All posts by z3u9t.icu

Wolves are moving closer to appointing a new manager after Nuno Espirito Santo decided to leave Molineux behind.

It’s thought that only a work permit hearing stands in the way of Jorge Mendes client Bruno Lage becoming the new permanent boss, and the Old Gold have been smart in moving so quickly to find a replacement with the transfer window coming up – but have they been too swift in doing so?

Wolves have had a number of successors to Nuno in mind for a while now, so it may just be a case of knowing what they want. Jeff Shi and Fosun haven’t just considered those attached to Mendes, either.

The Athletic claimed that both Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have been considered by the Wolves hierarchy. The former Chelsea would seem a good addition for the sake of the young players coming through in the Midlands but it’s hard to dismiss the ex-Liverpool captain either.

The 41-year-old is currently in charge of Rangers, where he has masterminded a remarkable revival for the Light Blues. Celtic were vying for a tenth successive Premiership crown this season but were absolutely demolished by Gerrard’s men, who finished on 102 points as they went the entire league campaign unbeaten.

The standard of football is lower in the Scottish leagues but it’s hard to overlook an accomplishment like that, particularly after how long Rangers went without a league title.

What was most impressive, however, was his defensive record. Wolves were particularly abject in this department in 2020/21, keeping just ten clean sheets in their 38 league games. By contrast, Gerrard stabilised the Rangers backline as they shipped only 13 goals in the Scottish Premiership, keeping a remarkable 26 clean sheets. Across all competitions, they enjoyed a mightily impressive 34 shutouts.

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Wolves lacked goals this season with Raul Jimenez missing since November but they did not give themselves a chance at times with some lacklustre defending. A 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Burnley last month is ample evidence for where it has gone wrong.

The Liverpudlian could have a significant impact on the Wolves defence and he also carries himself brilliantly. Gerrard has always been a fabulous leader and that has transferred into his man-management as a coach.

Speaking about the former England international earlier this year, Sir Alex Ferguson said: “He’s done magnificent. He really has, both on and off the field.”

The multi-Premier League winner continued: “A press interview can lose you your job in management. But Steven’s press conferences are fantastic. He’s cool, he’s composed, he gives the right answers. He’s really top because it’s an art.”

The Rangers boss is not a master of his craft yet but, if this season has told us anything, it’s that Gerrard will likely develop into a top-class manager. Surely Wolves want a piece of that?

AND in other news, Fosun buy Toney in £110m spending spree, Neves axed: How Wolves may look under Lage…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, ex-Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has backed Steven Gerrard to become manager of his former club one day.

This comes after Football Insider reported that Villa chief executive Christian Purslow is keen on bringing the Rangers boss to Villa Park in the future.

Gerrard has had a Scottish Premiership campaign to remember this season, with his side managing to win the title and put an end to Celtic’s dominance in the process.

Bearing that in mind, it is no surprise that a club like Villa seemingly have the Liverpool legend on their radar.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Villa’s reported interest in Gerrard, Hendrie said:

“I think if he had the choice of coming to a club like Villa, I think he’d certainly have a big look at that. He’s had that experience of going up and actually proving that he can do it.”

The ex-Villa player also went on to add:

“You can never rule it out. Christian Purslow would certainly say, ‘Yeah, I’d love Stevie G to be an Aston Villa manager.’ I think lots of people would possibly like the fact of that.

“I personally think he could come into the Premier League. I don’t want Dean Smith to go obviously, but if that was the upcoming manager, you’d think, ‘I wouldn’t mind having him at the football club.’ “

While Villa may admire Gerrard, it is hard to imagine him leaving Rangers now given he has the chance to manage the Glasgow giants in the Champions League next season.

On top of that, Smith’s job in the Villa Park dugout looks safe for now, as the Villans continue to keep their distance from the relegation zone.

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been giving their thoughts to a transfer update regarding striker Christian Benteke.

The Belgian, on £120,000-a-week with the Eagles, is out of contract at Selhurst Park in a matter of weeks.

He’s scored five times in his last 11 Premier League appearances, including netting in back-to-back away games over the last five days.

