All posts by n8rngtd.top

Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to have been handed a big boost ahead of Southampton’s relegation clash with Sheffield United at the weekend, with Ibrahima Diallo having now recovered from the injury which kept him out for all of February.

The Austrian confirmed ahead of the game that the French midfielder was back in training ahead of the trip to Bramall Lane, and hinted that he could feature against Chris Wilder’s side on Saturday.

The 21-year-old missed all of last month due to a muscle injury and was a big miss in recent fixtures, particularly in the absence of fellow defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu, who has unfortunately been ruled out until next season after suffering an ankle fracture.

Southampton have been in awful form so far this year, as they have picked up just one point from their last nine games in the Premier League, which has seen them slip from European hopefuls to relegation candidates.

Therefore, to have Diallo back ahead of the game against a resurgent Sheffield United could be a big boost for Hasenhuttl, whose side lacked any real defensive discipline in their 1-0 defeat against Everton last time out.

Just seven points separate Southampton and 18th-placed Fulham, so the south coast club certainly cannot rule out the possibility of being relegated to the Championship this season, and must therefore ensure that they leave Bramall Lane with all three points on Saturday afternoon.

Having Diallo back in midfield should not only improve Southampton’s defensive solidity but could also have a promising impact on their attacking play.

If the Frenchman, who joined the Saints for £12.7m in the 2020 summer transfer window, stays deep to protect the defence, it should allow James Ward-Prowse to push on more and join the attacking play, with the midfielder having struggled for goals and assists in recent weeks after an electric start to the season.

It should also hopefully allow Hasenhuttl to move Stuart Armstrong back out wide, as the Scottish international struggled against Everton in central midfield and left Southampton vulnerable to the Toffees’ attack due to an understandable lack of positional discipline.

Therefore, it is a potential game-changer for Hasenhuttl to have Diallo back available ahead of the weekend’s game, and hopefully his return can be the catalyst for the Saints turning their awful form around.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl made key tactical mistake with “very smart” beast vs Everton

Many Wolves fans were delighted with forward Pedro Neto during their Premier League encounter against Leicester City on Sunday.

The 20-year-old started on the left-hand side of a front three including Adama Traore and new signing Willian Jose – an attractive proposition on paper.

Neto didn’t take long to settle himself into the game and was giving his opposite number Ricardo Pereira all sorts of problems, and had the ability to open doors for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.

The Portuguese attacker is not a player that lacks ambition. Neto previously told Sky Sports that he wants to become the best player in the world, and has plenty of time to achieve that

Unsurprisingly, supporters flocked to social media to hail Neto’s performance, with some left open-mouthed by his technical ability and skill.

Fans drool over Neto

“Genuinely how good is Neto! Unbelievable talent”

Credit: @DunnyBets

“Pedro Neto is so good, isn’t he? Like he’s ridiculously good”

Credit: @MrPauloGoodman

“Unreal by Pedro Neto. Tekkers.”

Credit: @WWFCFancast

“Pedro Neto is very, very, very good, isn’t he?”

Credit: @markgeveritt

“Absolutely amazing quality Neto”

Credit: @SpeesrA

“Pedro Neto. That’s it, that’s the tweet.”

Credit: @ellawwfc

In other news, Elite European giants monitoring in-form Wolves loanee for summer move.

Spurs are back in league action this evening as they welcome relegation-threatened Fulham to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for their re-arranged festive clash.

Jose Mourinho’s side were scheduled to face Aston Villa until 48 hours ago when the Premier League’s officials postponed that match due to the number of coronavirus cases in the Villa camp.

The north Londoners were originally supposed to face their local rivals on December 30th but that game was called off at short-notice for similar reasons.

Spurs head into this fixture on the back of a 5-0 whitewash against non-league minnows Marine in the FA Cup third-round, whilst Scott Parker’s men dispatched their old foes, QPR, though they still remain in the bottom three in the top-flight.

On the Chalkboard

Mourinho is left with several interesting calls to make as he rung the changes up against Marine only three days ago – does he stick or twist with the impressive Dele Alli? Will all of the rested players make an instant return to the starting XI?

One decision he must make is axing struggling winger Lucas Moura. He might have scored a sublime free-kick in the 5-0 demolition, but aside from that, he was underwhelming once again.

Per SofaScore, the £36m-rated dynamo lost possession 18 times from just 57 touches in 64 minutes of action, meaning he handed the ball back to Marine once every three-and-a-half minutes.

He also won just four of 11 duels (36%) as he failed to combat their physicality – an all too frequent occurrence.

