All posts by z3u9t.icu

If an extraterrestrial was sent down from space and asked the nearest person to define Celtic, the response would have been to watch the Hoops’ game on Thursday evening.

Going forward Ange Postecoglou’s men were first class, but old habits die hard as their defence consistently let them down.

This is going to be a tough Europa League group for the Bhoys and nothing summed that up more than their 4-3 defeat to Real Betis in Sevilla this week.

Celtic took a shock 2-0 lead, sending supporters who were unable to travel to the game into bedlam.

However, the Spanish opposition fought back and eventually took a 4-2 lead before Anthony Ralston’s late header gave the Glasgow side hope.

No one can ever fault Ralston’s commitment or work ethic but, apart from his goal, he was one of the most frustrating figures against Betis.

Coupled with Ismaila Soro, the duo endured a nightmare in soaring temperatures at the Estadio Benito Villamarín. The Ivorian looked like a red card waiting to happen and was taken off shortly after the break in favour of James McCarthy.

His discipline was again questionable but Ralston was arguably worse.

The Scot has been a revelation during the opening months of the campaign and now has three goals for the season in what has been a breakthrough year.

Sadly, one of Postecoglou’s most consistent players since arriving severely let him down in Spain.

The right-back was a threat going forward but was a liability at the back, much like the rest of Celtic’s defence.

They shipped 19 goals in the Europa League last term, the highest of any side in the tournament, and it’s evident that they haven’t learned their lessons from 12 months ago.

Ralston was particularly poor and was caught out on numerous occasions, firstly for the opening Betis goal.

He failed to clear the ball on the right-hand side of the penalty area and then Juan Miranda strolled through the centre-back pairing before sliding the ball home.

The Scot was also caught out of position for the hosts’ third goal. Sergio Canales waltzed past the defender as though he wasn’t there and, instead of trying to make up for his mistake, he was caught ball watching alongside Soro.

The Spaniard was able to supply a teasing ball for the robust Borja Iglesias to beat Joe Hart as a consequence.

Ralston’s woeful evening was capped off by a cross in the second half soaring high, wide and out of play at the near post. That was just one of 17 concessions of the football as he found the target with only 50% of his deliveries.

He did pop up with a late goal but by then, the damage had already been done. With 15 minutes left, substitute Alex Moreno flew past him with relative ease before Cameron Carter-Vickers performed a rescue act to sweep up the play.

The defender has been an excellent servant during the 2021/22 season so far but this was a performance which demonstrated why Juranovic will eventually become the incumbent of the right-back role.

AND in other news, 83.3% duels won: Celtic surely regret losing 6ft4 “weapon” after European masterclass…

A number of Liverpool supporters are delighted for Harvey Elliott after the Reds youngster received his first call-up to England’s Under-21 squad.

The 18-year-old has made a hugely impressive start to the season, having returned from his loan spell at Blackburn Rovers.

Elliott produced an excellent performance in Liverpool’s 2-0 win at home to Burnley last Saturday, in what was his first Premier League start for the club, suggesting he could be a regular throughout the campaign.

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The midfielder’s performances have been rewarded with a call-up for England’s Under-21s, receiving the honour for the first time in his career. Curtis Jones is also included in the squad.

It further suggests that Elliott has a massive future ahead of him, with a place in the senior side surely only a formality in the future, such is his talent.

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Liverpool fans happy for Elliott

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to heap praise on the ‘excellent news’ for the teenager, following the latest positive step for him.

“OMGGG YEAAA”

Credit: @necosbff

“Starboy”

Credit: @DublinOriginals

“Yes Harvey lad. Won’t be long before it’s full international”

Credit: @80_zach

“He’ll be in the seniors by the end of the season”

Credit: @pjs2021

“Yeeeess, excellent news for the lads”

Credit: @oskar_ftbl

“Harveyyyyyyy”

Credit: @semmutalindwa

In other news, some Liverpool fans are fuming after a key development emerged. Read more here.

Italian football journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Sheffield United are set to sign Yann Karamoh on loan from Parma, which will surely delight Slavisa Jokanovic and the Blades fanbase.

What’s the word?

According to Romano, the Frenchman is currently undergoing a medical in Paris before completing a loan switch to the Blades, with the deal set to be announced at some point today before the deadline.

So far this summer, the Blades have brought in two loan players in the shape of Ben Davies and Conor Hourihane and it seems as if Jokanovic is making full use of the loan market with Karamoh set to join for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.

Will Karamoh be a good signing?

United are certainly in need of fresh faces at Bramall Lane after a shocking start to the season, one which sees them sitting second-bottom of the Championship with just two points from their opening five fixtures in the second tier.

