All posts by n8rngtd.top

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee, who made 280 Premier League appearances, claims Joao Mario didn’t impress him at West Ham during the 2017/18 season so doesn’t want the Hammers to make a move for him this summer.

It has been reported that West Ham may look to bring the Portugal international back to the London Stadium with his contract set to expire at Inter Milan, where he hasn’t played since 2018/19, next summer.

Mario spent six months on loan with the Hammers during David Moyes’ first West Ham spell, but they opted against making the move permanent with his market value at that time being around £23.4million. The midfielder made 14 appearances in claret and blue, scoring twice, but still failed to convince the club that he was worth the money.

Speaking on how he can’t even remember Joao Mario playing for West Ham and why owners get blinded by foreign players and the clubs they play for, Lee told FFC:

“I don’t remember him impressing me that much and if he did impress people, why didn’t they sign him at the time? I don’t remember him really and I can’t remember many West Ham fans talking highly about him. 

“I think when people name all these foreign players owners seem to get carried away with their names and what club they’re playing for, but none of that means anything if you aren’t a good player.”

Since Mario left West Ham, he has experienced loan spells at both Spartak Moscow and Sporting Lisbon with one season at Inter Milan coming before those.

David Moyes will be looking to build around his team this summer and after working with the midfielder during his first stint as Hammers manager, it could be someone Moyes wants to bring back.

The upcoming transfer window could be the perfect time for Crystal Palace to wave goodbye to a costly arrival.

According to Correire dello Sport, centre-back Mamadou Sakho is on a list of potential summer targets for Serie A giants Lazio alongside the likes of Arsenal’s David Luiz and Chelsea’s Thiago Silva.

Out of contract at the end of the season after four years as a permanent Eagles player, Palace should certainly not fight too hard to keep the Frenchman at Selhurst Park.

Having arrived from Liverpool, initially on-loan, Sakho has endured a rollercoaster period with the club.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-crystal-palace-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-townsend-bayindir-butland-van-aanholt-parish” title=”Latest Crystal Palace news, transfer rumours and more…”]

He has, at points, been an excellent option at the back for Roy Hodgson, specifically during the 2018/19 season where he played 27 times in the Premier League alone as the club finished 12th in the standings.

However, he has also endured frustrating injury problems, having missed a total of 67 matches through injury, whilst he has only appeared on six occasions throughout the current campaign.

For context, the defender has only actually appeared on 75 occasions for the club in his four years at the club since arriving for what was a reported fee of £26m from Liverpool.

As a result, Sakho has now fallen considerable down the pecking order, finding himself behind the likes of Gary Cahill, Cheikhou Kouyate, Scott Dann and James Tomkins for a starting berth at centre-back.

Considering that lack of action then, the £6.3m-rated French international has certainly not justified his £100k per-week wages at Selhurst Park.

With Lazio then now swooping for his signature, Palace now have the perfect opportunity to let him go as opposed to extending his contract.

It really now could be time then, for the Eagles to wave goodbye to Sakho in the upcoming transfer window.

AND in more news, Palace have been handed a huge boost in their pursuit of Aaron Ramsey…

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to the news that the lawyer of Glen Kamara believes the police now have sufficient evidence to charge Ondrej Kudela of “racially aggravated conduct”.

Aamer Anwar is representing Kamara after the Finland international accused Kudela of racist abuse during the Gers’ Europa League round of 16 clash with Slavia Prague. The Czech champions have moved to deny the allegations, even suggesting Kudela was the man actually on the end of physical abuse (slavia.cz).

Now, though, Anwar believes the authorities have amassed enough evidence to charge the 34-year-old, and has revealed that, if found guilty, he could face a prison sentence of up to six months (The Herald). It now remains to be seen what the verdict is if and when the case goes to court.

Anwar’s comments were shared on Twitter by Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, and the tweet attracted plenty of attention from the Gers supporters. The fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the Rangers fans had to say about the Kudela update below

“Aye but has Michael Stewart heard all the evidence yet?”

Credit: @URangersmedia

“This is THE opportunity to do something about racism in the game. If nothing happens this time then forget about holding big red cards up for show.”

Credit: @crmpicco

“Excellent news”

Credit: @ScottMcKean7

“No place in sports for this kind of people who abuse others Stamp it out.”

Credit: @Billy23119468

“Excellent. No doubt SK Statement Prague will be preparing a statement claiming this is all doctored evidence as we speak”

Credit: @jstodd25

“Excellent news x”

Credit: @NicolaB302

In other news, Rangers are said to be interested in this 27-goal striker.

