All posts by z3u9t.icu

Crystal Palace ended their season poorly with a lacklustre performance against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, losing 2-0 to the former champions.

In what was Roy Hodgson’s last game in charge of the Eagles, Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend failed to capitalise on promising situations in the opening period of play, allowing the Reds time to settle, and find their rhythm.

After Townsend had put his effort narrowly wide of Alisson Becker’s post when one-on-one with the Brazilian shot-stopper, it was largely one-way traffic at Anfield, and Sadio Mane poked home a close-range finish from a corner on the 36-minute mark.

The Senegal international grabbed a second late on to seal the three points for Jurgen Klopp’s charges and condemned Palace to a second consecutive 14th-placed finish.

It was a tame ending to Hodgson’s commendable, steady four-year stint in south London, but one man more than most let the former England boss down over the weekend.

As per SofaScore, James Tomkins received a meagre 6.4/10 rating for the 58 minutes he was on the pitch, the joint lowest score received by any player to feature in the game.

The 32-year-old defender had just 27 touches of the ball over the weekend and recorded a passing accuracy of only 63%, managing to pick out a teammate with 12 of his 19 passes before he was forced to exit with an injury.

To top off an underwhelming display from the experienced centre-back, Tomkins was also unsuccessful with all three of his attempted long balls as Palace failed to make an impression on proceedings and he was one of the Eagles stars who let his manager down at Anfield.

It’s set to be a summer of big changes at the capital club, with several first-team players approaching the end of their current contracts, but Tomkins still has 12 months to run on his £55,000-per-week deal and is likely to help smooth over the transitional period when Hodgson’s successor arrives, although he’ll need better performances than the one he put in on Sunday in order to do that.

And, in other news…Fewer touches than Guaita: Palace flop who lost 67% of his duels let Hodgson down 

It’s fair to say that Rangers have had a disappointing second half of the season, despite the Europa League triumphs, the side’s Scottish Premiership form has been poor.

Coming into January with a six-point lead was the ideal scenario for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and his men, then the winter break happened, and Rangers lost arguably their best player of the season, Joe Aribo, to the Africa Cup of Nations and the wheels fell off slightly.

The onus was on van Bronckhorst to strengthen, especially in the midfield areas following Aribo’s brief departure and the sale of Juninho Bacuna, however, the club missed out on an excellent opportunity.

During the summer and January windows, the Gers were constantly linked with Dutch midfielder Joey Veerman, who was playing at Heerenveen. A deal couldn’t be struck and as van Bronckhorst moved into his first transfer window with the team during January, there were hopes of a chance to secure him.

Yet again, Rangers were slack, and PSV Eindhoven eventually signed the midfielder for £5m as he joined his boyhood club.

Former Rangers striker Michael Mols lavished “perfect” praise on his fellow Dutchman and it’s not hard to see why.

Since his arrival at PSV, Veerman has scored six and notched six assists in only 21 matches, a fabulous return.

If we compare this to Aribo in the same period, two goals and five assists, it proves that the Ibrox side should have splashed the cash in January and the club may have been heading into the last four matches in the league with their six-point advantage still intact.

As the summer transfer window looms on the horizon, Ross Wilson can’t afford to let similar players of that class escape their grasp again. After all, with Aribo touted with an exit, 23-year-old Veerman would very much have been the perfect heir.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst can brutally axe “shaky” Rangers dud in deal for “annoyingly brilliant” £0 machine

A number of Liverpool supporters expressed their delight after new footage of Virgil van Dijk working on his recovery emerged.

The Reds have suffered a seemingly endless stream of injuries this season, which has a huge negative impact on their season. It has meant Jurgen Klopp’s side have relinquished their Premier League title in fairly limp fashion, with even a top four finish in doubt.

While a number of individuals have been big losses, no player’s absence has been felt quite like Van Dijk’s, with the Dutchman becoming a colossal figure for Liverpool.

