All posts by z3u9t.icu

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Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter in excited fashion after it was revealed that the Eagles would take on lower league opposition in Doncaster Rovers away from home in the FA Cup fifth round, as per cpfc.co.uk.

Roy Hodgson’s side booked their place in the draw with an excellent 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Selhurst Park on Sunday, and will be pleased to have avoided the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea as their chances of progressing further in the competition look very good.

The League One side cannot be underestimated and have done extremely well to get this far, but Palace supporters are desperate for a successful cup run to put to bed their lingering demons having lost in the final to Manchester United as recently as 2016.

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video below…

As many of the club’s supporters would tell you Palace are more than good enough to stay in the Premier League, and they saw what was almost a second string side including the likes of Connor Wickham, Joel Ward, Julian Speroni, Martin Kelly and Scott Dann dispatch Spurs with ease.

Let’s take a look at how the fans reacted on Twitter following the draw…

An update on Tottenham Hotspur’s links to former star and Brentford playmaker Christian Eriksen has now come to light in the last 24 hours.

The Lowdown: Lilywhites links emerge…

In the last few weeks, manager Antonio Conte has been tipped to potentially make a move for his former Inter Milan star this summer as his Bees contract winds down.

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A host of clubs across the Premier League, at least according to 90min, are also said to be showing interest in Eriksen with the Dane having impressed under Thomas Frank.

As per iNews, Brentford have described him as the ‘perfect’ signing, but Football Insider claim the 30-year-old has his eyes on a ‘sensational’ return to north London.

Indeed, according to their sources, Eriksen ‘would be keen’ on signing for Spurs again with The Times now sharing an update from the Lilywhites’ side.

The Latest: The Times share big Eriksen claim…

As per the big name outlet, the feeling is mutual from Spurs, with the club and transfer chief Fabio Paratici now ‘considering a move’ to re-sign Eriksen.

Now backing recent claims, it appears Tottenham do indeed hold a firm interest in the Denmark international legend.

The Verdict: Get it done?

Eriksen would undoubtedly inject some creativity going forward, having made more key passes per 90 on average this season than every Spurs player bar Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski (WhoScored).

The fact Paratici and co snap him up for free is another incentive to move, especially considering chairman Daniel Levy himself once valued the player at a staggering £130 million, according to reliable reporter Tom Hopkinson of The Mirror.

In other news: Conte personally approves ‘monster’ player move as Tottenham take pre-summer action, find out more here.

Celtic have the chance to add some more points to their tally for the season and take a step closer to the Premiership title this afternoon. 

Their latest league outing sees them take on St Johnstone at Parkhead after securing a 2-1 victory in the Old Firm derby last weekend. 

However, it seems as though Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou will have to do without one of his main attacking options today.

What’s the news?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference on Friday (via 67 Hail Hail), the 56-year-old revealed that James Forrest is the only player not available to him for selection this afternoon. 

Having missed Celtic’s two previous league games as a result of a knock he picked up during the club’s Scottish Cup win against Dundee United last month, it will be a huge blow for Postecoglou to still have the winger sidelined. 

A product of the Parkhead club’s youth academy, Forrest has made 440 senior appearances in a Celtic shirt across all competitions. In that time, the 30-year-old has scored 97 goals and provided 97 assists, showing how significant figure a he has been across such a long period. 

Postecoglou will be fuming

Even though the Hoops are in a good position in the league following on from their victory over Rangers last week, Postecoglou will still surely be furious that Forrest hasn’t yet managed to recover from this latest injury, despite playing it down at the time.

An even bigger worry for the winger, the manager and the Celtic fans is that he has a reputation for picking up injuries and missing a lot of games over the years.

With Postecoglou saying that the Scotland international should be a week away from making a recovery, the Celtic manager will undoubtedly be hoping that this will indeed be the case and that he can have Forrest fit and available to see out the remainder of the season and hopefully drive his team to the title.

For the time being, it seems as though the Hoops boss will have to rely on the likes of Jota, Daizen Maeda and Liel Abada to provide an adequate attacking force for the team while Forrest is out.

Having scored a combined total of 20 league goals between them, at least it’s safe to say that the trio have what it takes to be a suitable threat for the Bhoys in the 30-year-old’s continued absence.

