All posts by z3u9t.icu

Fulham will be keen to win promotion back into the Premier League at the first time of asking, whilst under the management of newly-appointed boss Marco Silva.

The Cottagers were promoted into the top-flight in the 2019/20 season, after beating Brentford in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

But their stay in the Premier League was a brief one once again, as they finished 18th in the top-flight standings under the watchful eye of Scott Parker.

Parker has since left the club in favour of a move to fellow Championship side AFC Bournemouth, and the Craven Cottage faithful will be keen to see their side have no trouble in their efforts in attempted to return to the Premier League in the 2020/21 campaign.

Fulham are set to take on Middlesbrough in their season opener on Sunday 8th August, in what could potentially be a tricky test for Silva’s side.

Before that game takes place though, Silva will be looking to add to his squad, as they look to adjust to life back in the second tier of English football.

One player that has already been linked with a move to Craven Cottage is defender Kean Bryan, who is currently a free agent after his time with Sheffield United reached a conclusion at the end of June.

But Fulham face tough competition to land Bryan’s signature, with Watford and West Brom also believed to be keen on finalising a deal to sign the 24-year-old.

Bryan made 15 appearances in total for the Blades, although his efforts weren’t enough, as they joined Fulham in being relegated into the Championship in the 2020/21 season.

Praise from pundit

Speaking in an interview with West Brom News, former Baggies striker Kevin Phillips felt as though Bryan has been ‘fairly solid’ in his time with Sheffield United.

“I don’t know too much about him but from what I have seen, he’s fairly solid. He could fit quite nicely into the defence.”

It remains to be seen as to which club is leading the race to sign the defender, but Fulham should be looking to do all they can to strike an agreement with Bryan in the near future.

Age is on Bryan’s side

At the age of 24, Bryan is likely to still have his best years ahead of him, and he could be a shrewd signing by Marco Silva’s side, especially if he can hit the ground running and play his part in Fulham’s bid for promotion this term.

Being on the books with Manchester City doesn’t just happen by chance, and it says a lot about his ability and potential to go further moving forwards.

He’s shown that he can perform to a relatively high standard whilst with Sheffield United in the Premier League, having made 13 appearances for the Blades, and on a free transfer, you have to feel as though this could be a great investment in the long-term for Fulham.

Bryan could be a great early addition to Silva’s squad if Fulham can get a deal done.

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa has been dealt another setback this week…

What’s the latest?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, central defender Diego Llorente’s absence during their 4-1 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday evening was likely to be down to him contracting the virus, meaning he is set to be absent for at least ten days.

‘Llorente was not confirmed as suffering from [the virus] but Bielsa’s admission that the centre-back would be missing for up to 10 days sounded like a fairly clear hint that the virus had got to him. But there was no mass outbreak, no spread of infections, so the game went ahead,’ he wrote in a recent column.

Instead, Robin Koch, who has been out injured since August, was thrown straight into the starting XI, as a result of the Spaniard’s omission.

Bitter blow

This would be yet another cruel blow to Bielsa and the Yorkshire giants, who have been dealing with an array of injury woes since the start of the season.

The situation is that bad that the bench was full of the club’s academy prospects, including 15-year-old Archie Gray. As many as 11 first-team players missed the clash through injury.

Llorente joined Charlie Cresswell as the latest two to miss out, having already been without the likes of star defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips and leading talisman Patrick Bamford, as well as attacking duo Jack Harrison and Dan James.

Pascal Struijk, Rodrigo, captain Liam Cooper and Jamie Shackleton are all also on the treatment table, whilst Junior Firpo was suspended.

What an absolute nightmare.

Now the 28-year-old is expected to be out for the next week or so means he is surely likely to miss the Whites’ Boxing Day clash with Liverpool at Anfield, so they could well be in line for another thrashing, having lost 7-0 to Man City recently.

Currently sat just three points behind the league leaders, Jurgen Klopp’s side could close the gap with a win against Leeds on Sunday.

Not having a first-choice defender available again after back-to-back embarrassments is certainly a huge blow to Bielsa, who must be absolutely fuming by this dire situation seemingly getting worse every week.

It could get worse yet with a trip to Merseyside on the horizon.

AND in other news, Orta must seal Leeds swoop for 31-goal demon who can “replicate a Pablo Hernandez”…

Eddie Howe has now dropped a fresh Newcastle United injury update on Ryan Fraser.

