All posts by z3u9t.icu

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ goalscoring woes that held them back last year have yet again reared their head during the first seven Premier League matches of this campaign.

Having scored only 38 league goals in 2021/2022, the Old Gold have managed a paltry three efforts so far and this is despite having signed Goncalo Guedes and Sasa Kalajdzic (although he will miss most of the campaign having been injured on his debut).

This prompted Bruno Lage to delve back into the market, with the club announcing the signing of Diego Costa to provide cover for the injured Austrian last week. The 33-year-old might not be in his prime, but it was certainly a better option than another face who was looked at by the club.

Lage avoided a howler

Wolves were linked with a shock move for Andy Carroll before Costa joined, and this would have been a disaster, as he could well have potentially been a worse signing than that of Willian Jose two years ago.

The Brazilian centre-forward joined on loan from Real Sociedad in January 2021 until the end of the season, but the move turned out to be a nightmare for both parties.

In the end, he managed a solitary Premier League goal in 18 appearances in all competitions, with Wolves unsurprisingly not exercising their option to buy.

Carroll, who is of similar stature, would likely have had an impact comparable to that of Jose, with the 33-year-old scoring a total of just six goals in the previous four years. Indeed, it is evident that both players are not exactly prolific inside the opposition area.

The Englishman’s career hasn’t exactly taken off since he made a £35m move from Newcastle United to Liverpool in 2011 and overall, has scored just 54 top flight goals in 248 matches, hardly setting the world on fire.

His injury record was also a major cause for concern, thus rendering him worse than Jose who was, at least, available during his time at Molineux. The former England international has had 23 separate incidents throughout his career where he was injured and Lage certainly dodged a bullet over the former West Ham hitman.

Karen Brady once dubbed Carroll as a “behemoth from ages past” due to his poor attitude during his stint in the capital, and this is another reason why he was best to be avoided.

The jury is out on Costa, but one thing is for certain, he will be a far better option to call upon than Carroll.

West Bromwich Albion have wasted plenty of money over the past five years, with some of their more notorious expenditures responsible for their recent drop to the Championship.

However, one man who certainly stands far and away from this category is the great Gareth Barry, who has earned high praise from nearly every club he has played for.

He signed on an initial one-year deal from Everton for just £1m in 2017 and went on to feature 61 times for the Baggies and once again endear himself to a new set of fans.

The midfielder currently holds the accolade for most Premier League appearances (with 653) and the record-breaking Englishman featured prominently for West Brom as he tried to help them avoid relegation, albeit to no avail. However, he did record a solid SofaScore rating of 6.74 during the 2017/18 campaign.

During that year, he averaged 1.4 tackles and 1.3 clearances per game; not bad for a man who was around 37 at the time.

The following season, the dependable cult hero stuck around to try and help them back up. He again featured heavily, but they fell short, finishing fourth.

Despite this, Barry remained an unflappable presence in their midfield. He had an exceptional tendency to always be in the right place to snuff out danger, but then possessed the quality to play his way through.

It is no surprise that he was a Premier League and FA Cup winner with Manchester City.

To think that in his place now is Jake Livermore, who is part of the mess that has seen the Baggies fall as low as they are. He has just a 6.70 average SofaScore rating this season, and can only muster a 78% pass accuracy. He has also managed just 0.7 tackles a match and 0.3 clearances, worse than that of the aforementioned Barry over four years ago.

Tony Pulis made an incredibly shrewd signing when bringing the experienced ace to the Hawthorns, and with a bit more quality around him, they might have stood more of a chance at survival.

After all, they did have, as Steve Madeley labelled him, a “legendary” midfielder in their hands. He continued by calling him a “Premier League great”, citing his “fabulous career” that came to a close in 2020.

To bring in this kind of calmness would certainly help out Steve Bruce now, who is struggling to steer what seems like a sinking ship. As they sit 21st, with just one win from ten, they could do with a man like Barry to replace Livermore in the holding role.

His experience and quality would serve them well with their aspirations of a return to the Premier League. It’s just a shame he isn’t still around to offer qualities that Albion are quite evidently craving.

Glasgow Rangers podcaster Heart & Hand have reacted to some comments made by Giovanni van Bronckhorst on both Antonio Colak and Alfredo Morelos.

The Lowdown: Can play together

Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference before their match at home to St Mirren in the Premiership this afternoon, Van Bronckhorst has claimed that Colak and Morelos are ‘capable’ of playing together, saying:

“[Antonio] Colak and [Alfredo] Morelos have both had a positive start and they are both capable of playing together.”

The Latest: Heart & Hand react

Taking to Twitter after Van Bronckhorst’s comments, Heart & Hand seemed pleasantly surprised at the prospect of both strikers playing together, reacting with just one word:

“Oooh…”

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The Verdict: Worth a try

Both Colak and Morelos are top strikers, so leaving one of them out of the team to accompany the other does not seem like a smart idea on paper.

