All posts by n8rngtd.top

Many Sunderland fans were left slamming the display of Elliot Embleton in their 6-0 loss away at Bolton Wanderers in League One on Saturday afternoon.

It was a day to forget for manager Lee Johnson and his team, in what could turn out to be a very damaging defeat in the race for automatic promotion up to the Championship.

Embleton was just one of a number of poor performers for the Stadium of Light faithful, missing with both of his shots at goal, while he also failed to record a single successful dribble and lost possession of the ball eight times (SofaScore).

He also recorded fewer touches than his own goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann, highlighting his lack of impact from an attacking point of view.

Sunderland fans slam Embleton

These Black Cats slammed his performance on Twitter, with one SAFC supporter going as far as to claim that he was a ‘passenger’ in the match, criticism which is certainly backed by the numbers:

“Gooch, Embleton awful. Offer nothing”

Credit: @LeeSafcMiller

“Elliot Embleton did absolutely nothing in that half. A passenger far too often for long spells in games.”

Credit: @Michael35507062

“Can’t believe I haven’t seen anyone talk about how bad Embleton has been recently it’s like playing with 10 men. He takes the kick off then just disappears for 10 minute intervals”

Credit: @tazzlor___

“Gooch, Embleton, Neil not good enough, I get the home grown craic but come on!!!!”

Credit: @ChristopherT198

“Embleton and Gooch very lucky to survive half-time.”

Credit: @_toosb

“Dan Neil poor, Embleton poor, Gooch dire!! And that back like is horrible. We look vulnerable every time we have an attack against us!!!”

Credit: @leech_tom

In other news, find out transfer update has Black Cats buzzing here!

Flocking to Twitter, a number of West Ham fans have gone into meltdown following a deadline day update from Hammers insider ExWHUemployee.

The Athletic’s West Ham correspondent Roshane Thomas has reported that as it stands, the Hammers are not expecting to sign a player this window.

This comes following numerous transfer links, many of which have come in the past week, with a number of deals seemingly close to being agreed.

Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car was one deal fans expected to go through following multiple discussions between the two clubs. However, the negotiations came to a halt as an agreement could not be made regarding the structure of the deal. West Ham were looking for a loan deal with an option to buy, whereas Marseille were demanding a permanent sale.

Just today West Ham had a bid rejected for Benfica star Darwin Nunez, as the club looked to bolster their attacking options with a new striker. It was thought that the club were considering an improved offer, but it appears unlikely that this eventuality materialises.

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West Ham fans fume at Ex’s post

A Hammers fan shared The Athletic’s report on Twitter, asking popular insider ExWHUemployee for confirmation of the news.

Ex confirmed the news, saying: “That’s my feeling at this point yes. Unless something dramatic changes.”

Fans flooded the comments with hysteria, with many entering into meltdown following the club’s lack of transfer activity. Here’s what some of them had to say…

“I think this will be the final year of my season ticket until they are gone, if we don’t sign anyone”

Credit: @Jimlad66

“Never even come close to having a bid/offer accepted all month. Something seriously wrong with how we handle our business.”

Credit: @WestHamXtra

“Pathetic, oh well Declan knows the ambition now”

Credit: @tayloriw

“Thats Rice and Bowen leaving in the summer and us back to relegation battles”

Credit: @lynnfan99

“Only 6:20 but can we go to bed Ex?”

Credit: @Perkins_SZN

“We’re a joke.”

Credit: @HammerForLife

“It’s embarrassing now”

Credit: @andrewgreen1970

In other news: West Ham United: Fans fume at disappointing Caleta-Car news

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered an update on Leeds United’s transfer pursuit of RB Salzburg starlet Brenden Aaronson.

What’s the story?

Initially writing on Twitter, he revealed: “Leeds United will be back in for Brenden Aaronson. @MarkCarey93 and I took a close look at how the land lies: Strong pressing stats, Comparisons drawn with Klich, Leeds confident their pitch will work, Salzburg more open to selling in the summer.”

