All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

A number of Liverpool fans have been bemoaning a statistic regarding Thiago, claiming the Reds have ‘ruined’ him after a stunning run of trophy wins.

The Spaniard was a hugely exciting summer arrival from Bayern Munich last year, having earned a reputation as one of the world’s best central midfielders.

Thiago had starred for Bayern in their treble-winning 2019/20 campaign, which culminated in them winning the Champions League.

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The 29-year-old’s first season at Liverpool has been a disappointment, however, with a three-month injury absence curtailing his progress significantly.

He came back into a team in crisis, with injuries all over the place and key men performing well below their usual world-class level.

Liverpool’s failure to defend their Premier League crown means Thiago’s run of 11 straight seasons of winning at least one trophy will come to an end, as pointed out by @PassLikeThiago on Twitter.

Liverpool fans think Reds have broken Thiago

These Reds supporters have been left horrified by the statistic, providing their thoughts on Twitter.

“We may have ruined his career”

Credit: @VadaVanDijk

“I feel sorry for him, we’ve ruined him”

Credit: @Liverpo87055988

“We’re an embarrassment”

Credit: @umyaknowwhat

“Welcome to Liverpool”

Credit: @LFC_9ja

“We are…inevitable”

Credit: @GraemeKelly1

“I am so embarrassed”

Credit: @anfieldhb

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In other news, some Liverpool fans are excited about a journalist’s update on a reported summer target. Read more here.

Everton put in a very poor display against Manchester City on Sunday afternoon, losing 3-0 without any sign or attempt of getting back into the game throughout.

Rafa Benitez’s side has been riddled with injuries over the last three months of the season, with many key players missing from the action all over the pitch from defence to attack, Demarai Gray joined the long list of injuries 16 minutes into the Man City game.

Going into the City game at the Etihad, Everton weren’t favourites after losing four out of their last five games, but the reluctance to be direct and build play cost the side massively as well as a very shoddy defensive display from the backline.

Everton only had 22% possession on Sunday, with just 4 shots compared to Manchester City’s 17 attempts.

In fairness, Manchester City put in two moments of magic on goal with an outstanding assist from Joao Cancelo that led to a Raheem Sterling goal and a long-range masterpiece from Rodri, that Pickford was never getting a glove to.

The only glimmer of hope came from 30-year-old Andros Townsend, who played an energetic and committed variation of a ten role and centre midfield in today’s game against the Premier League champions.

No player in the team made more key passes than Townsend today (2) and managed more successful dribbles than any other teammate completing four, as recorded by WhoScored.

Townsend has proven himself to be a fantastic utility player for the club, where he signed on a free transfer securing a two year deal with the Toffees in the summer after his contract expired with Crystal Palace.

The Premier League veteran has played for a number of teams at the highest level, which has given him the experience and ability to read games and tactics, something that his less experienced teammates clearly struggled to do in today’s match.

The attacker was, by far, the best Everton player on the pitch today, this reflected in his SofaScore rating of 7.3/10, which was the highest rating in the team.

Rafa Benitez will be hoping that key players can return from injury as soon as possible, as the side has a number of difficult fixtures coming up and they need to start establishing form to get back inside the top half of the table, especially after Tottenham won their game with Leeds, which pushes Everton further adrift.

In other news: Gordon could develop an attacking partnership with Townsend

Aston Villa winger Bertrand Traore appears to have suffered a fresh injury while on international duty with Burkina Faso, as reported by Birmingham Live.

As to be expected, a number of Villa supporters have been reacting to the news on social media.

The 26-year-old has struggled to get his 2021/22 campaign going after suffering a hamstring injury in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Liverpool back in August.

He is yet to start a Premier League game this season but did feature against Everton and Tottenham as a substitute prior to the current international break.

However, it seems as if Traore has picked up a new problem, with Birmingham Live claiming that he missed Burkina Faso’s 2-0 win over Djibouti on Monday due to injury.

Villa fans react

The AVFC Faithful shared the news regarding Traore on Twitter on Monday afternoon. Here is what these fans had to say in reply, with many frustrated and one labelling the winger as a ‘class player’ while lamenting his injury record.

“Here we go again”

Credit: @deep_645

“Oh”

Credit: @DG_Avfc_2

“Is our whole squad just broken”

Credit: @roberton_sj

“Class player… Made out of Weetabix.”

