All posts by z3u9t.icu

West Bromwich Albion goalkeeper Josh Griffiths has agreed a temporary move away from The Hawthorns.

What’s the latest?

In a statement posted on the Lincoln City website, the Imps confirmed that they have completed the signing of the 19-year-old shot-stopper on a season-long loan deal.

A report by The Athletic recently suggested that the England U21 international’s place in the West Brom pecking order appeared to be causing something of a problem for the club, with the uncertain future of Sam Johnstone making it difficult for Valerien Ismael to know whether or not to sanction Griffiths’ departure.

However, it appears as if this issue has now been resolved, something that the ‘keeper seemed delighted with, telling the Lincoln City website: “I spoke to some of the lads who were here last season, specifically Alex Palmer, and they all said good things about the club so it was an easy decision.

“Alex didn’t have a bad word to say, he said the lads were all great and had a real driving force and philosophy.”

Fantastic news for West Brom

With Griffiths very much appearing to have the potential to become a top drawer goalkeeper in the not too distant future, the fact that the 19-year-old will be linking up with Michael Appleton next season is fantastic news for Albion.

Indeed, with the Imps manager being well-known for placing his trust in younger players, and thus accelerating their development in the professional game – with evidence of this coming in the shape of starlets such as Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson and Manchester City’s Morgan Rogers, both of whom thrived on loan at the LNER Stadium last season and are now being tipped for Premier League moves – there would appear to be few better teams Griffiths could have joined this summer.

Furthermore, if West Brom do manage to keep hold of Johnstone upon the closure of the transfer window, prior to potentially losing the services of the England international at the end of his current contract next summer, after a season with Appleton, the £450k-rated man could well be ready to take over from the Baggies’ current number one in 12 month’s time.

As such, everything would appear to indicate that the man Michael Duff dubbed a “vital” player joining Lincoln City will be fantastic for West Brom, the Imps and the player himself.

In other news: Madeley drops West Brom claim on “magnificent” £28k-p/w beast, fans will be worried

American investor John Textor is leading a consortium who are interested in buying Crystal Palace, as reported by The Sun.

Known for his pioneering role in hologram technology, Textor is interested in initiating a takeover deal which could be worth around £220m to acquire the south London club [The Sun].

Current co-owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris are reportedly open to selling their shares and have been for quite some time [talkSPORT].

Previous rumours of Crystal Palace switching hands have failed to properly materialise for a multitude of different reasons [GiveMeSport]. As a result, their supporters will need a lot of convincing that their club is headed in the right direction for the long-term if Blitzer and Harris relinquish their control.

Anxiety is likely to be multiplied by the fact that current bidder Textor is not a billionaire and would most likely require financial support from elsewhere. He has also had previous troubles with administration following his failed business model with visual effects firm Digital Domain in 2012 [The Sun].

As you can imagine, many Crystal Palace supporters took to social media to vent their frustration at these latest developments.

Palace fans react:

Replying to popular Crystal Palace fan outlet Palace Xtra, here is what some fans had to say upon hearing the “terrible” news:

“I stopped at the word administration. As you were Steve.”

Credit: @shave_stuart”Massive concerns with this”Credit: @StewFuller82″Typical Sun rubbish!”Credit: @Paul06179713″I want to puke. Guy’s dodgy. Isn’t like Bezos coming in because he loves the Prem and wants to make Palace like City. Weird timing as well needing and manager and roster overall.”Credit: @CHSCPFC”Who would wanna buy a club without a manager and with an ageing squad. And with a stadium that’s in a terrible condition?”Credit: @jari_litmanen_1″He only has a net worth of £230m”Credit: @SaucyZahaIn other news, a La Liga expert has had his say on a reported Crystal Palace target.

Aston Villa announced on Friday afternoon that Ahmed Elmohamady, Tom Heaton and Neil Taylor have left the club.

As to be expected, the news regarding the trio has received plenty of interaction from a number of Villa supporters on social media.