In a subsequent article for The Athletic looking at the deal in greater depth, he added: “The offers from Elland Road last month started at £15m and rose to £20m a few days later but the message from the perennial Austrian champions at the end of December — that their squad would remain intact throughout January — held firm.

“Leeds deduced from Salzburg’s unresponsive state that there was no point in returning with a third bid. The club decided in advance of Monday night’s deadline that they would try again for the US international midfielder in the summer.

“Leeds are optimistic that detailed plans for him and the unequivocal message about their interest in him last month will allow them to control the race, provided they meet Salzburg’s valuation.”

Fans will be excited

With reports suggesting that Marcelo Bielsa turned down opportunities to sign the likes of Donny van de Beek and Harry Winks respectively, it’s clear that the Leeds boss has his way of working and wants his players to fit his mould rather than the other way around.

The fact the Whites went in with two bids for Aaronson, and are now set to be back in for him in the summer transfer window, is a real indication of just how badly they want him and how well the midfielder would fit into Bielsa’s plans at Elland Road.

The Leeds boss has already shown that he won’t just sign players for the sake of it, even when his squad has been as badly affected by injuries and illnesses this season. Therefore, when a true ‘Bielsa transfer target’ becomes clear, fans know that it’s someone to whom the manager has given his full backing.

Whites fans should surely be excited with Hay’s update that the club intend to go back in for Aaronson in the summer transfer window.

Meanwhile, Beren Cross has delivered an update on Kalvin Phillips…

Leeds United will still be without Patrick Bamford on their return to Premier League action this week.

What’s the latest?

The Yorkshire giants head to the Midlands to face Aston Villa on Wednesday night for what will be their first outing since the 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United two-and-a-half weeks ago.

“Bamford has not improved and still struggles with the problem in the bottom of his foot,” revealed BBC journalist Adam Pope following Marcelo Bielsa’s press conference, where the Argentine head coach expressed his worry about the 28-year-old’s injury.

“He hasn’t played for 15 games now, how can I not worry?” he said.

“He continues with the problems at the bottom of his foot and he hasn’t started jogging. His situation continues the same way and we can’t predict when he will return because it depends on the pain going away so he can start jogging again.

“Since the injury started the pain hasn’t gone away.”

Hammer blow

It’s the England international’s third different problem this season, something that has kept him out for 17 of their last 18 league games.

Indeed, since the middle of September, he has played only 22 minutes when he came on as a substitute to score a very important equaliser against Brentford on December 5th.

Of course, this has evidently left Bielsa concerned, if not absolutely furious as he continues to be without last season’s top goalscorer. His presence up top has been sorely missed, largely due to the lack of alternatives.

Bielsa does not have another senior striker at the club, leaving him with the choice of deploying a winger – as he has done with Daniel James – or young forward Joe Gelhardt up top.

LeedsLive journalist Conor McGilligan has since described the situation as a “hammer blow.”

“He’s only played five games. Came back for Brentford, scored, which was brilliant. Then got injured in the celebration, which was typical. So he’s going to be out for this game [vs Villa]. His foot injury is reoccurring. Apparently, there’s no signs of improvement there, which is a hammer blow.”

Last term, Bamford played in every single league game on his way to 17 goals, now without him, Bielsa has had to rely on Raphinha to front up the burden of their attacking exploits as he leads in pretty much every metric, ranging from goals (eight) to creating key passes (2.1 per game).

This is definitely a gutting update to hear. Bamford’s return is a mystery and it’ll seemingly continue to be that way over the coming matches. A bitter blow to Bielsa and the squad, that’s for sure.

AND in other news, Aaronson joins & Raphinha replacement found: How Leeds’ XI may look after summer transfer spree…

Pete O’Rourke has dropped an exciting update on reported Celtic transfer target Antoine Semenyo.

