All posts by n8rngtd.top

Ryan Bertrand’s latest injury problem could mean that the experienced defender has already played his last game for Southampton, as he is still yet to extend his contract beyond the end of this season.

The left-back was absent from Southampton’s squad for their midweek defeat against Tottenham Hotspur, with Ralph Hasenhuttl confirming after the game that he had picked up an injury in the FA Cup semi-final defeat against Leicester City last weekend.

Whilst he didn’t give any specifics on the type of injury or how long the 31-year-old will be sidelined, there are only six games left of the Premier League campaign, so it may not be a surprise to see him ruled out until the end of the season.

It was reported in January that Southampton were confident the former Chelsea man would commit to a new contract with the club, but interest from the likes of Leicester City and Arsenal seems to have had an effect on the defender, as he is yet to sign a new deal with the Saints.

After an initial loan spell on the south coast, Bertrand joined Southampton permanently in February 2015 and has been a mainstay for the Saints ever since by making 240 appearances, contributing eight goals and 20 assists in that time.

His performances this season, have been less than impressive, though, as he has averaged a lowly 6.41/10 WhoScored rating for his performances in the Premier League, with no goals and just one assist to his name.

This ranks him as the 15th-best performer in Hasenhuttl’s side this season, and yet he has rarely been displaced at left-back other than when he has been out injured.

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However, after an impressive performance from Mohammed Salisu in midweek at left-back, the Austrian may well be tempted to stick with the youngster for the rest of the season, as he is much more of a long-term option in that position.

As a natural centre-back, it also allows the Saints to move to a back three when they have the ball, with Kyle Walker-Peters pushing up; so you could argue he is much more suited to that position than Bertrand, who has performed a similar role at times this season.

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Therefore, the “brilliant” Bertrand, who reportedly earns £70,000 per week at Southampton, may well have played his last game for the club, as it seems fair to suggest that his recent performances don’t really warrant him earning a new deal on the south coast.

In other news… Sold for £30m, now worth £7m: Saints enjoyed rare transfer success with Premier League flop

Former Premier League midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Chris Wilder would be a great fit for Celtic.

The Glasgow club are searching for a new permanent manager following Neil Lennon’s resignation back in February and have been strongly linked with Eddie Howe.

However, with the ex-Bournemouth boss seemingly stalling as he considers all of his options, Hendrie believes Wilder would be a brilliant alternative.

Like Howe, Wilder is also currently out of work following his departure from the recently-relegated Sheffield United last month.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Celtic’s search for a new manager, Hendrie said:

“I think Chris Wilder would be brilliant up there; I really do. I think he’d be a great fit for Celtic. I just feel he’s got that little bit of hunger, desire and he’s got that little bit of aura about him.”

If Celtic fail to convince Howe to join the club, then Wilder is definitely an option worth exploring.

While Sheffield United really struggled under him this season, the 53-year-old did an excellent job at Bramall Lane overall.

He took the Blades all the way from League One to the Premier League, guiding them to an impressive ninth-placed finish in English football’s top flight last term.

Liverpool missed the chance to move back into the top-four as they drew 1-1 with Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon.

Mo Salah’s spectacular strike had given the hosts the lead in the first-half as he spun away from his marker before lashing home a thunderous effort. A number of chances were then wasted by the hosts to add to their advantage.

Newcastle looked as though they had stolen a late point through Callum Wilson only for VAR to rule out his goal. The Magpies were not be denied however as Joe Willock fired home in the last minute to see the game end level.

Have a look at how we rated the Liverpool players:

Starting XI

Alisson – 6/10: Whilst somewhat of a quiet afternoon, he stood firm when required to deny Joelinton in the second-half. His distribution was impressive with a 96.8% pass success rate according to WhoScored. He could not do anything about Willock’s late equaliser with it taking a huge deflection.

Robertson – 7/10: The Scot was solid for Jurgen Klopp’s men against the Magpies. He contributed five tackles, whilst he was also productive offensively with six crosses throughout the game.

Kabak – 7/10: Another impressive performance from the Turk as he produced five tackles and five clearances. Although, he was forced to be slightly more reserved throughout the game due to a yellow card picked up early on for a crunching challenge on Allan Saint-Maximin.

