All posts by z3u9t.icu

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has told Football FanCast that there is only one thing standing in Manchester City’s way in the Champions League: Bayern Munich.

Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering side remain in with a real chance of doing the quadruple this season, currently lying 14 points clear at the summit of the Premier League, in the final of the Carabao Cup, the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and in a good position in Europe’s prestigious club cup competition.

In the latter, they are well set to progress to the quarter-finals, having beaten Borussia Monchengladbach 2-0 in the first leg in Germany ahead of the second leg on Tuesday.

And Windass, who enjoyed a storied playing career with the likes of Hull City, Bradford City, and Aberdeen, insists that Bayern are the only possible team who can stop their old manager from tasting European glory again with City.

Bayern, of course, are the reigning champions in the competition, and beat Lazio 4-1 in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, Windass said: “The only way they won’t win the Champions League, the only way they won’t get to the final of the Champions League, is if they play Bayern.

“If Bayern Munich and Man City get to the final and avoid each other, that is the only way that City won’t win it. Or if they draw them in the next round!”

Windass believes that City are nailed on to win the Premier League and has been in disbelief at the fact they have been on this run whilst not always playing an out-and-out number nine.

He added: “Will they win the Premier League? Obviously.

“They can win at any time. They can step up at any time. We’ve been talking about number nines, they haven’t even got one!  Just embarrassing, isn’t it?

“You know, you watch them and I was listening to Tim Sherwood, he was watching the game against Gladbach and it’s like, when do we want to win the game? We’ll decide when we want to win the game.

“That is how good they are.”

With the squad fighting on four fronts, Windass is in no doubt that Guardiola will prioritise the Champions League, which remains the only competition City are yet to win under his management.

He said: “It’s just about getting the right squad and the right team to play in the Champions League.”

Connor Goldson was Steven Gerrard’s unsung hero as Glasgow Rangers ground out a routine victory over St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.

Gerrard’s side now need just six more wins to claim their first league crown in a decade after an inspired Ianis Hagi scored in the second half to give Rangers a 1-0 win over Callum Davidson’s side.

Hagi looked back to his very best as he ran the Saints ragged at Ibrox, while Borna Barisic also had a big part to play on the left-hand side of the defence, but the man who caught the eye the most was Goldson.

Goldson was nothing short of immense on the night, as he cut an imperious figure for the Gers, helping them to a third successive victory across all competitions.

Under Gerrard, the 28-year-old has been colossal at the back, and was hardly troubled at all as he put in a tremendous shift in a show of physical strength and exertion.

In total, he won 81% of his duels overall, including seven from eight individual battles in the air – that being the most out of any player from either side.

He also emerged victorious from one tackle, one clearance and three interceptions, while he wasn’t dribbled past once, such was his level of dominance. The next few months are going to be very demanding and Goldson has shown he is the sort of player who can compete and lead by example.

All credit to the Rangers manager Gerrard, as he has played a huge part in transforming the career of a player whose life-threatening heart condition threatened to derail his career entirely.

Goldson also took 119 touches, that being bettered by none other than James Tavernier himself, and also won more aerial duels than any other player on the pitch.

In fact, it was the Rangers defender’s all-round display that overshadowed the performance of Barisic. He may not possess the ball-carrying ability of Barisic, but his no-nonsense attitude has kept them out of many a tight spot on multiple occasions so far this season.

He may not be the most naturally-gifted centre-back at the club, but he’s certainly become Mr Dependable.

AND in other news, Ianis Hagi stars in Rangers’ 1-0 win over St Johnstone…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Gary Mabbutt has admitted that some of Tottenham’s youngsters should look at Harry Kane’s development as an example, while also urging patience over the key decision of when to blood them regularly in the first team.

Kane is now one of Europe’s most prolific strikers, but it hasn’t always been so straightforward for the England captain.

Despite making his debut as a teenager under Harry Redknapp, Kane didn’t become a regular in the first-team until three years later, which came after he spent time out on loan with Leyton Orient, Millwall, Norwich City and Leicester City.

Spurs currently have no fewer than 15 players currently out on loan – with the likes of Oliver Skipp, Harvey White and Ryan Sessegnon, three of Tottenham’s hottest prospects, all currently performing well at their respective clubs.