All three players were out of contract this summer and will be free to find new clubs over the coming months.

Heaton, who has reportedly agreed to move to Manchester United, returned to the Villa bench last December after a serious injury and provided cover to Emiliano Martinez for the second half of the campaign, but he did not make any first team appearances in that time.

Elmohamady made 129 appearances for the club, with only 17 of those coming in the 2020/21 campaign. Fellow full-back Taylor, who has been at Villa Park since January 2017, turned out just once in recent months, bringing his Villa appearance tally to 103. Those two played regularly in the promotion-winning 2018/19 season as Dean Smith’s side secured their return to the Premier League.

Villa fans react

The club hailed the trio in an official statement, wishing them the best for the future. Villa also posted the news on Twitter and these fans were rather upset at the confirmation, with one ‘gutted’ and another even going to the extreme of calling for the manager’s head for letting the trio leave.

“Pain.”Credit: @AlexAstonVilla”Actually gutted”Credit: @max_elmer”Smith out”Credit: @VstonVilla”Sad to see these lads go. Hope they find clubs that will get the best out of them.”Credit: @burtmacklin316″day ruined”Credit: @willjonesavfc1″Spain without the S”Credit: @ElliotAVFC

In other news: Aston Villa linked with move for ‘fantastic’ international who could replace one departing man, find out more here. 

Celtic can finally begin preparing their squad for next season after Ange Postecoglou was announced as the club’s new manager.

He walked through the door on Thursday morning with the promise of strengthening the squad in the market.

What’s the word?

Once a new manager arrives, they naturally begin to be linked with some of their former players. That’s no different with Postecoglou who, according to reports, could look to reunite with Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan this summer.

Speaking on talkSPORT (via Sussex Live), reporter Alex Crook said: “It has just been suggested to me that Ange Postecoglou, who managed Maty Ryan for Australia, could also be interested in taking the Brighton goalkeeper to Celtic.”

The stopper fell out of favour on the south coast last season and ended up moving to boyhood club Arsenal for a six-month loan stint.

The Gunners have been interested in signing him permanently but are believed to favour a move for a home-grown keeper, including Celtic-linked Freddie Woodman.

A perfect match

Ryan might not be at the colossal stature of 6 foot 7 Fraser Forster, but he is a fabulous goalkeeper with ample experience. Standing at 6 foot, he is relatively short for a goalkeeper, but he has plenty of qualities which could benefit the Glaswegian side.

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The Australian is adept at playing out from the back with his feet, a primary reason for Arsenal bringing him to the Emirates Stadium in January.

Ryan completed a whopping 89.4% of his passes after moving to the Gunners, a figure which surpasses any stopper at Parkhead. Scott Bain and Conor Hazard both completed below 76% but Vasilis Barkas came close to matching the Celtic target with a success rate of 86.9%.

The 29-year-old is a leader on the pitch and has excellent communication skills; something which shone through during his stay in north London. Mikel Arteta hailed him for training like a “beast” and he was often seen speaking in different languages to the Arsenal backline.

Considering Celtic’s shaky rearguard last season, that should be incredibly beneficial. Defending wasn’t their strong point last season as they shipped 16 more goals than Rangers in the Premiership.

What sets Ryan apart from other targets in his position is the special bond he has with Postecoglou – 38 of the goalkeeper’s 58 caps came under the new Hoops boss, a coach for whom he only has praise.

Speaking in 2017, Ryan commented: “I’ve always loved Ange’s approach, the way he doesn’t see Australia as an underdog and how he asks the question, ‘Why can’t Australia do great things in the football world?’

“I agree with him. That’s how you’ve got to be. That’s the right attitude.”

That kind of approach to matters at Celtic would be important in continental action when the Bhoys are very rarely seen as favourites. Ryan knows how Postecoglou operates and the coach evidently sees the Brighton stalwart as someone he can trust.