Fabinho – 5/10: Deployed in the heart of defence once again in the absence of Nathaniel Phillips, the Brazilian did not look totally comfortable. Balls over the top appeared to trouble the £54m-rated midfielder on a couple of occasions and he picked up a late yellow card with a cynical foul.

Alexander-Arnold – 6/10: Once again, the Reds’ academy graduate was far better offensively than in defence. He struggled at times to contain Saint-Maximin but was unfortunate not to net a wonderful goal in the second-half with a booming volley that flew just wide.

Thiago – 7/10: An absolute passing machine, the former Bayern Munich man acted as the metronome in the Liverpool midfield. He completed a game-high 100 passes, two of them being key, before he was replaced by Curtis Jones.

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Wijnaldum – 6/10: Not quite as influential as his midfield partner, the Dutchman contributed three interceptions as Liverpool attempted to close out the game but was somewhat passive in attack.

Jota – 6/10: A supremely frustrating afternoon for the Portuguese who really should have scored.  He had four shots, but each time could not find the net. He was replaced just before the hour mark.

Mane – 6/10: Quite how Mane did not score also remains a mystery. The Senegalese was presented with numerous wonderful opportunities, having a game-high six shots throughout the game. He could only get one of them on target in what transpired to be a hugely wasteful afternoon.

Salah – 7/10: A man who could have been the match-winner, Salah’s strike really was of immense quality as he spun away from Matt Ritchie to fire home. He also produced three key passes, no player managing to contribute more.

Firmino – 6/10: Another one of the Liverpool team who was extremely wasteful. The Brazilian had three shots of his own but could not beat Dubravka on each occasion.

Substitutes

Milner – 6/10: Brought on by Jurgen Klopp with just over 30 minutes remaining to shore the game up but he could not do that as Newcastle stole a late, late point.

Jones – 5/10: Introduced with only a quarter of an hour remaining, he didn’t really have enough time to make an impact.

AND in more news, find out which Premier League hotshot could be the perfect replacement for Firmino at Liverpool…

Tottenham Hotspur are in line to receive a huge boost amid fresh claims from Alasdair Gold this week…

What’s the word?

The ever-reliable football.london journalist delivered an update on midfielder Tanguy Ndombele after his recent omission from the starting XI in consecutive matches.

He wrote: ‘[Ryan] Mason swerved a question from football.london in the week about Ndombele’s omission but what is important this time for the Frenchman is that he is very happy, settled and comfortable at Tottenham now and he’s been here before in trying to win over a manager.

‘The 24-year-old will see it as a challenge rather than the affront it was in his first season at the club and it should push him to better things.’

Key part of the future

Gold alludes to the Frenchman’s morale and attitude now in comparison to last season.

Under Jose Mourinho, the club-record £55m signing struggled for game-time and very much was on the periphery of the first team setup. He averaged just 47 minutes per game from his 21 league appearances last term.

It led to Ndombele seriously considering his future in north London after less than a year, as he revealed to football.london.

“To be perfectly honest with you I don’t know how close I was to leaving,” he said. “What I know is that I did want to leave. I spoke about this with people at the club and particularly with the chairman.”

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The 24-year-old would eventually stay, thanks largely to Daniel Levy, and he hasn’t looked back as he’s enjoyed a very fruitful campaign despite all of Spurs’ poor fortunes. He has played around double the number of minutes in the Premier League this term (2,072) and has contributed six goals and four assists in all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

The £45m-rated dynamo has played just one of Ryan Mason’s three matches in charge but what is most positive is that it won’t faze him like his omission under Mourinho, and that’ll come as a huge boost to the club.

He’s a big part of their future, whether that be under the 29-year-old interim or whoever is appointed next and, after he convinced him to stay last year, Levy will be delighted by his change in attitude.

Mason should also be rather pleased as his decisions should not cause disruption or disharmony in the dressing room, something that the Spurs chairman feared was happening under Mourinho, according to The Athletic.

As we know by Joe Hart’s comments during their FA Cup clash with Wycombe earlier this year, the box-to-box maestro is “unplayable” on his day.

Ndombele is happy at Hotspur Way and those in north London will no longer need to worry if he’s in and out of the team.

AND in other news, Forget Ten Hag: Levy could completely transform Spurs by hiring 62 y/o “architect”…

Whenever a new manager walks through the door at Celtic, they will have little opportunity to get to grips with their surroundings at Parkhead.