Roy Keane is reportedly open to becoming Neil Lennon’s successor as permanent Celtic manager.

That’s according to The Scottish Sun, who claimed that the 49-year-old – who reportedly rejected the job to replace Lennon back in 2014 – would now consider a move to Parkhead.

Keane’s managerial absence

Well-known for his punditry roles in recent years, Keane last managed back in 2010/11 with Ipswich Town.

Since then, the Irishman – who finished his playing career with Celtic – has been an assistant at Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and for his native Republic of Ireland.

However, it seems as if he’s keen to return to the dugout, and his love for Celtic has seen him become keen on the vacant Parkhead position, according to The Scottish Sun.

Transfer Tavern take

Keane was left unimpressed with Peter Lawwell seven years ago as to how negotiations materialised, but he won’t have to worry about the chief executive this time around due to the latter’s impending retirement.

To us, a move for Keane would be a huge gamble. He has taken charge of just 181 games as a manager, with those coming between 2008 and 2011. Also, some players under his watch have gone public about the 49-year-old’s abrasive demeanour in previous coaching roles.

His long absence away from the hot seat could therefore prove to be a risky move by the Hoops board, but it seems as if the former midfielder is keen to head back to Glasgow.

In other news: Celtic impressed by Director of Football target following talks, find out more here. 

Aston Villa defender Ezri Konsa has shone for the club this season, and this has seen many praise him. One to do so is former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips.

What Phillips had to say about Konza

Phillips piled on the praise for the centre-back as he told Football Insider: “He’s been at the heart of everything Villa have done this season. He’s been excellent with Mings, they haven’t been breached too much this year.

“I haven’t seen too many players give him the run-around. To believe he was only at Charlton a few years ago. To come to the Premier League and to do what he’s done after they had a difficult season last year is brilliant.

“Naturally, when you get big clubs sniffing around, you’re probably going to get offered a new deal. It happened to me at Sunderland, the club came and said: ‘We want to offer you a new deal. I’m pretty sure that’s gonna happen before the end of the season if he keeps performing the way he is.”

Konsa is vital for Villa

Konsa has been a vital asset for the club this season, playing in 20 Premier League games, and establishing himself as Tyrone Mings’ partner at the back.

The Athletic also recently reported that Konsa is on Gareth Southgate’s radar ahead of a possible England call-up, which shows that his good performances are not going unnoticed. Therefore it is understandable to see him receive such praise and make Phillips think Villa will offer him a new deal.

The 23 years-old, so has a bright future ahead, and therefore the club need to make sure they can keep him at the club for as long as possible so that they can build and progress into a consistent top half team.

In other Villa news, fans have been piling praise on one star at the club following his latest comments. Have a read who it is here!

Aston Villa are eyeing a summer transfer move for Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, but are battling some Premier League rivals to land his signature.

What’s the story?

Reports last summer suggested that Dean Smith’s side were very much keen on signing the Frenchman, but a deal failed to materialise before the end of the deadline.

Now, The Scottish Daily Mail (26/02, back page) via HITC, claim that Villa remain keen on luring Edouard away from Celtic Park, but are likely to face significant competition from the likes of Arsenal and Leicester.

The report adds that it’s the Foxes, and Serie A giants AS Roma, who are currently leading the race for his signing.

Dean Smith surely buzzing

Amid a Premier League season in which Smith has had to sit in the dugout hoping Ollie Watkins can stay injury-free, news of a renewed attempt at signing Edouard will surely have the Villa boss buzzing.

To his credit, Watkins has been a revelation since joining from Championship side Brentford, bagging 12 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign in the top-flight.

The one problem for Smith has been the lack of genuine options to replace him, with Watkins having not missed a single minute of Premier League football all season. That’s been down to Wesley still working his way back from a knee injury, and Keinan Davis clearly not deemed as someone worth playing regularly – after all, he’s managed just five goals in 75 club games.

In Edouard, Villa would land themselves someone who’s been incredibly prolific in his fledgeling career. As well as bagging 20 goals in just 32 games this season – and that too for a Celtic side in turmoil and way off the pace behind Rangers – he’s scored 82 goals in 177 senior games in total.

His former boss at Celtic, Neil Lennon, said earlier in 2020: “He’s hugely important (to us), he’s an outstanding footballer, talismanic almost, he’s so talented, so cool and he had two great finishes. He’s up there with some of the best we’ve had over the last 20 odd years.”

It’s no surprise Johan Lange is targeting Edouard again, and it will surely be music to the ears of Smith.