Jokanovic has been guilty of utilising similar tactics from his predecessors Paul Heckingbottom and Chris Wilder, lining up with the familiar 3-5-2 formation once again at the weekend in the goalless draw with Luton Town.

After that result, the Serbian manager called for the board to bring in fresh faces, saying:

“These three days will be an important three days for our board, to do what they promised before I arrived here.

“It’s not a question about today, it’s a question about our start to the season – we are not comfortable, we don’t show the quality, we don’t show the personality.”

Considering the lack of wingers he currently has available in his squad, the former Fulham boss will surely be delighted that Karamoh is set to join, especially considering he has plenty of experience in Ligue 1 and Serie A.

Last season saw the 23-year-old contribute two goals and two assists for Parma in Serie A, averaging a solid 6.60 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

This is better than the vast majority of Sheffield United players have averaged so far this season and considering he is arguably playing at a lower level, he should be a good addition to Jokanovic’s squad, so Blades fans should be buzzing to hear that he is set to join.

And, in other news… Sheffield United closing in on their Aaron Ramsdale replacement

According to an update by reliable club source ExWHUemployee, West Ham United could explore a deal for Slavia Prague forward Abdallah Sima after they were knocked out of the Champions League – with there being a ‘strong chance’.

The Lowdown: West Ham in forward hunt…

The Irons have been chasing a new centre-forward since the January transfer window.

Manager David Moyes confirmed that bids had been lodged for the likes of Youssef En-Nesyri at the start of this year to no avail, with the search for a striker hardly looking any more successful in this summer window.

August 31 is fast approaching, and despite some whispers of talks and advanced agreements for certain attackers, it doesn’t appear like anything is closer to being done.

The Latest: ExWHUemployee drops Sima claim…

Writing on his Patreon, ExWHUemployee now believes that West Ham may be presented with a signing opportunity after Slavia crashed out of the Champions League.

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Both defender David Zima and forward Sima could be targeted by the Hammers and Ex believes there is a ‘strong chance’ West Ham ‘will go in’ for the latter man.

The Czech club’s chairman, Jaroslav Tvrdik, explained to Ex via Twitter that he would not leave in January but ‘could in the summer’ – with West Ham now potentially gifted the chance to explore a Sima deal.

The reliable Irons insider also explains that he could be seen as a ‘perfect alternative to Antonio’, especially given Sima operates as both a winger and a forward.

The Verdict: Get it done…

While no formal approach or registered interest has been made just yet, we strongly advise West Ham to go in for the move.

The 20-year-old, who bagged 16 goals across all competitions for Slavia’s first team last season, has also been called a ‘phenomenon’ by their club chairman – marking him out as an exciting prospect.

Sima also has the physicality to succeed in Premier League football, standing at an imposing 6 foot 2 despite his youth, but much will depend on the potential transfer fee.

Valued at around £9.9 million by Transfermarkt, there is an argument that a valuation in and around this figure could be doable for West Ham – though it remains to be seen if GSB would be willing to invest that much in a player relatively unproven at the top level.

In other news: ‘In the coming weeks’ – Journalist drops West Ham transfer hint involving 59-goal striker, find out more here.

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting negatively to Gini Wijnaldum’s comments regarding some Reds fans’ treatment of him.

The 30-year-old’s time at Anfield has come to an end, following five memorable seasons on Merseyside.

Wijnaldum proved to be a vital player for Liverpool during a hugely successful period in the club’s history, with both Champions League and Premier League glory achieved.

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Despite being adored by many supporters, Wijnaldum has opened up about his treatment from others on social media, telling The Times that some people singled him out if the Reds lost a game.

While he doesn’t use this as the reason for his exit, it could be argued that it played a part in him not extending his stay beyond this summer.

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Liverpool fans react to Wijnaldum’s remarks

The response to Wijnaldum’s comments has been mixed, but these Liverpool fans took to Twitter to criticise the midfielder, suggesting he is no different to any other player and that left because he wanted more money.

“Absolutely not true. He was loved here at Liverpool, no idea what this is all about”

Credit: @CiaranM88

“Embarrassing himself here. Fans that went the game loved him. And he knew. We sang his song at the ground. His move wasn’t about a lack of feeling loved”

Credit: @PaulSmithJnr

“I’m sorry but for a professional footballer to concentrate so much on what people say online is ridiculous. I love Gini, respect him to the highest level as a Liverpool player. But seriously, get over yourself”

Credit: @matips_men

“I’m sorry, but he was nearly putting pen to paper on a deal with Barcelona whose fans were outspoken about not wanting him”

Credit: @chattingwham

“Such a cry baby”

Credit: @frizzyfroze

“Rather just say he went for the money”

Credit: @BillyCarney85

In other news, Liverpool have reportedly received an inquiry regarding one player – find out who it is here.

