88

“Why does Ritchie always take free kicks? He is utterly dreadful at them.”

Credit: @ToonArmyBarmy74

“I love the bloke’s aggression and enthusiasm but Ritchie isn’t offering anything to this side today, wasted set pieces and wanders out of position far too much.”

Credit: @King_Kevs_Rant

In other news, one former Newcastle ace thinks the proposed takeover will happen

Nottingham Forest have made a move in an attempt to bring Josh Maja to the City Ground.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Loic Tanzi, with the RMC Sport journalist revealing in a post on Twitter that Dane Murphy has sanctioned a €4.5m (£3.9m) bid for the FC Girondins Bordeaux centre-forward.

In his tweet, Tanzi said: “Nottingham Forest has made an offer of €4.5 million to Bordeaux for Josh Maja. The striker could leave L1 before [Tuesday] evening.”

And, a further report by L’Equipe (via Get French Football News) claimed that the Ligue 1 side have now accepted Forest’s offer, before revealing that Maja will fly out to England today in order to finalise his switch to the Championship club.

Fans will be buzzing

Considering just how poorly Chris Hughton’s side have started their 2021/22 Championship campaign, as well as how much potential Maja appears to possess, if Murphy can indeed go on to secure the signing of the centre-forward prior to the closure of the summer transfer window on Tuesday evening, his signing would undoubtedly be a major coup for the Reds, one that will undoubtedly have fans of the club buzzing.

Indeed, over Maja’s 15 Premier League appearances – only nine of which came as starts – while on loan at Fulham last season, the £4.5m-rated man scored three goals, as well as taking an average of 1.4 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the player Jermain Defoe dubbed a “rare” talent earn an average SofaScore match rating of 6.75, an impressive feat considering he averaged just 54 minutes on the pitch per fixture.

Furthermore, when taking into account just how much Forest’s current options at centre-forward, Lyle Taylor and Lewis Grabban, have struggled so far this season, with the pair scoring just one league goal between them, it would indeed appear as if forward options are an area of the squad in which Hughton could use reinforcements.

As such, should the Forest CEO be able to secure the services of the £14k-per-week youngster by the end of the day, it would undoubtedly provide the 62-year-old manager will a significant boost, and one which could help the club finally kickstart their Championship campaign.

In other news: Forest handed major boost over “impressive” £2.7m-rated dynamo, Murphy will be buzzing

Aston Villa are preparing to make a new move for Juventus star Weston McKennie in the January transfer window.

What’s the story?

Italian publication Sport Mediaset claimed that the Bianconeri would be willing to let the USA international go this summer, with “strong interest” from both Villa and fellow Premier League side Spurs.

While a move failed to materialise before the deadline, journalist Alan Nixon has now revealed that Dean Smith’s side will look to make a fresh attempt at signing McKennie in the upcoming January transfer window.

He adds that Juventus have told the midfielder that he can find a new home as soon as possible, and Villa could now look to take advantage of the situation.

Fans will be buzzing

Hailed as a “leader” by David Wagner, McKennie’s performances in the Bundesliga for Schalke earned him a high-profile move to Juventus, where former boss Andrea Pirlo was a big fan of his.

Calling him a “rock”, the Italy icon added: “He’s young and can improve a lot. In my opinion, he’s a midfielder who can play as a No 8 in a three in midfield, right or left. He gets in the box and scores goals but he’s also very good at winning the ball back.

“His role is in a three in midfield as one of the two players on either side of the regista. Last year we played in a different system, so he had to adapt.”

Dubbed as an “outstanding talent”, the £22.5m-rated McKennie is as Pirlo says, a real box-to-box threat. While the end product hasn’t always been there – he’s only scored 11 goals in his short career thus far – all the key elements are: the power, the pace, the tackling and the energy to get up and down the pitch.

As per Whoscored, he has an impressive career average of making 1.3 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, while also managing just a shade under one shot and key pass per match too – a real indication of his all-action style of play.

Johan Lange renewing his interest in the midfielder is sure to have fans buzzing.

Given they failed to bring in a new central midfielder in the summer transfer window – the club were trying to sign Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse – a move for McKennie would go a long way to addressing that iss

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has confirmed this major Aston Villa boost…

Newcastle United journalist Liam Kennedy doesn’t expect Steve Bruce to resign from his position as manager despite growing concerns over his future.