Despite their weekend defeat to Arsenal, Leeds still have a lot to be excited about in their returning Premier League season. They are currently 11th in the table and will be looking to keep banking points in order to vie for a spot in the Europa League next season.

Indeed, since the Whites returned to top flight football after 16 years away, they have been a solid unit. Leeds have upset big sides including Manchester City and Leicester with a 1-1 draw and 3-1 win respectively, and have been involved in some eye-catching games, not least the 4-2 defeat to the Gunners on Sunday afternoon.

Their transfer haul over the summer of 2020 saw Victor Orta snap up Raphinha among others, but there’s one man that he and Andrea Radrizzani will be eager to do business with.

Marcelo Bielsa is currently in the final six months of his contract at Elland Road and now, reports have emerged that he is finally ready to once again extend his stay with the Yorkshire outfit. According to Football Insider, the Argentine is set to pen a new one-year deal once talks with Radrizzani commence this summer, with the Leeds boss himself revealing in his pre-match press conference on Friday that “any needs the club has, I always respond to them with open arms”.

Bielsa has made huge waves in English football since his arrival to the then Championship side in 2018. He spearheaded Leeds to their historic title and promotion-winning season last year, ending their agonising Premier League drought.

Their stance in the table this season shows that they’re far from in trouble of entering a relegation scrap. Leeds have banked 32 points for the season so far, winning ten of their 23 games played.

With Bielsa set extend his stay in Yorkshire, the Whites could really fancy themselves as dark horses moving forwards.

“Bielsa is unique,” Kieran Maguire told Football Insider. “He ploughs his own furrow, he operates in his own way. We are living in Bielsa’s world and not the other way around.

“I don’t think there’s any concern from Leeds’ point of view because he is a man who works on the basis of a handshake and if he’s happy, the contract gets signed.

“Would bigger clubs be interested? I don’t know because he is unique in the way he operates and he’s got a fantastic relationship with the board and a fantastic relationship with the fans.

“I don’t see a problem. Radrizzani wants him to stay, the fans want him to stay, the players want him to stay, and he seems settled.”

Indeed, the Leeds players and fanbase have found a manager that fits their dynamic and they won’t be willing to let him go any time soon.

Maguire’s comments are a boost to Leeds and their desire to tie down Bielsa to a new deal, suggesting that the Argentine is a man of his word and is ready to put pen to paper on a new deal at Elland Road and that he is all “settled” in Yorkshire.

Simply put, a new contract for Bielsa must be Radrizzani’s priority given everything the manager has done in resurrecting the club over these past few seasons.

The Whites could splash out big money on new signings in the summer, but nothing will match the impact of getting Bielsa to stay for longer.

In other news, Ezgjan Alioski was a big disappointment against Arsenal…

David Moyes has delivered West Ham United a welcome boost after confirming that Arthur Masuaku has returned to light training sessions.

The DR Congo international has been out of action since mid-December having made the decision to have surgery for the sake of his career, after dealing with pain in his knee for the best part of two years.

West Ham refused to put a timescale on his return at the time but Moyes is now hopeful of seeing the 27-year-old be back available for selection in around a month.

Masuaku went under the knife following a strong run in the Hammers starting line-up following a move from Moyes to go five-at-the-back, with the £7m-rated dynamo opening 10 of the London Stadium natives’ first 11 games of the Premier League season.

There were slight concerns that Masuaku may need a second operation last month, but allegedly did not report back any discomfort in his knee since the initial surgery.

Moyes confirmed in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Fulham, that while the left-back remains West Ham’s only absentee through injury, his progress is heading in the right direction.

“We’ve only got Arthur Masuaku [out], who has started jogging for the first time on Thursday following his knee surgery, so it gives us a thought that Arthur is only possibly a month away from coming back,” the Irons boss said.

“Hopefully, we’re trying to keep as many people fit as we can. This is a really difficult period for us. The fixture list has not been easy for any of the clubs and we’re no different.

“We’ve a really important Premier League game and then an FA Cup tie in midweek as well, so it’s another really big week for us. That said, I’m not thinking about the cup tie tomorrow, that’s for sure, but I know it’s on the horizon because of the week we’ve got.”

Moyes confirming that Masuaku is nearing a return to action will come as a boost for West Ham, after the east London outfit opted against strengthening the left-back position during the mid-season transfer window.

The Hammers were linked with a myriad of potential options to add depth behind Aaron Cresswell and youth prospect Ben Johnson, with FC Barcelona’s Junior Firpo, Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, Chelsea’s Emerson Palmieri, Brentford’s Rico Henry, RB Leipzig’s Matthew Bondswell and Manchester United’s Brandon Williams all touted at some stage.