Southampton fans are livid after they were linked with a move for Manchester United defender Phil Jones.

Ralph Hasenhuttl and co have plenty of work to do as the 2021/22 season fast approaches. Last term, the Saints could only manage a 15th-place finish in the Premier League despite a positive start. New signings are needed, as well, but as it stands they have only brought in Romain Perraud from French side Stade Brestois (southamptonfc.com).

They have other targets, though, and according to journalist Graeme Bailey, the Saints are interested in signing Jones (90min.com). Sir Alex Ferguson once said the 29-year-old could be the best player ever to play for the Red Devils (Manchester Evening News), but he made just eight appearances in all competitions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last term (Transfermarkt).

The news was shared on Twitter by @SaintsExtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, with one fan calling the update ‘unreal’.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Jones link below

“Not gonna lie,but this is a low point for me”

Credit: @snwilliams10

“No no no and a big big no”

Credit: @Josh_b222

“We’ll become more of a banter club”

Credit: @sfc_Jay

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo”

Credit: @Juddster27

“One word. NO”

Credit: @perraud_time

“i am literally so done with this club its unreal”

Credit: @atterz_

In other news, Saints fans slammed these Martin Semmens comments.

Sheffield Wednesday have endured a difficult start to their 2021/22 campaign following their relegation from the Championship last term.

Darren Moore’s side lost to Huddersfield on penalties after a 0-0 draw in their Carabao Cup match to open the season, before drawing 0-0 with Charlton in their League One curtain-raiser.

This means that they head into a home clash with Doncaster on Saturday without scoring a single goal so far this season and are in need of a positive result to kickstart some momentum.

They face a Doncaster team who lost their first League One match 2-1 against AFC Wimbledon and then beat Walsall on penalties in the Carabao Cup.

Will Moore ring the changes this afternoon? Here is our predicted XI for the match…

We are predicting the Owls boss to make three changes to his team from the trip to east London, all in the final third of the pitch.

He lined up with a 4-3-3 formation against Charlton and we believe that the back five and midfield three will stay the same. Every player outside of the front three achieved a WhoScored rating of 6.5 or higher, with Hutchinson, Iorfa and Bannan all tipping over into the 7/10 bracket.

After failing to score in the league opener, changing the front three could be exactly what Wednesday need. However, the first of our changes may be enforced as Callum Paterson was taken off with a head injury last week, and we are predicting Lee Gregory to take his place as the starting number nine. You may have already read our case for the 32-year-old to get the nod as Moore’s lone striker because of his experience and goalscoring record.

Secondly, we believe that Marvin Johnson will slot in on the left of the front three in place of Jaden Brown. The £6k-per-week dynamo is yet to make his full debut for the Owls after joining from Middlesbrough and this could be Moore’s chance to hand him a start.

Brown lined up on the left against Charlton and recorded a disappointing WhoScored rating of 6.21 as he was dispossessed three times, lost the ball through poor control twice, and created just one chance during the game. The inexperienced 22-year-old could do with being taken out of the firing line after a lacklustre showing.

This is where Johnson could be perfect to come in as he is experienced and proven himself to be a reliable performer at a higher level. The 30-year-old was a regular for Middlesbrough in the Championship in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns, making 38 and 42 appearances respectively – suggesting that he could thrive after dropping down to a lower division.

Finally, Wednesday announced the signing of Theo Corbeanu on loan from Premier League side Wolves earlier this month and he is yet to make his debut for the club. Andre Green put on a disasterclass against Charlton as he registered a dismal WhoScored rating of 5.8, managing zero shots and zero chances created in 64 minutes on the right wing.

This suggests that he does not deserve to keep his place in the starting XI, which opens the door for Corbeanu to come in. Whilst there is little evidence to prove that this would be a good decision, Green’s performance was abysmal and an exciting young talent like Corbeanu could potentially thrive on being given the opportunity to show that he can make the step up to senior football. That is why Moore should gamble and throw him into the side today.

AND in other news, Joe Crann drops update on £8.4k-p/w “big player” which will leave Wednesday fans buzzing…

Southampton confirmed the signing of Romain Perraud recently and the attacking French left-back could change the way Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side set up next season.

Ligue 1 expert Adam White’s thoughts on the Perraud signing:

French football expert Adam White recently sat down with Football FanCast to give his exclusive thoughts on the Saints’ addition of Perraud, saying:

“He’s a very attacking player but also has the defensive acumen to back it up. One-on-one, he is very good defensively, his positioning is very good and he is also very good technically.