Indeed, the Brazilian winger has scored just once in the Premier League since December 2019, which is an abysmal return for someone that has played 60 times since Mourinho’s appointment just a month earlier.

Moura’s overall numbers have also substantially regressed from last season. He has gone from averaging 1.6 shots and 2.1 dribbles per game to managing only 0.4 shots and 0.4 dribbles in the top-flight this term, via WhoScored, proving he’s actually been playing below standard for a few months.

Of course, thanks to Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, Spurs haven’t exactly struggled for goals, but they would still like to have the third player in their front line firing on all cylinders.

Perhaps these numbers may come as a surprise to some, given the sort of praise he’s received from those around him in N17 – former centre-back Jan Vertonghen dubbed him a “nightmare to play against” and an “unbelievable player” while Eric Dier has lauded him for being “fast” and “intelligent.”

We’ve not seen any of those qualities in a very long time, so it would be wise for Mourinho to ruthlessly wield his axe on the £110k-per-week flop especially as Steven Bergwijn has been well-rested over the past two weeks.

The Dutchman hasn’t featured since the 3-0 victory over Leeds United on New Year’s Day, where he delivered his fourth assist of the season. As we explained in detail here, he does so much more for Mourinho.

Even though Moura might feel hard done by given that he scored in the FA Cup game at the weekend, Mourinho must see the bigger picture. He must be be ruthless and drop the Brazilian. Simply put, Bergwijn must start over Moura at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this evening.

AND in other news, Spurs can upgrade faltering star with £36m swoop for “very rare” gem…

Southampton fans have been reacting to the news that Nathan Tella has been nominated for the PL2 Player of the Month.

The 21-year-old has broken in to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s first team this season, already appearing five times in the Premier League. However, that has not stopped him appearing in the PL2. In December, he actually only played one game at that level, but in that clash he scored four times against Leicester City – a performance deserving of recognition.

Tella is highly-rated at St. Mary’s Stadium, and this is the kind of news that only backs that up. Hasenhuttl will be hoping that he can transfer that form to senior level as his side looks to secure a place in European football ahead of next term.

After the club’s official Twitter account relayed the news, the fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the supporters had to say about Tella below

“He’s so good”

Credit: @sfcdannnn

“Hes got so much potential. Really like him. Hope he continues to get game time.”

Credit: @I_amDarren

“One for the future”

Credit: @AlexHam10686189

“as he should”

Credit: @chxrlottewx

“The future”

Credit: @RhysTheSaint

“A couple of years then £25m to Liverpool?”

Credit: @billacres2

In other news, Southampton are eyeing this Premier League winger.

Mike Ashley must accept a mammoth transfer loss in the January window and offload Newcastle United outcast defender Achraf Lazaar.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Passione Inter, Lazaar has revealed how he cannot wait to secure a new challenge away from St. James’ Park having struggled for playing time under Steve Bruce.

The Moroccan was omitted from the Toon’s Premier League squad and told to train with the club’s Under 23s upon his return from a loan spell with Serie B side Cosenza Calcio this summer.

Cosenza passed on the chance to purchase Lazaar at the end of his year on loan, leaving Bruce to inform the player and his agent that now is the time he finds a “new home” after just 10 outings for Newcastle since joining from Palermo in 2016 for £2million.

No deal was struck, leaving Lazaar – whose £32,000-per-week is due to expire next summer – to look fondly on a winter move with his Tyneside future as good as over already.

“It’s true, it’s not easy and I’m not finding space with the first-team, but I have many reasons not to give up. I still have one year on my contract and I still have a lot to prove,” he said.

“Italy is my home and I miss my family, I don’t know what will happen in January, if maybe I will go to Italy or elsewhere: the only thing that matters to me is to go to a team that allows me to play with continuity and confidence. My agent [Mohammed Sinouh] is taking care of it.

“I would like to take back everything I have lost in the last few years. I know I have lost something, but I have also gained a lot, I have learned a lesson in life and experience. And I can’t wait to start a new challenge.”

A mammoth loss incoming

If Ashley is to avoid a total loss on the £2m investment he made in 2016 and the £7.1m spent in wages, the Newcastle owner must sanction a January move despite knowing full well that he is set for a mammoth hit with Lazaar now valued by TransferMarkt at just £315,000.

Lazaar’s value is a mere 15.6% of the fee Ashley offered Palermo four years ago, but any hopes of avoiding a loss have been thrown out of the window by the 28-year-old failing to feature regularly at St. James’ Park.

