All posts by z3u9t.icu

Celtic had a real opportunity this weekend to give their fiercest rivals a reminder that they’re still here.

This has been a torrid campaign for the Hoops and it didn’t get much better on Sunday afternoon, as they drew 1-1 at Parkhead.

It’s not often an Old Firm derby has little on it but because of the circumstances, this was one that was lacking in drama and ferociousness. Scott Brown wasn’t his usual bullish self and Alfredo Morelos’s discipline was near perfect.

It was a tale of two headers as Mohamed Elyounoussi’s diving leap opened the scoring before Morelos netted a tap in for the equaliser.

Elyounoussi was particularly vibrant and deserved his goal. He was playing off the wing but found himself in a central position to score a clinical header from a few yards out.

It was an inch-perfect assist from Odsonne Edouard, who delivered the cross, but besides the Frenchman and Elyounoussi, they lacked much in terms of attacking threat from other sources.

Unfortunately, it was yet another defensive mishap that cost Celtic. It’s been the story of their season to date and on this occasion, it was Jonjoe Kenny at fault.

His back pass went out for a corner from which Morelos scored and he didn’t cover himself in too much glory with his marking either.

Yet, if we are searching for positives we need to look no further than Stephen Welsh. When Christopher Jullien was ruled out for nine months, the Bhoys needed someone to step up.

Welsh has been that man. He is still relatively inexperienced but he’s struck up a fantastic partnership with Kristoffer Ajer that provides hope for the future. He has rarely put a foot wrong during his Celtic career and he was convincing once more on Sunday.

The 21-year-old was near flawless defensively, winning 85.7% of the duels he competed in. That meant the centre-back prevailed in two tackles, one interception and three clearances.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-boupendza-mcgeady-marsch-mccarthy” title=”Latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

On top of that, Welsh didn’t make a single foul, nor was he dribbled past by a Rangers player. On a day where his partner to the right, Kenny, looked out of sorts, the young centre-back managed to keep things watertight from his perspective.

Welsh was assured in possession, completing 90% of his passes while he even found room to make one of them a key pass which led to a shooting opportunity.

The central defender has only recently come into the team this year but he rose to the task of an Old Firm derby with ease. Long may his form continue.

AND in other news, Celtic must ruthlessly axe £15k-p/w “enigma” this summer, Lenny hated him…

Glasgow Rangers fans were far from happy with the performance of Leon Balogun despite their progression to the Europa League round of 16 on Thursday.

The Gers prevailed in another thriller against Royal Antwerp to make it to the next stage of the competition. After beating their Belgian opponents 4-3 away from home last week, they won 5-2 at Ibrox to eventually triumph 9-5 on aggregate.

With James Tavernier out injured, Steven Gerrard decided to play Balogun at right-back. It was clear he was unfamiliar with the position and Jordan Lukaku caused him all kind of problems. He was replace at half-time by Nathan Patterson – the 19-year-old scored within a minute and the Gers won the second-half 4-1.

The Gers fans were far from happy with the display of Balogun, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Balogun below

“Balogun is giving me the fear at right back, Lakaku was all over him for 20/25 minutes”

Credit: @_Robynnnx

“Dare I say it, hook Balogun he’s all over the place”

Credit: @RheiceMulgrah

“Balogun has been terrible but it’s the booking that worries me more”

Credit: @wullyanderson

“Balogun has been criminal tonight mate being ran all over the gaff”

Credit: @kevrichards97

“Weird game again man could’ve scored a few then lucky to go in 1-1 Balogun getting absolutely rinsed”

Credit: @AribosHair

“I’d be bringing on Patterson for Balogun tbh, Balogun looks awful at RB tonight!”

Credit: @kieranmcl96

In other news, this Rangers star is expected to leave the club.

Many Everton fans have been left to slam the display of Andre Gomes despite their 1-0 away win at West Brom in the Premier League on Thursday evening.

Richarlison ended up getting the only goal of the game midway through the second half to give the Goodison Park faithful all three points and thus help them climb up the table.

