All posts by z3u9t.icu

Graham Potter remains a managerial target for Tottenham Hotspur…

What’s the word?

That’s according to The Athletic’s Jack Pitt-Brooke, who delivered a fresh update on the current situation in north London earlier this week.

Writing in a recent column where he suggested that Mauricio Pochettino was in talks with Spurs over a sensational return, he claimed that Potter was not yet ruled out as he is on a four-man shortlist for the job.

Given the various difficulties in getting the Argentine out of Paris Saint-Germain, the Brighton and Hove Albion boss is very much still in the frame for Spurs chairman Daniel Levy.

Shades of Pochettino

If Spurs cannot secure a return for their former manager, they might as well look to replicate his initial appointment with a coach who bears so many similarities to the 49-year-old.

At the time of his appointment in north London, Pochettino had made a name for himself at Southampton, leading them to eighth place in 2013/14 – their highest position since 2002/03 and their best points return at that time since the Premier League’s induction (Transfermarkt).

Potter has earned plenty of plaudits whilst in charge of Brighton, despite them scraping 16th place after flirting with relegation. As explained by the Brighton & Hove Independent, the Seagulls have made substantial progress on the pitch under his watch, regardless of results in the table.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-managerial-updates-transfer-news-rumours-gossip-and-more-levy-kane-enic” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, managerial gossip, transfer rumours and more!”]

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp dubbed him “great” and suggested that the way his side were playing was “exceptional”, whilst Man City’s Pep Guardiola even claimed that he would love to play under Potter due to his style and lauded him as “the best” English manager right now.

That brand of football isn’t too different to what we saw under Pochettino in north London, and it’s widely thought that Levy is seeking an attack-minded manager who will commit to developing the club’s young players, very much in the ilk of the Argentine.

As per The Athletic, Potter’s system at the Amex Stadium is a possession-heavy approach with plenty of build-up play, whilst a low block and a high-intensity press is vastly different to what we witnessed under Jose Mourinho.

Furthermore, he is proven to rely on young players, with his Brighton side managing to rank fourth-lowest for weighted average age (26) in the Premier League.

Potter is also said to have left “a lasting impression” on the current Spurs squad, which should only bolster his claims in trying to secure the vacant managerial role.

The 46-year-old is clearly as close to Pochettino as you’re likely to get, so if negotiations to bring him back prove too laborious, then Levy must look to the Brighton manager instead.

AND in other news, NO Kane? Skriniar SIGNED? How Spurs’ XI could look under Antonio Conte…

Everton were denied a penalty in the Merseyside derby yesterday against Liverpool at Anfield, according to Sky Sports journalist Alan Myers.

He replied to a tweet from Everton player Anthony Gordon after the game, which was a video of the incident, saying “All day long, penalty!”. Many are likely to agree with him and believe that it was harsh not to give the decision in favour of the Toffees.

Liverpool ended up claiming a 2-0 victory with goals from Andy Robertson and Divock Origi, but it wasn’t made easy for them with Everton battling it out in a heated game that was still all square at half time.

The decision will leave Everton supporters fuming as the opportunity could have brought them back into the game at a time when they are desperate for the points. Frank Lampard’s men sit in the relegation zone and are in a huge battle for survival.

These days it’s never a game of football, let alone a local derby, without a controversial decision. With the addition of VAR technology, officials have no excuse not to be getting the big calls right. The challenge on Gordon yesterday was quickly dismissed by referee Stuart Attwell, and despite being in the box, the tackle wasn’t even reviewed by VAR.

Even The Professional Game Match Officials Board said they would have had “no complaints” if the penalty was awarded to Everton with manager Lampard stating that it was “a clear foul” but that “you don’t get them here.”

It raises the question once again as to whether the size of a club and its home crowd have any influence on the decisions that officials make? Gordon was booked for diving earlier on in the game before the penalty denial so did that play a part in Attwell’s decision too?

Former Toffees striker Kevin Campbell seems to think so, saying that the referee “bottled it” and that the decision was there to be made but he didn’t make it.

In games as big as the Merseyside derby, when there is a lot riding on the result for both sides, the referee is going to take a lot longer to think about the decisions he makes which allows doubt to creep in. The point of VAR is to prevent this and to assist the official on the field with the aid of replays and footage from different angles.

We certainly think that the technology should have been used a lot more in the game and if it was it would have produced a much fairer outcome for both sides. Last season VAR awarded 29 penalties and so has proven to be used successfully when it comes to these decisions, however, yesterday wasn’t one of those.