Van Bronckhorst has tended to stick with more than 10 goals in the Premiership standings.

New signing Colak has been a revelation this term, with 11 goals already in all competitions and the Gers’ top scorer by far, while Morelos has an exceptional goal record at the club himself.

If Van Bronckhorst can find a way to play them both together, then he could have a real attacking force on their hands. Hopefully we might see it enacted today…

Manchester City have made contact to sign Napoli star Stanislav Lobotka, according to journalist Ciro Venerato on live TV.

The Lowdown: Sky Blues soaring…

The Premier League champions have enjoyed a soaring start to the 2022/23 campaign as they seek to retain their domestic crown for a third successive season. City currently top the charts for most goals scored and fewest conceded and are the only team in England’s top flight who remain undefeated.

Pep Guardiola’s men have begun the campaign in brilliant fashion, spearheaded by marquee summer signing Erling Haaland and boyhood City fan Phil Foden, who have arguably been the standout performers at the Etihad Stadium.

Despite the fine balance of this squad, sporting director Txiki Begiristain is still tasked with improving it off the field, and a claim has emerged on a new transfer target.

The Latest: Venerato makes Lobotka claim live on TV…

Speaking on live on TV channel Luna, during the Il Salone del Calcio program, Italian reporter Venerato has now claimed that City have made contact to sign Napoli star Lobotka.

When asked about the Slovakian’s contract situation, he explained (via Area Napoli): “There is confidence between the parties for a successful conclusion of the deal. Lobotka’s agent will have received at least two phone calls: one from Chelsea, the other from Manchester City.”

The Verdict: Is he needed?Lobotka’s quality is undeniable, with members of the press even claiming that he has become ‘incisive’ and a ‘scandalous midfielder’ under Walter Mazzarri this season.According to WhoScored, the defensive midfielder stands out as Napoli’s most composed player in terms of passing with an impressive 94.9% accuracy, the highest out of any of his team-mates.He is also Napoli’s most fouled player on average and boasts their second-highest rate of tackles per 90, highlighting how Lobotka can be a real nightmare for an opponent to handle (WhoScored).However, the presence of two world-class defensive midfielders in Rodri and Kalvin Phillips does question the need to sign the Napoli powerhouse, not to mention that club captain Ilkay Gundogan can also play in that role when required.

Newcastle United have seen a number of players come and go at St James’ Park over the years, with there having been notable figures who were simply unable to make an impact at the club, including a certain Siem de Jong.

The Dutchman endured what can only be described as a wholly forgettable and injury-ravaged time in English football, having been snapped up from Eredivisie giants Ajax in the summer of 2014 during Alan Pardew’s stint in charge.

The Magpies had bizarrely had his younger brother Luuk de Jong at the club on loan during the second half of the previous campaign, albeit with the towering striker having failed to score in 12 appearances before making a return to parent club Borussia Monchengladbach.

Unperturbed by the disappointing nature of his sibling’s time with the Tynesiders, Pardew and co went ahead with their move for the more senior De Jong, securing the playmaker’s services for a reported fee of around £6m.

That move ultimately backfired for all parties as the 6 foot 1 menace hardly featured for the club over the next few seasons, notably making just four Premier League appearances during his debut campaign after sustaining a thigh injury just a month into the season, as well as later suffering a collapsed lung.

Having previously sparkled during his time in Amsterdam – with 16 goals and ten assists to his name during the 2012/13 season – the six-cap Netherlands international was unable to recapture that form at Newcastle, failing to score in 18 top-flight appearances during the 2015/16 season as the club suffered relegation.

That campaign had seen the struggling figure also suffer a freak eye injury in training that seemingly epitomised his time at the club, having also suffered as a result of Pardew’s departure for Crystal Palace.

The Aigle-born man was subsequently shipped back to Holland to join PSV Eindhoven on loan for the following season, before calling time on his dismal spell in England in 2017, making a return to Ajax for a fee of around £2m.

In total, De Jong had scored just two goals in 26 appearances for the northeast side in that three-year spell, ensuring that he cost the club roughly £3m per goal scored in relation to his initial cost.

The player himself seemingly has no regrets about joining the club, despite his obvious frustration at being unable to stay fit, having also insisted that he had even been keen to stay on longer before his eventual departure.

After returning to his former club five years ago, the versatile forward went on to initially impress as he provided 12 goal contributions during the 2017/18 campaign, although ultimately fell out of favour after that, subsequently spending time at A-League side Sydney FC as well as with MLS outfit FC Cincinnati.

Having spent the last two seasons with Heerenveen – where the £248k-rated marksman scored seven times in 52 appearances – the 33-year-old now plies his trade with second-tier side De Graafschap.

