All posts by n8rngtd.top

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Former Celtic captain Jackie McNamara reckons Olivier Ntcham could be a useful presence in the Hoops squad next season, despite transfer interest in the player, as reported by Football Insider.

What’s he said?

Ntcham found himself struggling to make as many starts as other midfielders at the Hoops last season with the emergence of Ryan Christie keeping him out of the team for long spells.

The Daily Record reported late last month that Marseille were keen on adding him to their squad, with France Football later reporting the Hoops’ asking price was as high as €17m (£15.13m).

McNamara was asked about the club receiving that kind of fee, noting that if Celtic want to maintain success then Neil Lennon will need a deep squad.

Keith from C’mon the Hoops throws back to player who was both a Hoop by name and by nature in the video below…

As quoted by Football Insider, the former full-back said:

“He’s linked with that before, they must think they’ll get that for him, with his age and everything else. It remains to be seen if they get that, recoup that money for him.

“He’s not played but you can only play 11 players. As backup, you’ve seen with injuries and different things over the season, Neil will need a squad for the season ahead. He’s not just going to use the 11 players that start every week.

“Between the qualifiers for the Champions League and the cup competitions they’ll be playing as well as the league, he’ll need a decent squad going ahead this season.”

Spot on from McNamara

It’s true that Ntcham is a very effective squad option and undoubtedly has the kind of quality Celtic need to compete domestically and in Europe next season.

Although there’s potentially big money on offer for him this summer, the Hoops shouldn’t be looking to weaken the squad in any way ahead of next season – McNamara is absolutely right that the Celtic team needs considerable depth.

Unless there’s a ready made replacement set to come in, the argument for keeping the Frenchman is strong, even if he isn’t quite as consistent as some supporters would like and even if he doesn’t start every game.

Celtic’s transfer priority also revolves around selling players at their peak value. Ntcham still has room for improvement at the club and if Neil Lennon can get him playing well next term he could be worth even more next summer.

That’s something to keep in mind for the club over the next few months.

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Many Crystal Palace fans have been saying goodbye to outcast forward Bakary Sako after he announced his departure from the club on the social media platform.

The 31-year-old confirmed that he’s leaving Selhurst Park at the expiry of his current contract after almost four years of service over two separate spells on Thursday afternoon.

Sako, a 19-time international with the Mali national team, first hooked up with the Eagles in the summer of 2015 joining from then-Sky Bet Championship outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers.

He was released a year ago before being picked up by West Bromwich Albion early last winter and eventually returning to south London on a free transfer in January.

The versatile forward capable of playing all across the attack has never quite been able to have the impact that was expected of him at Palace, but this hasn’t stopped supporters bidding him a fond farewell.

See for yourself, below…

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It must be said that last season, apart from up front where there was a clear lack of goals, the defence was the biggest weakness for Southampton.

It was one of the areas rather slower to improve after the arrival of Ralph Hasenhuttl than others, with the Saints conceding 65 goals in the Premier League in 2018/2019.

But the problem wasn’t necessarily the defence as a unit, with Yan Valery at right-back and Ryan Bertrand at left-back largely performing well when they were on the pitch. Instead, it was the central defence.

A solid partnership between two or three players at centre-back was hard to come by with Jan Bednarek, Jan Vestergaard, Jack Stephens and Maya Yoshida all interchanging and having their struggles at various points.

That is why it is particularly strange to see a lack of transfer rumours linking the south coast club with central defenders so far this summer transfer window.

Wonderkid William Saliba of Saint-Etienne has been the only real name from the position connected to a move to St Mary’s by rumours.

This may suggest that the 51-year-old is looking to mostly use the options already at his disposal in the centre-back ranks next season.

And one would very much feel that the better defenders last campaign were Bednarek and Vestergaard, so perhaps he’s planning to blood the pair for the long-term.

Southampton fans! Would you want Adam Lallana back at St. Mary’s this summer? One fan has his say in the video below…

Bednarek and Vestergaard together

The duo are relatively unproven together and it would be a huge risk to hardly recruit in central defence this summer with the view to making them the first-choice centre-half partnership.

However, Vestergaard was rated Southampton’s best player on average by WhoScored last season and weighed in with some excellent statistics in the process, partly achieved alongside Bednarek who enjoyed a wonderful breakthrough term in the Premier League.

With the 26-year-old in the starting Xl, the Saints won 34.8% of the time in 2018/19 compared to just 6.7% when he didn’t feature or only featured from the substitutes’ bench, per WhoScored. He clearly makes a huge difference.

From what we know of Hasenhuttl at previous clubs, he likes to play four at the back with two centre-backs despite often opting for three as he battled to keep the Saints afloat in the first few months of 2019.