What’s the talk?

In a recent interview with GIVEMESPORT, the journalist stated his belief that he is certain Celtic will be looking to secure a deal for the Bristol City centre-forward in the summer transfer window, following reports claiming that Ange Postecoglou had sent scouts to watch the 22-year-old in action for the Robins.

Speaking about the Hoops’ interest in the striker, O’Rourke said: “I’m sure Celtic and I know a number of English clubs are also keeping an eye on Semenyo as well.

“I think [Nottingham] Forest tried to sign him in the January transfer window, along with several other clubs. I’m sure Premier League clubs are maybe looking at him because he is a top young player.”

Fans will be buzzing

Considering the remarkable returns of Semenyo so far this season, the news that Celtic are lining up a move for the centre-forward this summer is sure to have left the Parkhead faithful buzzing.

Indeed, over his 19 Championship outings this term, the £1.08m-rated striker has been in fantastic form for Bristol City, bagging six goals, providing eight assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.1 shots and making 0.8 key passes per game.

These metrics have seen the £3.5k-per-week hitman – who Phil Parkinson dubbed a “dangerous” player – average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.02, ranking him as Nigel Pearson’s third-best player in the English second tier.

As such, considering Postecoglou already boasts the impressive options of Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Giorgios Giakoumakis, Jota and Liel Abada in his front three, it is clear for all to see that the further addition of a player as talented and versatile as Semenyo – with the forward being comfortable in operating on the left or right-wing, as well as through the middle – would be a something of a major coup for the Bhoys, not to mention a signing that would be an extremely exciting one for the club’s fanbase.

In other news: Forget Maeda: Celtic “all-rounder” who lost the ball 20x will’ve given Ange a headache

While Rangers have been rather active in the transfer market over the past few years, they have been rather consistent in terms of not splashing out significant amounts of money on individual players.

However, one player that the Ibrox club made a rather big investment in was Ryan Kent, who joined the side on a permanent basis back in September 2019 in a deal worth a reported fee of up to £7.5m from English Premier League club Liverpool, making him one of the club’s most expensive players after spending the previous year on loan with the Gers.

Overall, the winger has made a total of 156 appearances for the club across all competitions in which he has managed to score 29 goals and provide 41 assists along the way, showing how important he has been for them in an attacking sense.

Back in August 2018, Transfermarkt had the Englishman’s market value listed as £1.35m, whereas it now stands at £12.6m, showing just how much of an impact he’s had on the pitch in terms of his performances and why it has been a great investment from the club.

Speaking of his performances, with 18 appearances, two goals and five assists under his belt in the SPFL this season, the 25-year-old has earned himself an overall rating of 7.34/10 from WhoScored, highlighting how much of a key figure he is for manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Labelled as a “frightening” player by teammate Scott Arfield, Kent has certainly proved his worth and justified the transfer fee that Rangers splashed out to keep him at the club after his loan deal ended through his goals, assists and general performances, making it a real transfer masterclass from Ross Wilson.

The former Liverpool youngster has also been described as being a “big-game player” by Scottish football journalist Andrew Dickson, which was evident during both Europa League games against Borussia Dortmund where he managed to grab an assist in each match to help his side make it through to the next stage of the competition.

Moving forward, if the attacker can keep delivering solid performances on the pitch and add some more goals and assists to his tally, he could well push his side to securing the title once again and further prove why the club were right to secure his signature when they did.

In other news: GvB drops teasing 12-word update ahead of Well clash, Rangers fans will be buzzing – opinion

Speaking to Football Insider, pundit Noel Whelan, formerly of BBC Radio Leeds, has made a claim involving Tottenham Hotspur star Lucas Moura.

The Lowdown: Kulusevski shines against Leeds…

Tottenham’s winter window signing Dejan Kulusevski’s most recent Premier League in their 4-0 win at Elland Road certainly turned many heads in what was a dazzling display.

