All posts by z3u9t.icu

With Dean Smith’s Aston Villa side heading into Sunday’s Premier League clash on the back of a highly impressive 1-0 win last time out, the 50-year-old manager will undoubtedly be hoping for yet another promising performance when Villa visit Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon.

And, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s Spurs side currently on a run of three straight defeats in the league, the fixture could well provide Aston Villa with a fantastic opportunity to continue their climb up the top-flight table after a shaky start to their 2021/22 campaign.

So, will Smith make any changes to the team which started in the win over Manchester United last weekend? Here’s how we think Villa could line up against Tottenham, along with the latest team and injury news…

While it is indeed true that Villa highly impressed in their 3-5-2 formation at Old Trafford last weekend, with Tottenham very much looking there to be got at on Sunday afternoon, we predict that Smith will make one change to his starting XI, as well as switching back to a 4-3-3 formation.

In the centre of defence, last week’s match-winner, 26-year-old Kortney Hause, is extremely unfortunate to drop to the bench, with Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa’s consistently impressive form so far this season enough for the duo to keep their starting spots, while Matt Targett and Matty Cash drop back into less advanced full-back roles.

The central midfield trio of Douglas Luiz, Jacob Ramsey and John McGinn is untouched, while, with Leon Bailey yet to resume training following his quad injury, Ollie Watkins move onto the left-hand side of the front three, with Danny Ings starting up top and the £75k-per-week Emiliano Buendia regaining a place in the XI on the right flank.

Meanwhile, although once again an option for Smith after being unavailable against his parent club last week, Axel Tuanzebe has to make do with a seat amongst the substitutes.

In other news: Big blow: Dean Smith confirms major Villa setback before Spurs, fans will be gutted

It has been widely speculated that Rafael Benitez has fallen out with Lucas Digne, and news coming from the Everton camp on Friday afternoon appears to suggest that the pair can’t resolve their issues.

What’s the story?

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano gave an explosive transfer insight regarding the Toffeed, taking to his Twitter profile to drop this exclusive to his millions of followers:

“EXCL: Ukraine left back Vitaliy Mykolenko is currently undergoing his medical as new Everton player, here we go! 🔵🇺🇦 #EFC”

“He’s set to join Everton from Dynamo Kiev on a permanent move, final price around €21/23m. Personal terms agreed.”

The medical may further fuel rumours of an irreparable fall-out between the Everton manager and the French left-back, who has not been in the matchday squad since the Merseyside derby.

As recorded by WhoScored, since his arrival to the Premier League. no left-back has earned a higher rating than Digne, winning 28 aerial duels and 52 tackles in his 15 appearances for the Toffees this season. He also scored against Queens Park Rangers in their Carabao Cup tie.

According to The Athletic, Digne became frustrated in conversations with the Everton manager and continuously challenged Benitez, with the pair having reportedly ‘rarely seen eye to eye’ – specifically when it came to tactics – and tensions allegedly boiled over just ahead of the Arsenal match a couple of weeks ago.

Fans will be gutted

Digne has established himself as a fan favourite, with the left-back speaking out about the reaction that many fans have had to him since he joined the club, saying: “They have even written a song for me, and I want to say thank you to them for that. We have something special in this club.”

Quite a few Everton fans have taken to Twitter to express their feelings and thoughts on the news shared by Romano. One fan tweeted; “If we sell @LucasDigne we are stupid, @everton you need to sack that fraud @rafabenitezweb #rafaout”

Another wrote: “I’ll be so, so angry if Digne is forced out of Everton in January. Angry at Rafa, and at the club by default, as with most things these days.”

It’s clear that some fans aren’t happy about potentially axing the £119k-p/w left back from the side, and with squad depth already thin and injuries piling up, Benitez cannot afford to lose any more players. Freezing out Digne could come back to bite the manager unless Everton can complete the mooted signing of Mykolenko, and even then the Ukrainian may have a hard act to follow.

Either way, his impending arrival seems to suggest that Benitez intends to move on from Digne, who might have already played his last game for the club.

In other news: Benitez could solve big issue at Everton by signing this gem

Leeds United are eyeing a move for Hoffenheim’s versatile star Florian Grillitsch, and that could spell bad news for Robin Koch at Elland Road…

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have claimed that Jesse Marsch’s side have joined fellow Premier League sides Arsenal and Newcastle in the race to sign the Austria international this summer.

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It’s been suggested that the midfielder’s representatives have sounded out a move abroad amid his contract at Hoffenheim expiring this summer.

