All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Everton fans were destroying Jordan Pickford as he smiled to the camera after just about stopping a shot by Daniel Podence from going into the back of the net through his legs.

As per a clip shared by Toffee TV on their Twitter page, the Wolverhampton Wanderers player hit an effort straight at the keeper, to which Pickford almost fumbled the ball over his own goal line.

The fact that the 26-year old appeared to have smirked directly at the camera as members of the Goodison Park faithful were watching seems to have enraged a lot of them, to the point where one EFC supporter even branded him a ‘clown’.

Wolves ran out rather comfortable 3-0 winners in the end at Molineux and all but ended Carlo Ancelotti’s hopes of qualifying for European football for the next season given their place in the Premier League table.

These Blues were clearly not impressed with what Pickford did, especially after making the initial mistake, as they perhaps questioned the seriousness of the English international goalkeeper:

Evertonians, what did you make of the Pickford incident? Comment below!

Chelsea have made another move across the transfer market chessboard as Marina Granovskaia opens talks with another major target.

A strong Premier League season in West London has come to a close and the splashing of the cash has already commenced. The Blues look set to push another big money deal through as Granovskaia turns her attention to Jan Oblak, according to Nico Schira (via Daily Star).

Frank Lampard is looking to strengthen his defensive line ahead of what looks to be a thrilling 2020/21 season. A goalkeeper has been outlined as one of the club’s priorities and Oblak has appeared high up the target list.

Atletico Madrid aren’t willing to give up the Slovenian easily and are adamant any interested club must pay his mammoth £108million release clause. However, money doesn’t seem to be an issue for the Blues, who have already signed Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, with an additional deal for Kai Havertz all but completed.

Kepa Arrizabalaga has returned the worst save percentage out of any other goalkeeper to feature 20 times in the Premier League this season (via Sky Sports). He also kept just eight clean sheets, which is less than the likes of Jordan Pickford and Ben Foster (via Premier League).

Chelsea bought Kepa two years ago for a world record fee of £71million (via BBC Sport), an amount that has yet to be matched or beaten. However, he certainly hasn’t lived up to his huge price tag and it seems Lampard has no intentions of allowing him another season in the net.

The former England international has proved he enjoys a project and it’s not up for debate that Chelsea are undergoing a very exciting transition. Bagging Oblak would see all eyes on the Blues ahead of next campaign and Lampard wouldn’t allow his new signings to disappoint.

With Granovskaia working her magic on the shot-stopper’s agent, Chelsea could be inching closer to shaking on a deal for a new record signing.

Would you like to see Jan Oblak come to Stamford Bridge next season, Blues? Join the conversation in the comments below…

Chelsea could be inching closer to cashing in on midfielder Jorginho after progress in talks with Juventus. 

According to Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Maurizio Sarri is keen to be reunited with the Italian and wants to bring him back to his native country. Even the player himself has reportedly admitted he is ‘looking forward to returning to Italy’ this summer.

The 28-year-old had an inconsistent 2019/20 season, being benched or left out of the squad completely on several occasions. Frank Lampard called upon his services for the final fixtures of the campaign, but ultimately looked to be getting phased out of the team.

Instead, the manager is looking to develop Billy Gilmour and has made Mason Mount an almost untouchable asset to his starting lineup.

Talks have been swirling over Jorginho’s future at Stamford Bridge and it seems now that he is destined to be reunited with former boss Sarri.

Chelsea are reportedly looking for €40million (£36.1m) for the midfielder but the Italian report claims it’s likely the Blues will accept less, due to the fact he is not ‘fundamental’ to the club’s project.

Despite the fact Chelsea initially signed Jorginho for £50m and they will undoubtedly make a loss, any funds received will go towards Lampard’s revamp of his squad.

The Blues have already welcomed Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner through the door. The next big target on the list is Kai Havertz, who looks to be all but a Chelsea player after agreeing terms with Marina Granovskaia.

Lampard is also hoping to secure the signing of Ben Chilwell, who is said to command a hefty price tag rocketing beyond £80m. Leicester are reportedly unwilling to let him leave for cheap, and value him higher than record outgoing Harry Maguire (via Daily Mail).

The sale of Jorginho will help fund a move for the much-desired left-back who could replace Marcos Alonso ahead of next season.

Would you like to see Chelsea keep or sell Jorginho? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

Talk of Jadon Sancho possibly signing for Manchester United has died down since the sporting director at Borussia Dortmund said the winger was not leaving the Bundesliga side this summer.

With these reports, the club will possibly be looking out for an alternative option to the Englishman, and this has seen them linked with Juventus winger Douglas Costa.

Gianluca Di Marzio, who was speaking on @footballdaily on Twitter, via @ManUnitedZone_ said: “Juventus want to part ways with the player. His agents have spoken to #mufc to see if they might be interested. The problem is that he is often injured. His agents have offered him to Man United”

Sky Sports later identified that this could be a possible Sancho alternative and a lot of the United fan base have been reacting to the  player being linked to the club.