However, although there were some very good performances for the Merseyside club, Gomes flattered to deceive several members of the Toffees faithful.

The central midfield player lost out on nine of his duels in the match, the most lost out of any of his teammates, as he also lost possession of the ball no fewer than on 16 separate occasions, the joint-second highest of any Blues player (Sofascore). Losing your battles and giving the ball away relentlessly is hardly a good combination for a midfield player.

Everton fan reaction to Gomes display

These EFC supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with one fan even going as far as to say that the former FC Barcelona man is ‘dreadful’:

“Why is Andre Gomes even here, he was literally one of our worst players today. Allan should have been the fourth scout for MOTM #efc. Up the Toffees as we march on to top 4 glory #everton”

Credit: @gersonselema

“Another solid if unspectacular victory for #EFC. Both achieved with fair few injuries. Thought Gomes and Iwobi very poor today. Defensively we are sound though. Bit of quality from Sigurdsson and into Top 4! #COYB”Credit: @D_Button”Another ugly win but we will take it. Siggy showed why he can’t be dropped at the moment, especially when James is out. Great finish from Richarlison. Negatives were an appalling first half and the performances of Gomes and Bernard in particular who shouldn’t play again. #efc”Credit: @sicurrie”Gomes has stunk the place out today, but we squeak the win #EFC”Credit: @ItsJohnThomson”Gomes, Bernard and Iwobi are dreadful FACT #EFC”Credit: @MrGriff1878″Gomes & Iwobi are doing my head in! #efc”Credit: @boycey1978In other news, find out what Carlo Ancelotti comments on one star’s future has left Everton fans buzzing here!

Marcel Brands can solve a titanic flaw in Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton side by completing a deal to sign Bayern Munich’s Joshua Zirkzee in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to talkSPORT, the Toffees are closing in on a deal to make Zirkzee the club’s first signing of the winter market.

Everton are likely to add the 19-year-old talent to Ancelotti’s fold on an initial loan deal, but hope to include an option to purchase the 6 ft 4 forward who Joshua Kimmich believes is “deadly” in front of the goal and has “good dynamics and moves smoothly for his height.”

Everton face a tussle with German and Italian sides to finalise their deal to sign Zirkzee, with Fabrizio Romano adding that Parma are also in discussions with Bayern, while Eintracht Frankfurt tested the waters earlier in the window before finalising a deal for Luka Jovic.

Zirkzee has dropped down to the reserves at the Allianz Arena this season and missed spells through quarantine, earning his third and last Bundesliga appearance of the campaign so far in October when fielded for the final 27 minutes at FC Koln.

The Dutch youngster, who Everton almost signed in 2017, is keen to play more regularly after making 34 outings across all competitions last term, in which he scored 12 goals and provided six assists – including four in nine top-flight fixtures with a goal every 73 minutes.

Brands had claimed Everton are unlikely to make any signings this January, but is pursuing Zirkzee after Ancelotti made clear he wants to have further attacking options with Richarlison and Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggling with injuries and Moise Kean being on loan at Paris Saint-Germain.

Bye-bye Kean

Zirkzee moving to Goodison Park in the winter market and impressing enough for Everton to trigger any purchase clause in the Dutch forward’s deal could spell the end for Kean on Merseyside, with the Italian a rumoured target for PSG and his former side Juventus.

Kean failed to hit the ground running at Everton when signed for £27.5m in 2019, netting just twice in 33 games across all competitions last term, but has impressed in Ligue 1 with nine strikes to his name in 13 appearances to warrant Mauricio Pochettino’s side eying a permanent deal.

Ancelotti has already confirmed that he will not stand in the way of the Parc des Princes natives if offers in excess of £30m are received, which could potentially now be used to retain Zirkzee should the three-time Netherlands U21 international solve a titanic flaw in the Toffees’ squad.

Everton have no strength in depth at centre-forward with Kean away on loan, as Cenk Tosun only struck his first goal of the season in last weekend’s FA Cup win over Championship side Rotherham United. Ancelotti clearly does not value the Turkey international, either, with the 29-year-old only playing 43 minutes of top-flight action since recovering from his cruciate ligament surgery.