The Lowdown: Hobbled off

Fraser unfortunately had to hobble off in the 13th minute of the North East club’s 1-0 win at home to Wolves in the Premier League on Friday night, and was subsequently replaced by Miguel Almiron.

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They do not have many wingers in the squad as it is, and so losing Fraser for a prolonged period of time will certainly bring difficulty.

The Latest: Hamstring

As relayed by Magpies journalist Miles Starforth, Eddie Howe now thinks that Fraser has suffered a hamstring injury, and described it as a ‘huge blow’ for his side:

“It looks like a hamstring issue.

“I don’t know how serious it is, but it was enough to bring him off the pitch, which is a huge blow with the form he’s been in.”

The Verdict: Not ideal

Even though the St. James’ Park faithful won the game, losing Fraser to injury was certainly not ideal.

The Scotland international has been a mainstay in the team that seem to have turned their fortunes around by pulling away from relegation, and has contributed two goals and three assists in the top flight (Transfermarkt).

Thus, with the lack of options out wide, Howe will now be hoping that Fraser can recover as soon as possible, so that he can help them guarantee their Premier League status for next season.

It will now be an anxious wait for the Toon Army over how long the injury will keep him out for.

In other news, find out who NUFC’s three worst performers were against Wolves here!

Sunderland’s fall down the League One table continued on Tuesday as a 3-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday left them fifth.

The Black Cats have lost their last three league matches, having lost 1-0 to Charlton and 5-1 to Rotherham in their two games prior to the trip to Hillsborough.

Tom Flanagan and Callum Doyle failed to deal with the danger through the middle and Theo Corbeanu found himself in acres of space to pick his spot and find the bottom corner. The second came with calls for handball as Florian Kamberi controlled the ball in the six-yard box and prodded past Ron-Thorben Hoffmann.

Wednesday sealed the three points in the second half as a scuffed shot fell perfectly for Lee Gregory to convert from close range to make it 3-0.

Despite the frustrating result, one player did come away from the match with an ounce of credit and was a shining light for Johnson – Corry Evans. The experienced beast was a standout in a disappointing performance from the Black Cats and the manager will surely have been left delighted with his display, in spite of the result.

Defensively, he was solid. Per SofaScore, he won 75% (6/8) of his individual duels on the pitch, including winning 100% (3/3) of his aerial duels. He also made a whopping seven interceptions, three tackles and one clearance, whilst only being dribbled past once in the 90 minutes.

Luke O’Nien and Dan Neil, meanwhile, managed three tackles and two interceptions combined between them in the other two central midfield positions. This suggests that Evans carried Sunderland in the middle of the park from a defensive standpoint and was let down by his teammates as Wednesday romped to a comfortable win.

Although, it is worth pointing out that he could have done more in possession. Per SofaScore, he only completed 72% of his attempted passes, whilst his midfield partners both completed 76% of theirs. This suggests that all three of them could have been better with the ball at their feet as they failed to achieve a high success rate with their passing, which is an area for improvement ahead of the next set of matches.

Despite the lapse passing, Evans’ performance was a shining light for Sunderland due to his tenacity in midfield and that could earn him a regular place in the starting XI in the coming weeks. He has only started five League One matches, but this display could aid his chances of adding to that number.

A huge Glasgow Rangers injury setback has emerged on Swedish international Filip Helander…

What’s the latest?

Gers head coach Gio van Bronckhorst has confirmed that the centre-back will not play again this season after the issue he sustained last weekend in the Premiership.

The central defender was taken off in the 45th minute with a knock after an awkward landing left him unable to continue.

Van Bronckhorst said: “Filip’s injury is not good, we won’t have him for the remainder of the season.”

He now joins Alfredo Morelos and Ianis Hagi on the treatment table until the start of the 2022/23 campaign, at the earliest.

Ibrox faithful will be infuriated

This devastating update will surely infuriate the Ibrox faithful as it comes as a major blow to van Bronckhorst’s squad heading into the final part of the season.

Whilst he was ineligible to face Braga in the Europa League and his absence will make no difference to their fortunes at Ibrox on Thursday night, it will impact the squad rotation in the cup and the Premiership. The defender had started five domestic matches since the 20th of February and this shows that the head coach has been relying on him as an option on a semi-regular basis.

Helander has been a useful player for the Dutchman to call upon in the Premiership and in the Scottish Cup in order to rest the likes of Leon Balogun and Calvin Bassey. Van Bronckhorst has now been rid of that option and will have to see out the rest of the campaign without one of his experienced defenders.