That’s because the Bhoys’ playing squad is in dire need of being repaired.

On the chalkboard

The biggest concern from Celtic’s diabolical season is their defence. They have shipped 16 more goals than their biggest rivals Rangers and also conceded 19 times in just six Europa League outings.

It has been a wretched campaign which has been summed up by two lacklustre displays in the space of a few weeks against the Gers.

They were demolished 4-1 in the league last weekend in a performance which lacked urgency, authority and composure. Those qualities were also missing in the 2-0 defeat in the Scottish Cup fourth round – on that occasion, it was Diego Laxalt who was made to rue some unforgivable errors.

The AC Milan loanee was completely out of the picture as Rangers charged down his side of the pitch for the opener and then for the second, he was turned inside out in embarrassing fashion by Joe Aribo.

Laxalt’s defensive qualities have left a lot to be desired for vast portions of the campaign and it would be surprising if we saw him back at Parkhead next term.

The solution

Celtic have seen a number of high-class left-backs escape their clutches in years gone by. The Hoops famously let Andy Robertson leave the club when he was just 15, while Aaron Hickey is another defender they should have kept at Lennoxtown.

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Two years ago, Kieran Tierney departed the club in a deal worth £25m. Ever since the Arsenal defender left, they haven’t looked assured on that side of the pitch, and that’s why they should revive their interest in Josh Doig this summer.

Celtic were interested in signing the 18-year-old during the winter months, and if they decide against bringing Laxalt back, it’s Doig to whom they must turn.

The teenager has enjoyed a breakthrough season with Hibernian and has been named alongside David Turnbull as a nominee for the Young Player of the Season. A move to Celtic would be just desserts for an eye-catching campaign in which he’s shown similar attributes to Tierney going forward.

Speaking about Doig this season, former Celtic assistant manager John Collins said: “I have enjoyed watching his appetite, his desire to get forward. He’s a player that, when you watch him, he 100% sprints up and back again. That’s something you don’t often see and it catches your eye. He’s got that real desire to get up and support.”

Collins added: “He still has to work on his final delivery into the box, but he’s shown enormous potential.”

Doig already possesses almost all of the attributes you require from a modern full-back, but crucially, he can also defend astutely – the young Scot has won the same number of tackles per game (1.7) as Laxalt. That said, it’s worth considering how young he is and that number will only grow larger the better and more confident he gets.

He would certainly seem a marvellous pick-up this summer if they can beat others to his signature.

AND in other news, Celtic can sign ideal Elyounoussi heir in £80k-p/w titan with “breathtaking technique”…

Leeds United have been dealt a blow in their quest to sign a new left-back, with promising target Matthew Sorinola now agreeing a move elsewhere.

The Lowdown: Leeds linked with Sorinola signing

The Whites were given an apparent boost regarding the MK Dons defender on Thursday, with a report claiming he had rejected a new deal at the League One club.

Leeds were mentioned as one of a host of clubs interested in snapping up the exciting 20-year-old, who has made 40 appearances this season and been lauded as ‘excellent’ by manager Russell Martin.

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The Latest: Youngster heading elsewhere

There has been a twist in the saga, however, with TEAMtalk claiming that Sorinola has agreed to join Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise instead, news since confirmed by the club.

It means Leeds will have to continue their search for a new left-back, with Ezgjan Alioski looking certain to leave the club this summer.

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The Verdict: Disappointing

In truth, it is unlikely that Sorinola was going to be seen as a first-choice option for Marcelo Bielsa, considering his lack of experience at the top level.

That said, the youngster’s quick rise in the lower tiers suggests he could be the next Dele Alli – as suggested by ExWHUemployee when his side, West Ham, were linked – in terms of making the jump from MK Dons to top flight stardom, so he could have certainly been an exciting addition for long-term potential.

With Alioski likely leaving, Leeds will need to sign an experienced player of Nicolas Tagliafico, Alex Moreno or Patrick van Aanholt’s ilk, all of whom have been linked with moves to Elland Road, but it couldn’t have hurt to add more young talent either, so this is a blow.

In other news, a pundit has claimed one Leeds player will be moving on this summer. Find out who it is here.