The reactions have been mixed and it is understandable to see why. Di Marzio pointed out his injury history and this is a problem if he were to sign for United as Costa has missed 533 days of football due to injury since he started playing, per 29 he may not be able to get rid of his injury struggles.

However there is no doubting the quality he possesses as he has managed to win 20 senior trophies in his career at FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, and Bayern Munich, whilst also scoring 64 goals and picking up 94 assists in 410 games.

Here is what fans said following the news, with one suggesting that he is “better than Lingard” – indeed the Englishman only managed one Premier League goal in 19/20.

Man United fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Let us know down below!

Plenty of Liverpool fans have been reacting after images emerged of Loris Karius in training with the Reds’ squad in Austria.

As per Empire of the Kop, the German goalkeeper was pictured training with Jurgen Klopp’s squad, having returned to his parent club following two years on loan with Besiktas.

The 27-year-old’s Liverpool career has been overshadowed by his two costly errors in the 2018 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid, with further mistakes in pre-season later that summer adding to the damage to his reputation.

Karius’ spell in Turkey was also tainted by errors, including a misjudged charge from his goal in a Europa League match against Slovan Bratislava last year, while he blamed some mistakes on the positioning of floodlights impeding his vision.

During his time away, Adrian has been signed by the Reds, but the Spaniard was also culpable of fateful mistakes in games against Chelsea and Atletico Madrid last season.

Empire of the Kop asked followers if they feel that Karius deserves another chance at Liverpool, but many have already lost patience with the German following his error-strewn career:

Liverpool fans, does Karius have any future at Anfield? Comment below with your views!

Sheffield United are in the market for a striker, and they have recently been linked with a loan move for Rhian Brewster. However it looks like this deal might not go ahead as they are now reportedly interested in a forward from the Bundesliga.

According to journalist for the Guardian Ed Aarons the Blades, as well as Championship side Swansea, are interested in loaning Germany youth international Leon Dajaku from Bayern Munich.

The 19-year-old forward signed a four-year deal last summer at the Bavarian giants after joining from Stuttgart

The forward has made appearances for the youth teams at Bayern and VfB Stuttgart, as well as featuring a handful of times for their senior squads, but his record at youth level highlights the frightening potential he has as he has played 92 times and scored 47 goals whilst assisting 20, per Transfermarkt.

A young forward to bolster the attack could be exactly what the Blades need as they have the veterans in Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick, as well as Lys Mousset and Oliver McBurnie, who were the two top goal scorers for the club last season.

Therefore bringing in a young star looks to be an ideal signing as he would add some healthy competition to the squad. He has a very prolific record and the deal seems like a no-brainer for the club, especially when it is also just a loan move as it means there is no real risk in signing the player.

Blades fans, are your excited by this news? Comment below!

Everton made easy work of coming away with victory against Fleetwood Town last night in the Carabao Cup.

The Toffees emerged with a 5-2 win thanks to goals from Richarlison, Alex Iwobi, Bernard and Moise Kean. Carlo Ancelotti’s side have now won all four of their matches so far this season and will be hoping to continue this fine form in their upcoming game against Crystal Palace.

However, not all of Everton’s players involved in the Fleetwood fixture have received praise. Defender Jonjoe Kenny has come under fire from many supporters on Twitter after his performance last night. Despite putting five past the League One side, the Blues conceded two goals and Kenny in particular has been blamed for some defensive errors.

According to Sofascore, the 23-year-old right-back lost possession of the ball a worrying 15 times and was unsuccessful in any of his attempted dribbles or crosses.

Some Evertionians have slammed Kenny for his seemingly weak performance in the defence. One fan in particular has taken aim at the defender, claiming he is ‘woeful’ and ‘nowhere near good enough’.

Read more replies from the Twitter selection here:

Do you think Jonjoe Kenny has a future with Everton? Have your say in the comments below…

Phil Thompson has criticised Liverpool’s decision to cash in on Rhian Brewster this season, as opposed to 25-year-old Divock Origi.

Speaking to Paddy Power (via Daily Mail), the ex-Anfield man said: “On the outgoings, I’m disappointed that they decided to let Rhian Brewster go. I’d like him to have stayed. I can see some of the reasons why, but if you were asking me whether to go with Brewster or Divock Origi, for me, it’d be Origi going.”

Sheffield United came knocking for the young talent with an impressive offer of £23.5million (via BBC Sport). Michael Edwards certainly conducted another transfer masterclass given the fact Brewster had never made a Premier League appearance for the Reds.

A mistake to let Brewster go

Despite their handsome profit and the buy-back clause inserted in his contract, Liverpool were foolish to let Brewster leave the club. As it stands, the Reds only have Origi to fill in for Roberto Firmino if he picks up an injury and despite being a cult hero, his general performances are inconsistent.

Last season, the Belgian tallied just six goals in 42 appearances across all competitions (via Transfermarkt). A very disappointing return for a striker playing for the Premier League champions. But given Firmino’s unique role as more of a playmaker than a goalscorer, Liverpool aren’t boasting high numbers from any of their strikers.

