All posts by z3u9t.icu

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Everton boss Marco Silva has praised his men for their newly found form against Southampton before the international break.

What did he say?

The Toffees have shown a slight revival in their season over the past few weeks, drawing against Tottenham Hotspur and beating Southampton to edge six points clear of the relegation zone.

In light of their recent form, the Blues boss has reminded critics of how he stated his side would react to the defeat against Burnley.

Now, with three wins in five games, it seems the Portuguese has done just that.

Silva told evertonfc.com: “It is turning – and that is what we wanted.

“Before the [October] international break, when we lost how we did at Burnley, I told people we would react, for sure and we reacted.

“It is good to see our players getting more mature and being stronger in their personalities.

“We played five games… and we could possibly be talking here about four wins and one draw. This is the reality.

“We could be talking about how the team reacted so strongly and showed the capacity we have.

“We know why in the previous [away] game [at Brighton] we did not win and we could be in a completely different position in the table.”

A sudden change

Everton have had a bit of a turn around in their form across the pitch. The likes of Tom Davies have seemingly come into their own lately, with a goal and commanding display against Southampton.

Plus, key players such as Richarlison now have five goals and two assists across the board and are flourishing at the moment. Elsewhere, Cenk Tosun has added to the positivity with his late goal against Spurs before starting in the victory at St Mary’s.

Then there is the fantastic form of Mason Holgate, who has pushed the struggling Michael Keane out of the side. Holgate has two assists and a goal, plus a clean sheet in the EFL Cup over the past month.

It seems there has been a rather sudden change in form for Everton and the signs are certainly positive right now.

Liverpool fans loved the generosity of their Senegalese forward Sadio Mane after helping his team carry water into the dressing room before the 2-0 win against Congo on Wednesday.

Senegal’s efforts to reach a second consecutive Africa Cup of Nations Final got off to the best possible start.

Mane is one of the standout players in the national team, who are expected to win Group I of the AFCON qualifying table.

However, fans took note of the actions of the 27-year-old before the game even began. Footage showed Mane helping his coaching staff carry bottles of water into the stadium in an unexpected gesture of kindness from the Liverpool man.

Last year, he was pictured helping to clean the toilets at his local mosque, hours after guiding the Reds to victory against Leicester.

Supporters heaped praise on the Champions League winner and made their feelings clear on social media.

Here you will find some of the many appreciative responses from Liverpool fans:

Liverpool fans, is there anything Sadio Mane can’t do? Leave your comments below!

Aston Villa could be without another player following his own injury, which would result in him being on the sidelines with midfielder John McGinn, after the latter was forced off during their 3-1 win over Wolves on Saturday.

Aston Villa beat Wolves in Midlands derby

Unai Emery was a happy man on the touchline as his Villa side continued their impressive start to the season with victory in the Midlands Derby.

Monchi's Aston Villa staff tracking a £21m prodigy with "world at his feet"

The Villans are reportedly interested in signing the teenage talent in January.

ByDan Emery Sep 23, 2024

Wolves did threaten to upset the home side, after striker Matheus Cunha gave them a surprise lead just past the 20-minute mark. It wasn’t exactly plain sailing, with Gary O’Neil’s men holding that advantage for a large portion of the game as well.

It took until the last 15 minutes before Villa managed to grab an equaliser, thanks to star frontman Ollie Watkins, who opened the floodgates for Emery’s side to battle their way to a Premier League victory.

Ipswich Town (away)

September 29

Man United (home)

October 6

Fulham (away)

October 19

Bournemouth (home)

October 26

Tottenham (away)

November 3

Defender Ezri Konsa fired them into the lead just minutes from added time, with striker Jhon Duran then continuing his own impressive start to 2024/2025. The Colombian notched Villa’s third in the 94th minute and sealed all three points on derby day, but the win prompted a mix response from Emery.

“We want to win matches easier than we did,” said Emery on Villa’s win over Wolves.

“We are showing how difficult it is to win in the Premier League – last week against Everton.

“We were suffering in the first half but the second half was completely different. I am very happy because we won. It was very important we changed our energy and we played to win in the second half.”