And Mabbutt said that Spurs must be patient with some of their youngsters – using Kane’s pathway as a prime example. He told FFC:

“I mean, you know, we’ve got some great youngsters coming through. If we talk about our players that we’ve got out out on loan – Oliver Skipp at Norwich, fantastic, having a great season. Troy Parrott.

“And players that we’ve got on loan that maybe didn’t quite initially do it at Spurs, Juan Foyth, we’ve got Cameron Carter-Vickers, Ryan Sessegnon, a number of players that are out on loan, who when you look at what happened to [Harry] Kane, some players don’t develop straight from a 16-year-old/17-year-old straight into a first-team player, there are players that develop a little bit later, take a little but longer to get into that mode.

“I mean, Harry Kane, I remember being at the club and with the coaching staff, and there was a lot of debate going on. ‘Can he make that move from development level up to first-team level?’ He was given outings in the Europa League, and didn’t really work for him, went back out on loan somewhere, comeback again, an outing in the League Cup, didn’t really work for him, back out on loan again, it happened on three or four occasions, until he finally got the opportunity.”

Tottenham really do have reason for optimism here.

Skipp has been one of the standout players in the Championship this term, White recently netted his first senior goal at Portsmouth and prior to his injury, Sessegnon has been gaining valuable experience with Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.

But as shown with Kane, patience is going to prove key.

Steven Gerrard has been dealt a huge blow ahead of the Old Firm clash with Celtic after Glasgow Rangers ace Scott Arfield was ruled out of action due to injury.

The attack-minded midfielder had barely missed a beat since the start of the season before he suffered an ankle injury during the 1-0 victory over Hibernian on Boxing Day.

Speaking to reporters prior to the highly-anticipated clash at the top of the Scottish Premiership, the Light Blues boss provided an injury update to Arfield after he hobbled off the pitch in the win at home to Hibs.

Gerrard said, as quoted by The Scotsman: “The scan came back and we are just waiting on a few more opinions on it.

“We’ve had one opinion on it and he will obviously be missing in the short term. He will definitely be missing for a few weeks, that’s for sure.

“But in terms of the exact date or time, it’s very difficult to say right now. He will certainly miss the next two or three fixtures.”

Arfield has been an integral part of Gerrard’s side since he first arrived at Ibrox, starting five out of his six appearances and playing the full 90′ minutes on three occasions in the Europa League this season, via Transfermarkt.

The Rangers manager revealed the club are still waiting the results of a second scan to show the full extent of the injury, but expects him to be out of action for several weeks.

Rangers will also be without Ryan Jack for the second Old Firm derby of the season, as Gerrard previously confirmed he will be forced to sit and watch from the sidelines as he works his way back to fitness.

“It has taken a little bit longer than we thought, so that is just not clear at the moment. I don’t really want to rush that, so he won’t be available for the next game,” the Ibrox boss previously stated.

There’s no doubt that losing Arfield for the foreseeable future will be a devastating blow for Gerrard as the Gers seek to juggle both domestic and European competitions whilst trying to prevent Celtic from winning an unprecedented ten titles in a row, with the 32-year-old central midfielder proving to be a key cog in the engine room.

No midfielder has scored more goals than the former Canada international with Arfield accounting for seven goals across all competitions so far this season, via Transfermarkt. Only three other players in the entirety of the Premiership have provided more assists than Arfield (5) has achieved in 20 appearances in the top flight, though it’s worth pointing out at least half of those appearances have come off the bench.

He will be sorely missed by Gerrard at Ibrox as the Gers look to kick-off the New Year in style, having scored the second goal against Celtic to secure a victory over the eventual champions last season.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers defender Filip Helander badly let Gerrard down vs St. Mirren…

Tottenham Hotspur could continue a worrying January trend amid reports linking them with a move for a Premier League outcast…

What’s the word?

According to ESPN journalist Rob Dawson, Spurs are among the teams that have registered an interest in signing Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard this month.

The 28-year-old has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season but Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is yet to make a decision over his immediate future, despite his contract expiring in 18 months time.

It’s claimed that Lingard is desperate for regular game time having only featured three times so far this campaign.

Lewis Holtby Mk. II

Daniel Levy’s record in the winter transfer window is hardly encouraging, to say the least. Prime examples ranging from the likes of Danny Murphy, Louis Saha and Ryan Nelsen of yesteryear to more recently, Gedson Fernandes.