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The 29-year-old has been missing since October, having suffered cruciate ligament damage after a shocking tackle by Jordan Pickford in a feisty Merseyside derby.

Van Dijk has been working hard on returning to action, and on Saturday, Liverpool’s official Twitter account posted a video of him in the club’s gym.

Liverpool fans love Van Dijk footage

These Reds fans took to Twitter to give their thoughts on the “magnificent” footage, with lots of understandable happiness on show.

“I’m tearing up. Imagine how different this season would’ve been for us if October 17th never happened”Credit: @mane_the_goat”The absolute joy in my heart. With fans back at Anfield, our main centre backs back, few good signings, next season’s gonna be lit”Credit: @TolexyPablo”We need you back champ”Credit: @Divine18937556″Just wait till the beast is back”Credit: @_Ridzinho”Don’t tease me like this”Credit: @LonerTK”What a magnificent sight”Credit: @NoraNightingaleIn other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a stunning performance from one Reds youngster. Read more here.

Sheffield Wednesday still harbour an interest in signing Burnley goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell this summer according to a fresh update from The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Owls linked with Peacock-Farrell move

As the Owls prepare for life in League One, Darren Moore is looking to bolster his squad in order to give the club the best possible chance of promotion back to the Championship.

One player with whom they have been linked is Peacock-Farrell, with the Burnley stopper limited to just four Premier League starts last season.

The Latest: Journalist provides update

According to The Athletic’s Nancy Frostick, a new goalkeeper remains an ‘area of interest’ for Wednesday, with Cameron Dawson and Joe Wildsmith struggling to make a regular starting berth their own.

Burnley are reportedly content with loaning out the 23-cap Northern Ireland international, but a permanent move to the Championship is preferred.

It is claimed that ‘the door is not necessarily closed’ regarding a move to Hillsborough, giving the Owls renewed hope of bringing him to the club.

The Verdict: Ideal summer signing

Peacock-Farrell would be an undoubted step-up in quality between the sticks, with all due respect to both Dawson and Wildsmith.

The 24-year-old is an established international goalkeeper who also has top-flight experience, and his influence could enhance Wednesday’s promotion hopes greatly. Indeed, Stuart McKinley of the Belfast Telegraph hailed an “outstanding” performance from the £18,000-a-week netminder in a friendly against eventual Euro 2020 quarter-finalists Ukraine only a few weeks ago.

Given the Owls’ status as League One club, it could be tough to acquire Peacock-Farrell’s signature if other sides enter the mix, so it would be advisable to try and wrap up a deal quickly.

In other news, one Sheff Wed player won’t be making a return to the club this summer. Find out who it is here.

Some Liverpool supporters have bemoaned an update regarding the Reds’ interest in Jarrod Bowen, with many not keen to sign him this summer.

Jurgen Klopp is hopefully working hard on signing a few more players in the transfer window, in order for Liverpool’s squad to withstand the type of injuries that affected last season so much.

The exit of Gini Wijnaldum to Paris Saint-Germain has left a void in the middle of the park, but reinforcements could also be made further up the pitch.

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Another wide man could potentially be brought in to rival the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota, possibly playing more of a squad role and filling in when the former pair depart for AFCON in January.

One player who has been linked with a summer move to Anfield is Bowen, who shone for West Ham last season, scoring eight goals in the Premier League.

According to the Liverpool Echo [via LFC Transfer Room on Twitter], senior Anfield sources have not ruled out links regarding Bowen, suggesting there could be legs in the rumour.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/the-latest-liverpool-transfer-news-9/” title=”The latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=“none”]

Liverpool fans unhappy with Bowen latest

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to show their displeasure at the news.

“Why do we even bother? Might as well bring Stewart Downing back at this point”

Credit: @Cconnor82

“Does anyone rate Bowen?”

Credit: @lfcerlend

“I need a new club to support”

Credit: @DJ08__

“Bowen and Winks…..we aren’t serious”

Credit: @Jordan_LFC19

“Ahh so they dismiss every other transfer target apart from Bowen?”