One real downside of the afternoon, though, was in the form of midfielder John McGinn and his injury. The 29-year-old has started all five of their Premier League matches so far and is a crucial cog in Emery’s midfield, having also bagged six goals and four assists in 35 top flight starts last term.

McGinn was forced off with a hamstring injury against Wolves, and Emery has claimed he will be sidelined for the next few weeks.

“It’s his hamstring,” Emery said to reporters.

“In January against Tottenham he had a hamstring injury as well. He will not be available I think for a few weeks.”

Jaden Philogene could be sidelined with McGinn at Villa

As per Birmingham World, another player who could be sidelined alongside McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Matty Cash and Tyrone Mings is winger Jaden Philogene.

The winger, signed from Hull City in the summer for £18 million, missed out against Wolves through injury. It is believed Philogene could miss out against Wycombe as well, given the short turnaround between games, so their EFL Cup clash tonight may come too soon.

Not having the Englishman available would be a slight frustration for Emery, as this evening’s tie would be an ample opportunity to start the highly promising winger.

“Ridiculous, it’s ridiculous, his ability is something we have missed for a long time,” said ex-Hull City boss Liam Rosenior to Sky Sports earlier this year.

“He is only going to get better the more games he plays.”

Crystal Palace have been tipped to make a surprise addition to their ranks in January, with the Eagles even preparing their opening offer to add a fresh new face to Oliver Glasner’s side, according to one report.

Mixed start for Crystal Palace

The summer transfer window was dominated by speculation about potential departures from Selhurst Park, but the return of the Premier League has brought little consolation thus far.

"Talented" £40,000-p/w Crystal Palace ace won't play for "several weeks"

More frustration for Glasner.

ByTom Cunningham Sep 14, 2024

Michael Olise departed for Bayern Munich, while Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi were both strongly linked with moves to other Premier League sides, and Joachim Andersen departed for Fulham.

To replace their star winger, Palace signed several new attacking players, with Daichi Kamada arriving on a free transfer, Ismaila Sarr joining from Marseille and the club making a late move to sign Arsenal attacker Eddie Nketiah.

However, they are yet to replace any of the goals or assists provided by the departing Olise, while the south London side have been uncharacteristically leaky at the back, with seven goals conceded in their opening four games and two of their new defensive signings set for spells on the sidelines already.

It has left them sitting just above the relegation zone with just two points to their name, while they were forced to rely on a stoppage-time Jean Philippe Mateta penalty just to rescue a draw against newly promoted Leicester City in their most recent outing. Now, they are already looking to January and the winter transfer window, if reports are to be believed.

Crystal Palace ready £8.5m move for new forward

That comes as reports in Spain claim that the Eagles are readying a move worth up to €10m (£8.5m) to sign Real Sociedad attacker Sheraldo Becker in what could be a somewhat bizarre move for the south London side.

Becker only joined Sociedad at the beginning of 2024 but has played across the frontline during his 23 appearances for the Spanish side, grabbing three goals in the process.

It was at Union Berlin that he really thrived, with content creator Shark Gutierrez dubbing him “class” and “quality” on X back in 2022 as he finished the season with 11 goals and 7 assists.

Sheraldo Becker at Real Sociedad

Appearances

23

Starts

14

Goals

3

Assists

2

Minutes per goal/assist

264

However, his performances at his new club appear to have caught Glasner’s eye, with the report claiming that Palace are “preparing an offer close to 10 million euros” to sign the 29-year-old, as they believe the “forward’s profile fits perfectly in the Premier League”.

It is added that Sociedad would be open to selling him as it would see them turn a profit on the £5m they signed him from Union Berlin for less than 12 months ago and that a deal “could be finalised in the coming months”.

On paper, it is a move that makes little sense to Palace at present, with three new faces already at the club to bolster their attack alongside Eze and Mateta. However, with reports linking both the England international and Olympic runner-up with moves away in the months to come and with Mateta having suggested he could have been open to leaving over the summer, it may well be an early move to replace either of their stars before they move on.

West Bromwich Albion will look to keep up their unbeaten record in the Championship today, as Luke Williams' Swansea City travel to the Hawthorns.