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The Sweden international, finishing that match as one of Spurs’ best performers (SofaScore), netted a fine near-post finish past Ilan Meslier, found 91% of his passes and completed 80% of his take-ons.

Such a display, according to Whelan, could even freeze out Lucas – despite the Brazilian being a top performer under Antonio Conte before his recent injury problem.

The Latest: Whelan makes Lucas claim…

The former Whites striker, speaking to FI, believes Lucas could face a fight to get back in amid Kulusevski’s form and the increased competition for places.

When asked if the 29-year-old could now be frozen out by Conte, he explained:

“Absolutely, 100 per cent.

“When you’re scoring, creating assists, and playing as well as Kulusevski is – you become very difficult to drop.

“That competition for places is really hotting up for Tottenham, especially in midfield and at wing-back. The manager now has the depth he needs to make changes that will allow them to win games.

“Lucas Moura might well be on the bench for a while – but what a player to turn to if they ever need some inspiration in a tough game.

“Conte has some real options and there’s no doubt that Kulusevski has been a great addition for Tottenham. He’s looking like a brilliant signing.”

The Verdict: Disagree…

Going by Lucas’ brilliant numbers and just how crucial he has been for Conte, we believe he should walk right back into Tottenham’s side upon returning.

According to WhoScored, only Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Son Heung-min and Harry Kane have a averaged higher over-all Premier League match rating than the South American this term.

As well as this, Lucas towers over all of his teammates in terms of successful take-ons – completing a brilliant 2.1 dribbles per 90 over 2021/2022, adding a directness the side lacks without him.

Lauded as a ‘monster’ player by Leeds star Raphinha, it will take some superb displays from Kulusevski to leave him out in the cold.

In other news: Conte green-lights move for new top target as Spurs hierarchy pressured to strike agreement, find out more here.

Wolves are back in action this afternoon with a Premier League clash against Crystal Palace at Molineux after losing their two previous games against Arsenal and West Ham United. 

With Bruno Lage revealing in his latest press conference that full-back Nelson Semedo will be out of action for the next few weeks through injury, here’s how we feel the Old Gold could line up to take on the Eagles today. 

Our predicted line-up shows five changes from the side which started in the 1-0 defeat to the Irons six days ago.

Taking into account how he has played in all 26 league games for Wolves so far in his debut season at Molineux, conceding only 21 goals and keeping nine clean sheets in the process, it would be hard not to envisage Jose Sa starting in goal on this occasion. 

At the back, we think Lage will again go with the central defensive trio of Romain Saiss, Max Kilman and club captain Conor Coady, who will all be desperate to help the team to a clean sheet after their two previous defeats. 

In the full-back positions, with Semedo still ruled out, we can see the Wolves manager sticking with Ki-Jana Hoever on the right after his runout against the Hammers, but replacing Fernando Marcal on the left with Rayan Ait-Nouri, who has been the squad’s best performer this season according to WhoScored.

In midfield, with Leander Dendoncker failing to have much of an impact in an attacking and defensive sense last weekend, this could pave the way for Joao Moutinho to come back into the team next to Ruben Neves to see if he can help his side pick up a win. 

With the Old Gold in need of a victory and the attacking trio of Fabio Silva, Hwang Hee-chan and Francisco Trincao failing to even get one shot on target against West Ham, this could lead to Lage dropping all three to try and add more cutting edge to Wolves’ attack.

That defeat made it 20 Premier League games without a goal for the £131k-per-week Trincao, so it’s fair to say that he has been something of a flop in a Wolves shirt so far, and he could well face the axe today.

Therefore, we think Daniel Podence will come back in, with Raul Jimenez in the middle and Pedro Neto getting his first start of the campaign in a total revamp of their attacking line.

In other news – Forget Hwang: Lage must unleash £52k-p/w star today, he’s “exactly what Wolves need”

Celtic had a significant overhaul during the previous summer transfer window in terms of the number of players that moved in and out of the club.