Yet Moyes and the Irons hierarchy ultimately opted against spending out on a short-term fix, which could now prove to be a masterstroke if Masuaku is able to come back into the fold and hit the ground running next month.

The 27-year-old’s efforts earlier in the Premier League campaign still remain at a high level compared to his positional rivals across the division, with Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell (1) and Sheffield United’s Max Lowe (0.8) the only left-backs blocking a higher number of crosses on average (0.7) per game in the top-flight this term, per WhoScored.

Masuaku additionally ranks fourth in the league for passes blocked (1.2) and fifth for accurate crosses (1.1) delivered by a left-back, and is the joint-most successful left-sided full-back for bringing possession out from the back with 2.2 successful dribbles a game, level with Brighton’s Solly March.

Cresswell, who took over honours at left-back following Masuaku’s operation, is also offering 1.1 accurate crosses a game but is misdirecting 1.7 more than his teammate, who only fails to find a West Ham shirt 2.6 times a game compared to 4.3.

Moyes may still persist with Cresswell in the role given the Irons’ form at present, but Masuaku’s return will be a big boost in adding adequate depth in the role in a potential European push.

AND in other news, David Moyes can give a £3.5m-rated outcast a new lease of life at West Ham with one decision…

Many Sunderland fans have been left slamming the display of Aiden McGeady versus AFC Wimbledon in their EFL League One fixture this afternoon.

The Republic of Ireland international did not have the best of games for the Stadium of Light faithful, losing possession of the ball no fewer than 15 times in the game, which was among the highest out of his teammates (Sofascore).

He also lost out on seven of his duels, and failed to record a single shot on target, successful dribble, key pass, cross or long ball, earning him a very measly 6.2 overall rating on Sofascore.

The 34-year-old will surely need to put in better performances than this one today if he is stay in the team for the next few matches, as SAFC chase automatic promotion to the Championship for the 2021/22 term.

Sunderland fan reaction to McGeady display

These Sunderland fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far to say as the winger is ‘finished’ as a starter:

“McGeady needs to come off. Brilliant footballer but he’s finished as a starter”

Credit: @b3nxf

“Would bring Winchester on & Diamond on, seem to be on top of the game perfect time to give him a debut see what he’s about. McGeady not done a lot being diamond on to finish it off”

Credit: @AdrianMagson

“Losing it too easy! Was that McGeady’s first touch?”

Credit: @TMilesB

“We’re carrying too many players. Embleton and McGeady are offering nothing”

Credit: @MKA97FTM

“McGeady’s done nowt today, mind”

Credit: @_JordanSimpson

“McGeady doing nowt but giving it away yet again but stays on the pitch ahead of Diamond and Embleton?!”

Credit: @JustBrowsingTa

In other news, find out who many Sunderland fans want to leave here!

A lot of Rangers fans have been slating their club’s 24-year-old centre-forward, Alfredo Morelos, for his performance in the Glasgow club’s 3-0 Premiership win over St. Johnstone on Wednesday evening. 

The Colombian was the first substitute that Rangers used in this game, as he replaced Kemar Roofe in the 64th minute. 

The Gers already had a 3-0 lead when Morelos came on and the £13.5m-rated man had a chance to increase that lead in the 84th minute following a ‘mix up at the back’ for St. Johnstone, but that attempt on goal flew past the post. 

That was Morelos’ only shot in this contest and he finished the game with the lowest WhoScored rating of any Gers player (5.84). He also ended the game having taken the third-fewest touches of any Rangers player (17) with Bongani Zungu, who came on as a substitute 13 minutes after him, even taking more touches of the ball, per WhoScored.

So, what did these Rangers fans have to say about Morelos’ performance versus St. Johnstone? 

Many supporters of the Glasgow club directed fierce criticism at the 24-year-old for his display on Wednesday, with some Gers fans blasting the striker for missing that chance in the 84th minute, in particular.

“Morelos is hopeless”

Credit: @DarrynHouston

“Good professional performance. Just punt Morelos for 10 Mill and move on from that waster.”

Credit: @AndyDocherty13

“Good points mate, but to me we’ve lost the Morelos of old.”

Credit: @cozy1872

“Morelos is such an odd player, you just look at him and wonder how he’s made it as a striker”

Credit: @RFCRodger

“He needs a goal so bad…not even hitting target is embarrassing.”

Credit: @James1o1o

“Horrendous finishing from Morelos.”

Credit: @BigRangersBear

In other news, it’s been claimed that Steven Gerrard might leave Ibrox if he guides Rangers to the Premiership title this term.