However, it seems as if a move away from the club could be on the cards. According to Sportslens, the 30-year-old is keen on playing in Italy, with Inter Milan as the preferred option.

The report suggests that Benteke’s agent recommended the striker’s services to Inter Milan, but they are yet to hear back from the Serie A champions regarding a possible cut-price move.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared the news on Benteke on Twitter on Wednesday morning.

Their post received plenty of interaction throughout the day, with the majority of these Palace supporters wanting the forward to stay.

“If we let him go it (will) be a joke”Credit: @Kevbartleyy”He’s gonna go just as he’s hit incredible form isn’t he? I’m worried if we also have to sign a striker this summer. ST RW CM CB (maybe 2)”Credit: @Phillyconcarne”Inter defo took that offer as an insult”Credit: @BigAlThinks”No stop”Credit: @CPFCMax03″Plz sign the contract @chrisbenteke :(“Credit: @osian_davis”Please don’t go @chrisbenteke”Credit: @CPFCH10

In other news: Many CPFC fans buzz at plans for another documentary series, find out more here. 

Former Premier League striker Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Theo Walcott deserves a permanent contract at Southampton.

Following a wretched spell with Everton, Walcott re-joined Southampton on a season-long loan last summer, with his impressive performances leading to reports that Saints want to offer him a permanent deal – potentially for two or three years.

Walcott had been a regular in the Southampton side prior to a hamstring problem keeping him out for nine matches, but the former Arsenal winger returned to the side earlier this month and came off the bench in the FA Cup semi-final earlier this month.

He’s scored twice, including on his return to the Emirates back in December, and has laid on three assists for his teammates, although he hasn’t netted since that draw in north London.

But Walcott’s form has been a rare positive in what’s mostly been a disappointing campaign for Southampton.

And Windass believes that the ex-England international has earned a permanent deal, should the St Mary’s offer him one this summer.

He told Football FanCast:

“He’s back home. He’ll be happy to finish his career there.

“He’s been away, he’s been in London for a number of years and has gone back home as they say. He’ll take it all day long. Your family is comfortable.

“It’s common sense for the football club and the reason why they’ve offered the deal is because he’s done well.

“He’s struggled at Everton and will be sat at home thinking ‘wow, I can’t believe I’ve got another two or three years here’ – he’ll be absolutely delighted.”

Mateusz Klich endured a difficult afternoon as Leeds United went down 2-0 at Brighton on Saturday afternoon.

Klich started his first game since the 2-0 defeat away to West Ham United in early March.

But his SofaScore rating of 6.4 was the third lowest in the Leeds team – only Ezgjan Alioski, who gave away a penalty, and Luke Ayling scored lower.

Klich lost four of his six ground duels and conceded possession on 11 occasions. He also attempted four crosses, only one of which was accurate.

A Pascal Gross penalty and a late Danny Welbeck effort condemned Leeds to defeat the Amex Stadium.

Where does the Brighton defeat leave Leeds?

The disappointing result against the relegation-threatened Seagulls ends their six-match unbeaten run, but Leeds remain ninth in the table with four games of the season remaining, so it is still an excellent campaign from Marcelo Bielsa’s men.

They could, however, be leapfrogged by Arsenal and Aston Villa and drop back into the bottom half if those teams win their respective games in hand.

Leeds fans react to Klich’s Brighton struggles

“Klich is so bad these days I can’t actually remember what he was ever any good at.”

Credit: @daveberry2709

“We actually have broken Klich haven’t we ?”

Credit: @SirJackWest

“The downfall for klich is unreal, is it confidence or an injury ?”

Credit: @Kye_lufc

“Klich isn’t that guy anymore. Thanks for 2 wonderful seasons pal but Crvena Zvezda is in your future”

Credit: @leedsinfidel

“Klich offers so little in every aspect nowadays”

Credit: @tommylufc1

“Genuinely wouldn’t care if klich left in the summer, offered nothing for months”

Credit: @murderball

In other news, fans also tore into this player’s first-half display.