This would be a match made in heaven; Dominic McKay simply has to complete a move if the chance arises.

AND in other news, Postecoglou could find Celtic’s new Mark Viduka by signing “clinical” 41-goal bully…

Tottenham Hotspur’s managerial search has been back and forth ever since they parted ways with Jose Mourinho, and someone who has been an ever-present in the conversation is Graham Potter, but Dean Windass is not so sure he’s the right man.

It appeared that Spurs were staring down a black hole of who to turn to next but a fresh report from talkSPORT’s Ian Abrahams has confirmed that it is now a two-horse race between Potter and Nuno Espirito Santo, with the latter being easier to appoint as he is no longer at Wolves.

A report from last month suggested that transfer supremo, Steve Hitchen, was going to recommend Potter as his number one candidate for the job to Daniel Levy and since then, Spurs have attempted to bring in Mauricio Pochettino, Antonio Conte and Paulo Fonseca.

Spurs have not had a permanent English manager in the dugout since Harry Redknapp was appointed back in 2008, so it would be a bold move by Levy who knows Tottenham have to win some silverware soon but Potter could be a risky appointment, something Windass spoke exclusively to Transfer Tavern about:

“I’m not so sure about the Graham Potter’s of this world but they would certainly go for the former Wolves manager, Nuno.

“Tottenham just need a little bit of stability again because it’s a tough job at a big club so the one thing about that job is that the manager has got to be reassured that they are going to stay.”

Potter has won himself a lot of plaudits during his time at Brighton after managing to turn the Seagulls into a great side to watch with their attack-minded style of play and it is assumed that if they had a goalscorer upfront, they would be nowhere near the relegation zone as they had an XG of 51.6 but only managed to score 40 goals.

Levy knows that he can’t appoint another manager like Mourinho, someone who is pragmatic and doesn’t want to play on the front foot because Tottenham fans want to get back to how they were under Pochettino, which was exciting and fun to watch.

Aston Villa youngsters Carney Chukwuemeka and Jaden Philogene-Bidace are set to be rewarded for their progress. 

According to Birmingham Live correspondent Ashley Preece, the pair are to be ‘heavily involved’ in the first team next season.

Chukwuemeka scored one goal and provided two assists in 16 Premier League 2 appearances in 2020/21, But it was in the FA Youth Cup that he truly starred.

The Englishman scored seven goals and created two more in six matches for Villa en route to glory in the competition. Twitter analysts Premier League Panel wrote that he ‘dominated’ Monday’s final, which saw Villa beat Liverpool 2-1.

Chukuwuemeka was given two runouts by senior manager Dean Smith, coming on in the season-ending victories over Spurs and Chelsea.

What about Philogene-Bidace?

The 19-year-old winger was directly involved in eight Premier League 2 goals over the course of the campaign (five goals, three assists). He also scored a hat-trick for England’s under-19s on his debut in November and made a cameo appearance off the bench in the Villa first team’s 2-1 win at Tottenham last week.

Fan feed Villa Report relayed the news, and here’s how supporters reacted.

Villa fans buzzing at starlets’ graduation

“Chukwuemeka is a special talent, looks so comfortable at prem level already and he’s only 17”

Credit: @GW_94

“Star boys”

Credit: @tom_avfc1

“Cannot wait to see them play more”

Credit: @catrinedwards18

“More and more dubs”

Credit: @avfc4_alex

“SCENES”

Credit: @Superrjack1

“Next season is going to be insane”

Credit: @avfc_jf

“Oh yess”

Credit: @betriu90

“We are getting Europe next season”

Credit: @12cw04

In other news, many Villa fans flocked to this tweet from a former favourite.

Aston Villa could strike gold this summer with a swoop for Burnley star Dwight McNeil.

What’s the story?

A Report from Football Insider this week has claimed that Dean Smith’s side have their eye on the Burnley winger, with the 21-year-old “one of the top targets of their recruitment team” and that the Premier League club are “lining up a huge bid for him”.