Marsch can axe Koch

Reports earlier last year claimed that former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa actually thought the versatile defender was “too soft” to really succeed at Premier League level, and when you look at how he has fared in general, it’s perhaps understandable to see why.

The German had a injury-hit debut campaign at Elland Road last season, playing just 17 times in the Premier League and missing a number of games with a knee problem between December and March.

And, when he has played, he has shown signs of really struggling to get to grips with the pace and intensity of the English game – you only have to look at his performance against Spurs recently to see that.

Writing in his post-match player ratings against Spurs, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross gave him a four, saying: “No protection for the defence or any presence in the middle of the park as Adam Forshaw was left isolated and alone.”

The £50k-a-week earning ace just isn’t a natural fit when deployed in midfield, while at centre-back, he already has a significant amount of competition to battle against with the recently returned Liam Cooper, Diego Llorente and Pascal Struijk all ahead of him in the pecking order.

But in Grillitsch, they could find someone who is equally comfortable of playing in the middle of the park, and also being trusted with playing at the back too – in the 18 games he has played in the Bundesliga this season, 12 of them have come in central defence, while the rest have seen him used as either a holding midfielder or in a more box-to-box role.

Indeed, Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann raved about the kind of under-rated nature of the Austrian ace, saying: “In my opinion, Flo Grillitsch is one of the best six in the Bundesliga who is already a little under the radar. At least you rarely read anything about him.

“He still has a few construction sites, he knows that, I’ve told him that often enough. But he is an extraordinary footballer and has an incredible ability to determine the rhythm of the game.”

The 6 foot 2 Grillitsch could be a superb addition to this Leeds side, and could see Marsch finally axe one of his side’s poorer players.

AND in other news – Leeds facing major nightmare as worrying news emerges, Elland Road would be devastated

A promising development has emerged on Rangers centre-back Nikola Katic regarding his plans upon the end of his current loan spell…

What’s the talk?

According to Football Scotland, the defender sees his long-term future at Ibrox and is not looking to seal a permanent move away from the club.

The report claims that he will remain on loan at Croatian side Hajduk Split before returning to Glasgow next summer to fight for his place in the team at his parent club.

Fans will be delighted

Rangers fans will surely be delighted with this claim as it suggests that Katic is up for the challenge of winning his place back in the side next season.

It could be a timely decision from the defender as Giovanni van Bronckhorst has a difficult situation looming in the summer. Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun are both out of contract, which could leave two sizeable holes in the squad to fill if they both decide to part ways with the club.

Katic already has experience of playing at the top level in Scotland. He made 59 appearances and scored six goals for the club in his first two years at Ibrox before suffering a cruciate ligament injury. Therefore, he may not need a period of adaptation to adjust to Scottish football, as he already knows the drill in the Premiership.

His former Gers boss Steven Gerrard previously hailed the defender’s mentality, saying: “The kid is a winner and a warrior. We know what he gives. Anyone his age, after giving the penalty away, might have gone into their shell. It might have affected their performance.

“But if you knock Niko Katic down, he’s gonna get back up and come again. That’s the man, that’s the player.”

This highlights his willingness to work hard for the team and come back from adversity, which means that he could have a good chance of returning next summer and establishing himself in the firs team.

Katic has the prior experience and the mindset required to make an impact next season, but what is his current form like?

He has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.97 for Hajduk Split this term across nine league outings. The centre-back has won 64% of his duels and made 4.1 clearances per game, showing that he has been consistently delivering solid performances for the club.

Therefore, Rangers fans will surely be delighted to hear that Katic sees his long-term future at Ibrox, as it appears as though he has the potential to come back and become an important player for the Light Blues if Van Bronckhorst is willing to give him a chance to shine.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst can finally axe the new “Alex Rae” from Rangers by signing £4m “conductor” in January…

Aston Villa defender Kortney Hause is interested in returning to West Ham in the January transfer window, according to a transfer claim.

The Lowdown: Hause’s West Ham previous

The 26-year-old spent much of his youth career with the Hammers, with a spell in east London between 2003 and 2011, but he never made a first-team appearance for the Irons.

Hause ended up moving to Villa in 2019 after playing for the likes of Wycombe Wanderers and Wolves, with 54 appearances to date for the 1982 European Cup winners.

Minutes have been tough to come by this season, though, with just four Premier League starts coming his way, so a January exit could make sense.

The Latest: Hause wants West Ham return

According to Football Insider, a source close to Hause has informed them that the defender is ‘keen’ on going back to West Ham this month.

His current Villa deal expires at the end of this season, but the report stated that his club have the option of extending that by 12 months.