Leeds may already have their next Raphinha on their hands in the shape of 19-year-old starlet Crysencio Summerville.

Described as a “bag of tricks” by Chris Powell – his former coach when he was a teenager at ADO Den Haag – he scored a hat-trick against Burnley under-23s on just his second start for the Whites’ underage side earlier this season.

Then, in the under-23s’ stunning 5-0 victory over West Brom on Monday, Summerville helped Leeds run riot. While Joe Gelhardt bagged himself a hat-trick, it was arguably the Dutch winger who stole the show.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for Leeds Live, Joe Donnohue noted: “Summerville has this move where he will evade a tackle or opposition pressure by knocking the ball two yards in front or to the side, before then sidestepping the challenge – it’s almost like muscle memory now, a really smart move.

“Drew the foul well for the penalty, and linked up well with Gelhardt to assist for the second. Worked well defensively, unafraid to get stuck in as is always the case with the Dutchman. Consistency is king with him; another goal, another assist, another penalty won.”

Standing at just 5 foot 9 and with a slight frame, there may be concerns over whether the Dutchman can handle the physicality at Premier League level, but the winger himself has sought to downplay those worries.

Summerville said earlier this year: “I often hear that there are doubts because of my physical condition, but when you are on the field, you are not concerned with that. There are often big defenders in front of me, I have to be smart about that. I know I’m agile and try to play with my mind.”

Many Leeds fans have come to love a slight, skilful winger in summer signing Raphinha, who has taken to English football like a duck to water and has been an absolute revelation at Elland Road since arriving from Ligue 1 side Rennes.

In just 24 games in the top flight, he has managed six goals and provided five assists, and has had some real eye-catching moments – not least making a fool out of Crystal Palace’s Gary Cahill or his countless number of tricks and flicks to get past players and leaving them for dust.

While Gelhardt may be the name everybody’s talking about after his hat-trick, Summerville’s explosive nature and ability to beat players one on one out wide makes him the kind of game-changing player Marcelo Bielsa would surely embrace at first team level.

Given the struggles of the likes of Helder Costa and Jack Harrison in recent weeks – they have combined for just one goal and two assists in their last seven Premier League appearances – introducing Summerville into the first team picture could give Leeds another X-factor just like Raphinha has done.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing a move for this teenage sensation…

Noel Whelan has claimed that Roberto Martinez would ‘be a fool’ to take the manager’s job at Newcastle United if Steve Bruce were to leave.

This comes after it was reported that the former Everton, Swansea City and Wigan Athletic manager is the leading contender to replace the Geordie if he were to exit St James’ Park.

Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan has urged Martinez not to take the job in the northeast if it were offered to him. The former Leeds man said:

“He’d be a fool to leave Belgium to go to Newcastle.

“With the current owner, no money to spend – he’s a manager, not a magician. If you’re going to leave a setup like Belgium, you’re going to need reassurances that you’re going to have a lot of money to spend.

“He’s not going to get that from Mike Ashley, he’s just not. Why would you leave something so successful right now? With the players he has at his disposal, why would you go into a club that is in turmoil?

“They’re in turmoil with the players, the manager and with the board.

“The fans must be so frustrated by what is going on here because they’re teetering on the edge. There’s no way he’s taking that job if it’s in the Championship.” 

Martinez would be a good appointment by Newcastle

If Bruce were to leave the Tyneside club, then they should look no further than trying to appoint Martinez, providing that they can avoid being relegated from the Premier League.

The 47-year-old has a lot of previous experience managing in the English top flight, famously guiding Wigan to an unlikely win against Manchester City in the 2013 FA Cup final. He has also guided Belgium to number one in the FIFA World Rankings, and he would certainly be a high-profile appointment by the Magpies.

However, there would likely be a question mark over whether the Spaniard would be interested in taking the job, especially if Newcastle were to find themselves relegated at the end of the season.

In other news, find out which former fan favourite is on NUFC’s radar!

Celtic’s search for a new manager has now been dragging on for a couple of weeks after Neil Lennon left his post.

