All posts by n8rngtd.top

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Lee Hendrie has tipped Watford winger Ismaila Sarr to join Liverpool or another top-six side in the near future.

According to TEAMtalk, both Liverpool and rivals Manchester United were interested in signing Sarr last year in a potential £40m deal. However, in the end, nothing materialised and the 23-year-old ended up staying at Vicarage Road.

He is now spearheading Watford’s promotion push as the Hornets look to make a quick return to the Premier League following their relegation last season, managing to both score and create goals for his side this term.

When asked whether his old side Aston Villa, who were also linked with Sarr last year, should target the player again, Hendrie told FFC:

“I just think when you’re being linked with Liverpool, I personally think that he will end up going to if anything, maybe a top-five club, just because he’s had that sort of talk of him going to Liverpool – maybe they still have that interest.

“I think if he goes anywhere, I mean it’d be great to have a link with him, but personally I think he’d end up going to a top-five club if he was going to go anywhere.”

Signing Premier League talent has certainly worked for Liverpool of late. The Reds signed Diogo Jota from Wolves in the last summer transfer window and the Portuguese attacker has not disappointed, recently dismantling Arsenal in an impressive 3-0 win.

A number of Liverpool fans have been reacting to a stunning run by Mohamed Salah during international duty with Egypt.

The 28-year-old has matured into one of the biggest names in world football in the last few years following his incredible performances for the Reds.

Salah has scored a remarkable 119 goals in 192 appearances for Liverpool, chipping in with 45 assists for good measure.

This season, the Egyptian has carried his side’s attack in many ways, with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino out of form and Diogo Jota injured for several months.

It isn’t just at club level where Salah is the main man, either, with the world-class forward Egypt’s undisputed star player. He has scored 43 times in 69 caps for his country, inspiring them to the 2018 World Cup, and is mobbed everywhere he goes in his homeland.

On Monday, Salah produced a stunning Lionel Messi-esque run in during Egpyt’s 4-0 win over Comoros, with the Reds superstar also scoring twice.

Liverpool fans laud Salah

Here are the best reactions from Reds supporters on Twitter as they showed their love for Salah.

“Imagine he got a goal out of it. Oh my days, he’s too good”

Credit: @tashaaa2000

“Salah cAnt dRibbLe”
Credit: @SmittyJimbo
“Ramos shaking”

Credit: @NazH92

“Reminiscent to the Watford game”
Credit: @CurtisEra20

“Real Madrid, he is coming for you…”
Credit: @ournumberfour
“Messi who?”Credit: @abougalala_adam

In other news, some Liverpool fans are worried about the future of one Reds player after a big transfer report on Monday. Read more here.

Sheffield Wednesday’s decision to send Aden Flint back in January is now looking worse by the week.

The 31-year-old arrived at Hillsborough in the summer as one of Garry Monk’s eight signings, arriving alongside the likes of Jack Marriott and Izzy Brown on a season-long loan.

That was cut short at the start of January, presumably by Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri as Monk’s successor – Tony Pulis – was sacked a week prior to the decision.

The towering 6 foot 5 centre-back picked up a hamstring problem in only his fourth appearance for the south Yorkshire giants, and returned to parent club Cardiff City for treatment following surgery.

Flint has gone onto feature regularly for the Welsh outfit since the Bluebirds changed their own manager, replacing Neil Harris with Mick McCarthy.

The wily veteran was surprised by the decision to let the former Bristol City and Boro defender leave. He said, via The Star: “I’ve always really rated him as a centre-back and I was surprised to hear he had gone out of our club on loan. He’s been fantastic for me.”

He has started their last 14 matches in the Championship, coinciding with a phenomenal run of matches that has seen them lose just once – to promotion favourites Watford.

The £2.25m-rated colossus has even scored in that time, meaning he now has more goals than both of the Owls’ remaining loanees, Marriott (zero) and Brown (zero) combined.

To make matters worse, new Wednesday boss Darren Moore has had an injury crisis, with 11 players on the treatment table, but it is a particular concern at centre-back.

Dominic Iorfa was ruled out for the season. Joost van Aken limped off with a groin problem before suffering a fresh setback for the U23s. Sam Hutchinson wasn’t risked against Barnsley. Liam Shaw picked up a knock and also missed the South Yorkshire derby. And Chey Dunkley has been absent with a long-standing hamstring issue.

That’s five viable central defensive options out. If Moore had the services of Flint, then perhaps it would have been a completely different story.

Instead, he’s helping propel Cardiff up the table all whilst the Owls continue to battle out a relegation dogfight.

Flint has been so key to McCarthy’s fortunes too – his 7.16 WhoScored rating is only bettered by two other players, and would sit comfortably atop Wednesday’s standings, with Callum Paterson scoring a 6.90 as their top goalscorer.