The 58-year-old is far from a popular figure with the St James’ Park faithful despite leading the Mapgies to respectable 13th and 12th placed finishes since replacing Rafael Benitez in the dugout in 2019.

Bruce has regularly been criticised during his two years at the helm, although he’s managed to keep Newcastle in the Premier League on both occasions, with little help from owner Mike Ashley.

He was set to be rewarded for keeping Newcastle in the top-flight with a new bumper deal, but he’s yet to sign on the dotted line and is therefore out of contract next summer.

Meanwhile, Newcastle remain quiet on the transfer front having failed to make a single signing in the window despite some of their best players being strongly linked away.

Despite several off-field problems, not to mention Bruce’s fight against his own supporters, Kennedy doesn’t expect him to throw in the towel.

He told The Transfer Tavern:

“I don’t think many people would walk away. But I do think he’s in a difficult position. Speaking to him from time to time, you do get the sense, that it would be hard for him, all his family are Newcastle fans and grew up in the area.

“It must hurt that his own are turning against him. But I think Steve Bruce would take the decision lightly of walking away from Newcastle. I don’t believe it.”

Newcastle United journalist Liam Kennedy insists that Steve Bruce has not been helped by the club’s takeover situation.

The Magpies continue to hope that the long-mooted takeover from the Saudi Arabia-backed Public Investment Fund will be given the green light amid court proceedings.

It remains to be seen if the club would be willing to keep Bruce as manager were the takeover to go ahead.

And Kennedy thinks that the club’s fans have been given a glimpse of what life could be like without Mike Ashley, which is somewhat feeding into the supporters’ distrust of the manager.

Indeed, Newcastle began their season with a disappointing 4-2 defeat to West Ham United at St James’ Park, despite twice taking the lead.

Kennedy said: “I think the takeover situation hasn’t helped him. I think that’s almost given people a glimpse of light, thinking there could be a better future ahead.

“And then the realisation maybe this summer is coming that people think maybe not now, maybe we’re stuck with Ashley, and with Ashley comes Bruce, and that level of manager. So in some ways, he’s probably suffering from the circumstances a little bit.”

Newcastle are next in action against Aston Villa before taking on Burnley in the EFL Cup; the club will be hoping to get their first three points on the board against Dean Smith’s men.

Rangers begin their Scottish Premiership title defence on Saturday afternoon as they take on Livingston at Ibrox, with Steven Gerrard’s side fresh off the back of an impressive pre-season.

The Gers picked up positive results against tough opposition in the shape of Brighton, Arsenal and Real Madrid, with new signings John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala both featuring for Gerrard’s side.

After finishing last year’s league season unbeaten, conceding just 13 goals in 38 top-flight games, Gerrard’s side go into the new campaign as favourites to win the title, especially with their Old Firm rivals showing little sign of improvement after they crashed out of the Champions League qualification stages in midweek.

Although Gerrard will be missing the likes of Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Jack and new signing Nnamdi Ofoborh for the game against David Martindale’s side on Saturday, the Gers will still be strong favourites to pick up three points to kick off the campaign.

Here’s how we think Gerrard will line his team up for the season opener at Ibrox…

After an impressive season which saw him earn a new one-year deal at Ibrox, Allan McGregor unsurprisingly starts in goal for Gerrard’s side.

There will be plenty of competition at right-back this term after Nathan Patterson’s breakthrough in 2020/21, but captain James Tavernier is likely to start the majority. He is joined by the crux of last season’s impressive defence as Connor Goldson partners Filip Helander at centre-back, with Borna Barisic on the left.

In midfield, new signing John Lundstram starts alongside Glen Kamara and Steven Davis, with Joe Aribo’s absence in recent pre-season games suggesting that he may be forced to settle for a place on the bench in this one.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Finally, Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi seem likely to start on the wings after their superb performances last season, and they support new signing Fashion Sakala up front, with the Zambian getting his competitive Gers debut ahead of Kemar Roofe after the former Leeds man missed the games against Brighton and Real Madrid.

In other news… The Athletic journalist drops exciting Rangers transfer claim, fans will be buzzing

Leicester City have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of West Bromwich Albion midfielder Matheus Pereira.

What’s the story?

The 25-year-old Brazilian has been heavily linked with several Premier League sides, including Leicester, in recent weeks after suffering relegation with the Baggies last season.

Continued speculation over Pereira’s future led to new Albion boss Valerien Ismael questioning his commitment at the weekend (as reported by the Leicester Mercury).