Credit: @VadaVanDjik

“I hate this club”

Credit: @nasir_l

In other news, some Liverpool fans are stunned by one transfer rumour that has emerged. Read more here.

Manchester City are once again being heavily linked with a move for Inter striker Romelu Lukaku and the Belgian could prove to be a dream heir for Sergio Aguero in Pep Guardiola’s side.

What’s the word?

According to Italian news outlet Calcio Mercato, Guardiola wants the Belgian international at the Etihad next season and even sees similarities between the former Manchester United striker and Aguero, who is leaving City in the summer when his contract expires.

The report suggests that Guardiola believes Lukaku and Aguero share the same goalscoring instincts, whilst they are both effective at linking up play, which would obviously suit the way City play.

Would he be a good signing?

Although Lukaku perhaps wouldn’t be the most popular choice for a lot of City fans due to his time at Manchester United, which many see as a failure, his form in the Premier League with the Red Devils wasn’t exactly poor and you feel that issues behind the scenes at that club played a huge part in him struggling to perform at his best.

In 96 appearances for the Old Trafford outfit, the powerful striker contributed 42 goals and 13 assists, whilst he also impressed in his other Premier League spells with West Brom and Everton.

There were questions over his commitment at times at United but former manager Jose Mourinho was quick to rule that out, saying:

“So when I say to a striker, ‘Go there and do that job for me’, then he is a sergeant. He is a guy that you can trust. His attitude is phenomenal.”

Since his move to Inter, however, he has proven himself to be a truly world-class striker, scoring 61 goals and providing 15 assists in 92 appearances for I Nerazzurri.

This season,n he has managed 21 goals and 10 assists in 33 league appearances, averaging a superb 7.48 rating, which has put Antonio Conte’s side on the brink of the Serie A title, so it seems clear that he has the ability to score goals should he make the move to the Etihad this summer.

If Guardiola desperately wants Lukaku as his replacement for Aguero this summer then City’s sporting director Txiki Begiristain should do everything he can to bring him in, as he could prove to be a huge success in the Spanish manager’s side next season.

And, in other news… Forget Torres: £63m-rated Man City beast who played 109 passes stole the show vs Palace

Former Newcastle United star Keith Gillespie has urged the club to give Steve Bruce the funds required to truly strengthen the squad this summer.

The Magpies endured a difficult season in which they flirted with relegation but ultimately managed to stay up at the end of the campaign.

Indeed, in their final nine games of the campaign, Newcastle lost just twice, to Arsenal and Manchester City, and recorded five wins and two draws, taking a point off both Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

Gillespie subsequently believes that Bruce will be retained by owner Mike Ashley but he has pleaded for the club to invest properly this summer as they look to improve next season.

The ex-Magpies star has cited the examples of West Ham United and Leeds United, with the former finishing sixth, and the Whites securing a top-half finish, as the models to follow.

A report from journalist Alan Nixon has claimed that Newcastle could have as much as £50m to spend this summer.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Gillespie said: “I do think Steve Bruce will be there next season but I hope he gets given the right amount of money in the transfer market to go and strengthen the squad and go and possibly do what the likes of West Ham have done.

“Look at Aston Villa, look at Leeds, go and improve, don’t just be happy with being mediocre and surviving, go and improve on that.”

Former Leeds United star David Norris believes that the club are currently struggling to find a Plan B as their Premier League woes continue.

The club are currently in the bottom three and have yet to win a game this term ahead of the clashes with Watford, Wolves, and Southampton.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side have been on the wrong end of two thrashings this term, too, as they were beaten 5-1 by Manchester United on the opening weekend of the season, and also beaten 3-0 by Liverpool.

Bielsa, of course, is something of a purist when it comes to the way he plays the game, and he continually instructs his players to push into the top end of the pitch, regardless of the scoreline.

Leeds attack throughout their games, even with the team being battered, but Norris does not believe that Plan A is currently working.