In other news: Ange must unleash “phenomenal” £5.85m-rated Celtic ace, he could fire them to glory

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a deal to bring Ridvan Yilmaz to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Turkish media outlet Turkiye Gazetesi (via Sport Witness), who claim that Fabio Paratici has submitted an €8m (£6.75m) offer for the Besiktas left-back, with the player himself thought to be extremely keen on a move to the Premier League side.

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The report goes on to state that the 20-year-old has asked his current team not to stand in the way of his proposed switch to Spurs, however, it is believed that the Super Lig outfit are hoping to receive an offer closer to €10m (£8.5m) before sanctioning the Turkey international’s sale this summer.

There’s no one “identical to him”

Considering how impressive Yilmaz has been since breaking into the Besiktas first team as a 17-year-old back in 2019, coupled with the fact that left wing-back has been something of a problem position for Antonio Conte this season, it is easy to see why Spurs would be interested in a move for the defender this summer.

Indeed, over his 25 Super Lig appearances this season, the £4.95m-rated full-back has been a constant threat for Valerien Ismael’s side, scoring three goals, registering four assists and creating five big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 0.8 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

The £3k-per-week dynamo has also impressed in metrics more typical of his position, helping Besiktas keep four clean sheets, in addition to making an average of 1.3 interceptions, 1.7 tackles, 1.2 clearances and winning 3.9 duels – at a success rate of 56% – per fixture.

These returns have seen the player about whom was it was claimed in comments made to Breaking The Lines that “there isn’t really a well-known full-back that’s identical to him” average a SofaScore match rating of 6.89, ranking him as his club’s ninth-best player in the top flight of Turkish football.

And, with recent reports suggesting that Sergio Reguilon could be on his way out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, as well as Ryan Sessegnon continuing to struggle with injuries, the signing of a new left-back could very much be one of Paratici’s priorities ahead of 2022/23.

As such, considering his tender age, undoubted ability and huge potential – not to mention his extremely reasonable asking price – it would indeed appear as if landing Yilmaz this summer would be a fantastic piece of business for the Tottenham sporting director to get over the line – as the 20-year-old’s unique abilities would certainly be put to extremely good use in Conte’s left wing-back role next season.

AND in other news: “From what I understand…”: Gold drops transfer claim that Spurs supporters will love

A fresh Rangers injury claim has been made ahead of their UEFA Europa League trip away from Ibrox today…

What’s the latest?

Gers boss Gio van Bronckhorst has allayed any fears that his team have been hit with new blows ahead of their semi-final clash.

Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe, who were absent at the weekend, remain out and the former is set to miss the rest of the season with a thigh injury.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, van Bronckhorst said: “We have no fresh injuries, we have the squad available from Motherwell.

“Morelos & Roofe are not available and I have made my plans after watching the opponent playing. I will choose the right game plan and we need the players to perform well.

“Fashion Jr is travelling. We have a big plane.”

Supporters will be relieved

Rangers supporters will be buzzing by this update as it comes as a huge boost to van Bronckhorst and his squad heading into the first leg against RB Leipzig.

The Gers are one round away from a major European final and will need as many of their key players available as possible in order to have the best chance of getting past the Bundesliga side. Rangers will not want to suffer any blows that weaken their team and that is why the fans will be relieved that no one sustained any knocks in the win over Motherwell.

An own goal from Liam Kelly and strikes from Scott Wright and James Tavernier sealed the three points at the weekend and having the same squad available means that they can carry their winning momentum over into this game. This will be particularly crucial for Fashion Sakala as he appears likely to be given the number nine role with Roofe and Morelos out.

The Zambia international was electric against Motherwell as he recorded a SofaScore rating of 7.6. He provided the assist for Wright’s goal with a superb burst down the middle of the pitch and then won the penalty from which Tavernier made it 3-1, whilst completing all five of his attempted dribbles and winning nine of his 12 duels in the match.

This highlights the level of impact he can have at his best and that is why him being fit, along with the rest of the team, is a huge boost for the Gers.

It is now down to those players to take their confidence into this clash with Leipzig and ensure that they have something to play for at Ibrox next week to create another special memory under the lights in Glasgow.

AND in other news, “I do think..”: Insider deals crushing transfer blow to Rangers, it’ll leave GVB irate…

Crystal Palace have not made any signings to improve their squad over the January transfer window, but they could still be in a position to do some business this month with just under a week to go.

It has now been revealed that they could make a last attempt to sign a player they have been strongly linked to.

What’s the word?

Journalist, Sami Mokbel, believes that there is still a chance that Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah could become a Crystal Palace player.