Both of West Brom's early season victories have come away from their home ground, however, with a 3-1 win collected on the opening day away at Queens Park Rangers coming about owing to a superb Josh Maja hat-trick, alongside the most recent 2-1 win at Stoke City seeing Karlan Grant get in amongst the goals.

The only home game of the league campaign so far saw the Baggies draw 0-0 with Leeds United in a rather drab affair, with Jayson Molumby at risk of dropping out of the side altogether for the testing clash with the Swans later on, despite starting all three second tier matches to date.

Molumby's performance vs Stoke

In an ideal world, Carlos Corberan would call upon Okay Yokuslu to be one of his starters in the holding midfield positions today, but the no-nonsense Turkish midfielder is now back playing in his native country with Trabzonspor.

Instead, the Spanish boss has had to rely on Molumby to start alongside Alex Mowatt in the infancy of this season to date, with the Irishman struggling at points at Stoke, despite the positive final scoreline.

The Baggies number eight would only win three of the eight duels that came his way during the 2-1 victory, with a complete lack of attacking presence also coming from his game, with zero shots or key passes registered to help his teammates venturing forward.

Thankfully, the likes of Grant and Maja delivered the goods with a goal apiece in the slender win, whilst his midfield partner in Mowatt also helped himself to a singular key pass, to show to Molumby what was missing from his forgettable display.

This could open the door for Corberan to experiment with his starting line-up, therefore, with the potential for the former Huddersfield Town manager to even gift new summer recruit Ousmane Diakite his first start in West Brom blue and white, after a promising late cameo against the Potters.

Why Diakite could start against Swansea

The former TSV Hartberg man stood out, despite only being present on the pitch for four minutes against Stoke, with a grit present in his game that was necessary to ensure a narrow win was secured as the clock ticked down.

Failing to also misplace a single pass from just ten touches of the ball, the Malian midfielder might well find he's gifted a surprise start against the visitors from Wales today, over his lacklustre teammate.

Stat

Diakite

Minutes played

4

Touches

10

Accurate passes

4/4 (100%)

Duels won

4/6

Tackles

2

Fouled

2x

Bettering the amount of duels Molumby won with four next to his name too, Diakite helped West Brom to see out the final few minutes with less anxiety present, having made a crunching tackle right at the death to stop a potential Potters breakaway breaching the Baggies at the back.

Labelled as a '"talented" player when first signing for the club back in June on a free transfer by Corberan, the 24-year-old's moment in the first team spotlight could come versus Swansea, even with Uros Racic potentially pushing for some minutes, after sitting out the Stoke win owing to work permit issues.

If West Brom are to start Diakite from the get-go in a surprise personnel switch, it would be a real test to see if the depth is strong enough at the Championship side to mount a serious promotion charge, as the West Midlands outfit eye up another early season three points.

Report: West Brom now set to submit fresh offer for £2,000-a-week forward

He has 34 Championship goals to his name across a long career.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 26, 2024

Liverpool are targeting Sporting Lisbon defender Goncalo Inacio after failing to achieve their seasonal goals, and will hope to beat a Premier League rival to the Portuguese ace this summer.

What’s the latest on Goncalo Inacio to Liverpool?

That’s according to Spanish publication AS (via Sport Witness), revealing that – alongside Newcastle United – Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are ‘in the mix’ to sign the 21-year-old after registering an interest in the winter market.

Sporting will demand around €45m (£41m) for the pass-proficient defender, with the sticking point stemming from the Liga Portugal outfit’s demand for the entirety of the fee to be met instantly.

But with Liverpool seeking a left-footed central defender to bolster the ranks after finishing fifth in the league last season, it might be a deal worth the money.

How good is Goncalo Inacio?

When Virgil van Dijk was signed from Southampton for £75m in the winter of the 18/19 season, he activated Klopp's system and provided newfound defensive solidarity to kickstart an illustrious period in the club's history.

The 31-year-old's ball-playing prowess and offensive acumen, though, has been just as mighty as his transformative effect on the fortitude of the backline, with FBref ranking the Dutchman among the top 4% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 1% for touches in the attacking box and the top 3% for total shots attempted per 90.