The Verdict: Good squad signing

Hause might not be the big-name addition that some West Ham fans might crave in January but he is someone who could add strong squad depth in the long-term injury absence of Angelo Ogbonna.

He won 10 caps for England’s under-21s in the past, highlighting his pedigree, and he has averaged 4.4 successful headers per game across all competitions so far this season. He also earned glowing praise from Aston Villa journalist Pat Rowe, who said last September: “He always looks so assured now this season, and physically, he just dominates players, he’s got the pace.”

At 26, Hause is at a point in his career where he has plenty of experience but should just be about to enter his peak footballing years, further showing why it could be an astute piece of business for West Ham to bring him back to east London.

In other news, West Ham have been backed to sign another player in January. Find out who it is here.

Martin O’Neill has inherited a squad who, on paper at least, are capable of finishing inside the playoffs this season, but a succession of injury problems in central defence could be his downfall in the coming weeks. 

Indeed, Forest moved to bring Leicester City’s Yohan Benalouane to the club earlier this month in a bid to bolster their limited options in central defence, but he sustained a head injury against Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

That Jack Robinson, a centre-back by trade, was forced to start the game in central defence alongside Benalouane speaks volumes about the problem O’Neill is facing at this moment in time with regard to his strength in depth.

However, according to a recent report from the Daily Mirror, Forest are interested in signing West Ham United prodigy Reece Oxford, who is becoming frustrated with his lack of first-team football under Manuel Pellegrini.

Standing at 6’3″, Oxford is a commanding physical presence who could hold his own in the Championship, while his technical quality in possession of the ball suggests he has a blend of attributes which will eventually allow him to blossom into a fantastic top-flight defender, whether it be at Forest or elsewhere.

Time is running out for O’Neill to secure a deal for Oxford, but if he wants to give Forest the best possible chance of securing promotion this season he simply must go all out to secure his signature.

Oxford’s arrival would not only be game-changing in the context of Forest’s short-term promotion ambitions, but also in terms of their long-term strategy, with his potential to establish himself as a mainstay at the heart of the defence arguably representing the most appealing aspect of the mooted deal.

With the transfer window set to slam shut on Thursday evening, O’Neill must make the potentially game-changing signing of Oxford a priority for the club in the final hours of the window.

Forest fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Liverpool face another tough task at the weekend with a trip to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United on Sunday afternoon in the Premier League after securing a big 3-2 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid in midweek.

In the Spanish capital, goals from Naby Keita and a Mohamed Salah double were enough to secure the win in their latest group game despite two goals from Antoine Griezmann, who was later sent off, restoring parity for a while.

Ox was impressive v Atletico

Looking ahead to the weekend’s big match against the Red Devils, one Liverpool figure who played a part in midweek that we feel should be in the starting XI to face United is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

On Tuesday night, the ex-Arsenal midfielder came on as a substitute in the second half to replace James Milner.

During his time on the pitch, the 28-year-old completed 14 out of the 15 passes he attempted, had one shot on target, completed one accurate long ball attempt, made two successful dribbles, won five out of his six ground duels, and made one interception and three tackles. Those efforts earned him an impressive overall match rating of 7.2/10 according to SofaScore, higher than a significant number of Liverpool players who started the game.

This not only shows how useful a midfield option Oxlade-Chamberlain is for Liverpool but also why he should be in the running to start against United on Sunday ahead of the likes of Keita and Milner, who both failed to impress in midweek.

Oxlade-Chamberlain joined the Merseyside club back in 2017 from fellow Premier League side Arsenal in a deal worth a reported fee of £35m.

Since then, the £120k-per-week midfielder (according to Spotrac), has made 111 appearances for the Reds across all competitions, scoring 14 goals and providing 12 assists in the process.

So far this season, while Oxlade-Chamberlain may have made seven appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side across all competitions, he has only started twice, making him a bit of an outcast. That is something he has apparently acknowledged, as it was recently reported that he could seek to leave the club in the near future to find regular game-time elsewhere.

However, in our view, we feel that this next match against United would be a great chance for him to show why he should be a regular starter for the Reds rather than just an impact sub.

In other news: Body blow: Liverpool suffer huge setback before Man Utd clash, Klopp will be gutted

Celtic could sign Hannes Wolf on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach, according to German publication Bild. 

The lowdown

Gladbach paid £8.55m to sign the 22-year-old from RB Leipzig last summer off the back of a season-long loan. Having started 14 times in the Bundesliga under Marco Rose last season, though, he has only been selected for two league starts by new boss Adi Hutter so far in the current campaign (via WhoScored).