After much scrutiny and protest, the Northern Irishman finally resigned just over two weeks ago. It has left John Kennedy in temporary charge of the Bhoys, but his tenure has hardly got off to the best of starts.

The Hoops have surrendered their grasp on the SPFL title to Rangers and their 0-0 draw with Dundee United was everything that summed up their season. They were exposed at the back and not clinical enough going forward.

To solve their woes, a number of managers have been linked with the vacant hot seat. Frank Lampard and Rafa Benitez were some of the first names mentioned but now the latest name doing the rounds is Chris Wilder.

The Englishman left Sheffield United last week and could now move to Glasgow.

That being said, they have suffered a blow in their bid to lure another highly-rated coach to Paradise. Ralf Rangnick was a man that many Celtic supporters wanted at Parkhead. That came after Derek Rae revealed that he’d have to be enthralled by the project at the club in order to join.

However, he now looks set to move to Schalke. The 62-year-old has reportedly held conversations with the Bundesliga outfit over a sporting director role. This comes at the same time that he’s been linked with the Germany job.

This is news that should come as a huge frustration to Dermot Desmond and the Celtic board. Irrespective of whether he was a genuine or realistic target, he could have offered a great deal to the Bhoys.

We’ve waxed lyrical on Football FanCast about Rangnick’s qualities and he could have solved a number. First and foremost, he is a revolutionary manager and director.

The former Leipzig boss created the modern-day press; the desire to win the ball back within a matter of seconds of losing it.

Secondly, he led a very intriguing transfer strategy at Leipzig. He made it the club’s mission to sign players specifically under the age of 23. This would have been highly beneficial for a Celtic side who have failed to give younger players an opportunity in recent years.

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Cameron Harper has already left for the USA as a result of a lack of minutes while Karamoko Dembele and Armstrong Oko-Flex look set to see out their contracts which expire in the summer.

In short, Rangnick could have changed the mentality at Parkhead for the greater good. The German boss was one of the most eye-catching names linked with the Celtic post, but instead, Desmond will now be tearing his hair out as he searches for alternatives.

AND in other news, Soro should be fuming if Celtic sign £50k-p/w brute this summer, he’s a “class player”…

Leeds are making a major mistake over their transfer stance on Liverpool starlet Yasser Larouci.

What’s the story?

According to The Athletic, Larouci has been on the club’s radar in the past, and that while they had looked at him a few transfer windows ago, they deemed him too expensive, and are now focused on trying to recruit a more experienced option at left-back.

Radrizzani needs to spend

While Leeds are hardly a club like Manchester City that can just throw money at players, the 20-year-old Larouci is something they should not be turning their backs on.

The young left-back has barely had an opportunity on Merseyside, playing just twice for the senior side, but is clearly someone with bags of potential.

Liverpool’s former U18s boss Barry Lewtas, said: “He is lightning-quick and a real good personality. Because he is so quick it helps in his one-v-one defending, he is aggressive and is good when he runs into the big spaces and he arrives well in terms of forward runs.”

And, The Athletic’s James Pearce added: “Larouci has made big strides forward. He’s an interesting one in itself because he’s a player who came in as an attacker, as a real pacey, strong winger with an eye for goal.

“The staff felt that actually he would be better suited to the left-back role, especially in the Klopp mould where so much of it is providing that attacking outlet. They felt they could work with him and work on his defensive game and he’s another one that’s come on a lot.”

At just 20, Larouci has still got the world at his feet in terms of developing into a Premier League star, and being a young player means that he will always have resale value.

Even if things don’t work out as Leeds may hope, there’s always the fallback of still being able to draw in good money for him – unlike spending a big sum of money on a more experienced, older option like they are reportedly planning on doing.

Clearly, Larouci is highly-rated by those who know Liverpool well, and that kind of potential is something the Whites should be all over. Andrea Radrizzani should be getting out the chequebook and bringing the Reds back to the negotiating table to try and strike a deal.

It would be a foolish mistake if they didn’t.

