All posts by z3u9t.icu

For some reason, the rumours of Philippe Coutinho returning to Liverpool just won’t go away.

A move back to Anfield for the Brazilian was speculated this summer, but nothing ever came of it as he ended up moving to Bayern Munich on loan.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Coutinho has been in red hot form since joining the Bavarians, as he’s contributed to four goals and won two Man of the Match awards in six Bundesliga appearances.

ESPN once again brought up the prospect of Coutinho moving back to Merseyside on their most recent Transfer Rater, but that suggestion was quickly shot down by Shaka Hislop.

The former Newcastle goalkeeper said that he believes Bayern Munich will make the move permanent and that Liverpool don’t actually need to change anything in their attack.

It’s hard to disagree with Hislop on this one. The Reds are the current champions of Europe, and they’re on the verge of breaking the consecutive wins record in the Premier League – they look a lot more solid without the playmaker in midfield.

The 27-year-old isn’t needed at Liverpool and Hislop is absolutely right to shoot down this suggestion.

[ad_pod ]

Barcelona fans disliking Ernesto Valverde is a rather common theme and nothing particularly new.

But the Basque coach has seemingly angered them more than usual in his latest interview ahead of the Blaugrana’s clash with Villarreal at Camp Nou on Tuesday.

Valverde has stated that the team is enjoying the support of all the fans and that he hopes the same will happen once they face the Yellow Submarine.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And this really hasn’t gone down well with the Cules on social media and Twitter, with many quick to react to his words.

Some of them accused him of lying and they stated that they do not support him but only the team.

Of course, they still want him gone from the club as soon as possible and they were pretty clear in debunking their coach’s statement; Barca, of course, lost to Granada on Saturday and currently sit eighth in La Liga, having won two, drawn one and lost two of their opening five games.

You can see some of their reactions and comments down in the tweets below.

Check them out…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

West Brom have almost gone full circle in just two years.

The end of the 2017/18 campaign saw their time in the Premier League cease for the time being, meaning they are currently enduring a second successive season in the Championship.

Albion were officially relegated under Darren Moore, who took the reins as caretaker boss with the club ten points adrift with six games remaining.

It would be fair to suggest that their demise was already set in motion at the hands of Alan Pardew and more significantly Tony Pulis before him.

BBC Sport’s Simon Stone suggested the Welshman was a victim of his own football philosophy as he was sacked in November 2017 after a run of ten games without a victory.

He also states that fans and even players alike grew tired of his ‘negative’ brand of football.

One player who was at the club during that time was Serge Gnabry, who now plays for Bayern Munich as surprising as that will be to some.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Ahead of their Champions League tie with Tottenham Hotspur this week, their former loan winger was asked why it went so wrong at the Hawthorns – his answer was short, blunt, but straight to the point.

He said:

“Tony Pulis. Ask Tony Pulis.

“Different styles, different opinions. I can’t really say too much, but I tried my best at West Brom, and it didn’t work out.”

If there’s ever a word or phrase that epitomises where the Baggies’ downfall originated from, it’s that right there.

Now after missing out on a return to the promised land last season, they are giving it a right good go so far this campaign.

And that’s been down to Slaven Bilic – whose presence, style and tactics are a completely different contrast to that of Pulis’.

Another world away, in fact.

As West Brom geared up to face Leeds United on Tuesday night, the Croatian had guided them to an unbeaten start in the Championship – nine straight games without defeat.

Their system is exciting, fast-paced, and heavily pass focused.

The Baggies rank second in the league for pass success percentage, only behind Fulham at 82.6% while 75% of their attacks come through the flanks which isn’t a shock considering the pace and power they have at their disposal.

Matty Phillips, Grady Diangana, Matheus Pereira and Kyle Edwards are just some of the options.

West Brom needed a man like Bilic. He’s fully transformed the club around from those dark days which surely would have still been fresh in the minds of some throughout the west Midlands before this campaign.

And in some ways, the Croatian needed West Brom – his career had taken a dip following his departure from West Ham as his stint in Saudi Arabia was rather short-lived.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

When Gareth Southgate named his England squad for the upcoming UEFA EURO 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo, there were a few names on the list who caused eyebrows to be raised – there were also some notable exclusions.

Jesse Lingard included? Really? The Manchester United man has four goals and three assists in his last 31 Premier League appearances!

No Kyle Walker? For a man with 48 caps to his name, it seems strange to leave him out for no apparent reason.

Tyrone Mings also made the squad – deservedly for his efforts in the Championship last term, although he hasn’t set the world alight in the Premier League so far in 2019/20.

Nevertheless, it is another Aston Villa player who definitely should have been left out of Southgate’s squad in favour of Southampton glovesman Angus Gunn.

Tom Heaton.

Granted, the 33-year-old already has three caps for the Three Lions and is a familiar face in the senior squad, but his inclusion over Gunn makes little sense.

In terms of longevity, the Saints man would represent the better long-term option for England at just 23 years of age – getting him involved in the side now would be invaluable for his development.

Where Gunn does have that room to develop and grow, Heaton is arguably the finished product at 33 – is there really any value in having him around the squad when it seems likely that Jordan Pickford will play in both games?