IN other news: Everton: Alex Iwobi was anonymous against Liverpool…

Celtic could be handed a blow in their pursuit of landing Eddie Howe as their new manager.

The 43-year-old reportedly verbally agreed on a move to Parkhead before having second thoughts.

A representative on behalf of Howe revealed that he will return to the dugout in the summer at the earliest, and it seems as if his former club Bournemouth could play a key role in the Hoops’ chances of securing Howe’s services.

According to The Sun on Sunday (25.04.21, pg. 59), cited by The 72, Celtic’s hopes of appointing Howe could be dashed. That’s because Howe wants to take some of his former Cherries backroom staff from the English south coast to Celtic Park.

They remain under good contracts at the Vitality Stadium and will be in line to receive a pay rise should Bournemouth earn promotion through the play-offs. Coaches Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone are two new names mentioned, with reports elsewhere claiming that recruitment chief Richard Hughes is also wanted by Howe.

Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if the next five weeks could be key in Celtic’s hopes of bringing Howe to Glasgow. Should Bournemouth seal an immediate return to the Premier League, it could be harder to get the likes of Purches, Weatherstone and Hughes out of their respective roles.

However, if the Cherries remain in the Champuonship, that could then allow Celtic to agree to Howe’s wishes on the trio ahead of becoming Neil Lennon’s long-term successor at Parkhead.

In other news: Karamoko Dembele contract update emerges, find out more here. 

Fulham look to have failed in their attempts to bring Ike Ugbo to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Fabrizio Romano, who revealed in a post on Twitter that the Chelsea centre-forward has now agreed terms with Belgian side KRC Genk ahead of a summer switch.

The journalist goes on to state that the 22-year-old wants to join the Jupiler Pro League as quickly as possible, with the deal expected to be completed in the coming days.

Previous reports had claimed that Fulham, as well as Premier League side West Ham United, were also keen on a move for the former England U20 international this summer, however, it now appears as if the London duo have missed out on the striker’s signing.

Opportunity missed

While Chelsea themselves rarely benefit directly from their own relentless production line, the Blues academy often presents opportunities for so-called smaller sides to reap the rewards of the champions of Europe’s youth setup, with Ugbo being the latest example of this.

Having joined the Blues at the age of eight, the centre-forward failed to make a single senior appearance during his 14-year spell at Chelsea, despite having highly impressed during a number of loan spells away from the club.

Indeed, over his 32 Jupiler Pro League appearances for Cercle Brugge last season, the £4.05m-rated man scored 16 goals, as well as taking an average of 1.8 shots and making 0.5 key passes per game.

These returns saw the man the Belgian media dubbed a “decisive” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.79, ranking him as Yves Vanderhaeghe’s eighth-best performer in the Belgian top flight.

The £38k-per-week striker also impressed for Roda JC Kerkrade in the season before last, bagging 13 goals and registering three assists over his 28 appearances in the second tier of Dutch football.

So, while Chelsea clearly believe that Ugbo is not of the standard required to feature on a regular basis for their first team, it is evident that the Blues have nevertheless produced an extremely capable goalscorer.

And, with the 22-year-old reported to be available to purchase for a fee between €3 and €5m (£2.5m and £4.3m), there very much appeared to be the opportunity for Fulham to land an extremely talented player who has spent 14 years developing at one of the most prestigious clubs in the world for next to nothing this summer.

However, with Genk looking as if they have beaten the Cottagers to the signing of the youngster, this opportunity is one that now seems to have passed the club by – and we would not bet against the west London side coming to regret not pushing harder to land the striker at some point in the not too distant future.

In other news: Fulham handed transfer boost over “exceptional” £27k-p/w machine, Silva surely buzzing

Flocking to Twitter, many West Ham United fans have been left excited as the club confirm Alphonse Areola’s signing from Paris-Saint Germain on a season-long loan (whufc.com).

West Ham had been in talks for both Areola and West Bromwich Albion shot stopper Sam Johnstone, with Sky Sports lifting the lid on a rejected £6 million offer for the latter man.

Attention then turned to PSG’s keeper as manager David Moyes searched for a player who could provide sufficient back up and competition for long time number one Lukasz Fabianski.

Talks had reportedly been ongoing for quite some time, but at long last, West Ham have finally announced Areola’s signing from the French capital.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-developments/” title=”West Ham latest developments…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The 28-year-old joins on an initial season-long loan but the Irons have an option to make it permanent next summer.

Flocking to Twitter in full reaction, West Ham fans had plenty to say in response to the club’s official account.

Find all of their best ones down below.