He could not establish himself with Italian second-tier outfit Cosenza, either, with just nine outings to his name across all competitions last season of which Lazaar started only four, ensuring Bruce saw fit to omit the 18-cap Morocco international from his 25-man squad.

Ashley will find it impossible to argue the reasons behind demanding any substantial fee in the winter if he is to avoid losing the flop for free at the end of the campaign, which is the only eventuality guaranteed to happen after limited interest this summer.

AND in other news, Mike Ashley can hand Steve Bruce and Newcastle an ideal upgrade in January with a lethal £2m hitman.

Following his impressive performance in Leeds’ 1-0 win against Everton last time out, Marcelo Bielsa must consider unleashing Brazilian winger Raphinha in the Whites’ game against Chelsea on Saturday night.

The Yorkshire club travel to Stamford Bridge to face Frank Lampard’s side on Saturday, with the Blues having lost just once in the Premier League so far this season.

However, Bielsa’s side will surely be full of confidence after winning at Goodison Park in their last top-flight fixture, a game in which Raphinha scored the winner with his first goal in a Leeds shirt.

The 24-year-old joined from Rennes during the summer and has made five appearances for the Whites thus far, with only two of those appearances starts.

Therefore, Bielsa may be tempted to go with the tried-and-tested Helder Costa on the wing for the game against Chelsea but after Raphinha’s impressive performance last time out, which earned him a 7.57 rating, he must be rewarded with another start against Lampard’s side.

Costa started the season well for Leeds, with the Portuguese winger impressive in wins against Fulham and Aston Villa in particular but he has been inconsistent at times and has only one goal contribution in his last seven games.

Bielsa was full of praise for the £16.2 million-rated Raphinha during his pre-match press conference earlier in the week, saying:

“He’s a player with a capacity to unbalance a team individually. Every one of his physical qualities are good. He’s a dynamic player, who’s not difficult for him to go forward and come back or to get in behind and defend. The characteristics of the team coincide with his way of playing.” (per Leeds Live)

[freshpress-quiz id=“562145″]

Therefore, it seems as if the Argentinian has a lot of faith in the Brazilian’s creativity, and perhaps he can be the man to unlock this Chelsea defence, with Edouard Mendy having kept seven clean sheets in his last nine games for the club.

It will be interesting to see how Bielsa sets his side up for what will undoubtedly be a very tough game for the Whites on Saturday night.

Since leaving Liverpool on a permanent deal to join Rangers in 2019, Ryan Kent has been flourishing under Steven Gerrard for the Scottish Premiership side, to the extent where the Reds may end up regretting selling him.

The winger originally joined the ‘Gers on loan for the 2018/19 season and after impressing there, they made the decision to make his loan stay a permanent one, shelling out £6.48 million for the Englishman (per Transfermarkt).

In 95 appearances for Gerrard’s side, the 24-year-old has contributed an impressive 19 goals and 19 assists in all competitions (per Transfermarkt).

Last season saw the young winger grab eight goals and four assists in all competitions, which was enough to attract the interest of Leeds United in the summer, following their promotion back to the top-flight.

The Yorkshire club were told that they would have to pay £20 million for Kent, as that is the reported release clause in his contract and after their interest seemed to die down, he would end up staying with the Ibrox Stadium outfit.

However, he has impressed again at the start of this season, having contributed four goals and two assists in 14 Scottish Premiership games, which has seen him average a superb 7.57 rating (per WhoScored).

Therefore, it would not be a surprise to see Leeds, or another Premier League side, register an interest in the Englishman in the upcoming January transfer window and if he does end up leaving for £20 million, then Liverpool may regret their decision to let him go for so cheap back in 2019.

During his time with the Reds, he would make just one senior appearance, despite impressing for the U’23s and earning valuable experience in loans with the likes of Coventry City and Barnsley (per Transfermarkt).

You can argue that the youngster was never given much of an opportunity to shine at Liverpool, although when you consider the quality Klopp has on his wings in Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, this was perhaps always likely to be the case.

Gerrard was extremely complimentary of the winger after a win against Willem II last season, saying:

“From an attacking point of view, I think Ryan was the game changer for us tonight.

“He does incredibly well running in behind and he has added that into his game this season. He gets us the penalty for the breakthrough and he is just a constant threat. He is so sharp and he has added a different dimension to his game.” (per The Scotsman)

It will be interesting to see if Kent’s impressive form does earn him a move to the Premier League and if he is able to perform well in the top-flight, then the Reds may well end up feeling that it was a poor decision to let him go.