Additionally, Gunn has had the harder start to the new Premier League season having faced Liverpool and Manchester United, but has still helped his side pick up four points – Heaton has earned a point less with Villa despite facing Crystal Palace, Everton, Tottenham and Bournemouth.

In his four starts so far, Gunn has kept a clean sheet and made 15 saves whilst conceding six goals.

Heaton also has one clean sheet and has also conceded six, but has made only 10 saves.

With everything taken into account, Southgate may have made a logistical mistake in picking Heaton over Gunn.

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

We are slowly but surely approaching Real Madrid’s big weekend game at the Santiago Bernabeu as Los Blancos welcome Levante.

The expectations must be high and Zinedine Zidane’s troops must be yearning for a victory since they failed to register one in the last two games. But their opponent is no slouch.

Levante have won their last two games, scoring four goals in the process and are currently one spot above the Whites in the standings. Zidane faced the media in his official pre-game press-conference on Friday and talked about a number of different things, including the injuries, the team as a whole, their preparations for the game and overall aims.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

But among those topics, he also talked about Gareth Bale and Vinicius Junior, two players that were at the centre of hot debates not so long ago, and they still seem to be of interest to the media.

Here’s what Zidane had to say about Vinicius:

“Vinícius has the confidence of his coach, who is me. He is the future of Madrid, but everything takes time. Sometimes, he will not play. I fully trust Vinícius. I count on him. Stop saying that I don’t.”

This was something rather interesting. The young Brazilian, who is still kind of fresh in the Real Madrid squad, has only been mentioned in a negative context these past weeks.

During the summer and while the whole Neymar saga was raging, and Real Madrid were presumably still in the race, Vinicius’ name was often mentioned as a bargaining chip to get his compatriot from Paris Saint-German to the Spanish capital. Soon after that, the 19-year-old talent was subject of harsh criticism and the media were quick to raise the alarms, sowing doubt over his potential and even over his future at the club.

But if Zidane meant exactly what he said, it seems that there is hope for Vinicius after all.

After that, the Frenchman was asked about Bale and he only had words of praise for the 30-year-old:

“I have always said that Bale is a player with impressive quality. When what happened this summer happened, everyone knew the situation. Now Gareth is here with us and everyone is happy.”

Even though it seemed rather unlikely just weeks ago, Bale is seemingly no longer a person on the brink of a Real Madrid exit. Zidane was notoriously in favour of shipping him off a couple of months back and now he seems to be happy the Welshman is at the club.

This will be good news both for the player and the fans, many of whom are also happy to have him and still support him. Not to mention that he was one of their top performers in recent games, bagging two goals and one assist in the first three games.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

Two Celtic wingers are expected to complete loan moves before the January transfer window closes, according to The Daily Record.

What’s the story?

Brendan Rodgers is expecting more outbound business than incoming as the clock ticks towards Thursday’s midnight deadline.

Maryan Shved – albeit not officially a Celtic player yet – made a flying visit to watch last night’s 2-0 win over St Johnstone and will return to Karpaty Lviv after completing the formalities of his move to Celtic.

And 22-year-old Lewis Morgan is set to complete his loan move to Sunderland, reuniting him with his old manager at St Mirren, Jack Ross.

Winger overload

Celtic are exceptionally well covered for wingers with James Forrest and Scott Sinclair returning from the winter break in top form. Loan signings Oliver Burke and Timo Weah have a nose for goal and are best used coming in off the flanks.

As further back up Mikey Johnston is available while Jonny Hayes can also provide cover.

In short, game-time for Shved and Morgan would be extremely limited although both men could ‘do a Ryan Christie’ and play their way into Rodgers’ future plans.

Arriving in Scotland in mid-season would be a big ask for Shved – returning to Kalpaty and upping his game will give him time to prepare for a big move and to make the best impact when he returns to Celtic.

Morgan certainly has ability, and linking up again with Ross to play in front of large demanding crowds at Sunderland will improve his game and his Celtic prospects.

[ad_pod ]

Lots of Leeds fans have taken to Twitter to discuss Dan James’ form for Manchester United.

The Wales international signed for the Red Devils in a £15m move from Swansea this summer, and has hit the ground running at Old Trafford with three goals in four games, including some absolute screamers.

Why does this concern Leeds, you ask?

Well, Marcelo Bielsa’s side came incredibly close to signing the 21-year-old back in the January window and James even underwent a medical before posing with the shirt, but the Swans pulled the plug on the deal at the last minute.

Watch the video below to find out how CR7 achieves some his best skills…

Since then, Leeds have failed to earn promotion and the player who came so close to signing for them has begun to light up the Premier League for their rivals – it presumably can’t be a great feeling for Leeds supporters.

James’ latest strike was a scorcher into the top corner against Southampton, following an exquisite curled effort against Crystal Palace and a deflected strike on his debut against Chelsea.

Let’s see what the Leeds fans on Twitter have been saying about James’ form…

[ad_pod ]

A key Newcastle transfer claim has been made regarding their pursuit of Reims’ Hugo Ekitike…

What’s the talk?