This could then pile the pressure on the other players in that position and lead to them being overloaded with minutes on the pitch, risking further injuries.

Supporters will also be frustrated because this is the second time this season the centre-back has suffered a major knee injury. He will now end the campaign on six league appearances and that may leave supporters wondering whether or not he is worth keeping hold of.

If Rangers are unable to rely on him being fit for the majority, or even half, of the season then that makes him a liability within the squad. They would be better off cashing in on him and attempting to bring in a more durable player to take his place going forward to prevent this situation from happening again.

AND in other news, From £4.5m to £25m: Wilson had huge Rangers howler over “remarkable” 12-goal gem…

Some Everton fans have been left fuming over some news that has emerged from Phil Kirkbride.

Writing in his latest piece for The Liverpool Echo, Kirkbride has now revealed that the Goodison Park faithful are set to appoint Joel Waldron as their new Head of Academy Recruitment.

He has been working as the Merseyside club’s Academy Chief Operating Officer, but is now ready to take over from Chris Perkins, who left to join Tottenham Hotspur in a similar role.

Joel is the son of former Head of Academy Recruitment Martin Waldron, which has not gone down well with some Toffees supporters, as they feel as if he has not earned the role on merit and instead has only been appointed because of who his father is.

Everton fans on Kirkbride news

These Blues fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one EFC fan even going as far as to claim that it is just ‘weird’:

“And people wonder why the Academy has been a complete waste of space since it was built?”

Credit: @TormentedToffee

“Lazy appointment by Everton once again.”

Credit: @Warren_Evans

““The son of former Head of Academy Recruitment Martin Waldron” kind of rings alarm bells, doesn’t it?”

Credit: @UpperGwladysBlu

“Sounds a bit weird when the dad got sacked by EFC”

Credit: @abbot551

“The jobs for the boys merry-go-round”

Credit: @EvertonAllSorts

“Nothing like jobs for the Boyz at Everton”

Credit: @holroyd_ryan

In other news, find out what club news has Evertonians buzzing here!

Manchester City kick off their Premier League title defence with a trip to North London on Sunday afternoon, with Pep Guardiola’s side looking to earn their first-ever win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Citizens began their season with a 1-0 defeat against Leicester City in the Community Shield last weekend, but Guardiola can welcome back the likes of Ederson, John Stones, Kyle Walker and Raheem Sterling following their international commitments this summer.

However, all eyes will be on Spurs striker Harry Kane, with the England captain reportedly set to feature despite being heavily linked with the Citizens throughout the summer.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Guardiola to line his side up in North London, with Grealish making his first start as a City player…

After returning from Copa America duty with Brazil, Ederson seems likely to replace Zack Steffen in between the sticks.

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In defence, John Stones and Ruben Dias resume their centre-back partnership, whilst Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo both deserve starts at full-back following their impressive performances in the 2020/21 campaign.

After a disappointing end to last season, Rodri is left on the bench with the more experienced Fernandinho earning a start, and he is joined in midfield by Ilkay Gundogan and Grealish, who could take up the Kevin De Bruyne role in the Belgian’s absence.

Following a superb Euros with England, Raheem Sterling gets the nod on the left-wing, with the Englishman dubbed “world-class” by Frank Lampard and Rio Ferdinand after his excellent performances for Gareth Southgate’s side as they reached the Final.

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Riyad Mahrez starts on the right-hand side after an excellent pre-season, supporting Ferran Torres up front, with the Spaniard arguably City’s best striking option at the club following Sergio Aguero’s summer departure.

In total, there could be as many as five changes for the trip to the capital.

And, in other news… Guardiola delivers worrying injury update, Man City fans will be fuming

Eberechi Eze has ‘very little chance’ of starting for Crystal Palace against Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, according to The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam. 

The lowdown

Last time out against Burnley, the 23-year-old featured in Palace’s matchday squad for the first time this season. However, he watched the entirety of the 3-3 draw from the sidelines, with Patrick Vieira holding him back for now.

Eze hasn’t featured for Palace’s first team for more than six months now, having sustained an Achilles injury in training in May. He has made two appearances for the club’s under-23s in recent weeks to aid his return his fitness.

The latest

On Saturday morning, Woosnam was asked by a supporter in The Athletic’s matchday discussion whether there was a ‘good chance’ of Eze being selected in Vieira’s XI.

The journalist replied: “Very little chance of Eze starting just yet. Expect him to get minutes off the bench before that happens.”