He's even left Brazilian legend Ronaldinho waxing lyrical, with the revered attacker stating: "You are fantastic, [you] play with elegance and command the defence like a maestro … congratulations!"

Despite a less than propitious year with the Reds, discernibly lacking in his former imperiousness and culpable for a multitude of erroneous, subpar performances, the £220k-per-week titan has been the defensive centrepiece for his Merseyside, winning a maiden Premier League title with Liverpool, the Champions League and FA Cup – notably.

Which brings us to Inacio, who has been earning all the plaudits for his work in the early stage of his professional career in his homeland, already described as the "complete" centre-half by talent scout Jacek Kulig and chalking up 122 appearances with the Leões, scoring 11 goals and supplying eight assists.

While he currently plies his trade outside a 'top five' European leagues and subsequently is ranked by FBref against players across the Men's Next 8 divisions – below the said leagues – he has exhibited the superlative nature of his passing skills.

The two-cap international ranks among the top 1% of centre-backs for passes attempted and progressive passes, the top 2% for assists and shot-creating actions, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.

Heralded as a "leader" and an "aerial dominator" by one Premier League analyst, He clearly boasts the requisite ability to flourish in a Klopp team, characterised by its pressing and attacking flair, hence demanding defenders efficient on the ball and composed under pressure.

And given that Inacio is an amazing talent with all the tools to craft success at the highest level, he might just be the perfect option to absorb the fruits of Van Dijk's labour and assume his role for the next phase in Liverpool's history.

Wolverhampton Wanderers could make an 'interesting' move for Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia this summer as part of an 'overhaul in their midfield' under Julen Lopetegui, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

What's the latest transfer news involving Geoffrey Kondogbia?

As per AS via Sport Witness, Wolves courted Kondogbia in the January transfer window and have now decided to return to try and secure his signature this summer.

Old Gold boss Lopetegui is seemingly keen to strengthen his engine room in the off-season and Kondogbia has been identified as someone who 'fits' the bill at Molineux. It is believed that Atletico Madrid expect to accumulate between €5-6 million (£4.2-5.1 million) for the £113k-a-week ace.

According to RMC Sport via Get French Football News, Lyon are also targeting a move for Kondogbia as they look to acquire a defensive midfielder at the Groupama Stadium.

Nevertheless, Lyon will not compete in continental competition next term, which may put a spanner in the works for the French giants in their attempts to land the Central African Republic international.

Football scout and agent Berk Bekgoz recently spoke about the latest state of play involving Kondogbia's future on the Taktik Mania YouTube channel, which translated to:

"Geoffrey Kondogbia will meet with Wolverhampton this week. If an agreement could not be reached, the player's manager made an appointment with Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş. He will come to Istanbul and the meeting will be held."

Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Jones believes that Kondogbia would be an 'interesting' addition at Molineux this summer.

Jones told FFC: "It's an interesting name to be thrown in there. I think that obviously Wolves are looking at a bit of an overhaul in their midfield this summer and so they need some new spirit in there and I think that that could potentially be a name that fits."

Would Geoffrey Kondogbia be a good signing for Wolverhampton Wanderers?

Kondogbia is an experienced figure – hailed a "monster" – who has starred at the elite level for the likes of Inter Milan, Sevilla and Valencia in the past and would be a potential bargain for Lopetegui as he looks to reshape his midfield at the Old Gold.

As per Transfermarkt, the 30-year-old enforcer made 27 appearances in all competitions for Atletico Madrid in 2022/23, registering two goals in the process.

WhoScored also takes into account that Kondogbia was strong in the tackle in La Liga and successfully won around 1.9 challenges per match for his side in the Spanish top-flight.

According to FBRef, the Nemours-born midfielder excelled in comparison to his positional peers across Europe's top five divisions concerning interceptions, nipping in to steal the ball 2.41 times per 90 minutes across the last 365 days, putting him in the first percentile for this metric.

Looking forward, bringing in Kondogbia may be a wise move from Wolves as they eye consolidation in 2023/24 following a close shave with relegation.