That fact is yet more evidence he could be planning to pair up the Polish international with his Danish international colleague, and don’t be surprised if they’re fielded alongside one another come the first match in August.

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Leeds United fans on Twitter are excited about the prospect of Helder Costa signing after he followed the club on Instagram.

Of course, Leeds fans have been stung by mixed messages through social media before. Last summer a number of supporters believed that Abel Hernandez was set to sign for the club after a post he put on his profile, but he ended up signing for CSKA Moscow instead.

That hasn’t stopped them from getting just as worked up this time as many supporters believe that a deal to sign the 25-year-old is likely to happen.

The Yorkshire club have been heavily linked with a loan move for the Portuguese winger, but Wolves haven’t been the easiest team to negotiate with.

The Midlands club have already reportedly been looking at a swap deal with United which would see Kalvin Phillips go the other way.

Despite no reports of a move being agreed yet, fans believe that this development is a sign that their first summer signing is imminent.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

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Rangers fans are not happy with Charlton manager Lee Bowyer after his outspoken comments on Joe Aribo’s move to Ibrox.

As reported by The Daily Record, Bowyer was highly critical of Aribo after rejecting the chance to stay on in the English Championship and move to Steven Gerrard’s side in Glasgow.

Aribo has still not been officially unveiled as a Rangers player, but with Gerrard already waxing lyrical about the impact he can make at Ibrox next season then it’s clear he is on his way.

The fans in the video below had some very strong words for Michel Platini who was detained over alleged corruption this week…

As quoted by The Record, the Charlton boss said of the situation:

“It doesn’t make sense on the football side. When people from England go and play for Celtic and Rangers it is at the end of their careers. That’s because it is very rare you get a move from Rangers to the Premier League, and I don’t mean any disrespect by that.

“They might go from Rangers to the Championship, very rarely is it to the Premier League. For me he should stay in England and keep progressing. The move should benefit Joe.”

The move to Scotland is also less beneficial for the London club than if he moved to an English side due to cross-border compensation rules. The paper say that Aribo will move north for a fee of just £300,000.

It’s fair to say the comments haven’t gone down well with Rangers supporters, some of whom feel they have a touch of sour grapes about them and others believing he is inaccurate about players’ lack of development at Ibrox.

Watch Rangers Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

These fans have taken to Twitter over the last 48 hours to share their thoughts…

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Sheffield United fans are hopeful that Ravel Morrison will come good at Bramall Lane after it was announced that the troublesome midfielder was training with the club.

The 24-year-old’s career has been a rollercoaster up until this point. He was once heralded as one of the most talented youngsters Alex Ferguson had ever seen, but a series of attitude problems led to his career taking a huge dip.

Morrison’s most recent club was Danish outfit Ostersunds, but no goals and no assists in six appearances led to him leaving the club after just six months.

Watch Sheffield United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

He’s on the hunt for his newest team, and it looks like Sheffield United could be willing to give him a chance to return to the Premier League.

Chris Wilder has been brilliant at bringing the best out of players in the past. David McGoldrick is a fantastic example of this, just 12 months after being released from Ipswich he won the Blades’ Player of the Year award.

“Finding a Lionel Messi in Sheffield… bit of a tall order!” – Watch Championship fans attempt to name their clubs’ Messi in the video below…

United fans are hopeful that Wilder can once again work his magic on Morrison and finally make him realise the potential that Ferguson once saw in him.

Here’s what the Bramall Lane faithful have been saying on Twitter…

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Loads of Everton fans are reacting to some comments from Yannick Bolasie, who still believes he has a future at Goodison Park.

Everton have made some truly woeful signings in the last few years. Sandro Ramirez scored once for the club in 16 appearances before being shipped off on loan, while Davy Klaassen mustered just an assist in his 16 games before leaving.

And Bolasie might just be one of the worst of the lot, appearing just 32 times since his £25m move in 2016.

While this is mainly because he has been loaned out multiple times and suffered through a lengthy knee injury, it is also because he is simply not good enough to play for the Toffees, and fans are letting him know that after he reaffirmed his desire to fight for his place at Goodison.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

“Logically, if I really wanted to think, I’d just put my career first and say I’m going back to Everton,” he said during AFCON, as reported by The Liverpool Echo.

“I feel myself, I’m back sharp, and I’d go and do a full pre-season, which I haven’t had in two years and which makes the difference to anyone’s season. For me, it’s not a case of coming here to try and turn myself around.

“I want to play at the Africa Cup of Nations to the best of my ability, but I’m also taking the tournament as preparation for pre-season going into the next season.”

It’s hard not to respect the 30 year-old’s motivation to get back in the picture on Merseyside, but it seems unlikely given his past form for the club, and the Twitter reactions down below are having none of it…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

According to The Mirror, Liverpool’s transfer window is set to be a quiet one.