And a move for Lingard would certainly fall into this bracket as he’s just not needed whatsoever.

In some ways, there are comparisons to be had to the £1.5m signing of Lewis Holtby in 2012/13. Despite Andre Villas-Boas having a wealth of attacking midfield options at his disposal, Levy still sanctioned a move for the German maestro.

In reality, he was never going to start matches over Christian Eriksen, Aaron Lennon, Nacer Chadli, Paulinho or Gylfi Sigurdsson. Indeed, in his first full season in N17, Holtby was restricted to only eight top-flight starts before being loaned out to Fulham.

Each of the aforementioned quintet all started at least 14 matches that year.

Lingard is quite versatile and is able to play both on the wing and in the middle, but these are two areas that Mourinho has a wealth of riches, particularly on the right flank where there are three players (Lucas Moura, Steven Bergwijn & Gareth Bale) vying for one starting place alone.

He’s unlikely to usurp either of Tanguy Ndombele, who bagged his third goal of the season on Sunday, or a fit Giovani Lo Celso, so it really would be a pointless move this January, thus adding to a long list of previous winter failings.

The 28-year-old only started nine times last campaign and managed a mediocre 0.9 key passes and 0.6 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, which would rank him behind Heung-min Son and Harry Kane for chances created, and behind eight other Spurs players in terms of being a threat from wide areas.

We know that Mourinho is a massive fan of Lingard from their time together at United. He once dubbed him “magic” whilst the 24-time England international enjoyed his best returns under the ‘Special One’ by providing 20 goals and 11 assists under his stewardship, more than any other Red Devils boss.

But despite all that, it would be a waste of money to swoop for the £90k-per-week misfit, he’d only go onto become another Holtby rather than the next Teddy Sheringham.

Levy must avoid this deal at all costs.

AND in other news, Forget Lingard: Mourinho should turn to teen prodigy with a “HUGE future”…

Sunderland are currently stuck in a rut.

Four games without a win in League One, Phil Parkinson has received the sack and they are currently six points off top spot.

Similarly to the last few years, promotion is unfortunately not guaranteed for the Black Cats. That being said, could a new manager help?

What’s the word?

Stewart Donald is one of the busiest owners in English football at the moment, attempting to wrap up a takeover attempt alongside hiring a sporting director and a new head coach.

A variety of men have been linked with the vacant post including Danny Cowley, Paul Cook, Gus Poyet and Lee Johnson.

However, according to Caught Offside, there is another name now in the hat.

They reported this week that Sunderland have held talks with former Macclesfield and Southend United boss Sol Campbell.

It’s thought that an interview has already taken place between Campbell and the Sunderland hierarchy. Unfortunately, the report doesn’t state how big a priority the ex-defender is on their list of targets.

Destined for mediocrity

Campbell’s managerial career has been a topsy-turvy state of affairs.

His first venture was with Macclesfield and he performed something that Tony Cascarino described as a “minor miracle.”

When the manager walked into the job they were bottom of League Two and five points adrift of safety. However, once he departed, he had been able to save them from relegation by the skin of their teeth, keeping them up on the final day.

He did this all while the club was in financial difficulty, and as a result, earned comparisons to a certain Parkinson.

Cascarino told talkSPORT: “I’ve lauded Phil Parkinson at Bolton when he got promoted when he was under a [transfer] embargo. He went down and he’s still their manager. He’s in a similar situation [to Campbell], imagine coming in here and none of us have been paid and we’re having to do a show.”

In this situation, it’s certainly not a bad thing to be compared to the recently departed Sunderland boss but Campbell’s work at Southend is why supporters at the Stadium of Light should be concerned.

He won just four of 24 matches, eventually leaving his post with a win percentage of 18.2%. Southend, meanwhile, were eventually relegated from League One with the club a colossal 16 points from safety.

Financial restraints meant he wasn’t able to spend in the January transfer window, and thus, he couldn’t turn the club around.

It’s unlikely that Campbell would be able to spend much at Sunderland either because they are currently tied down by the EFL’s salary cap.

Therefore, he’d be walking into a fairly similar situation. With his little managerial experience and the inability to sign many new players, it’s unlikely things would improve in the north-east under his stewardship.

That’s not to say he isn’t a good manager – he did wonderful things at Macclesfield – it’s just that Sunderland wouldn’t be the right match at this moment in time.