He admits that the club are beginning to worry him as they struggle to win matches in the top-flight.

He said: “They’re struggling for a Plan B.

“At this stage now, it is a little bit worrying. You’d like to think it’s not going to be one of those seasons where they’re going to be in the relegation zone or really struggle for it but they’re struggling and the longer it goes on, the more worrying it gets.”

Amid all the exciting first-team signings that Aston Villa made over the course of the summer transfer window, the work done in securing some of the country’s brightest young talents arguably went under the radar.

In came the likes of Ajani Burchall and Jayden Barber among others, but one starlet who appears set for potentially the biggest future in the game, is Josh Feeney.

The 16-year-old arrived from Fleetwood Town in the summer, and has already been showing his considerable ability and potential by playing four games at Premier League 2 level – essentially playing against players who are several years older than him.

Speaking after the confirmation of his signing back in July, Villa academy manager, Mark Harrison, said: “We are delighted that Josh has joined us. He is a centre-back with an awful lot of potential who had attracted a lot of interest and has also captained England at U16 level.

“We would like to thank Fleetwood Town for their professional manner during the process of Josh joining. We look forward to seeing how Josh develops over the next few years.”

And, after Villa’s 4-2 victory over Burton Albion in the EFL Trophy, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece was quick to rave about the talented teenager.

He said: “Looking back at last night, what a talent Villa have on their hands in terms of 16-year-old Josh Feeney. He arrived from Fleetwood Town in the summer and has quickly become a key player for Mark Delaney’s under-23s. Feeney’s a classy, ball-playing centre-back.

“He’ll link up with the England under-17s next week alongside another big talent at Villa, 15-year-old Travis Patterson who came on at Burton last night.”

Given a lot of captains are often defenders who able to lead from the back – Tyrone Mings of course being Villa’s current one – Feeney seems to have the mentality to become exactly that in the years to come.

His experience at leading his country at U16 level stands him in good stead, while the fact he’s playing well above his age group already, and that too in a completely new club and environment, speaks volumes of his ability to handle pressure and expectation.

Dean Smith could well unearth a future Villa captain in Feeney.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped a major Aston Villa boost…

Milwall are closing in on a deal to bring Benik Afobe to The Den this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by The Sun journalist Justin Allen, who revealed in a post on Twitter that the signing of the Stoke City centre-forward on a season-long loan deal will be confirmed by Gary Rowett’s side at some point on Thursday.

The Lions manager had previously made it clear he was looking to bring in attacking additions to his squad in the summer transfer window, in order to bolster his options ahead of Millwall’s upcoming Championship campaign.

Big mistake

While Rowett’s intentions regarding adding greater depth to Millwall’s front line this summer are all well and good, it is an easy argument to make that Afobe is not the most prolific of forwards the 47-year-old could have brought The Den ahead of next season.

Indeed, over the 28-year-old’s 28 Super Lig appearances while on loan at Trabzonspor last term, the £1.62m-rated man scored five goals, registered no assists and created no big chances for his teammates, as well as missing two big chances and taking an average of just 0.3 shots on target per game.

These metrics saw the £30k-per-week striker earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.74, ranking him as Abdullah Avci’s eighth-worst performer in the top flight of Turkish football.

This poor return of goals would not appear to be a one-off for the man Nuno Espirito Santo dubbed an “important” player, with Afobe having only reached double-figure league goals in a season on one occasion in his entire career, scoring 10 goals over 22 League One appearances for Milton Keynes Dons in the first half of 2014/15, before bagging 13 goals over 21 Championship appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers after moving to the club in January of 2015.

As such, considering his extremely hefty weekly wage, a figure that, should Millwall be paying 100% of, will rank him as the club’s biggest earner next season, there may well have been both cheaper and more efficient goalscorers available to Rowett this summer, leading us to believe the striker’s signing could well be a mistake on the part of the Lions manager.

In other news: Rowett must sanction Millwall swoop for “phenomenal” £5k-p/w machine this summer