Meanwhile, Leeds should unleash this midfield talent next season…

Upsets are a common theme with sports and we’ve seen plenty of these that even become films. But no sport does it better than football and 2010 saw a good number of epic upsets that literally no one outside diehard fanatics saw coming.

This is the appeal of betting on soccer online or football as being on the right side of a longshot overcoming the odds is unmatched. But for backers of the chalk, it’s the stuff of nightmares.

Here are the five biggest betting upsets of the last decade:

Leicester Win the Premier League (2016)

Leading off with the most stunning betting upset in the last decade and possibly the last century, LCFC made a mockery of sportsbooks everywhere by winning the EPL as 5,000/1 underdogs.

The Foxes had never even come close to the top flight title let alone win it. Their best result was a second-place finish back in 1929, when most sports bettors were not even born yet.

Leicester were led by Jamie Vardy who was a man possessed and scoring 13 goals in 11 consecutive matches. It took a bit of luck too as the ever-disappointing Tottenham blew a 2-0 lead against Chelsea as the Foxes clinched the title on May 2, 2016.

Several oddsmakers offered the odds as a joke similar to betting odds with Kim Kardashian winning the US Presidency. No one is laughing now as Leicester proved that in football, nothing is impossible.

Iceland Stun England in the Euros (2016)

It’s not a betting upset list without England in it and Iceland just added to the national side’s long list of unfortunate international debacles. England was a 2/1 favourite to eliminate Iceland, the underdogs of Euro 2016. Iceland was around 8/1 to win and a draw was 3/1.

Iceland fought back after trailing 1-0 almost immediately. Kolbeinn Sigthorsson scored the go-ahead goal before the 20-minute mark and that’s all she wrote.

This would be the country’s biggest international sporting event result. And as for England, manager Roy Hodgson quit within minutes of the result much to the nation’s relief.

If your highly-touted squad lost to a fledgling team with a part-time dentist in it, you’d quit too.

Wigan Shock Manchester City in FA Cup Final (2013)

2013 was a turning point for Man City and Wigan Athletic helped play a role in that in what would be one of the FA Cup’s most improbable championship performances.

Man City entered the match favored at 4/11 or -250 per moneyline odds. Wigan was 7/1 and a draw was nearly 4/1. The English squad boasted a stacked roster featuring not one, not two, but three players with ten or more goals in the Premier League.

But none of that mattered as the Citizens couldn’t find the back of the net for over 90 minutes. And in extra time, Ben Watson’s header would clinch the “greatest upset in FA Cup Final history in a quarter of a century.”

This would become Wigan’s first FA cup victory and City would sack manager Roberto Mancini just two days after.

FC Barcelona Hijack Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League Dreams (2017)

It’s not often we find the mighty Barca as an underdog and it’s even rarer to spot them as a 200/1 underdog. But the Catalans were staring at a 4-0 hole against the equally talented French squad.

Barca entered the game as 8/1 underdogs to advance to the next stage. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and an own goal pushed the Catalans to striking range but Edinson Cavani scored for PSG to seemingly put it out of reach.

Luis Enrique’s boys’ odds jumped up to 200/1 as they were now behind 5-3 on aggregate with the clock ticking. But Brazilian wunderkind Neymar would score two quick goals to bring barca within one and Roberto would notch the clinching goal in extra time.

This improbable victory would be the Champions League’s biggest comeback.

South Korea Sends Germany Home in the World Cup (2018)

Koreans have been pulling shockers at the World Cup since before half of us were born. In 1966, the North Koreans upended the Italians and nearly half a century later, their southern counterparts did the same thing. In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, South Korea did it again. Oops!

The defending champions needed to beat Korea to advance to the knockout stage and oddsmakers pegged them as 1/5 favorites while South Korea was as large as an 18/1 underdog (a draw was 6/1).

For 90 minutes, it was Germany pushing Korea back and dominating ball possession. It seemed inevitable they would score. But don’t tell the Koreans that!

King Young-gwon chipped it past German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to give the Koreans a 1-0 edge and they’d add another when Neuer joined Germany as an attacker to officially eliminate Germany and keep them from advancing past the group stage for the first time in 80 years.