Any severity to the hamstring injury that top-scorer Calvert-Lewin has sustained could throw Everton’s season into a spiral, making it a wise move from Ancelotti to instruct Brands to find offensive reinforcements in the winter market.

Calvert-Lewin accounts for 11 of Everton’s 28 top-flight goals to date this term for the third-highest contribution rate of any Premier League player, with only Newcastle United’s eight-goal Callum Wilson (44%) and Tottenham Hotspur’s 12-goal gem Heung-Min Son (40%) finding the back of the net more often for their respective sides.

It remains to be seen if 19-year-old Zirkzee will be able to hold a candle to Calvert-Lewin from the off, but the £8m-rated prospect would arrive on Merseyside with a record for scoring in the Bundesliga and helping Bayern Munich to clinch the 2019/20 title – experience that could prove very valuable.

AND in other news, Everton have no reason not to sell a £7m outcast in the January transfer window.

A Matheus Pereira brace from the spot sealed Sam Allardyce’s first three points as West Brom boss with a huge 3-2 victory over fierce rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux this afternoon.

The first meeting between the two Midlands sides in nine years saw the Baggies run out on top having come from behind in the second half to pick up only their second win of the season.

Albion’s Brazilian playmaker drew the plaudits of BT Sport commentator Glenn Hoddle, who handed Pereira the Man of the Match award whilst central defender Semi Ajayi was another contender as his equaliser sparked the comeback.

But arguably, neither were as influential as the returning Kyle Bartley, who looked a rock at the back in his first Premier League start under Big Sam.

Indeed, the home side did find the net twice, both as a result of set-piece scrambles but in reality, Fabio Silva’s strike was an exquisite finish you’d expect from someone far more experienced and Willy Boly couldn’t be stopped so close to the goal.

Only Pereira (8.0) graded better than Bartley (7.5) as per SofaScore ratings, and you’d have to wonder if that would be the case had the Baggies kept a rare clean sheet.

Aside from the two spot-kicks, the 24-year-old was weak and lightweight against a vulnerable Wolves backline, as seen by him winning just five of 15 battles (33%).

Pereira also lost possession ten times, the worst of any attacking Albion player and was dribbled past two times, meaning he failed to stop the Old Gold from breaking in a counter-attack.

Likewise, with Ajayi, he too lost possession ten times and was wasteful with the ball, making only 67% of his 24 passing attempts – the worst of any starter on either team, per SofaScore.

Bartley, on the other hand, was immense defensively – he made a game-high eight clearances, some five more than Boly for Wolves, and also had double the number of blocks (four) than any other player on the pitch too, thus showing just how committed he was in trying to hold onto the victory.

The 29-year-old colossus also completely nullified the threat from the likes of Silva, Pedro Neto and Adama Traore, whom all on their day can strike fear into any defence, as he won 80% of his duels both on the ground and in the air.

Joseph Chapman at BirminghamLive also agreed with this point of view in his post-match ratings, handing Bartley a 9/10, which was better than Pereira. He wrote:

“Was excellent in open play when defending crosses from the box. Won a number of challenges and headers and set up Ajayi’s equaliser. Was throwing himself in the way of shots right until the end. Colossal effort.”

The 6 foot 4 monster, thought to be earning just £17.5k-per-week at the Hawthorns, absolutely stole the show for Albion and showed Allardyce what he’s been missing since his arrival.

Bartley could well have a big part to play in the Baggies’ survival bid as seen by this monstrous display across the Black Country border,

AND in other news, WBA could land their next Evans in £5.4m-rated titan, Big Sam dubbed him “outstanding”…

According to TEAMtalk, Glasgow Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard.

Gers eye Lingard

As it stands, Lingard has less than a year left on his contract, meaning he could potentially sign for another club for free as early as January.

United, though, do have an option to extend his deal for another 12 months. Lingard, however, is set to ask his current employers to allow him to leave for free. Rangers and Celtic are said to be interested in the England international, with a number of clubs from Germany, Italy, Spain and England also in pursuit.