West Ham fans buzz over Areola signing…

“Gorgeous! Just what the doctor ordered”

Credit: @ZaynafamilyMary

“What a great signing needed a quality GK for years with Fab getting older”

Credit: @BillySullivan27

“We are massive”

Credit: @Steve_WHU_

“HES SO PERFECT”

Credit: @whuabi

“YESSS NOW ZOUMA”

Credit: @whualfie_

“Amazing. Finally”

Credit: @bdubs1999

“Absolutely outstanding signing this. Come on you irons”

Credit: @samdruiff

“Excellent first signing!”

Credit: @AllenCummings6

In other news: ‘We know’…Sky Sports drop live TV claim involving West Ham and ‘phenomenal’ striker, find out more here.

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Leeds United midfielder David Norris admitted that he has been surprised by how good Raphinha has performed in his first season.

Raphinha was a deadline day signing last year as he arrived for £17million from Rennes and he has taken to the Premier League effortlessly, with six goals and six assists this season.

The goals have dried up for Leeds since he picked up an injury against Manchester City, as Marcelo Bielsa’s side have scored just one goal in the three games Raphinha has recently missed.

Speaking on how Raphinha has surprised him with how well he’s taken to the Premier League and how good he has performed all season, Norris exclusively told FFC:

“He’s a very clever player as he spots weaknesses in defenders and attacks it. For me, he’s been a massive player for them this season. 

“I’ve been surprised because it’s always a risk bringing in foreign players, but knowing Bielsa and how diligent he is he must have known there was a good chance Raphinha would have settled quickly, and that’s exactly what’s happened as he’s been brilliant.”

The 24-year old winger has been linked with a move to Liverpool this summer, despite having played just 27 games in all competitions this season.

Raphinha admitted earlier this year that it was a difficult decision to join Leeds and that he only had 20 minutes to choose whether to stay at Rennes or come to the Premier League.

Middlesbrough have opened talks to sign former Newcastle United winger Sammy Ameobi, as reported by Football Insider.

The English winger is set to be a free agent when his Nottingham Forest contract expires on June 30th [Transfermarkt].

Currently speaking, Boro are set to be the front-runners for his signature and have begun discussions regarding a deal, as Neil Warnock’s men plot an assault on the Sky Bet Championship next campaign [Football Insider].

Of course, Ameobi already has previous experience of life at the Riverside Stadium, having signed on loan from Newcastle United for the Teeside club back in 2013/14 [BBC].

In 2020/21, the 6ft 4in wide man notched five goal contributions in 34 appearances for Nottingham Forest; three goals and two assists [Transfermarkt].

In light of this news, loads of Boro fans took to Twitter to convey their feelings on a potential deal for Ameobi.

 Boro fans react:

Replying to the Football Insider Twitter page, here is how some Middlesbrough fans reacted to these latest developments:

“In all seriousness, it’s very low risk so I’m not that bothered.. a game winner on his day, never found consistency.. hopefully he can find it with us. I’ve always said since Warnock signed on another year that I’d rather us sign a bunch of frees on 1/2 year deals and loans”

Credit: @Strickland__Ben”no”Credit: @NahItsLyingTho”Hmmm… he’s not a starter but you’d take him in the squad now given our current options”Credit: @Got_To_Biv”How is this fella only 29??”Credit: @BoroThis”Hmmm…. Low risk, likely a short-term deal too, in a position that needs serious attention. Why not? #Boro #UTB”Credit: @Smithy_MFC84″I was actually thinking he wouldn’t be a bad free signing when I saw that he’d been let go. He always looked pretty decent whenever I watched Forest.”Credit: @RobSc0ttIn other news, a former Middlesbrough striker could be set for a transfer to a UEFA Champions League side.

Leeds United picked up their first win of the Premier League season as they beat Watford 1-0 at Elland Road on Saturday.

Diego Llorente’s first half strike was enough to secure the three points for the Whites as they worked hard to earn a win against the Hornets. The result takes Leeds up to 16th as it stands and three points off the top half of the table in this early stage of the season.

Despite the positives to come from winning the game, one player for Marcelo Bielsa’s team struggled to perform. Summer signing Dan James put in a worryingly ineffective display out wide, which will surely have left his manager feeling let down.

The 23-year-old has now played four Premier League games for Leeds and is yet to record a SofaScore rating of higher than 6.6 for the club. His rating against Watford on Saturday was a measly 6.2 as he failed to show what he can do in general play and in the final third.

In terms of his general play, James was a lightweight. As per SofaScore, he lost six of his 10 duels and made zero tackles in the game. He also gave the ball away 18 times and only completed 64% of his attempted passes, having 35 touches overall throughout the 90 minutes.