Liverpool had their worst start to a Premier League season in a decade but have started to pick up points and climb the table after their second consecutive league victory over West Ham United on Wednesday night.

The Reds are now seventh in the league table just four points off the top four, and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping this newfound confidence in the team will help them seal their third win in a row and another victory when they face Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Many of the players have benefited from the formation and tactical changes implemented by the German coach over the last few weeks but there has been one player who has been looking off the pace and is continuing to struggle despite the improved performances from his teammates surrounding him.

Fabinho has been a stalwart in the heart of Liverpool’s team ever since he joined the club back in 2018, but since returning to action at the beginning of the season has failed to make a positive impact in his position and has since lost his opportunities to start in the team on many occasions already.

The £180k-per-week Brazilian midfielder, who has been criticised for his “sharp decline” by Jack Moore, has started seven of the first ten Premier League outings for the Merseyside giants, and his output reflects exactly why the player is no longer one of the first names on the team-sheet.

Over ten appearances, Fabinho has been dribbled past 1.1 times per game, is winning possession less than once per performance (0.7) and has lost the majority of his defensive duels (51%).

With that in mind, Klopp must consider his long-term future, with any possible new signing in January or summer meaning he should be ditched from the team.

In fact, in his most recent performance against the Hammers last night, the midfielder proved again why Klopp is favouring Jordan Henderson in his position.

The Liverpool ace who was once hailed “class” by Klopp, got the nod from his manager in the 57th minute to replace Thiago Alcantara and during his 32-minute appearance, the 28-year-old was dribbled past twice, lost possession of the ball every four touches and only won one of his four duels.

Whilst Fabinho has been declining, Henderson has been thriving in the formation change and proved this week he can still offer his team a solid presence in midfield with 106 touches, 80 accurate passes and winning 100% of his ground duels against West Ham.

With that being said, it won’t be surprising to see the Liverpool captain keep his place in the starting line-up alongside Thiago when the Merseysiders head to The City Ground on Saturday, as three points against Steve Cooper’s side are crucial for the club’s progression back into the top spots of the league table.

Steven Gerrard was sacked as Aston Villa manager last week but some of his decisions will no doubt have an impact on Unai Emery’s time in charge at Villa Park.

One which may well frustrate the Spanish coach was the decision to send out Keinan Davis on loan to Watford in the Championship, despite his impressive displays with Nottingham Forest in the same division last season.

The 24-year-old forward was never really given a chance by Gerrard but is once again showing his worth in the second tier, with four goals in his first 10 appearances for a struggling Watford side.

His last performance epitomised what he could have offered Villa in the Premier League, as he scored a fantastic goal in a 4-0 derby win over Luton, earning a strong 8.03 rating from WhoScored for his display.

Davis’ four goals are more than any player in Villa’s squad has managed in the league so far this season, with the Villans’ woes in front of goal one of the major factors in Gerrard’s departure.

Danny Ings currently leads the way for goals in the top flight with just three, two of which came after Gerrard’s exit in the 4-0 win against Brentford at the weekend.

The on-loan Davis has also averaged more shots per game (2.4) than any of the players in Villa’s squad, which suggests that he could have aided their goalscoring problems this season had Gerrard opted to keep him at Villa Park.

Nottingham Forest were the beneficiary of Davis last season, as he made 18 appearances in the Championship for Steve Cooper’s side, scoring five goals and averaging a solid 7.16 rating from WhoScored.

Steve Cook was full of praise for his former teammate last season, saying:

“Keinan has been outstanding. He’s probably a bit of an unsung hero for us at the moment because he’s doing the hard work.

“He’s bullying defenders and he’s connecting the play from back to front, without scoring the goals he probably would have liked so far. He’s looked such a threat.”

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However, Gerrard clearly wasn’t a fan of Davis, as he failed to make a single appearance under the former Liverpool man, which seems a baffling decision given his performances with Forest last season.

Hopefully, for Davis, his new manager will give him more chances to impress at Villa as he continues to prove his worth in the Championship.

Liverpool attacker Roberto Firmino could be heading for a move away from the Merseyside club at the end of the current season according to former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell. 

The Lowdown: Another big Anfield exit?

The Reds saw one of their key attacking players wave goodbye to Anfield during the previous summer transfer window as Sadio Mane joined Bayern Munich in a deal worth a reported fee of £35m.

Now though, it appears that it could be Firmino’s turn to bring his time with Jurgen Klopp’s side to an end.

The Latest: Calling it a day

Speaking to Football Insider, Campbell had this to say about Firmino’s current situation at Liverpool and what the future could hold for him.

He said: “I cannot see him staying. That is if I am being totally honest.