The verdict

With James McArthur now out injured, there does appear to be an opening in the Palace midfield, but Woosnam has previously written that Jeffrey Schlupp will likely be the preferred option until Eze is completely ready.

It’s hard to argue against a cautious approach given the evident severity of the injury. Patience will seemingly be required, but it’s easy to understand that Eagles fan’s apparent eagerness for the 23-year-old to return today.

He was the team’s most creative player last season, finishing the campaign with six assists and an average of 1.3 key passes per 90 (via WhoScored). His return can’t come quick enough, but it might not necessarily come today, if Woosnam’s prediction proves correct.

In other news, Mark Wyatt reckons this man will be dropped on Saturday.

Crystal Palace will be without midfielder James McArthur for a further six weeks, according to The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam.

Scans revealed that the 34-year-old had suffered a torn hamstring in the victory over Wolves at the beginning of this month, and having sat out the 3-3 draw with Burnley last weekend, he could now miss Palace’s next nine Premier League matches.

If the timeline is accurate, he could be in line to return for the Eagles’ trip to their arch-rivals Brighton on 14 January.

How big a blow is McArthur’s absence?

Prior to the injury, McArthur had started every Premier League game under new Eagles boss Patrick Vieira.

If you go by WhoScored’s rankings, he’d been Palace’s third-best player behind Conor Gallagher and Christian Benteke. The Scotsman was averaging 2.4 accurate long balls (fourth in the club’s ranks), 2.3 tackles (third) and 1.2 interceptions (fourth) per 90 minutes, highlighting his importance to the team and how big a loss he will be during a busy period of the season.

Woosnam revealed the news on his personal Twitter profile, and here’s what these Palace supporters had to say, with one describing it as a “devastating” blow to the team.

Crystal Palace lament McArthur injury

“Jimmy Mac will be a huge miss as we don’t have another player with his engine that can cover so much ground”

Credit: @cpfc_jw19

“6 weeks! Oh dear we are really going to miss him”

Credit: @StephenRodin1

“We better start scoring even more then. Cos we’ll be shipping em in now!”

Credit: @ic_lewis

“Devastating news, he has been our rock”

Credit: @rickyj555

“Absolutely gutted, why is it always us”

Credit: @joe_cpfc_01

“Didn’t need this on a Tuesday morning”

Credit: @CPFCMax9

In other news, a journalist weighs in on Palace’s links with this Premier League forward.

Liverpool could form a dream duo at Anfield next season after being linked with a move for Real Madrid midfielder Isco.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes [via Anfield Edition], the Reds are interested in signing the 29-year-old creative talent this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to bolster his first team options.

Calciomercato have now provided an update on Isco’s situation, claiming that Real Madrid have placed a £20m price tag on the Spain international, with new manager Carlo Ancelotti happy to let him depart.

Imagine him and Thiago

Isco has played a pivotal part in Los Blancos’ success over the last few years, scoring 51 goals and providing 56 assists in 366 appearances for the club. His impressive exploits helped Real Madrid claim four Champions League crowns, two La Liga titles and one Copa del Rey during his time at the Bernabeu, but he has largely failed to fulfill his early promise.

Much was expected of the technically gifted forward in the early years of his career after shining on the biggest stage, even drawing Zinedine Zidane comparisons, but he has faded into the background at the Bernabeu over the last couple of years.

After starting just 23 league fixtures since the start of 2019/20, Isco appears to be surplus to requirements in Madrid, and with just one year remaining on his current contract, he is available at a bargain price.

With Liverpool thought to be working on a restricted budget this summer due to the financial impact of the global pandemic, the Spaniard’s £20m asking price could make him an attractive prospect for the Reds.

Famed for his outstanding dribbling ability and eye for a pass, Isco could form a formidable partnership with Spain compatriot Thiago in the Liverpool engine room should he make the switch to Merseyside over the coming months.

The pair have the ability to split open the tightest of defences with a killer pass at any moment, and their combination play could be too much for Premier League backlines to handle. Thiago has averaged 1.3 key passes per game over the course of his career, with Isco eclipsing him with a 1.4 average for this metric.

Klopp arguably never replaced Philippe Coutinho following his big-money move to Barcelona back in 2018, but Isco could be the club’s natural number 10 that they’ve lacked ever since, finding space between the lines before being picked out by Thiago and then feeding one of the front three himself.

It’s surely an exciting prospect for any Liverpool fan and one which director of football Michael Edwards must try to facilitate.

In other news… Edwards preparing Liverpool move for “undefendable” £30m beast, he’s a big upgrade