“There’s not too many forwards that have the aggression that Brewster has,” Thompson continued. “There’s a couple of others that could have gone, Xherdan Shaqiri for example could’ve brought a few quid in.”

Indeed, Shaqiri has been linked to an Anfield exit but it seemed Jurgen Klopp had a change of heart at the last minute. However, even with the Swiss international on the books, Liverpool are very thin on attacking options.

With Brewster’s promising loan spell with Swansea, scoring 11 goals in 22 games, the Reds could have worked on making him the club’s next star striker. Now, they must turn to the limited options they have instead.

In other news, Liverpool have last-gasp chance to solve goalkeeping woes with Jack Butland deal…

It’s fair to suggest that Tottenham Hotspur are finally enjoying life under Jose Mourinho after his controversial appointment over ten months ago.

The north Londoners find themselves inside the Premier League’s top six and in the Europa League group stages after a strenuous qualification run.

This summer has been a phenomenal transfer window with Daniel Levy bolstering the squad with six new additions, though that could still become seven should they manage to secure Joe Rodon from Swansea City by Friday’s domestic deadline.

Gareth Bale’s return has undoubtedly stolen the show, but perhaps there’s still one position that’s still lacking – that creative number ten.

Spurs have failed to replace Christian Eriksen, who swapped N17 for Milan in January.

Argentinian midfielder Giovani Lo Celso had been tipped to replace him but figures of four goals and three assists from 42 appearances, via Transfermarkt, is hardly much encouragement in living up to that tag.

This season, the 24-year-old is averaging only 1.5 key passes per game as well as a disappointing 0.39 xG and 0.19 xA (predicted totals), per Understat.

Summer arrival Sergio Reguilon, the free-scoring Heung-min Son and leading talisman Harry Kane are all managing more key passes per game this season whilst Lo Celso is even behind Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for expected assists.

Eriksen contributed to at least 19 Premier League goals across four different seasons for the club and only sunk below 2.2 key passes per match during his final season in which he started just ten times, so it’s clear to see that there’s still a major, major void at the club.

Spurs could have signed the perfect replacement too as they were once linked with interest in Portugal playmaker Bruno Fernandes, who is now one of Manchester United’s most important players.

The 26-year-old has recorded impressive statistics despite only arriving in England back in January – this term, he’s averaging 2.7 key passes each outing as well as an xG of 0.65 and xA of 0.29 per 90 this season.

It’s claimed by the BBC that Fernandes only cost United €55m (£50m), which is a fraction cheaper than the €60m (£55m) for Lo Celso.

Milan Skriniar, who Spurs tried to sign this window, lauded the Portuguese as one of his “best” teammates whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjaer soon hailed him as a “risk-taker” as well as having the “X factor”.

The “phenomenal” Fernandes has even impressed Roy Keane, who dubbed the maestro as a player with “pure quality.”

Aside from that 6-1 drubbing last time out, it’s hard to see how Spurs haven’t missed out time here.

He’s undoubtedly the one that got away.

AND in other news, Pochettino reject dubbed the new MESSI has thrived since his impulsive exit…

Southampton are looking to improve on their 11th place finish from last season as they throw themselves into a new Premier League campaign. As it stands, the table is delivering a lot of surprises, with Everton and Aston Villa fighting for the top spot and Manchester United just three points above the relegation zone. In another dramatic twist, the Saints are currently level on points with Manchester City.

With a fiery Danny Ings leading the attacking line and new signings such as Theo Walcott ready to make waves, the south coasters look strong already. Fellow forward Che Adams recently gave insight to what might just be the key ingredient to their promising start.

“He [Hasenhuttl] is mad on stats. If we have done enough running, then the session will end, but obviously if we haven’t hit those targets, then we keep training until we do,” he told Hampshire Live. Whilst he admitted he isn’t too fussed on stat-based training himself, Adams has realised the importance of these kind of sessions.

Southampton looking to break the mould

With a top ten finish in mind, or maybe even a spot in Europe, Southampton will be looking to utilise every single member of the senior squad. Last season, the Saints conceded 60 goals – the fifth most in the Premier League. Hasenhuttl will be focusing on tightening up his defence whilst ensuring the midfield are striking the right balance between dropping back and getting forward.

The Austrian has also been experimenting with his squad this season, constantly moving his chess pieces to find the best combination. Jannik Vestergaard recently sprung into action after being benched in favour of Jack Stephens for the opening two matches of the term. Similarly, Nathan Redmond’s spot looks to be under severe threat, with Hasenhuttl sometimes preferring to opt for Moussa Djenepo on the left.

If he drives the Saints to meet their required targets in each training session, they will have more chance of performing to that standard on the pitch. With two wins, two losses and one draw so far, Southampton are certainly off to a solid start and will push to continue in this manner.

In other news, Ralph Hasenhuttl comments could mean new fate for Jannik Vestergaard…