Credit: @STRACH_AVFC

“No luck fc”

Credit: @buendiazboyz

“El Ghazi to the rescue!”

Credit: @hafizstar

In other news: Smith looking to pip Arteta again as Aston Villa eye move for ace who has the same agency as Mings

According to transfer ‘insider’ Graeme Bailey, writing for 90min, West Ham United have set their sights on a fresh target as news emerges on Lille defender Sven Botman.

The Lowdown: West Ham in defensive crisis…

Injuries to both Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma have prompted David Moyes to search for new centre-back signings in the looming January transfer window.

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Premier League trio James Tarkowksi, Nathan Ake and Nathaniel Phillips are the most heavily linked with a move to the London Stadium as things stand, but that hasn’t stopped other names from entering the fray.

Recently, a report from Italy claimed that West Ham could set their sights on Torino powerhouse Gleison Bremer, Juventus outcast Daniele Rugani or Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic (Calciomercato).

Now, as per 90min, it appears that Moyes and transfer chief Rob Newman have another new name on the agenda.

The Latest: Transfer insider breaks news…

According to transfer insider Bailey, writing for 90min, West Ham have made a pre-January approach to sign Ligue 1 sensation Botman in the form of an enquiry.

It is believed that the 21-year-old is attracting plenty of interest, especially from Newcastle who have made him a top target, while the Dutchman’s agents have also made known his possible availability.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Lille have apparently slapped a price tag of around €25m-€30m (£21.2m-£25.4m) on their star defender (La Gazzetta via Milan News), and for that price he would be an absolute steal.

According to journalist Duncan Castles, team-mate and former Irons defender Jose Fonte is a huge fan, apparently calling Botman a ‘machine’ and a man ‘who doesn’t make mistakes’ behind the scenes (via Planet Football).

The Dutchman has also averaged an impressive 4.6 clearances per 90 in the French top flight this season, with only Kurt Zouma bettering those numbers for West Ham in the Premier League (WhoScored).

Botman is also a more accurate passer of the ball out from defence than any of Moyes’ current crop, finding his teammates 85.8% of the time, highlighting a degree of composure at such a young age.

His ceiling appears to be vast, with a maximum cost of £25.4m looking like an absolute steal.

In other news: Newman also exploring offer to sign ‘underrated’ £28.8m ace who’s now keen to join West Ham, find out more here.

Jurgen Klopp has heaped huge praise on Nat Phillips, following a superb performance from the centre-back against RB Leipzig.

The Reds were excellent in their 2-0 win over Julian Nagelsmann’s side on Wednesday evening, cruising into the Champions League quarter-finals.

After a frustrating first half saw Liverpool dominate but miss endless good chances, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane eventually put the tie to bed with well-taken finishes after the break.

There were a number of strong performances on show at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, with Fabinho magnificent back in midfield and Phillips shining at the back.

“Oh my god” – Klopp lauds brilliant Phillips

It was the latter who came in for enormous praise after the game, with Klopp telling reporters (via Paul Gorst) that he was delighted with the 23-year-old’s performance:

“Phillips…oh my god! What a night for him. Absolutely great. Concentration level he shows is incredible. In the air, a monster, but football-wise not bad, I couldn’t be happier than I am for Nat. A great game.”

Transfer Tavern take

Phillips is more than worthy of such a glowing review, having put together such a dominant all-round showing against a team fighting for the Bundesliga title.

The defender may have his limitations as a player, but he has really stepped up to the plate in the absence of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.

At a time when many Liverpool players have been under-performing, Phillips has been blameless a lot of the time and is arguably showing he could be a good fourth-choice option at centre-back next season.

He is out of contract in the summer of 2022 (Transfermarkt), meaning he could be snapped up for free next year, and perhaps performances like this one will convince the Reds hierarchy to extend that deal.

In other news, Liverpool have been boosted in their attempts to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer. Read about it here.

According to a report by Claret & Hugh, West Ham United manager David Moyes is set for a decision over striker Joshua King this summer as the Norwegian looks likely to become a free agent at the end of the season. 

King was reportedly at the centre of intense Hammers interest before his move to Everton in January, with talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook claiming Moyes was working on a deal ‘behind the scenes’.

Moyes set for West Ham call over King

The 29-year-old was also ‘desperate’ to join the east Londoners according to Crook, but Moyes now looks set to pass on the international striker as he turns his attention to younger and more talented targets, according to Claret & Hugh.