Potential bargain

Lingard has not played a single minute in the Premier League so far this campaign for the Red Devils, but he is a player who still has plenty to offer at the highest level. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has previously said that the former Birmingham City loanee is ‘top-class’, and he has proven that on plenty of occasions with 33 goals in 209 games for United.

He has also impressed on the international stage. At the 2018 World Cup, he played in all but two of England’s matches as they made the semi-finals. He netted against Panama in the 6-1 win in the group stages, and also provided two assists throughout the tournament.

Currently valued at £12.6m (Transfermarkt), Lingard could be a fantastic signing for the Gers, especially on a free transfer. Ross Wilson and co could do a lot worse than signing him, especially if it is on a free transfer.

In other news, this Rangers target shines in the Europa League.

Glasgow Rangers fans appear to be expecting the arrival of Aberdeen’s Lewis Ferguson following his tweet to celebrate the New Year, which some fans called a ‘cryptic hint’ while others claimed he must be ‘Rangers bound’.

Ferguson, whose uncle Barry and father Derek both played for the Ibrox outfit, has been linked with a move to the 54-time Scottish champions. He has been in very good form so far this campaign, scoring eight goals and providing three assists in 16 appearances from midfield, which takes his tally to 20 and 21 respectively in 102 games throughout his career for the Dons.

On New Year’s Eve, he tweeted “Happy New Year everyone let’s go”. The phrase “Let’s go” has been regularly used by Steven Gerrard and by new Gers signings after completing a move to Ibrox, and as such, many Gers supporters appear to be believe that the 21-year-old will be making a move to the blue side of Glasgow.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Ferguson below

“He’s signing for rangers”

Credit: @SteveGsRightPeg

“Scenes in Jan as he comes in for #55”

Credit: @MacGerrard_

“Welcome.”

Credit: @BradMacPherson

“Let’s Go? Hmmm must be heading home soon”

Credit: @dandon4life

“Soooooo, rangers bound lad”

Credit: @Mrcrazy140693

“”Lets Go”, a phrase used by Gerrard on taking up the #RangersFC job, and the phrase used by some Rangers players after signing for the club. Is that a cryptic hint Lewis?”

Credit: @ArgyllWarrior

In other news, Steven Gerrard has confirmed the absence of this man against Celtic.

Wolverhampton Wanderers head into the international break knowing that several of their key stars will be in action for their respective countries, mainly Portugal.

Although a surprise name has been called up to the senior side for the very first time in his career as young midfield prospect Owen Otasowie is in line to feature for the USA when they face Wales and Panama.

The 19-year-old, born in New York City, will join the likes of Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson for their November camp across Europe.

Otasowie has only featured once under Nuno Santo since his emergence in the academy set-up, coming on as a substitute during their 4-0 win over Besiktas in the Europa League last season, but his recent presence in the matchday squad for two Premier League fixtures suggests he could add to it soon enough.

And being recognised on the global stage will only do wonders for those chances.

The young American talent primarily played as a central defender last season in the Premier League 2, but has since shifted into midfield recently and it is in this role, some think he could thrive most.

His former U20 coach, Tab Ramos, who is now in charge of MLS outfit Houston Dynamo, compared his ability to Paul Pogba – he said:

“He had great athleticism, he was confident on the ball and he always wanted the ball. He never shied away from the ball and was very strong. He had a good hold up play, similar traits to Pogba in that he knows how to protect the ball. He always played midfield for us. He’d always boss it and control the game.”

“He reads the game very well and he also has great technique. I like to have teams where the central defenders are important in the development of the play out of the back. He has excellent feet for that.”

Otasowie certainly seems like the perfect player for not just Nuno Santo but Fosun too as they aim to build from within and as such, might he one day usurp Ruben Neves in the first team?

It’s possible. No Wolves star is safe following the sale of Diogo Jota to Liverpool. If the price is right, Jeff Shi will pull the trigger. At Molineux, it’s more about finding the right profile of player rather than the name on the back of the shirt.

If Otasowie impresses in that no.6 role, then he could be fast-tracked into the Portuguese’s plans.