Wayne Rooney’s Derby County side have been dealt a huge blow to their hopes of signing Marcel Lewis this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Telegraph, who claim that the Chelsea attacking midfielder has agreed on a move to Belgium with Union Saint-Gilloise.

According to the report, both Derby and Huddersfield Town had been keeping an eye on Lewis in Chelsea’s youth setup ahead of a potential move this summer.

Huge blow

Having yet to make a senior appearance in his short footballing career, missing out on the signing of Lewis is not likely something that will have much impact on how well Wayne Rooney’s side fare in their league campaign next season – as the 19-year-old would have more than likely linked up with the club’s youth team prior to making the move to first-team football.

However, with the versatile midfielder – who can operate from defensive, central, left, right and attacking midfield, as well as from either wing – highly impressing all through the Chelsea age groups, having scored 19 goals and provided 21 assists over 76 appearances in all competitions in the Blues academy, it very much appears as if the Rams have missed out on an exceptionally talented player for the future.

Furthermore, with Lewis opting for a move to the rather less prestigious Belgian leagues over potentially playing Championship football with Derby, this too would not appear to bode well in terms of the way the Rams are perceived by younger talents, or indeed any players, at present, given the turmoil surrounding the club.

As such, while Rooney will undoubtedly have other, more pressing targets in mind for the summer transfer window, missing out on the 19-year-old is not exactly the best way to kick his summer transfer business off, and the inability of his club to secure a deal for the teenage gem is likely the leave the 35-year-old livid.

In other news: Rooney must avoid summer disaster over “fantastic” £17.5k-p/w dud, Derby can do better – opinion

If you thought Leeds United were just going to coast towards the end of the Premier League season, then boy did they prove everyone wrong.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side turned on the style at Turf Moor on Saturday afternoon, thrashing Burnley 4-0 and blowing the Clarets away completely in the second-half.

While Jack Harrison enjoyed an outstanding game and picked up a goal and two assists, it was arguably Rodrigo’s superstar cameo off the bench that really shone brightly for Bielsa.

With niggling injuries and difficulties adjusting to English football, it’s been a rather disappointing debut campaign at Elland Road for the Spaniard, but his goal against Spurs last week would no doubt have boosted his confidence.

And if that strike against Ryan Mason’s side was a taster, then Leeds fans got an even bigger glimpse at what is potentially to come with a fully fit and in-form Rodrigo.

The former Valencia man came on in the second-half for Patrick Bamford, and added a real energy and dynamism to the game that was badly missing from the opening period.

As per Sofascore, he made just eight total passes in the time that he was on the pitch, but two of them were defined as ‘key’, while he also completed 100% of his dribbles.

He was a real live-wire with his pace and movement, and his first goal in particular was a real thing of beauty. The first touch to get away from Burnley’s centre-backs after Harrison’s inch-perfect pass was magnificent, and then the impudent little chipped finish over the onrushing Clarets goalkeeper was the kind of “international class” Leeds thought they were getting when they signed him last summer.

Calling his performance “sensational” on Twitter, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross gave the Spaniard an eight in his post-match player ratings, saying: “Some influence from the bench and a massive boost for those looking to the final two games or even next season. Getting better by the match and two outstanding pieces of attacking football to take his goals.”

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While Harrison was in outstanding form himself, it was Rodrigo’s injection of quality and energy that really opened the floodgates for Leeds, and why he was Bielsa’s true star on the day.

It bodes well for the rest of this season, and more importantly, for the years to come too.

Meanwhile, Marcelo Bielsa is set for an exciting summer transfer window at Leeds…

Tottenham Hotspur head into the final game of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign knowing they must pick up all three points to stand a chance of qualifying for the Europa League.

But it will be no easy task as they face a Leicester City side who also need a victory in their bid to make the Champions League.

Spurs will need to vastly improve from their abysmal result in midweek, where they lost 2-1 to Aston Villa, and that result leaves interim boss Ryan Mason with plenty to ponder ahead of kick-off.

They looked disappointing in front of goal again, with big names like Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Dele Alli all underperforming.

The link between midfield and attack may have been the root cause as the Lilywhites looked far more lively when Tanguy Ndombele’s presence entered the field of play during the second half.

Mason’s decision to opt for Harry Winks in the engine room in recent outings just hasn’t paid off. He is the man holding Spurs back right now as he offers very little going forward nor much defensively either.