Mokbel told GIVEMESPORT:

“Yes, they’re keen on signing Eddie Nketiah, for sure. It’s a deal Palace are definitely interested in.”

Crystal Palace have been linked to the Gunners star for months, with rumours circulating that the move could happen this month, but nothing yet has materialised, especially since Mikel Arteta spoke out to quash the chances by claiming that Nketiah would stay at the club.

However, his contract ends at the North London club this summer.

A perfect fit

The 22-year-old striker was named as a player the club has been interested in “for a number of years let alone months” by Roy Hodgson earlier this month, and it’s not hard to see why he continues to be touted with a move across London.

That’s thanks to Patrick Vieira’s progress in developing younger players, something we have already seen this season with the likes of Conor Gallagher and Odsonne Edouard thriving under the Frenchman.

Gallagher has already been involved in ten Premier League goals this term while Edouard has nine involvements himself.

Thus, Nketiah is the perfect fit for Vieira’s youth revolution that he began in the summer transfer window by bringing in a number of younger players to fill positions in the team, and the additions have proven to make a positive impact on the side.

However, when you look at Palace’s season so far they have gained over almost as many draws as they have wins, so adding a striker with potential who can add goals to inspire more victories for the side could make a real difference in their pursuit of another top half finish this season.

The £9m-rated forward, Nketiah, who has scored five goals in 11 appearances, could be the answer.

The Eagles have lost three of their last five Premier League games, and Vieira will surely be hoping that the club can come back after the winter break and get back to consistent form by securing more points and climbing the table during the last few months of the season.

In other news: Vieira could be close to signing Aaron Ramsey

An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in midfield gem Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

What’s the talk?

According to The Mirror, PIF are planning a bid to sign the Denmark international from Tottenham at the end of the season.

The report claims that they want to add the defensive midfielder to their team as he is high up on their transfer wishlist and are plotting a £30m swoop for his services.

Eddie Howe must get it done

The Magpies head coach must seal a deal for the former Southampton man as he would be a fantastic addition to the squad.

He is not a flashy, skilful, player who will get fans off their seats – like Allan Saint-Maximin – but he can be as important to the team, if not more so. Hojbjerg is a player who can provide a solid base for the attack-minded players to work from and has proven his quality at Premier League level.

Jose Mourinho, who knows a thing or two about winning in England, previously lauded the Dane’s style of play as he said:

“Physically he’s very, very strong and technically he’s much better than people think. Because sometimes people think the guy that is good technically is the guy that does the backheel. The guy that is good technically is the guy that does something wonderful. But these are not my words. These are words from coaches of 30, 40 years ago. Simplicity is genius.

“And the guy is so simple in everything he does with the ball. And I think he’s a phenomenal player. Congratulations, Mr. [Daniel] Levy [Spurs chairman].”

Hojbjerg, who has also been dubbed a “monster” by Morten Bisgaard, has been exceptional in the Premier League this season as he has averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.16 for Spurs. The 26-year-old has made an impressive 3.6 tackles and interceptions per game whilst completing 89% of his attempted passes, showing that he is reliable on the ball and excellent at winning possession back for his team.

He has racked up 178 appearances in the top-flight for Southampton and Tottenham combined and this means that he has experience as well as quality. Hojbjerg knows what it takes to perform in the division, as shown by his statistics this season, and he still has room to improve at the age of 26.

This is why he would be an excellent, sensible, addition to bolster Howe’s midfield. The midfield destroyer would be the ideal equaliser to the panache Bruno Guimaraes shows off in the middle of the park, with his simplicity, and the Magpies must now get this deal over the line.

AND in other news, Keith Downie drops exciting £50m Newcastle transfer claim that’ll delight supporters…

Everton journalist Patrick Boyland has shed light on the absences of Nathan Patterson, Andre Gomes and Seamus Coleman against West Ham United on Sunday. 

The lowdown

Lampard selected Jonjoe Kenny at right-back against the Hammers, with two of his other options in Patterson and Coleman unavailable.

The Scottish youngster has yet to feature in the Premier League following his £11.5m move from Rangers in January, while the Irish veteran had started the last seven matches prior to the international break. Meanwhile, the Portuguese midfielder has made five appearances since Lampard took over in the winter.

Everton’s 2-1 defeat at the London Stadium kept them just three points above the relegation zone ahead of a potentially crucial clash with 19th-placed Burnley on Wednesday night.