“If the club were serious about keeping him they would have already got him negotiated an extra couple of years. When you let a player of his profile get into the final 12 months of his contract, the writing is on the wall in my opinion.

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“If he scores 12 goals I’m sure Liverpool will be moving heaven and earth to keep him.

“But right now, I think he will leave next summer. It will be a changing of the guard.”

The Verdict: Worth a new deal

With his contract at Anfield set to expire in June and having been linked with a move away from the club during the previous summer transfer window, it’s easy to see why Campbell thinks the Brazilian could be on his way out of Liverpool at the end of the season.

However, with the £180k-per-week 31-year-old appearing in all but one of Liverpool’s games this season across all competitions, this highlights just how much of an important figure he still is to Klopp.

Also, with Firmino having had more shots on target (15) and more goal-creating actions (6) than any other Liverpool player in the league this season, as well as the second-highest number of successful tackles (11), this further showcases just how useful he is for the team.

Moving forward, we think that it would definitely be worth seeing the club offer the Brazilian a new deal and doing all they can to keep him at Anfield.

David Moyes made some excellent signings in the summer transfer window for West Ham United, bringing in the likes of Gianluca Scamacca, Nayef Aguerd and Lucas Paqueta to form a wonderful spine to the team.

The signing of Flynn Downes appears to have largely gone under the radar, but Moyes may have a real diamond on his hands in the 23-year-old.

With Irons stalwart Mark Noble having retired last season following an 18-year spell in the first team, West Ham may just have unearthed his ideal heir.

Downes plays in the same position as the former club captain, while he is also a lifelong Hammers fan and has all the attributes which could make him the perfect midfield replacement, although the former Swansea man might just go one better than the 35-year-old by winning a senior England cap.

Former West Ham academy graduate and England international Joe Cole praised Downes on BT Sport following his performance against FCSB, saying he has been an “outstanding” find for West Ham, and Moyes has done the correct thing by easing him into first-team action this season.

The Englishman has started four matches in the Europa Conference League, averaging a rating of 6.98/10 from SofaScore, and he has impressed in the club’s engine room.

A 92% pass success rate and an average of 58.2 touches per match would suggest that he isn’t fazed at this level, while he has added some excellent defensive protection to the West Ham side in Europe.

Downes has made three tackles and one interception and won possession back 1.6 times per match, while also displaying his strength in one-on-one situations by winning 64% of his duels in the competition.

Journalist Josh Bunting has said that Downes “adds another dimension” for the Hammers, and with these numbers from the Conference League playing a part in Moyes’ side winning the group with six wins out of six, the praise is certainly justified.

The next step will be to transition these performances on the continent into regular appearances in the Irons’ starting XI in the Premier League.

Only then can the 23-year-old claim to be the heir apparent to Noble, but so far, the early signs are looking hugely positive.

West Ham United could sign Blackburn Rovers star Ben Brereton Diaz for a fee ‘in excess of £10m’, as reported by Graeme Bailey for 90min.

The Lowdown: Hammers make transfer plans…

The Hammers enjoyed one of their best transfer windows in history over the summer with some record-breaking spending. They completed deals for Alphonse Areola, Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet, Thilo Kehrer, Emerson Palmieri and club-record signing Lucas Paqueta.

However, the Irons’ league position and goalscoring record is hardly a reflection of that outlay, with David Moyes’ side currently sitting 15th in the Premier League.

In addition, only Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Everton have scored fewer top-flight goals than the east Londoners in 2022/23, potentially forcing the club to ponder a mid-season return to the market.

The Latest: Bailey shares Brereton Diaz interest…

Taking to Twitter and sharing an article for 90min, Bailey has shared news on West Ham’s interest in Championship star Brereton Diaz.

The Chile international has continued his fine form from last season with 10 goal contributions in 20 second-tier starts this term (WhoScored), prompting interest from a host of top-flight clubs including the Irons.

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As per Bailey for 90min, West Ham are apparently eyeing a move for Brereton Diaz and have even sent scouts to watch him in action recently.

Bailey added on social media that Blackburn could be ‘swayed’ by a January offer ‘in excess of £10m’ for the forward despite the damage that it could inflict on their promotion chances.

The Verdict: Bargain?

Considering that Rovers reportedly valued the 23-year-old at around £30m earlier this year, a fee in excess of £10m could be seen as a real bargain.

His current deal at Ewood Park expires in 2023, meaning that West Ham could sign the free-scoring South American for a cut-price fee mid-season.

Still quite young, Brereton Diaz’s scintillating form has attracted praise from members of the press, some of whom have called him an ‘undoubted star’ of Rovers’ high-flying promotion chasers.

The sheer amount of clubs taking an interest in the Chile forward perhaps best sums up the player’s quality, and Moyes could land a real coup if he manages to beat off all the competition to his signature.