Chansiri made a massive mistake with Flint, and now Sheffield Wednesday are dealing with the consequences.

AND in other news, Sheffield Wednesday could land their next Fernando Forestieri in “undoubted talent”…

Tottenham Hotspur legend Gary Mabbutt has told Football FanCast that Spurs could still finish as high as second in the Premier League table.

Spurs had fallen as low as ninth under manager Jose Mourinho but have enjoyed a three-game winning run that has seen them beat Burnley, Fulham, and Crystal Palace.

That has left Mourinho’s men in seventh, five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea but with a game in hand.

Such is the congested nature of the Premier League table, Spurs are nine points behind Manchester United in second but, again, they have a game in hand.

Both West Ham United and Everton, in fifth and sixth respectively, have played the same amount of games as Tottenham, but Mabbutt is quietly optimistic that the north London club can still force their way into the top four.

Spurs have an interesting run-in and they still have to play both United and Everton, while they also meet Leicester City on the final day.

Those three games could well define how Spurs finish the season.

Speaking to FFC, Mabbutt was asked if this was the tightest top-four race he’d seen and whether he could see Spurs potentially being able to finish third.

He replied: “Absolutely, if not higher. We have a game in hand on Manchester United, if we win that game in hand, I think we’re only six points behind them.

“People were talking about Spurs, three or four weeks ago, crikey, a dip in form and look at them lying in eighth place in the table. They were top of the table in December.”

The weekend’s set of Premier League fixtures only served to spotlight how crazy results have been this season, as United beat Manchester City and Liverpool lost at home to relegation-threatened Fulham.

Mabbutt added: “I can’t talk about results anymore, because it’s totally bizarre. The results that we are seeing, I think probably over the weekend, the only result that went as you’d expect was the Spurs result.

“All the other results, Man City will have expected to beat United, Liverpool at home to Fulham. Liverpool, six straight defeats after 68 games unbeaten. It’s a totally bizarre season that we’ll probably never see again.”

Sheffield Wednesday are likely to go into tonight’s crunch match without one of their star performers…

What’s the latest?

According to YorkshireLive, Owls centre-back Chey Dunkley is facing ‘another spell on the sidelines’ after picking up a hamstring injury in training last week.

Indeed, the towering 29-year-old was a notable absentee on Sunday as Darren Moore’s side suffered a seventh successive defeat at the hands of league leaders Norwich City.

Whilst it remains to be seen how severe the issue is, hamstring problems can take several weeks to heal fully, so it would be a surprise to see him involved this evening as Wednesday host arch-rivals Huddersfield Town at Hillsborough Stadium.

Big blow for Moore

The Owls currently sit second from bottom, some seven points adrift of safety and of Birmingham City, who sacked their manager last week.

Tonight’s opposition aren’t too far away from being drawn into the dogfight either as the Terriers occupy 18th place, so tonight’s result is a crucial one for both teams but especially for Moore.

His new side need to start picking up points otherwise they might as well be planning for life in League One, at this rate.

And without Dunkley, the 46-year-old’s task gets even harder because the former Oxford and Wigan powerhouse has been one of the only shining lights in this miserable season.

In terms of average WhoScored rating for the current campaign, Dunkley ranks fifth (6.68), where he has proven to be the best centre-back at the club for reading the game having averaged two interceptions per game.

That sort of presence will be vital in thwarting the opposition, though that is something Moore is going to be without tonight.

He’s not just a colossal presence to have at the back either as he can chip in with goals too – at Wigan, he found the net 13 times. Only three Owls players have scored more than three goals this season, and they’re all forwards.

Speaking about his aerial ability and threat, former Latics teammate Sam Morsy lauded Dunkley “unbelievable” and claimed he was “lethal” in one to one situations, so his interception returns are now hardly a surprise.

Evidently, Moore could do with a player like Dunkley right now. He must find a way to stop the rot, and without the £10k-per-week beast, it’s a massive blow to his chances of doing so.

With only 11 games to play, the Yorkshire giants need him back sooner rather than later.

AND in other news, Moore could save Sheffield Wednesday thousands next season with “terrific” 20 y/o gem…

Many fans of West Ham United have been reacting to a post on Twitter in which Declan Rice reflected on the club’s recent victory over Leeds United.

Rice impressed in West Ham’s 2-0 Premier League win against Marcelo Bielsa’s side, with the 22-year-old winning six duels and making four clearances, two interceptions and three tackles over the course of the 90 minutes [SofaScore], earning a match rating of 7.2 for his efforts.

Following the victory, which saw West Ham climb to fifth place in the Premier League, the £49.5m-rated Rice took to Twitter, stating his belief that the Hammers’ win was “not the prettiest of performances” before calling for fans of the club to “keep enjoying the ride” this season.