Fans were less than impressed with his performance against Leeds, so perhaps it was surprising to see him come back into the starting XI in midweek after missing the win over Wolves.

As per WhoScored, the 25-year-old midfielder ranks as the worst performer on the season with an average rating of just 6.33. This should come as no surprise, though, as he’s never managed above a diabolical 6.57 average in any of his Premier League campaigns since his debut.

In terms of attacking output, the Englishman manages only 0.3 key passes and 0.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored, often resorting to a side or backwards pass – something that is just not needed when the team are crying out for someone to drive them forward from the middle.

Against Villa, he once again failed to create a key chance, was dribbled past twice, and made only one of three long balls. proving to be rather wasteful too.

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Ndombele, however, tried to move Spurs forward in the mere 16 minutes he was on the pitch – via SofaScore, he made 90% of passes, successfully pulled off 100% of his dribbles, and won all of his ground duels, too.

Winks was poor defensively too. As noted by Chris Coleman during commentary, Eric Dier was seen lambasting his teammate during the game.

“You can see there. Eric Dier is having words with Harry Winks,” he said. “He’s saying that the shield in front of himself and Toby Alderweireld is not good enough. Grealish is getting in the space in front of the centre-backs and you don’t want that to happen. Eric Dier is asking for a bit more protection.”

Even the attack-focused Frenchman (1.2 tackles per game) is outdoing the £26m-rated passenger (0.9) with his work rate at the back, and that speaks volumes.

Given the £75k-per-week star has also been linked with an exit from N17 this summer, it would be wise to brutally axe him from the starting XI at the King Power this evening.

Winks has no right starting in a game of this calibre, especially not over a playmaker like Ndombele. It’s time for Mason to show no mercy over his old teammate in his final game in charge.

AND in other news, Mason must unleash “remarkable” £18m-rated beast on Leicester today, could be a game-changer…

Tottenham Hotspur are leading the charge for one manager, if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Corriere Fiorentino Sport, Spurs are the front-runners to secure Lazio boss Simeone Inzaghi, who is out of contract at the Stadio Olimpico this summer.

He’s due to meet the club’s hierarchy this week to discuss his future and is keen to remain at the club he once played for, though he has been waiting since January 2020 to sign a new deal and interest from the Premier League outfit could throw a spanner into the works.

Fiorentina have also been mooted with interest in the report but they announced Genarro Gattuso as their new manager, which only paves the way for Spurs to make their move even more.

Shades of Klopp

As Daniel Levy’s pursuit to find Jose Mourinho’s successor rumbles on, it would not be too much of a surprise to see him return to a manager he clearly admires in Inzaghi.

Before appointing the Portuguese in November 2019, the Spurs chairman was said to have made a “desperate attempt” to secure the 45-year-old, according to Italian agent Vincenzo Morabito (via the Daily Star).

Inzaghi fits a lot of the criteria that Spurs are seeking in their next head coach – that being primarily one that is ‘attack-minded’ in his tactics and has a record in developing young players, as per the Guardian.

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At Lazio, the Italian has won 53% of his matches in charge since his appointment in July 2016, whilst also averaging 1.88 goals per game. His system has allowed striker Ciro Immobile to thrive as under his stewardship the forward has bagged 149 goals in just 217 appearances.

Furthermore, Inzaghi has earned a glowing comparison to one of the Premier League’s current best, Jurgen Klopp.

Immobile has worked under both coaches, and told Football Italia:

“Klopp is a great expert in football and I always said that I’d have liked to work with him when I was in my best form. He is a complete coach, he has everything.

“Having said that, he really reminds me of Simone Inzaghi, as they are very similar in their motivational skills, albeit in slightly different ways.”

The former striker has also received high acclaim from others from in and around football.

BT Sport commentator Adam Summerton believes the 45-year-old is “pound for pound the best coach in Serie A over last five years” after delivering “outstanding” progress whilst FIFA agent Claudio Anellucci dubbed him “one of the best coaches in Europe” as he “makes the difference” and “makes the players grow.”

That final part ticks yet another box for Levy.

Inzaghi could well bring a Klopp-like presence to North London, so if he does become available for free this week, then perhaps the Lilywhites should try and tempt him into coming to the Premier League.

AND in other news, Spurs heading for summer transfer disaster over £26m-rated “freak of a talent”…