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the Magpies have failed with their first bid to sign the attacker from the Ligue 1 side this month.

He tweeted: “Reims are not intentioned to accept Newcastle opening proposal for talented striker Hugo Ekitike. Deal more than complicated – there’s interest also from West Ham but nothing advanced yet. #NUFC Reims want also a sell on clause included into potential Ekitike deal.”

This comes amid rumours of a move for Burnley attacker Chris Wood, who the Toon are believed to be on the verge of signing.

Infuriation for Hammond

This will surely infuriate Nick Hammond as he goes about looking to improve Eddie Howe’s Newcastle squad in the January transfer window.

The Magpies are in desperate need of reinforcements, and bringing in players as quickly as possible could be vital with big games coming up in the Premier League. They are currently 19th in the table and have only won one of their 19 matches in the division so far this term, whilst also conceding the joint-most goals along with bottom club Norwich.

This shows how desperate their situation is and why signing targets before the final few days of the window could be crucial as every point counts. Newcastle face Watford on Saturday with a chance to move out of the bottom three, and any signings before that clash could improve their chances of winning, which is why failing with this offer for Ekitike will frustrate Hammond.

Callum Wilson is currently out injured and this puts added pressure on those at the top end of the pitch. He is the club’s top scorer in the Premier League with six goals and is one of just two Magpies players to score more than once in the current top-flight campaign. This means that they will be missing his clinical touch in the final third, and the signing of Ekitike could have alleviated some concerns over his absence, although it remains to be seen if a deal for Wood will be completed in time for him to play.

The 19-year-old has eight goals and two assists in ten Ligue 1 starts this season, which suggests that he could have an immediate impact at St James’ Park if he adjusts to English football. Just imagine a talented young player linking up with the more experienced Wood, someone who has already bagged 50 times in the top-flight.

With that in mind, the duo may well have made a difference in the beat to drop.

Furthermore, they could have made the difference against Watford and, unless something dramatic happens in the next couple of days, the club’s failure to sign Ekitike this week could negate Howe’s chances of beating the Hornets in this weekend’s relegation six-pointer.

AND in other news, “Hearing”: Luke Edwards drops exciting Newcastle transfer claim which will delight fans…

West Ham United are preparing an offer to bring Fabio Carvalho to the London Stadium in the January transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that David Moyes’ side are ready to make a move for the Fulham attacking midfielder this month, while Liverpool, Leeds United and FC Porto are also believed to be weighing up offers for the 19-year-old – with a figure of £5m mentioned in the report.

The Sun’s report comes following a recent claim made by ExWHUemployee, with the Hammers insider suggesting that the East London side could make an early move for the former England U18 international – despite the fact Carvalho is out of contract at the end of the season.

The next Di Canio

Considering the quite frankly insane amount of potential that Carvalho clearly possesses, should West Ham manage to get a deal over the line for the in-demand forward this winter, David Moyes could very well have the club’s next Paolo Di Canio on his hands.

Indeed, the £3.15m-rated sensation has been in remarkable form over his 16 Championship appearances this season, having already scored seven goals, provided two assists and created three big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots, making 1.6 key passes and completing 1.2 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £650-per-week attacking midfielder who Scott Parker claimed has a “massive” future average a SofaScore match rating of 7.06, ranking him as Marco Silva’s joint eighth-best performer in the second tier of English football.

As such, considering the roaming number 10’s clear eye for goal, his creativity in the final third and his talent with the ball at his feet, there are very clear comparisons that can be drawn between Carvalho and West Ham’s legendary forward Di Canio – who scored 50 goals and provided 14 assists over his 137 appearances for the Irons.

This is not to say that the 19-year-old is of a similar standard to the Italian at present, however, should the Fulham starlet continue his current rate of development after a potential switch from West to East London this winter, the sky would very much appear to be limit for the attacking midfielder.

In other news: Tom Clark reveals early West Ham team news ahead of Man U clash, fans will be buzzing

A number of Crystal Palace fans have been reacting to an official Twitter post from the Eagles regarding the club’s Selhurst Park stadium.

Palace are in the process of redeveloping Selhurst Park, which currently holds a capacity of close to 26,000. Plans to increase that to around 34,000 were given the green light way back in 2018.

Work was set to be completed in time for the 2021/22 season, but as we know, that has failed to materialise due to a number of factors, with recent reports suggesting the redevelopment has been put on hold for a further 12 months.

However, a number of Eagles supporters believe the club may well be hinting at something after they posted a black and white picture on Twitter on Monday afternoon of an old Selhurst Park.

Palace fans react

This is what these Palace fans had to say in reply to the Twitter post, with some thinking the club are dropping a stadium teaser.

“Finally Parish is getting on with it”

Credit: @sxp55555

“Wow”

Credit: @Debbiechops

“NO WAYYYY”

Credit: @CPFCMax9

“It’s a sign”

Credit: @jackstacpfc

“Is this a hint??”

Credit: @CiaranCPFC

“Hold on…. There must be some reason for this…..”

Credit: @jamessinman

In other news: ‘My god’ – Many CPFC fans erupt at ‘unbelievable’ transfer update.