Despite being lauded as an ‘exciting player’ by pundit Noel Whelan before the new year (Football Insider), King hasn’t managed to replicate that tag for the Toffees since signing for them from Bournemouth on a six-month contract (Sky Sports).

This has resulted in Moyes withdrawing his West Ham interest despite being heavily linked both before and during January, with the King saga looking set to end this summer.

Transfer Tavern take

Premier League suitors for the forward are apparently in short supply, and West Ham have now chalked their name off the list with Moyes set for this transfer call.

Despite his possibly soon-to-be free agent status, this could be a good move by Moyes – with the likes of Youssef En-Nesyri and Abdallah Sima debatably better options.

In other news: West Ham are eyeing this 6 foot 3 powerhouse, find out more here.

Rangers need to tie down Connor Goldson to a new long-term deal at Ibrox as his contract is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

What’s the word?

Goldson has been a mainstay at the heart of defence for Rangers ever since joining the side in the summer of 2018 under the previous manager Steven Gerrard.

With his contract expiring at the end of the season, there has been no word of an extension from Giovanni van Bronckhorst and this is concerning.

Having featured in all 32 Scottish Premiership matches this season; Goldson would leave a massive hole in the Gers backline if he chose to leave the club.

Disaster if Goldson doesn’t stay

There is no doubt about it that Goldson has been key to Rangers’ success over the previous two seasons. Alongside Filip Helander, the Ibrox side only conceded Chelsea in 2004-2005.

Additionally, the defender also scored eight times during the campaign, including a brace against Celtic, and was arguably at his peak.

The start of this season saw the Gers struggle to replicate the highs of the previous campaign, being knocked out by Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers and stuttering in the league.

Following the 3-1 League Cup semi-final defeat to Hibernian at Hampden in November, Goldson said that Rangers had “lacked hunger” following their title win and this statement was not popular amongst the supporters.

The last few weeks have seen a resurgence in both Rangers and Goldson’s form, with progression in the Europa League following victory over Braga and an excellent win against Celtic in the Scottish Cup Semi-final, it could be a wonderful final few weeks of the season for the Ibrox faithful.

During that run, he hasn’t dipped an impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.9, with six of the seven appearances seeing him register a rating above 7.0, illustrating his importance during the back end of the term.

The £27k-per-week defender has been described as the “rock” that the side is built on, and after these last few weeks, it’s hard to argue.

Goldson will be a key protagonist if success is to be claimed and seeing him leave, despite the incoming arrival of John Souttar, would be a disaster for van Bronckhorst and co.

In other news, Sources: Huge transfer news emerges that could send Rangers into panic mode – opinion

David Sullivan must convince AS Roma goalkeeper Pau Lopez to accept a January transfer to West Ham United after he reportedly rejected the Premier League side’s interest.

What’s the word?

According to Forza Roma, Lopez has a string of admirers outside of Italy during the mid-season market but has no intentions of quitting his Serie A side.

The Irons are believed to have presented the £75,000-per-week shot-stopper with an offer to join David Moyes’ squad this month, but the proposal was thrown out by Giallorossi chiefs as they are prepared to accept Lopez’s decision to stay.

West Ham’s offer is believed to have been a half-season loan with an obligation to buy dependant on Lopez’s number of appearances.

Other Premier League and La Liga clubs have also put forward their interest in the 26-year-old during the January window to no avail, with the £9m-rated colossus steadfast in staying at the Stadio Olimpico and fighting to regain the number one jersey from Antonio Mirante.

Lopez has started five of Roma’s last seven Serie A fixtures after spending the opening months on the bench, having been granted a recall with veteran ‘keeper Mirante currently struggling with a biceps femoris muscle injury.

Sullivan must convince Lopez

Sullivan must not let Lopez’s initial refusal to join West Ham stop the Irons co-owner and Chairman from revisiting the two-time Spain international’s situation this month, as he can secure Moyes’ long-term heir to 35-year-old Lukasz Fabianski in the Roma goalie.

Lopez’s stock has fallen significantly in the past 12 months following his decision to join Roma in 2019, as a mistake in the Giallorossi’s 1-1 draw with rivals SS Lazio a year ago is widely seen to be the route cause of their season collapsing and something he is yet to recover from.