“In theory, Southampton’s style of play will suit him. I think he is a really exciting player.

“I really like him as a player and he has a pretty unique skill-set. It’s a big step up but I’d back him to make it.”

Will Southampton change the way they play?

Last season saw Southampton predominantly set up in a 4-2-2-2 system with Ryan Bertrand and Kyle Walker-Peters at left-back and right-back.

Usually, we would see the former Spurs man bombing forward down the right in order to support the attack, whilst Bertrand would often be a lot more conservative and form a three-man defence when Saints were in possession.

After the 31-year-old opted to leave Southampton this summer when his contract expired, a replacement was always going to be necessary, but Perraud seems like a very different player to his predecessor.

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As White suggests, he is extremely attacking, as he registered three goals and seven assists in Ligue 1 last season, whereas Bertrand managed no goals and one assist in the Premier League.

If Perraud is better going forward than Walker-Peters, perhaps we will see a switch with the Englishman playing a more conservative role, as you feel that if Southampton send them both forward, then they could find themselves even more vulnerable to counterattacks.

After conceding the second-most goals in the Premier League last season, Hasenhuttl will want his side to be a lot more defensively sound next season, so given Perraud’s ability in attack, it seems clear that a tactical change will be necessary.

Hopefully, if Southampton’s full-backs can get forward a lot more and contribute with more goals and assists, it could really take them to the next level for the 2021/22 campaign.

And, in other news… Southampton handed huge boost with “fantastic: £27m-rated beast, Hasenhuttl will be relieved

Former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer thinks a lack of money to spend in the transfer window has been detracting managers from the Crystal Palace job.

The south London club are having a hard time replacing Roy Hodgson, with talks to bring ex-Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo to Selhurst Park breaking down earlier this month.

Prior, the likes of Frank Lampard and Eddie Howe were said to be at the top of Palace’s shortlist but nothing materialised.

It has left Palmer a bit baffled, who believes matters regarding the transfer market could be putting managers off.

“I know Steve Parish has done a tremendous job at Crystal Palace, but I don’t know what’s happening with the manager situation there,” the ex-Leeds United player said to FFC.

“They seemed to have been linked with Nuno and people like that and all of a sudden, it’s fizzled out. So I’m thinking that’s to do with the transfer situation with money available, funds available to do the job.”

It would not be a surprise if that was a genuine concern for candidates. Palace are not the largest of spenders in the Premier League, yet spending is something some of the names they have looked at probably wanted to do.

The club have a bunch of players who are set to leave Selhurst Park at the end of the month, so a rebuilding job is on the cards, one that perhaps someone like Nuno felt he needed a lot of money to complete.

Southampton have seemingly missed out on reported target William Saliba this summer, with the Arsenal man set to join Marseille on loan for next season.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side were linked with a move for the 20-year-old defender recently but he will be returning to Ligue 1 on loan for the 2021/22 campaign after spending last season with OGC Nice.

The Athletic journalist David Ornstein confirmed on Twitter that the young centre-back would join Marseille, which comes as a blow to Southampton, as his performances in recent seasons suggest that he could have been a stellar addition at St Mary’s.

Saliba is yet to make an appearance for Arsenal since joining from Saint Etienne in 2019, despite their defensive problems in recent seasons and he could’ve helped to steady the ship at Southampton after Hasenhuttl’s side conceded the second-most goals in the Premier League last season, with only relegated West Brom conceding more.

Last season saw the £16.2m-rated Frenchman make 20 appearances for Nice in Ligue 1, contributing one goal and averaging a solid, if unspectacular, 6.66/10 average rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Had he replicated those performances at Southampton, he would’ve been rated as the joint-10th best performer in Hasenhuttl’s squad, which suggests that he would’ve been a worthwhile addition this summer.

Although Arsenal are unlikely to want to sell the defender permanently, a loan move to Southampton would’ve suited both parties, as he could’ve established himself as a key player at St Mary’s and furthered his development by earning some valuable experience in the Premier League.

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Saliba has won a lot of plaudits for his performances in Ligue 1 in recent seasons, with French youth coach Jean-Luc Vannuchi singing his praises after he joined Arsenal, saying:

“My first impression was that this was the biggest man of his generation.

“The difference between him and the other players was massive.

“When he took the ball and ran into midfield, no one could stop him. He was like a monster compared to the others. When he played with St-Etienne it looked normal for him, even though he was so young.”

He also compared his playing style to that of Virgil van Dijk and Raphael Varane, which suggests that he could’ve been an excellent signing for the Saints, and Hasenhuttl should be disappointed that he has instead opted to join Marseille.

And, in other news… Hasenhuttl could evolve his Saints attack with swoop for gem with “such talent”