Imagine him and Grealish

With his ability to beat players one-on-one – his average of 1.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League is the highest of any Burnley player and double that of the man in second – McNeil would ease the creative burden on Jack Grealish.

The £60m-rated McNeil has arguably been one of the few standout performers going forward for the Clarets, and it’s something that has led to Jamie Redknapp waxing lyrical about him.

He said: “Dwight McNeil is such a good player, lovely left foot, doesn’t stop running. Every time I watch him he gets better and better, he’s got real quality and certainly a player that the top six to eight clubs will be looking at, and that’s no disrespect to Burnley because I don’t like saying that sometimes, but he is that good.”

McNeil’s composure on the ball, something very much akin to Grealish, is what has led to Sean Dyche raving about him and his ability.

He said: “He’s a real talent. He’s a really good player, he’s improving, his calmness at the end – I’m saying get it in the corner – but he cuts in, and his calmness to cross it into a dangerous area, and then gets his reward.

“Before then, his calmness to dribble out of trouble – he’s a really good player, really good, and he can only mature.”

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Dean Smith could give Grealish a real partner in crime and ensure opposition defences don’t just double-up on the England international and try and shut him out of the game.

McNeil’s arrival could be the key to offering Villa another string to their bow and taking some of the pressure off of their captain’s shoulders.

Meanwhile, Villa should unleash this “outstanding” starlet…

Tottenham Hotspur can bolster their claims for a top-four finish in the Premier League with a victory at Leeds United on Saturday but interim manager Ryan Mason will need to get it spot-on with his team selection.

The 29-year-old caretaker boss is facing quite the dilemma after his side bounced back from their Carabao Cup heartbreak with an emphatic 4-0 win over basement boys Sheffield United, although Marcelo Bielsa’s outfit are a completely different kettle of fish.

Mason’s call to start Gareth Bale paid serious dividends as the Welsh superstar profited with a hat-trick, whilst there was another standout performer in Dele Alli.

It was only the 25-year-old’s third league start of the campaign and his 78 minutes on the pitch were the most of any league appearance this term. He excelled in that number 10 role behind Harry Kane, with Heung-min Son and goal machine Bale either side of him.

He has surely done enough to warrant another start against Leeds, where his nifty footwork and ability on the ball will be required to beat their relentless press.

Of course, a case could be made for Tanguy Ndombele, but Spurs have just won 4-0 in his absence, with Alli playing a crucial and industrious role against the Blades.

Speaking after that win on Sunday, Eric Dier lauded his England teammate and provided a clue into the sort of work the 25-year-old has been putting into training.

“I thought he played really well. From the inside I can tell you he’s been working really hard and trained really well,” he said, via the Independent. “And against Sheffield United he put that on the pitch.

“Everyone knows his qualities, but I think he also has a lot of qualities which go unnoticed. The amount of second balls he wins, the amount he runs for the team and presses.

“He’s always attached to the game, it’s like he’s on a string to the ball. He is always attached to the game in every moment and that’s a great quality to have.”

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Indeed, these are the sorts of performances which saw Alli record a phenomenal campaign in 2016/17, where his 18 goals scored from midfield earned him a second Young PFA Player of the Year award, as well as lofty comparisons to the likes of Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes.

“I’ve got to say that I loved Stevie G as a player and Scholesy but Dele Alli for his age is just a freak of a talent,” former Spurs ace Darren Anderton exclaimed, in quotes sourced by Goal. “I love his arrogance on the pitch, how clever he is in finding the positions that he does and his willingness to try everything. He is a real joy to watch.”

Again, there’s another hint towards Alli’s work rate for the club, which is pretty strange considering that Jose Mourinho lambasted him for being “lazy” – when putting two and two together, that had to have been a reason for his continued absence under him. However, the recently-sacked manager once lauded the 25-year-old as a “team player,” only adding further mystery to the situation.