In reaction, many fans of West Ham flocked to have their say on the matter, with a few heaping considerable praise on the England international for his “unbelievable” performance on Monday night.

So, what exactly did these West Ham United fans have to say in reaction to Declan Rice’s post on Twitter?

“Captain leading us to something special.”

@westhamtransfer

“Keep going captain, unreal again.”

@WestHam_Central

“The sign of a good team is winning when not playing well Declan Rice. 3 points in the bag and we mooooooove.”

@rhysj39

“Get in Declan! Quality performance tonight, it’s a pleasure to watch the player you are becoming. Never leave us please you’re already taking this club to new levels. Keep it up, man!”

@AdamAllchin

“Terrific fighting spirit & togetherness again, the desire to keep on improving & not being satisfied with just winning but playing better is the drive that will end with a high league position. Keep it up All of You. COYI.”

@richiewhite25

“Class player, will love to see you lead us in Europe.”

@ScoutSoucek

“Still getting the win as well as a clean sheet when we didn’t play that well shows how far we have come!! MY CAPTAIN. Keep going, European nights are pending.”

@MatthewFairle11

“Brilliant again skipper and keep on those pens!!”

@LeeBo

“Another game, another masterclass. Well played Dec!”

@WHUKasp

“Unbelievable once again.”

@rosswhu3

In other news: Many West Ham fans responded to this club update, find out more here!

According to The Mirror, Manchester United remain interested in Sevilla hotshot Jules Kounde as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seeks to bolster his defensive options in the summer.

What’s the word?

Despite finding themselves second in the table, the Red Devils have conceded 27 goals in 21 Premier League games this season.

And now, The Mirror claim that Solskjaer is prepared to wait until the summer before bolstering his defence, with Kounde now his prime target.

It is understood that Solskjaer views the £60m-rated 22-year-old Frenchman as his ideal centre-back partner for Harry Maguire, who arrived at Old Trafford in an £80m move from Leicester City in 2019.

Rio Ferdinand 2.0?

The Norwegian has Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and youngster Axel Tuanzebe available at his disposal, with the latter three jostling for position to bag the spot beside the club captain at the back, each with varying degrees of success.

Bailly has battled various injuries over the years, whilst it’s fair to say that Lindelof has looked defensively shaky this season, and Tuanzebe is still relatively inexperienced, despite impressing in the Champions League.

Despite being shorter than Rio Ferdinand, Kounde shares a lot of similarities with the club legend and former England international.

Just like Ferdinand, while some centre-backs will soley focus on the defensive aspect of the game, the French national has shown no hesitation in attempting to carry the ball forward or play out from the back, having scored one goal in 17 top-flight appearances in La Liga this season, as evidenced by his 0.9 dribbles per 90 minutes during his time with Sevilla.

But that doesn’t mean that his defensive contributions should go unnoticed, either, as he is prepared to get stuck in to deny clear-cut chances for the opposition.

Per WhoScored, Kounde is currently averaging more interceptions (1.3) and clearances per match than Tuanzebe and he commits fewer fouls than Lindelof’s 1.1.

In his last season with Bordeaux, he averaged 1.3 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 5.4 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

It’s these kind of performances that led Sevilla sporting director Monchi describing the defender as “one of the sensations of French football.”

Kounde could add a touch of class in the heart of the United defence, considering his experience in the Champions League, and he still has room to improve at the age of 22, which is precisely why Ed Woodward should sanction such a move.

AND in other news, Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka was Solskjaer’s only silver lining in Arsenal draw…

Many West Bromwich Albion fans have flocked to a tweet from Joseph Masi that recently emerged on social media.

Masi relayed a tweet which carried a transfer update for the Baggies. He said that West Brom have now agreed a deal with Galatasaray to sign striker Mbaye Diagne on a loan deal.

Sky Sports have reported that the deal does have an option to buy the player permanently and the club are now making their arrangements to fly Diagne to the UK as soon as they can. They now also have permission to speak to the player.

The report states that signing a striker this month has been a top priority for Sam Allardyce and while he had an interest in Christian Benteke, the Belgian is set to stay at Crystal Palace. Sky Sports also stated that the Baggies have made a loan offer for Jesse Lingard, but the loan fee and wages could become a problem for them.

The Senegalese Diagne has played 15 times in the league for Galatasaray this season, scoring nine times so far. He also scored twice for them in three Europa League qualifying games earlier in the campaign (as per Transfermarkt).

Masi’s tweet caught the attention of many West Brom fans, who gave their opinion about the potential signature of Diagne.

What did West Brom fans make of this news about Diagne?

“No idea if he’s any good but if he’s mobile, that will do.”