In other news, here’s how FFC predict Sunderland to line-up if they hire Danny Cowley…

Aston Villa are on good form after beating West Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion 3-0. They now face a visit from Crystal Palace on Boxing Day and there is a great boost for them on two fronts.

The latest injury news

According to Birmingham Live, Ross Barkley and Ezri Konsa are set to be available for selection for Villa in a huge boost to Dean Smith.

He hopes to have both players available for the Boxing Day clash against Crystal Palace, the first of three Premier League fixtures in just six days.

Big news for Smith

Before picking up his injury in the match against Brighton, Barkley played five times in the Premier League, managing two goals and one assist. Villa have definitely lost a huge threat and they’ll be hoping that the England international is back very soon as he has averaged 3.4 shots, three key passes and 2.2 successful dribbles per game (WhoScored).

Meanwhile Konsa has been a vital asset for the club this season, playing in all ten Premier League games before this past week, and averaging 4.7 clearances a game (WhoScored). He has been a part of five clean sheets, but he has also been an asset in attack as he has picked up two goals this season (Transfermarkt).

Therefore to have both players back, especially over the Christmas period, is a huge boost and Villa could have a really strong winter period and sit comfortably in the top half when the New Year rolls in.

In other Villa news, fans have been piling praise on one star at the club following his latest comments. Have a read who it is here!

Carlo Ancelotti has been handed a huge boost ahead of Everton’s trip to Newcastle United on Sunday, with the Liverpool Echo reporting that several first-team players are nearing contention to make their returns from injuries.

Mason Holgate has been sidelined over the Blues’ opening nine games of the season as a result of a toe injury sustained during the warm-up for their final pre-season match, but the 23-year-old is back training at Finch Farm and could soon make his eagerly-awaited return.

Jarrad Branthwaite has likewise taken to the grass pitches again as he strives to overcome an ankle problem, while midfielder Jean-Phillipe Gbamin could soon join the Everton squad, too.

But with Seamus Coleman still an ongoing doubt due to the hamstring issue that prevented his inclusion in the Southampton loss, news that Jonjoe Kenny may be fit enough to contend for a place in the 18-man squad this weekend will come as a welcome relief for Ancelotti.

Kenny has been ruled out of Everton’s last three Premier League matches due to twisting his ankle in a 4-1 Carabao Cup victory over West Ham United last month, but is hopeful that he has now overcome the issue and can make his first top-flight start since March 2019.

The 23-year-old spent last season on loan in Germany with Bundesliga outfit FC Schalke 04 and proved a regular at the Veltins Arena with 34 appearances across all competitions, leading to vivid praise from then-manager David Wagner.

“It is a very competitive division, with a high standard, a high quality. You have very good facilities and stadiums as well which are more or less always sold out, so you have a great platform [to perform],” he told The i.

“I think it’s one of the best moves a young British player can make in Europe if he is not able to break through in his own team in the Premiership. To go to the Bundesliga, you have to be – and luckily Jonjoe is – very brave, because when you leave your home country and you leave your comfort zone you have to have a very strong character.”

Ancelotti has only trusted Kenny in the Carabao Cup since the right-back’s return to Goodison Park, but noted his belief in the defender last month via quotes by The Boot Room: “Jonjoe is different, he knows the club, he’s a player I have a lot of confidence in.”

The Italian tactician now has the perfect chance to demonstrate his belief in Kenny by fielding the full-back against Newcastle on Sunday, after summer signing Ben Godfrey struggled to contain Nathan Redmond during last weekend’s 2-0 loss to Southampton.

Everton icon Tim Cahill felt Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl set his south coast side up to exploit the £20million Godfrey, too, telling Match of the Day (25/10, 23:09): “He’s a centre-back, amazing defender, but Hasenhuttl, the way he approached this game will think he’s not going to overlap like Seamus Coleman.

“Bertrand’s position was very high, they always found themselves getting out on the right-hand side of Everton. How many times now? Too much space, too much time. Tactically, they soaked up the pressure and they always found themselves hitting Everton on transition.

“Godfrey will learn from this.”

Steve Bruce would be wise to look into exploiting Godfrey if Ancelotti maintains the defender’s place at right-back against Newcastle, with Toon star Allan Saint-Maximin currently averaging 3.6 successful dribbles (72%), 8.6 ground duels won (68%), 1.2 key balls and 0.8 shots from the left-flank per Premier League game this season, per SofaScore.