The £26m-rated dynamo won nine of 15 duels, made three tackles and recorded three dribbles against the Blades (Sofascore), proving that he can do his bit for the team at either end of the pitch.

There may be a temptation to turn back to Ndombele but, after Sunday’s showing, Mason must keep faith in Alli. It could prove to be a game-changing decision towards their chances of picking up a result to strengthen their top four charge.

AND in other news, Levy could revive Spurs by hiring 9x trophy-winner who dubbed Mourinho “a little man”…

Aston Villa made it a memorable final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, beating Chelsea 2-1 at Villa Park in their first game in front of the home fans.

Dean Smith’s side looked full of energy and dynamism in front of a vociferous home support, and they made the most of the 12th man advantage by going two goals up thanks to Bertrand Traore and Anwar El Ghazi either side of half-time.

But while the two goal-scorers will undoubtedly get their credit, Tyrone Mings delivered the kind of commanding display at the back that surely had England boss Gareth Southgate very impressed.

As per Sofascore, the £80k-a-week earning star was at his absolute best, pocketing Chelsea’s main man Timo Werner with relative ease, dominating him with some excellent front-foot defending.

He won all five of his duels on the day, while he also made two tackles, blocked one shot and made a whopping nine clearances too – only his centre-back partner Kortney Hause made more with 14.

Mings also showed off his range of passing by completing five of his 11 attempted long balls, which was the most of any outfield Villa player.

And, writing in his post-match player ratings for The Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece gave him an eight and said: “Put in a real shift. Mings was all over Timo Werner like a rash and wouldn’t let him out of his sight. The centre-back put in a series of strong challenges which made those in blue shirts wilt. It was a real assured performance in front of England chief Southgate.”

As Preece says, Mings put in the kind of performance that surely gives Southgate no excuses in terms of picking him for the upcoming EUROs when he names his squad.

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And perhaps even more than that, given the fact he is left-footed, he would offer England that balance of playing a left and right-foot centre-back combination.

Whatever the case, Mings showed on Sunday he absolutely has to be in that 26-man squad.

Meanwhile, Villa are eyeing a move for this Scottish star…

Arsenal look set to be without club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for tonight’s Europa League clash against Slavia Prague.

The Gunners have got their work cut out in the Czech Republic, with Mikel Arteta’s side conceding a late away goal at the Emirates to leave the tie finely poised at 1-1 after the first leg.

The north Londoners have a few concerns heading into the game on Thursday night, including Aubameyang, and Arteta delivered a worrying update on the Gabon international’s chances of featuring in his pre-match press conference.

He said: “I don’t know we have to see today how they are. Depending how they wake up. If they wake up better yes. Yesterday none of them could train. Hopefully today it’s a sunnier day so maybe it’s better.”

Since then however, pictures from the club’s final training sessions ahead of the Slavia clash have emerged, and there were no signs of either Aubameyang or fellow injury concern Martin Odegaard.

The £31.5m-rated Aubameyang is the man who wears the armband for the Gunners, and the player who others rally behind, and while his current campaign hasn’t seen him hit his usual heights – he’s scored just 14 goals this season – he’s still a big-name player for Arteta.

Speaking after the 3-0 win over Newcastle earlier this season, teammate Granit Xhaka made it clear just how influential Aubameyang is for the team, and that he is a vital presence in the changing room too.

He said: “Everyone knows how important he is for us – not only on the pitch, but off the pitch as well. Of course, every player has these moments where it is not going well for them. But he has kept going and training hard.”

His goal-scoring record over the years is second-to-none – after all, he was the Premier League Golden Boot winner a couple of seasons ago and just missed out last year – and when he’s on song, he’s a devastating threat.

It’s exactly why Aubameyang’s absence tonight would be a major blow for Arsenal, and will leave Arteta hugely disappointed to be without his talisman and captain.

Meanwhile, Edu could sign Arsenal’s dream Lacazette successor in this star…