Credit: @_the_a_bis

“No idea how good he is but has to be better than the current incumbents.”

Credit: @Alan4NewportSal

“At this point, I’d rather just save the money and start planning for the Championship.”

Credit: @turner14guvnor

“As long as he has a pair of boots, I don’t care, something has to change personnel-wise.”

Credit: @CHawthorns

“That’s a good bit of business that. Need a few more mind, but it’s a good start.”

Credit: @RobPaddock16

“Couple of defenders and a couple of midfielders then we may have a chance. As long as they’re of Premier League quality that is !!”

Credit: @BAGGIEBAIL

“It’s a start.”

Credit: @Aaron2wba

In other news, West Brom have been linked with a lower league star – read more here.

When Aston Villa signed Scott Hogan for a then Championship record of £15m in January 2017, the club would no doubt have expected the striker to deliver on his money’s worth.

Speaking after his signing, then Villa boss Steve Bruce declared: “He has got that hunger in his belly. He’ll give us something that’s been lacking.”

Sadly for Hogan and the club, he was nothing short of a disaster in his time at Villa Park. In total, he managed just ten goals in 61 games, whilst he spent the previous couple of campaigns on loan at Sheffield United, Stoke and then rivals Birmingham.

After getting into a bit of form for the Blues – he bagged seven goals in 17 games last season – the club decided to make his loan move from Villa into something more permanent.

And if Villa have been watching Hogan’s season thus far, then they will be absolutely laughing all the way to the bank.

The 28-year-old has struggled immensely to rediscover the kind of form that convinced Birmingham to

bring him in last summer, managing a measly two goals in 16 games in all competitions.

That hasn’t been down to him making substitute appearances either, with 14 of those matches actually seeing him start from the off. He’s averaged less than a shot per game this campaign in the Championship, evidence of a striker who is woefully out of form and can’t find himself in the positions to test the goalkeeper.

As per Whoscored, his average match rating this season of 6.31 actually ranks him 20th among all Birmingham City players, with only four players below him. Hogan has been shocking virtually all season, and the man with eight caps for the Republic of Ireland looks nothing like the player that convinced Villa to part big money with to sign.

Johan Lange played an absolute blinder by getting rid of him last summer.

Meanwhile, Villa must unleash this academy starlet in the Premier League…

Glasgow Rangers will want to avenge their loss to St. Mirren in the Betfred Cup when they travel to Paisley to take on the Saints in the Scottish Premiership on Wednesday afternoon.

Steven Gerrard will be well aware that it won’t be a walk in the park for the 54-time Scottish champions, having borne witness to a humiliating last-gasp defeat at the hands of Jim Goodwin’s side earlier this month.

Besides that humbling defeat, Rangers have been in scintillating form since the start of the season, with 18 wins, two draws and no defeats in the top flight. But with games coming thick and fast this month and next – they play Celtic three days after facing the Saints – Gerrard will want to rotate his squad in the midst of a busy schedule.

With that in mind, Gerrard may decide to bring Calvin Bassey back into the fold to face the Saints at St. Mirren Park.

The 20-year-old has featured seven times in the Premiership this season, but has only started on three occasions so far, with his last appearance coming by way of the fateful quarter-final against St. Mirren in the Scottish League Cup.

He has been left as an unused substitute on the bench for the past three games in the top flight, with 28-year-old defender Borna Barisic preferred in his place instead.

Gerrard’s undisputed first-choice left-back put in an immense shift against Hibernian, but if the Ibrox boss does decide to give Barisic a break, then Bassey surely must be his first port of call to replace the Croatian on the left side.

Equally capable of playing at centre-back or full-back, the Englishman, who turns 21 in a matter of days, could cause Goodwin’s side all sorts of problems bombing up and down the flanks with his bursts of pace and pinging crosses into the box.

Gerrard has been effusive in his praise for the Leicester City academy product, telling reporters after the Europa League game against Standard Liege:

“I thought Calvin was outstanding. For someone who has very little experience, to come into a game as big as that and at that level and perform the way he did made us very proud.

“He’s a fantastic kid, a kid who wants to learn, who wants grow and evolve and with team we’re really confident we can help polish him up and get him to become even better than he is.

“He’s got real interesting attributes right now and he showed them on Thursday night, which was fantastic to see.”

In seven appearances in the Premiership this season, Bassey is averaging 1.7 tackles and one interception per game, via WhoScored.

It’s fair to say that the youngster has turned out to be an absolute gem ever since he arrived at Ibrox in the summer. He bagged his first goal for the club against Falkirk in the Betfred Cup and his endurance and durability could be key for the Gers keeping another clean sheet if he is selected.

AND in other news, Steven Gerrard dealt huge blow as Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack remains sidelined due to injury…