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The latest

Boyland provided a succinct update on the Everton trio in The Athletic’s matchday discussion forum on Sunday.

He informed readers: “Been told Nathan Patterson and Gomes are injured. Coleman sick”.

The verdict

The trip to Turf Moor could well define Everton’s season, but Lampard may be dealing with as many 10 absentees unless Coleman recovers in time.

Yerry Mina, Fabian Delph, Tom Davies and Andros Townsend have already been ruled out, while Michael Keane joined Allan on the suspended list after his red card on Sunday. Furthermore, Donny van de Beek has to be considered a doubt too after pulling out of the line-up in east London following an injury in the warm-up.

Lampard may feel that fortune is conspiring against his team, and he can only hope that the crisis eases ahead of the all-important final month of the campaign.

In other news, Lee McLean tore into one Everton player following the defeat to West Ham

Patrick Vieira has been building a new culture at Crystal Palace since he joined last summer, adding a number of young players into the fold to freshen up the ageing squad he inherited from his predecessor Roy Hodgson, and with the Eagles in with the chance to finish in the top half, the French manager’s youth revolution is clearly doing the job.

Crystal Palace have gone from a squad with an average age of 29.8 which was the oldest in the Premier League last season, to an average age of 28 in just nine months, dropping them four places behind Wolves, West Ham, Watford and Burnley, thanks to the young talent Vieira integrated into the squad this season.

The likes of Marc Guehi, Conor Gallagher and Michael Olise are having such an impact on the team this season and being key players in the system that has earned seven victories and 13 draws this season, it would seem likely to the Palace boss will want to continue to keep youth at the heart of the team moving forward.

With that in mind, the former Arsenal player turned manager must finally axe Luka Milivojevic as he clearly doesn’t fit the vision that Vieira has for the team moving forward as he is one of the older players, which reflects in the amount of game-time the midfielder has earned this season so far.

The 30-year-old who was hailed “valuable” by former manager Roy Hodgson, has only made 12 appearances in the Premier League this season, averaging 54 minutes of play per appearance so far, which speaks volumes from the manager’s perspective, with Milivojevic’s role and responsibility in the side becoming less valuable and relied on by the Frenchman.

With a summer transfer window coming up in a few months there is no doubt that Vieira will be focusing on his next moves and putting a plan in place to continue to thrive and succeed in his Palace journey.

When you consider that Milivojevic is on £80k-per-week it could be the perfect opportunity for Steve Parish to offload the midfielder to boost transfer funds and put the club in a position to offer an attractive wage package to a younger player that the club may want to sign this summer.

In other news: CPFC had a shocker on “frightening” ace who’s “a threat to any defence”

Since Aston Villa owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris took charge of the Midlands club back in 2018, they have not been reluctant when it comes to splashing the cash on new players.

One player that has been brought into the club in recent years that has gone on to become a key figure for Villa is striker Ollie Watkins, who joined from Brentford back in the 2020 summer transfer window in a deal worth a then club-record fee of £28m.

Since becoming a Villa player, the Englishman, who is currently valued at £31.5m according to Transfermarkt, has gone on to make 58 appearances across all competitions, scoring 21 goals and providing six assists along the way.

Labelled as a “selfless” player by former Villa manager Dean Smith, Watkins’ future could become the centre of some speculation after former Villa and Arsenal player and Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson recently claimed on Soccer Saturday (via Birmingham Live) that Mikel Arteta’s side should launch a move to sign the 26-year-old.

Given how he’s started 16 of Villa’s 20 Premier League games this season and is currently listed as the third-highest rated Villa player to have started more than one league game according to WhoScored, it would certainly be a big blow if the striker were to join Arsenal, or any other club anytime soon considering how important he is to Steven Gerrard’s side.

Taking into account how Villa said goodbye to Jack Grealish during the previous summer transfer window after fellow Premier League club Manchester City came calling with a £100m offer, if the same were to happen with Watkins and Arsenal, the Villans could start to build up a reputation as being a selling club or a place for players to use as stepping stone to make a move elsewhere, which is not what anyone associated with Villa would want to happen.

Even though his current contract at Villa Park isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2025, it would be worth Gerrard or any of the club’s hierarchy to have a discussion with Watkins to make sure he knows how valued he is there and convince him to stay where he is by reaffirming their ambitions of securing European football and becoming an elite club.

In other news: Deal agreed: Fabrizio Romano delivers Villa transfer update, Lange is working wonders – opinion