After their busy summer, the Hoops have definitely made the most of it in their latest SPFL season in terms of their results.

With 34 league games played, Ange Postecoglou’s side have won 27, drawn four and lost three, scoring 80 goals and conceding 19 along the way.

Now that the end of the campaign is in sight, the Hoops are within touching distance of the league title as they currently find themselves six points clear at the top of the table.

Looking beyond that, the next summer transfer window will be opening and once again give the Parkhead club the chance to make whatever changes to the squad that Postecoglou feels are necessary.

With that in mind, one figure that we think should follow in the footsteps of the numerous players that left the club last summer is midfielder Ismaila Soro.

Having appeared in just eight league games this season, the 23-year-old has played only three minutes of action since September.

This is a big clue that the Ivorian is quite far down in the pecking order at the moment and isn’t likely to be in Postecoglou’s plans for next season.

Back in January, Soro was heavily linked with a move away from the Parkhead club after originally arriving for a fee of £2m during the 2020 winter window.

Taking into account how the midfielder has failed to show the 56-year-old why he deserves to be a regular figure in the team in terms of his performances, the summer could be the ideal time to finally call his time with the Bhoys to an end.

According to WhoScored, the Hoops outcast has only been able to earn himself a rather disappointing overall performance rating of 6.25/10, making him one of the lowest-rated players currently in the squad to have started at least one league game.

This shows just how much the £10.5k-per-week flop has been stealing a living this season.

To further highlight how ineffective the player has been for the Bhoys in this campaign, he has one yellow card to his name but not even a single successful tackle.

With the likes of Tom Rogic, Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley, David Turnbull and Reo Hatate all contributing to the team in terms of scoring goals, it’s no wonder that Soro has not been in Postecoglou’s thinking in recent months.

90% of voters in a recent poll ran by Football FanCast claimed that the club should look to get rid of the player in the summer, so things aren’t looking great for his future in a Celtic shirt.

Moving forward, if the Bhoys are able to pick up any sort of cash for the player in the summer and sell him on a permanent deal, this will certainly be the best option for all parties.

In other news: Celtic now plotting 7-figure bid for 14 G/A sensation, he’s perfect for Angeball

Charlie Eccleshare has dropped an update on the future of Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn.

What’s the talk?

In a recent post on Twitter, The Athletic journalist revealed that the 24-year-old forward is now expected to leave Spurs this summer, with Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici happy to sanction the sale of the Netherlands international at the end of the current campaign – with Ajax believed to be among the interested clubs.

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In his tweet, Eccleshare said: “Steven Bergwijn expected to leave this summer, with THFC not standing in way as he seeks regular football. Ajax among interested clubs.”

Supporters will be gutted

While it is true that, following his £27m move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium back in January of 2020, Bergwijn has somewhat struggled to hold down a place in the Spurs team, the news that the club are already willing to cash in on the winger this summer is nevertheless sure to have left many supporters gutted.

Indeed, in a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, the majority of the Tottenham faithful revealed that they do believe the £73k-per-week forward is good enough to play for Spurs, while, in a further poll, supporters also made it clear that they would like Conte to give the Dutchman a chance in his starting XI.

And, while, on the face of it, Bergwijn’s returns this season are not overly impressive, having scored three goals and registered one assist over his 22 Premier League appearances, when factoring in the winger has directly contributed to a goal every 128 minutes of league football played – a much better record than Lucas Moura’s record of one goal contribution every 236 minutes – it is clear to see that the 24-year-old can impress when given the opportunity to do so.

However, with it now looking as if the £16.2m-rated attacker will be moving onto pastures new this summer, it appears as if Bergwijn will not go on to fulfil his undoubted potential at Spurs – something that will certainly be an extremely disappointing outcome for the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful.

AND in other news: Antonio Conte could land the next Dembele as Spurs plot bid for “unreal” £68m signing