“He was clear he wants to leave,” said Ismael. “He is not committed to the Championship and not committed to us. I said I accept this decision, but I have to take my decision, and now we need to solve the situation.”

However, the French-German tactician’s bold statement didn’t go down well with Pereira, who responded with a passionate statement of his own.

“I remained silent and was not going to address anything until after the transfer window out of respect for the fans and my teammates, however after being called ‘not committed’ I felt extremely disrespected as a professional, I’ve been living off football since I was 12 years old, I chose to give up family time and ordinary fun to chase after a dream of a better future for myself and those around me…

“I want to leave, I want to seek new experiences, but want to do this in a fair and correct manner. I will be forever grateful to WBA, to its fans and to every single professional who works at the club and who welcomed me with open arms,” the statement read.

Fans will surely be buzzing

News that Pereira wants to leave the Hawthorns and that Ismael has accepted his decision will surely leave the Leicester supporters buzzing with excitement.

Nate Weiss, one of his coaches during a loan spell with German outfit Nurnberg, described the South American as “genius” in a previous interview, and his impressive exploits in the Premier League last season give credence to that bold statement.

Despite West Brom being marooned in the relegation zone for much of the campaign, Pereira still bagged 11 goals and provided a further six assists for his teammates in 33 top-flight appearances.

Those tallies far exceeded the output of Leicester pair Dennis Praet and Ayoze Perez in 2020/21, highlighting the added quality that the former Sporting Lisbon ace would bring to the King Power Stadium.

The Foxes will be aiming to finally break into the top four next term after consecutive fifth-place finishes under Brendan Rodgers, but in order to do that, the Northern Irish boss will need strength in depth throughout his squad.

Thursday night fixtures in the Europa League will make the Foxes task even harder, meaning Rodgers will need multiple options in each position for him to be able to fight on several fronts.

Therefore, Pereira would be an ideal acquisition for the Midlands outfit this summer, and the club’s fanbase will surely be urging Jon Rudkin to bring him to the club.

And, in other news…Leicester plot big-money move for £31.5m-rated magician, fans will be buzzing 

An update has emerged on PSV target Denzel Dumfries, regarding Everton’s pursuit of the full back… 

What’s the talk?

According to Dutch journalist Rik Elfrink, Everton and Inter are both interested in signing PSV defender Dumfries following his impressive performances at the European Championships for the Netherlands.

Elfrink has claimed that PSV are yet to receive an offer for his services, but are expecting bids to come in from the likes of Everton and Inter.

Benitez will be delighted

Everton boss Rafa Benitez will be delighted with this news as it appears as though the club are seriously pursuing a deal for the right-back. The Spaniard is in dire need of an addition in that area of the pitch and will, therefore, be happy that Marcel Brands is making strides in his efforts to land Dumfries, with a bid seemingly not too far away from being made according to Elfrink.

Seamus Coleman was the only natural right-back in the mix at Goodison last season, with 25 Premier League appearances to his name. Mason Holgate and Ben Godfrey were deployed in that role at times, whilst Alex Iwobi was also used as a right wing-back. That highlights the need to sign a player to come in and compete with Coleman for the slot on the right-hand side of the defence.

The 25-year-old, therefore, could be a much-needed, quality, signing for the club. He is a promising young right-back who could be the long-term successor to the Irishman. Former Everton attacker Marcus Bent has lauded the Dutchman as a “terrific” talent and hailed his pace, whilst claiming that fans would be delighted if he came through the door this summer.

He told Football FanCast:

“Speaking to Everton, they said he’s a terrific player, but clubs don’t sell their players when the Euros are on because they can put x number of pounds onto their player. Terrific, quick, pacey, he’s a rocket.

“If the club could get him on the back of what he’s done or whether they could attract him to Goodison is a different point entirely, but if you could get him, the fans would be elated.”

The £9.4k-per-week gem averaged an exceptional WhoScored rating of 7.12 in the Eredivisie in 30 games for PSV, whilst also impressing at the European Championships for his country. He recorded a WhoScored rating of 7.11 as his nation bowed out in the round of 16 this summer, having scored twice in four games.

This shows that he could be a brilliant acquisition for Benitez and the ex-Newcastle man should be delighted to have him in his squad come the start of next season.