Wolf, who earns €20k (£17,100) per week, is primarily an attacking midfielder but can also operate on either flank and even has some experience playing as a centre-forward (via Transfermarkt).

The latest

Wolf could leave Borussia Park on loan just six months after joining, according to Bild.

Along with Celtic, Austrian Bundesliga outfit Rapid Vienna are apparently ‘dealing with the flexible offensive all-rounder’.

The verdict

As he’s played so little this season, it’s probably best to look at 2020/21 for an indication of Wolf’s qualities, when he was directly involved in five goals (scored two, set up three) in his 32 league outings.

Data from FBRef shows that his defensive contribution is immense – he ranks in the 97th percentile for pressures per 90 minutes and the 95th for tackles.

When you consider his industry, and the reality that the Bundesliga (the fourth-best league in Europe as per UEFA’s coefficient) is a step up from the Scottish Premiership (ninth) in quality, he seems to have the potential to be a fan favourite at Celtic Park.

In other news, there has been an update on the timeline for the Reo Hatate deal

Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch must finally start Kalvin Phillips in the Premier League on Saturday as his side take on Watford at Vicarage Road.

The England international has missed the best part of three months with injury, having gone down in the 2-2 draw against Brentford at Elland Road in early December. He was named in the matchday squad for the 3-2 victory against Wolves three weeks ago before finally making his return to competitive action last time out against Southampton.

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Rather understandably, Marsch chose to bring him on as a second half substitute against the Saints, but with another week’s worth of training under Phillips’ belt, now is surely the time to bring him in from the start.

The midfielder’s return offers Leeds another boost in the final few weeks of the season, with their recent results seeing them climb away from the relegation zone and put some distance between them and the bottom three.

His influence in the middle of the park cannot be understated, and that’s not to mention the kind of impact he has in lifting spirits both among his team-mates and the crowd whenever he’s on the pitch – something about which former Whites midfielder Michael Brown has previously waxed lyrical.

The 45-year-old said: “He is a wonderful talent and he loves Leeds United. What I like about him is that he is such a level headed kid. Brilliant to talk to. He is a proper Leeds supporter and how can he play!

“Kalvin can play so many positions. Central defence, in a three, holding midfield and he can even play more advance in a number eight. He has a bit of everything in his play – short and long pass, a tackle when needed, energy, competitive – a proper player.”

After seeing Phillips deliver a fine performance against Bristol City a couple of seasons ago, The Athletic’s Phil Hay raved: “You’d say that an enforced break has done Kalvin Phillips the world of good. He’s been an animal in the past two games and when he plays like he did today, the opposition are snookered. Surely his last season in the Championship.”

That line from Hay about leaving teams “snookered” is exactly the kind of impact Marsch will be hoping that his midfield talisman will be able to bring; and after getting a brief runout against Southampton, Phillips should be in contention for a bigger role at Vicarage Road.

The £45m-rated star must finally start against Watford on Saturday afternoon.

AND in other news – Signed for £5m, now worth 700% more: Orta struck dream Leeds deal with “quality” 22-year-old

Leeds United selling Helder Costa this summer would allow Jesse Marsch more funds to bring in new signings, according to transfer expert Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Costa out on loan

The Angola winger joined Valencia on loan last summer, with Marcelo Bielsa unable to afford him regular playing time at Elland Road in 2021/22. However, Costa has failed to set the world alight in La Liga, making 19 appearances in the division but failing to score and registering just one assist.

It could be that the 27-year-old is sold by Leeds at the end of the season, permanently bringing an end to his time at the club.

According to a report by El Desmarque (via Sport Witness), the deal which took Costa to Valencia included a €20m (£16.7m) purchase option, although that figure has now been described as ‘inaccessible’ for the La Liga outfit, so the Whites may need to re-negotiate the agreed fee if they are to offload the attacker permanently.

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The Latest: Jones talks up Costa exit

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones claimed that it would be the right decision to offload Costa for good as Marsch looks to bring in his own players to Leeds.

The transfer insider said: “It could be a good opportunity for Marsch to start making his mark on the team and bringing in players that he actually wants.”

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The Verdict: Time to get rid

It makes complete sense for Leeds to sell Costa for good in the summer transfer window considering that he seems to be surplus to requirements there, despite being hailed as ‘immense’ by his former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

His current Whites deal doesn’t expire until the summer of 2024, so they should still be able to receive a healthy fee for his services.

Costa is valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, and if Leeds could receive a similar bid for him despite the aforementioned purchase clause, they would likely consider it good business to be done with a fringe player who is out of form.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has made a key Leeds transfer claim. Read more here.