Liverpool may have just shifted a new plan into place after finalising a loan move for outcast winger Ben Woodburn. The Wales international joins Blackpool on a short-term deal, joining former youth coach Neil Critchley in League One.

The 21-year-old has spent the last season-and-a-half away from Anfield, representing Sheffield United and Oxford respectively. Woodburn has made five appearances for the Liverpool U23s so far this campaign, bagging himself a goal against Manchester United in the league (via Transfermarkt).

Future plans for Ben Woodburn

After rising through the ranks an impressing Jurgen Klopp alongside close friend Trent Alexander-Arnold, the forward man fell off the map. Unlike his fellow academy graduate, he has been limited to just 11 senior appearances for the Merseyside outfit. Woodburn’s last appearance for the Liverpool first team was in 2018 – a six minute cameo against Brighton in a 4-0 Premier League win.

Since then, his future has looked sure to indicate a permanent move away from Anfield. However, Michael Edwards’ recent negotiations with Blackpool could be part of a much bigger picture.

Critchley left the Liverpool set-up to take charge of the Seasiders back in March, finishing off the 2019/20 season with a 13th place finish. This campaign has seen the club struggle, as they currently sit in the lower reaches of League One. Acquiring a pacy winger like Woodburn could help pull Blackpool out of a rut and see them start to climb the table.

Operating under a manager he knows well could be the making of the Welshman, who made history with Liverpool as their youngest ever goalscorer back in 2016. With attacking options limited this season, Klopp may be hoping to integrate Woodburn into the first team and serve as back-up to the front three.

Indeed, the German waxed lyrical over the youngster just last year, hailing him as an “outstanding talent” (via Liverpool ECHO).

Sadio Mane was recently ruled out of action due to a positive Covid-19 test. Diogo Jota has the left-wing covered but an injury to Mohamed Salah could be detrimental. Klopp and Edwards may be working on a clever ruse to flip Woodburn’s career on its head and see him become a regular senior player.

In other news, Michael Edwards pulled off some of his best work with Liverpool’s Christian Benteke sale…

Liverpool are back in the running to pursue global talent Kylian Mbappe, according to French media.

The reigning Premier League champions are reportedly eyeing up a deal for the Frenchman and are said to be in talks over a 2021 move. That’s according to L’Equipe (relayed via @LFCTransferRoom), who claim Real Madrid are also fond admirers of the forward.

This isn’t the first time Liverpool have been mentioned alongside Mbappe. The Reds have been loosely linked to him throughout the year, but no talks of an official move have surfaced. A plot to land the 21-year-old next summer could mean that they are serious about bringing him to Merseyside.

Mbappe is currently valued at a whopping £162million and Paris Saint-Germain will almost certainly not let him go cheap. However, what is likely to be an astronomical price tag is more than justified. The young star boasts 91 goals and 51 assists for PSG in 125 appearances, as well as 27 goals and 16 assists in 60 Monaco games (via Transfermarkt).

This link has got Liverpool supporters fanning themselves as they imagine bringing Mbappe to Anfield. One fan has tweeted ‘be still my beating heart’, with another pondering over a potential deal.

They feel that ‘Edwards surely could get him’ for an initial up front payment and then the rest coming through instalments.

Read more replies from the Anfield faithful here:

Do you think Liverpool can land Kylian Mbappe next year? Join the conversation in the comments!

Leeds United fans have every right to feel miffed after their move for Michael Cuisance collapsed at the 11th hour.

The Whites looked to be on to a winner when trying to sign the former European Golden Boy nominee, but the deal fell through due to problems with his medical.

We don’t have all of the information at the moment about why his medical went awry, but we can only assume that Leeds had a good reason to pull the plug.

While missing out on Cuisance is something of a blow, the fact that the club haven’t jumped the gun and signed a player who may have fitness problems is a good sign.

The Whites have been stung before when signing a player who wasn’t fit enough to come into the team with Jean-Kevin Augustin’s fitness being questioned by Marcelo Bielsa almost immediately after he signed, and a string of further problems meant that the RB Leipzig man failed to start a single game during his loan spell.

Perhaps a medical that didn’t take place in a hotel room would have seen these problems come to light before Leeds agreed to sign him, giving the Whites time and money to spend on another striker who could’ve made more of an impact.

In the end, it didn’t matter too much, as Patrick Bamford proved to be good enough to lead the line in United’s promotion push, but Augustin’s failing still has to go down as a black mark on Leeds’ recent transfer record.

Luckily, Leeds seem to have been a lot more stringent this time around, and they may well have just avoided another Augustin-type scenario by doing their due-diligence on Cuiscance’s medical.