The former Real Betis shot-stopper’s issues have seen his TransferMarkt valuation plummet from a career-high £21.5m in December 2019 to his current figure of £9m, in a decline that is yet to stagnate.

Lopez has a chance to prove himself in Italy again while Mirante is injured, and is already showing glimpses of his abilities with an average of 2.7 saves per league game with a 73% shots faced success rate, while being successful in each of his runs out to date, per SofaScore.

Fabianski is currently boasting 3.1 saves per game in the Premier League this season, where he prevents 70% of all shots faced from finding the net, and has also been successful with each of his runs out to date, showing the level of talent Sullivan needs to discover in the Poland international’s eventual replacement.

AND in other news, GSB must back Moyes with WHU move for “devastating” 17-goal star with “explosive pace”…

There may only be two games left of the current season but for Celtic, they cannot afford to be on the beach just yet.

This Hoops side have had a disastrous campaign but they need to show their supporters that there is something to be positive about heading into next season.

After the Bhoys’ 4-1 drubbing last time out, there is an even greater need to respond.

A clash against St Johnstone on Wednesday evening presents the ideal opportunity to do so but they will have to do it without two of the club’s mainstays in recent months.

John Kennedy has a few selection issues so how could Celtic shape up this evening? Here’s our predicted XI…

We’re tipping the interim manager to make three changes to the side that was hammered against Rangers last time out.

Teo of the replacements are enforced, firstly with experienced midfielder Callum McGregor missing through suspension.

He was shown a red card against the Gers and is unavailable to be picked in midweek. Consequently, Ismaila Soro returns to the fray to earn his first start under Kennedy and his first start since February.

There is also a rare outing for Vasilis Barkas. The Greek goalkeeper has had a troublesome first campaign at Parkhead but with Scott Bain injured, he earns his chance.

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Barkas hasn’t played since January so could be a tad rusty as he looks to prove his worth to the Green Brigade.

The third and final change is at right-back where Anthony Ralston plays for only the second time all season in the first-team.

Ralston’s only appearance in 2020/21 came during the 0-0 draw with Livingston all the way back in January but with £15k-per-week Jonjoe Kenny so out of form, he gets an opportunity.

The latter has been particularly abject of late, being described as a “horror show” by podcaster Paul John Dykes after Celtic lost to Rangers in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.

With nothing to play for, Kennedy may as well throw a few fresh faces into the line up this week.

AND in other news, Forget Brown: Celtic must axe £15k-p/w “nightmare”, he lost possession 21x last week…

Leeds United could sign a new version of club legend Mark Viduka in the form of Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham amid Jon Newsome’s transfer verdict.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the England international could be available this summer after falling out of favour at Stamford Bridge, and now, Newsome has suggested Marcelo Bielsa’s side enter the race to sign him.

Speaking exclusively to FFC, he said: “I see they’ve put a price tag of £40m on Tammy Abraham. Do you push the boat out and go and buy Tammy Abraham? I’ve watched him since he was out on loan at Bristol City as an 18-year-old and I think he’s a fantastic player.

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“He leads the line, he just needs that club where he’s the number one target and the number one man and I think he’ll just blossom again. So do the club do something like that?”

A new Viduka

Standing at an imposing 6 foot 3, Abraham has got all the physical attributes that make him a very similar threat to the one Viduka provided in his glory days at Elland Road.

In a piece for Leeds Live, Jon Howe wrote about the Australian: “He was an ominous physical specimen, an old-fashioned centre forward in many respects, but mixed a formidable presence with a delicate technique that made him the purest example of a ‘good touch for a big fella’ player you are ever likely to see.”

Dubbed as being “clinical in front of goal” and as a “natural goal-scorer” by former Leeds man Noel Whelan, Abraham combines both his pace and power with real technical quality, and has managed an impressive 12 goals in 32 games despite barely starting.

Speaking after he netted during a loan spell against Swansea a couple of seasons ago, Aston Villa boss Dean Smith said: “Tammy is a handful and he knows better than me that he should have been walking away with the match ball tonight. But he scored the winning goal, he’s a hell of a talent. Tammy put in a hell of a shift up front on his own and proved he is a fine player.”

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The £36m-rated Abraham has all the tools in his locker for Bielsa to discover a new Viduka for Leeds.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing up this winger who’ll “torment defenders everywhere”…