Manchester United are unlikely to sign Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane this summer and have given themselves plenty of time to identify alternatives in the transfer market, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.

What's the latest transfer news involving Harry Kane?

According to The Guardian, Manchester United have pulled out of the race to sign Harry Kane this summer due to the 'unrealistic' amount of money that it would take to lure him to Old Trafford.

The report states that Red Devils boss Erik Ten Hag is 'disappointed' that he will not be able to add Kane to his squad; however, he understands that Manchester United need to be realistic when assessing potential transfer incomings.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano has also gave an update regarding the future of Kane, stating on Twitter: "Manchester United are currently looking at other options for new striker as Harry Kane deal is not advancing at all. Man Utd feel Tottenham never wanted to sell Kane to them and have no plans to enter into two-months saga. Rasmus Højlund, one of the names in the list."

Capology understand that Kane earns around £200,000 per week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on a contract that runs until June 2024.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jacobs thinks that Manchester United have done the right thing by scoping out their chances of getting Kane early in the window rather than entering into a protracted transfer saga.

Jacobs told FFC: "The point of Manchester United moving early to explore the Harry Kane situation was not to be messed around and that was smart because the last thing Manchester United want is a saga over Harry Kane. They had this with Frenkie De Jong last summer and when you are pushing for a player at the value that Kane will be worth, £100 million plus, you obviously have to allocate that budget if you think you've got a realistic chance and as a consequence, if it drags on, it can overshadow other summer activity."

What other strikers have Manchester United been linked with?

As Jones stated, Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund is a target at Old Trafford, though it is believed that the Serie A outfit want to recoup £86 million in order to let go of their rising star this summer, according to The Daily Mail.

Telegraph Sport cite that Brighton & Hove Albion man Evan Ferguson, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic have also been linked with Manchester United in the window.

The Sun also report that Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos has been offered to Manchester United as their striker search continues to intensify.

Manchester United are likely to be linked with several other targets over the next few months, though Kane is unlikely to be one of them following recent developments.

Steven Gerrard could prove to be an unpopular choice as Leeds United's new manager among supporters, according to journalist Ryan Taylor.

Is Gerrard a front-runner for Leeds job?

The 43-year-old had an unsuccessful spell at Aston Villa earlier in the season, eventually being replaced by Unai Emery, who has ultimately showed him up with a much improved run of results.

Since then, Gerrard has been out of management, instead doing some punditry, but he has emerged as one of the favourites to become Leeds' next boss.

The Whites continue to look for the perfect man to come in and turn their fortunes around, with Championship football coming their way in 2023/24, following a bitterly disappointing Premier League campaign that culminated in relegation.

Gerrard is far from guaranteed the Leeds job, but he is certainly in the conversation, and it is an appointment that could split opinion, should it end up coming to fruition.

Is the jury out on Gerrard to Leeds?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor admitted that Gerrard's failed spell at Villa could make him an unpopular choice, even though he sees benefits behind the appointment:

"I do think Gerrard would be a decent fit. I know that might not be popular among some supporters because of what happened at Villa, but I think it's a different kind of job now. It's a project and something to build.

"I know that was the case at Villa, but their squad was so strong that it's not entirely surprising where they ended up finishing, although I know Unai Emery has done a great job.

"When Gerrard went to Rangers, he built, reasonably, from scratch. I think that's the sort of environment he would be walking into at Leeds as well, so I quite like those appointments. I think Ruben Selles would be a good option as well, but I've not seen any kind of links to Leeds."

There is understandable trepidation when it comes to Leeds potentially appointing Gerrard, given the manner in which things petered out at Villa, following a fairly promising start.

He is yet to properly prove himself in the Premier League or the Championship – he did win the Scottish Premiership title with Rangers, in fairness, which was a great achievement – so it would be more risky than someone like Daniel Farke or Scott Parker, both of whom have achieved that goal, both earning promotion from the latter.

That being said, Gerrard is still a young manager who could end up having a bright future in that aspect of football – his legendary status as a player is undisputed, but that doesn't automatically make you a great boss – so bringing him in certainly wouldn't be a disaster.