This suggests that he was too weak to deal with the strength of the Watford defenders, who eased him out of the way most of the time. Bielsa could be worried by this when Leeds come up against other teams who use their physical attributes to impose themselves on the Whites, as James may not be suited to such opponents based on this performance.

The Wales international did not redeem himself in the final third, either. As per SofaScore, James had a dribble success rate of 0% from four attempts and completed none of his attempted crosses. This led to him providing zero key passes in the match, whilst his only two shots were blocked by Watford defenders before they could reach Ben Foster’s goal.

Bielsa will surely have been feeling let down by James’ overall performance. The winger struggled both in his build-up play and in his execution of skill in key moments, leading to an all-round disappointing performance from the winger. Hopefully he will be able to repay Bielsa’s faith by coming back after the international break and improving the standard of his displays.

In other news: Leeds take major step as Thorp Arch news emerges, fans will be buzzing

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester United fans have erupted over an official announcement involving superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Old Trafford favourite, completing a sensational return in the summer, has got back into the swing of Premier League football almost effortlessly.

Indeed, at 36-years-old, Ronaldo has shown so far that he can roll back the years to his United days under former boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Netting three goals in just three top flight starts already, the Portuguese has also notched two in two over his Champions League outings under Solskjaer (WhoScored).

Proving to still be a real threat going forward, Ronaldo has also averaged the joint-most shots per 90 (4.5) in the entire Premier League since taking back to the Old Trafford turf.

Now, an official announcement has now dropped involving the former Real Madrid man as he clinches the division’s player of the month award for September.

Flocking to this news, many Red Devils supporters have absolutely erupted – find all of their best verdicts down below.

Man United fans erupt over Ronaldo news…

“still can’t believe my eyes”

Credit: @fxxhanna

“Wow… what a return .. Just Can’t see him finishing second to any.. I want him to see winning this for us”

Credit: @iqqumufc

“Let’s gooo CR7 bby”

Credit: @Ahmedaaaa06_

“Greatest of all time”

Credit: @iTzHeartyxD

“The greatest there was, The greatest there is, The greatest there will ever be Cristiano Ronaldo Siiuuuuuu”

Credit: @Lewa_The_Goat

“This is legendary mate VIVA RONALDOOOO”

Credit: @Dnial01695515

In other news: ‘Siuuuu’, ‘No one’s ready’, ‘We’re back’…Man United fans rave over ‘exciting’ update, find out more here.

Rangers have officially missed out on signing Rafael Santos Borre after Eintracht Frankfurt announced his signing, which is a blow for Steven Gerrard as he could’ve been a stellar addition to his squad at Ibrox.

The Bundesliga side announced his signing on a four-year deal from River Plate on a free transfer on Monday, which brings an end to Rangers’ reported hopes of bringing him in.

Would he have improved Gerrard’s squad?

Whilst Gerrard can boast a plethora of attacking talent in his squad for next season, the £15.3m-rated Santos Borre could have added some real Champions League quality ahead of Rangers’ return to Europe’s elite competition next season.

During his time at River Plate, the Colombia international would contribute an impressive 56 goals and 18 assists in 149 appearances, including eight goals in just 13 Copa de Liga appearances last season.

A player of Santos Borre’s quality would surely have found the net regularly with Rangers when you consider that they managed 92 goals in just 38 league appearances last season, so it is a shame for Gerrard that he is moving to Germany this summer.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone praised Borre’s development since his move to Argentina after struggling during his time in Spain, saying:

“The truth is that we have not talked about the issue of Borre. He is breaking it there in River, I am happy for him.

“He came very young (to Atletico) and the truth is that his growth has been tremendous – phenomenal.”

Could he have replaced Morelos?

Alfredo Morelos has been regularly linked with a move away from Ibrox in recent seasons, with Porto seemingly the main contenders to sign El Bufalo this summer.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-rangers-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Rangers transfer rumours and news!”]

The 24-year-old has been superb for Rangers since joining the club from HJK Helsinki in 2017, contributing 94 goals and 43 assists in 194 appearances for the Teddy Bears in his four seasons at Ibrox.

He is also Rangers’ record goalscorer in Europe, which suggests that if he were to leave ahead of the 21/22 campaign, a proven goalscorer would have to be signed as his replacement if Gerrard’s side want to succeed in European competition.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

It is hard to ignore the similarities between Santos Borre and Morelos given that they are the same age and nationality, but if the Rangers star does depart this summer, Rangers will have to look elsewhere for a replacement for El Bufalo.

And, in other news… Rangers handed huge boost with Ibrox “warrior”, Gerrard surely delighted