The Reds may one day come back in for their mooted target, Neves, but with the 19-year-old breaking ground, the Wolf Pack could be in safe hands indeed.

AND in other news, Wolves must rue missing dream Jimenez partner in £36m-rated ‘next Ronaldo’…

When Celtic signed Moussa Dembele from Fulham in 2016, few might have predicted that the French striker would go on to become one of the most in-demand strikers in European football just four years later.

The forward left the West London club in 2016 to join Celtic, with the Scottish side forced to pay just £500,000 in compensation for the Frenchman despite him having already made 64 appearances for the Cottagers, in which he had contributed an impressive 19 goals and nine assists (per Transfermarkt).

He enjoyed two years with the Bhoys, in which he would make 94 appearances in all competitions, scoring an impressive 51 goals, whilst providing 18 assists for his teammates (per Transfermarkt).

Fulham’s decision to let him go already looked a poor one when he joined Olympique Lyon for £19.7 million in 2018, as not only had the Cottagers missed out on a fairly-prolific striker, they had also missed out on what could have been a hefty transfer fee for Dembele.

However, in his two years with Lyon he has arguably progressed even further, having contributed 44 goals and 13 assists for Les Gones, which has proved enough to attract the interest of plenty of sides from across Europe.

We have seen the striker linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur, Barcelona, PSG and West Ham in recent times and it perhaps seems unlikely that he will be with Lyon for much longer.

It is unsurprising to see how Dembele has progressed in recent years, as during his time with Celtic, his teammate Leigh Griffiths praised him heavily following a 4-0 win against Rangers, saying:

“With that display, Moussa showed he is one of the top young talents in Europe.

“He bullied their centre-halves and he was unplayable, and his penalty just summed the guy up.

“It doesn’t matter how big the occasion is, he is always calm. I thought he was exceptional. He never gave the Rangers defence a minute’s peace. He has that in the locker and when he is in the mood like that he is a joy to watch.” (per Sports Mole)

Considering Fulham’s poor form this season, which has seen them win just once in the Premier League, it could definitely be argued that they would benefit from a striker of Dembele’s quality.

Therefore it seems as if it was a huge mistake by Tony Khan to not do everything he could to keep the Frenchman at Fulham back in 2016.

Tottenham Hotspur could end the summer transfer window on a sour note if emerging reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to talkSPORT sources, both Liverpool and Everton are interested in a move for Spurs’ third-choice goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga on deadline day.

Jurgen Klopp could be without his first-choice Allison Becker for six weeks and after a humiliating drubbing by Aston Villa on Sunday evening, no one would blame the Reds boss for losing faith in back-up Adrian.

Whilst Carlo Ancelotti appears to be desperate to sign genuine competition for Jordan Pickford with Man Utd’s outcast glovesman Sergio Romero also a name mooted.

Could prove to be costly

Despite dropping down the pecking order following the arrival of Joe Hart in north London, the departure of Gazzaniga to one of Spurs’ rivals could prove to be a costly mistake.

Liverpool are the defending champions and are a shoo-in to finish inside the top four this season whilst the Toffees look every bit like genuine contenders for a place in Europe next season.

Therefore, strengthening either team could come back to hurt Spurs later in the season. They should know better after last season’s near-disaster as outside the top two, it was rather close.

Jose Mourinho’s side were three points from breaking fifth place whilst only five points split sixth to tenth.

And it’s not like Gazzaniga is a bad option to have at the club either having kept ten clean sheets in 37 appearances, per Transfermarkt.

The Special One has previously lauded the 28-year-old too, calling him “magic hands” after his display at Wolves in December whilst former boss Mauricio Pochettino, who brought him along from Southampton for just £2.5m, always believed that he had “the potential to be [a] top [goalkeeper].”

CIES Football Observatory value him as high as €7m (£6.4m), so is he really worth selling in the long-run? Probably not.

Levy simply can’t afford to risk this unforgivable blunder.

AND in other news, No Alli, Bale or Winks: How Spurs’ XI may look if Levy delivers Milan Skriniar