Kenny, meanwhile, has been dribbled past just 0.3 times per game in the EFL Cup this term, and won 2.2 ground duels, delivered 0.5 accurate crosses (24%), made 2.4 clearances, 1.6 tackles and played 0.5 key balls a game in the Bundesliga last season.

AND in other news, Everton must secure a January loan move for a talented ace in the “mould of Makelele”.

Daniel Levy must heed the call after Noel Whelan urged Jose Mourinho to sell Erik Lamela following Serie A interest in the Tottenham Hotspur outcast this summer.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Football Insider, former Leeds United striker Whelan has advised Spurs to consider cashing in on Lamela’s services, having only seen the Argentine start seven Premier League games since Mourinho arrived.

Lamela has also found himself pushed further down the pecking order with the arrivals of Gareth Bale and Carlos Vinicius this summer, making it obvious that Mourinho does not hold much expectation of the 28-year-old’s worth.

The Portuguese tactician has only started Lamela in two top-flight fixtures this term and also opted to omit the winger from as many matchday squads, with Lamela without a league goal since Mauricio Pochettino was sacked and boasting just two assists under Mourinho.

And with Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn also to hand, Whelan feels Mourinho is leaving Spurs with no choice but to cash-in on Lamela in 2021 to free up some funds, with the forward – who was signed for £25.7million to replace Bale in 2013 – out of contract in 19-months.

“He’s been at Tottenham a hell of a long time now, and he’s always been one of these players that is a go-to from the bench,” Whelan said. “He’s had short spells when he’s been a starter in the side, more so with Mauricio Pochettino.

“He’s the sort of player that, on his day, can be a world-beater. He can score great goals, he’s fantastic with the ball on the deck, great pace, good eye for a pass.

“It’s a catch 22 situation. If he’s desperately needed by Jose Mourinho, then they should think about getting a new contract on the table for him. If he’s not in Jose Mourinho’s plans and they feel they want a fresher person in that position, then you do have to cash in. It’s as simple as that.

“Lamela has still got a lot to offer a football team and could get regular game time, so you’ll get more money from him now then in another year’s time.”

Levy must heed the call

With Lamela failing to score in any of his 21 Premier League appearances under Mourinho and only offering three goals across all competitions, the Argentine is leaving Spurs chief Levy with an easy decision to heed Whelan’s call and search for potential suitors.

Levy will be well aware that Whelan’s forecast is true with Lamela set to be a free agent in 2022 once his £80,000-per-week contract expires gradually reducing his market value, while his performances when on the field have already seen a one-quarter drop in the past year alone.

TransferMarkt valued Lamela at £19.8m when Mourinho arrived in north London to replace Pochettino, yet now consider the 28-year-old to be worth £14.4m – the lowest grade since 2012 – given his struggles under the Portuguese.

Levy had options to consider in the summer regarding Lamela’s future, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing on the Last Word On Spurs podcast that Serie A sides were interested in a deal but the winger had other thoughts.

“We have some interest from Italian clubs but the player is happy at Tottenham,” he said. “He is convinced that next season he can do something good. So, it’s not so easy to see him out from Tottenham.”

It remains to be seen what work Levy can do in hopes of pushing Lamela out the door, as it clear Mourinho will not be seeing anything good from the former AS Roma man anytime soon.

AND in other news, time is up for a Jose Mourinho favourite the Spurs boss committed a crime by playing.

Lots of Everton fans have been calling for Idrissa Gueye to come back to Goodison Park as Le10 Sport reported that he is the player most likely to leave Paris Saint Germain in the transfer window.

According to the outlet, Gueye has several admirers in the Premier League, namely Crystal Palace, Manchester United, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, it seems as if some members of the Toffees faithful would love the Senegalese international to come back to the Blues.

Indeed, the £21.6m-valued ace ad played in 108 matches in three consecutive terms during his time with Everton, scoring four goals and supplying a further five assists, as per Transfermarkt.

With Abdoulaye Doucoure, Allan and James Rodriguez already signed for the midfielder positions under Carlo Ancelotti, perhaps Gueye could also be brought in to complete a new-look four-man midfield.

These supporters would take the 30-year old back after reading the news on Twitter:

Evertonians, would you take Gueye back? Comment below with your views!