They’ve already confirmed the addition of teenage centre-back Sepp van den Berg, but it doesn’t appear as though there will be much activity beyond that after recent developments.

A potential move for Ousmane Dembele has suffered a setback after it was revealed he wanted to stay at Barcelona, whilst they also have no plans to make an offer for Nicolas Pepe.

So with that in mind, those already waiting on the fringes will have to make the step up.

On the chalkboard

Central to Jurgen Klopp’s plans throughout the first half of last season was Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri.

Signed from a relegated Stoke side, it was another chance to show whether he could do it a top club. Previously, he’d failed to really produce the goods at Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, scoring 12 goals across 63 Bundesliga and Serie A matches.

His form at one point last term was impressive though, netting five goals and claiming three assists across 13 games for the Reds towards the beginning of the 2018/19 campaign.

However, he finished the season with a tally of six strikes and hasn’t actually found the net since Boxing Day last year.

For all the quality he brought Klopp, he now has to improve significantly, particularly if they want to bridge the minuscule gap of one point between them and Manchester City.

He may have played fewer games than a term where he racked up 15 goal involvements for Stoke, but it was also his all-round contribution that was inferior at Liverpool too.

You can relive Liverpool’s Champions League celebrations in glorious 2D thanks to the guys at 442oons in the video below…

In 2017/18, he managed 1.9 shots per game and a further 2.1 key passes an outing.

Yet, at Liverpool, it was far worse. For the Merseyside outfit he only registered 1.1 shots per game whilst as far as creativity was concerned, he only played 0.8 key passes.

In a team of higher quality, that should arguably be better than what he mustered when playing for the Potters.

But once again, it is evidence, despite his early-season form, that he perhaps doesn’t have what it takes in a high-class side.

With Liverpool seemingly reluctant to buy, increased faith might be put on Shaqiri as an alternative plan. As such, he’ll need to make huge improvements in terms of the influence he has in attack.

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Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed by Le Parisien that Real Betis are closing in on a €30m (£27m) move for Lyon forward Real Betis.

Of course, you may be wondering why this would be of interest to Reds supporters, but those who were around last summer will know exactly why. 

“The worst we’ve played all season” but “our most straightforward final since 2003” – a Liverpool fan reflects on the UCL final in the video below…

The France international came within inches of moving to Anfield in a £53m swoop last year, but saw a move collapse due to concerns with the player’s medical results – in the end, the Merseysiders pulled the plug on the deal.

Some fans had hoped to see that interest reignited this summer as the 5 foot 8 attacker reportedly became available for a cheaper price than that £53m figure, so the news that the 25-year-old may be heading to Real Betis has sparked a discussion on Twitter.

Fekir hit 12 goals and recorded nine assists last season, and could well have been a decent addition for Jurgen Klopp next term judging by those numbers.

Let’s take a look at what the Liverpool fans on Twitter are saying about the latest news on Fekir…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Giovani Lo Celso could make a huge move to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, per the Daily Mirror.

The Real Betis midfielder could become the club’s record signing, with a £70m fee mooted. It would eclipse the £53.8m that was paid earlier this summer for midfielder Tanguy Ndombele.

What exactly would the Argentina international bring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, though?

Per Understat, Lo Celso is most often deployed as an attacking midfielder and he is a remarkably intricate player.

He made a total of 27 key passes in the 2018/19 season and 18 of them came in the penalty area. A key pass in this metric means a pass leading to a shot. He had just seven outside of the box.

Seven of his goals – he scored nine in La Liga – came in the penalty area, too, with only one coming from outside. One came from inside the six-yard box.

Indeed, Lo Celso had the highest expected goals (xG) rate in the area as well as the highest expected assists (xA) number compared to anywhere else on the pitch.

To analyse his shot map is to see a player who regularly tries the spectacular; he missed seven efforts from outside the box and five from inside. His goal actually came from inside the D, too, rather than being a 30-yard screamer.

His creative output, though, pales in comparison with the man he could replace: Christian Eriksen.

The Denmark international confirmed after the Champions League final that he could leave the club this summer but his intricacy is unmatched by Lo Celso.

Per Understat, Eriksen laid on 73 key passes last season – 46 more than the Betis star – and 42 of them came in the penalty area. He registered seven assists in the area to Lo Celso’s three.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, the current Spurs star scored just twice inside the box, with an xG of 2.15.

Lo Celso, then, is an option that adds something the club do not already have. He is a less nuanced attacking threat than Eriksen but he does score more goals.

He needs to pass the ball more, though, and attempt to find his team-mates on a more regular basis.

Spurs are a bigger club than Betis and they have the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Son Heung-Min to call upon. If Lo Celso is passing the ball to those three, his stats will likely increase.

But, even still, he will have to go some way to match the creative output presented by Eriksen.