AND in other news, Time’s up: Brands must ruthlessly axe £60k-p/w Everton dud, he’s rinsed Moshiri dry…

Liverpool have reportedly entered negotiations with star-forward Mohamed Salah over extending his contract with the club.

What’s the story?

According to The Times reporter Paul Joyce, Salah, along with Alisson, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk are among the first-team players who are in talks with the Reds’ hierarchy.

The Eygpt international’s current deal expires in the summer of 2023 but has occasionally openly flirted with the idea of moving to Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Fans will be excited

Since arriving on Merseyside four years ago, the 29-year-old has established himself as one of the world’s best players.

In 203 appearances for the Anfield outfit, Salah has bagged 125 goals and provided a further 47 assists and steered Jurgen Klopp’s charges towards the Champions League crown, Premier League title, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

And while many of his teammates struggled last season, he was one of few shining lights for Liverpool, continuing to put the ball in the back of the net with alarming regularity.

Therefore, news that Salah has entered into talks with the club’s hierarchy over a potential new deal will certainly have the supporters feeling excited.

Although there will be similar feelings towards Alisson, Fabinho and Van Dijk, given their top-class ability and importance to the team, their loyalty has never been in question. And, consequently, their willingness to negotiate a new contract comes as little surprise.

Without Salah’s incredible haul of 31 goals and six assists in all competitions in 2020/21, Liverpool’s hugely underwhelming campaign could have been a disaster.

His importance to the 19-time English champions has arguably never been greater, and if he does put pen to paper on fresh terms over the coming months, it could be the best piece of business Klopp pulls off this summer.

The enigmatic German manager will be hoping to return his charges to the summit of English football next season, but achieving that goal would be virtually impossible without his key attacking force.

It remains to be seen whether Salah does commit his future to Liverpool – doing so would practically end any hopes he may hold over joining Madrid or Barca – however, this latest revelation will give the club’s supporters some much-needed hope heading into 2021/22.

And, in other news…Journalist drops intriguing Liverpool transfer update which could leave fans excited 

Rafa Benitez has barely set foot inside Goodison Park but the incoming Everton manager is already busy on the transfer front.

What’s the word?

The Toffees are yet to flex their financial muscles in the window with no manager at the helm but that doesn’t mean that Marcel Brands and co haven’t been busy behind the scenes.

According to the print version of Portuguese outlet Record (via Sportslens) Newcastle are interested in signing Sporting midfielder Matheus Nunes.

However, Everton are also in the race to sign the 22-year-old and are now expected to sign him.

A deal could be worth as much as €20m (£17m) with Everton closing in on their first acquisition of the Benitez era.

Big upgrade

If you focus on Nunes’ statistics then it doesn’t exactly paint a very vibrant picture.

The young midfielder contributed to five goals in the top-flight of Portugal as Sporting won the league but he appeared from the bench on 19 occasions.

As a result, he made 0.6 tackles and 0.4 interceptions per game, while registering just 0.5 shots and 0.2 key passes a match.

Those numbers put him well below other midfielders already at Goodison Park with Abdoulaye Dourcoure, Tom Davies, Andre Gomes and Allan more productive in the final third.

Meanwhile, only Davies registered attacking statistics below Nunes.

However, his game is about a lot more than that. What the Sporting gem brings to the table is relentless energy, jaw-dropping speed and the ability to carry the ball forward.

Last term, Nunes managed 1.2 dribbles per game despite his limited minutes on the field, a tally that was bettered by just four other players in the Everton squad.

A glowing review from close friend and former teammate Goncalo Santos reveals what he’d add to the side.

“It’s unbelievable when he has the ball at his feet. Nobody can catch him; it’s impossible because he’s too fast,” Santos told the Liverpool Echo.

He added: “Matheus is a box-to-box player. He’s not so strong like midfielders in the Premier League but he’s very fast. He’s very good with the ball because he is a Brazilian boy.”

But what player at Everton is he similar to? Santos continued: “If you compare him, he is similar to Doucoure; he is physical, he runs so much but Matheus has more quality with the ball. He makes better decisions, has better passing, better control and he understands when he needs to slow the game down.”

Despite the initial statistics proving otherwise, this suggests that the Brazilian could actually be an upgrade for Benitez next term.

Everton aren’t the quickest of teams from a central area so Nunes could get the team up the pitch in a swifter fashion, enabling them to be more devastating and clinical on the counter-attack.

AND in other news, Benitez can make an instant impact at Everton by signing “exceptional” 33-goal monster…