All posts by n8rngtd.top

Having arrived on a season-long loan from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer, Jetro Willems has well and truly settled into life at Newcastle.

The Netherlands international has been a bright spark for Steve Bruce’s side, endearing himself to the Toon Army with his thunderous strike at Anfield against Liverpool earlier in the season.

And despite being a left wing-back, Willems was at it again on Saturday afternoon against Premier League champions Manchester City. Having seen Raheem Sterling open the scoring for the visitors, the 25-year-old once again showed that his weaker right foot is just as deadly in front of goal, by rifling an effort past Ederson.

After seeing the 5 foot 7 ace’s stunning strike, Newcastle fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts about the defender.

Many supporters of the Tyneside club raved about his performance, and hailed him for continuing to perform week-in and week-out, with one fan in particular declaring him as better than Matt Ritchie.

[ad_pod ]

Check out some of the reaction of Newcastle fans below:

Don’t miss out on MASSIVE savings with Fan Deal Drops – shop now for the latest deals (USING LINK HERE) on TVs, laptops, football shirts & much more.

Wolverhampton Wanderers should let Adama Traore go to Liverpool after Football Insider reported that the Midlands-based club have named a price demand of at least £70 million, as the Reds come sniffing.

The outlet has also revealed that Liverpool are looking for a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah or Sadio Mane if they lose them, with Traore shortlisted as a candidate.

The 24-year old has scored six goals and provided 10 assists in 43 appearances in all competitions for the Wanderers this season, according to website.

One could argue that the winger has improved upon his performances this campaign, which is backed up by the stats, but the goal and assist return combined with the number of games he has played is simply not good enough to justify a £70 million price tag.

If Liverpool do come in with an offer, Nuno Espirito Santo could use the inflated figure to rebuild the squad in other areas, perhaps investing in another striker to ease the burden off of Raul Jimenez.

The Reds did something similar when they sold Philippe Coutinho to FC Barcelona for a whopping £142 million, signing the likes of Alisson to help fix a key position they were arguably lacking in. Since then, they have won the Champions League, with the Brazilian keeper incidentally voted man-of-the-match in the final.

If WWFC fans are worries that Traore will come back and haunt them, they must realise how difficult Salah or Mane would be to displace if they were still at the club, exemplified by the fact that they shared the golden boot last season alongside Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Spaniard has arguably added a cutting edge this campaign, but he will have to perform to a much higher standard if he is to justify the price quoted by Football Insider. But from Wolves’ perspective, the £70 million may prove handy in helping them add strength to their squad.

Wolves fans, would you sell Traore to Liverpool for £70 million? Comment below!

It’s no secret that Philippe Coutinho’s career since leaving Liverpool has hit a huge downward spiral. In a matter of two years, the Brazilian has gone from being a club icon, to struggling to find a team that will take him on a permanent basis.

As his dream move to Barcelona becomes a distant memory, his next home is very much a grey area. Currently at Bayern Munich on loan, it looks like his next destination will be a return to England as several Premier League teams have registered their interest. It was rumoured that Liverpool would re-sign their long lost player, but talks soon fizzled out.

According to Sport, rivals Manchester United are keen on Coutinho, along with his former manager Brendan Rodgers and new team Leicester. London clubs Chelsea and Tottenham are also reportedly looking into the ex-Red. But perhaps the most unexpected of all to be in the running is Everton.

However, despite the Toffees being a surprise party in the mix, the notion isn’t as entirely unlikely as it sounds.

Under the reign of Carlo Ancelotti, Everton look set to revamp their squad and start challenging in the league once more. The manager’s Italian links have seen the club reportedly in talks with the likes of Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti (Tuttosport via Daily Mail), but his lure could stretch beyond Italy.

According to Bleacher Report’s Dean Jones, the Blues are interested in Coutinho, who is valued at £50.4m, and a loan move to Merseyside could be a likely option.

Whether on a permanent or temporary deal, business between Coutinho and Everton could be beneficial for both sides. As the Toffees plan to overhaul a lot of deadwood players this season, it opens up doors for Ancelotti to enjoy the summer transfer window.

An area of concern for the Merseyside outfit this term has been their stagnant midfield. Between all active midfielders this season, Everton have created just four combined league goals which simply isn’t good enough for a side who want to be competing in Europe. Gylfi Sigurdsson, in particular, has come under a lot of scrutiny for his woeful performances in the middle of the park.

Known to be prolific in both midfield and on the wing – another area stretched thin in Everton’s ranks – Coutinho could bring a completely new type of attack to the table. After spending five years in the Premier League, including Liverpool’s narrow title miss, the Brazilian should settle almost immediately.

Not only would Coutinho bring experience and proven goalscoring abilities to Everton, but there’s a high chance Ancelotti would build the team around him. For a player with 95 career goals and 71 assists, it would be foolish not to utilise his ability. The 27-year-old would be an almost guaranteed ever-present name on the team sheet, and after three seasons of inconsistency, the faith would be an extremely welcome gift for Coutinho.

However, if Everton want to increase their talks, they must drive a better deal than Chelsea, who have reportedly been offered the Brazilian’s services, according to Sky Sports.

A lot of Celtic fans are excited to see that the club are looking towards the future as young player Dylan Corr has announced on Twitter that he has signed his first professional contract with the Scottish side.

The surname of the new youth prospect might ring a bell with the Hoops faithful as Dylan is the sun of former Scottish footballer Barry John Corr, who only featured once for the Celts (as per Soccerbase). Similar to his son, Barry started in the youth academy at the club, but after failing to establish himself at Parhead, he went to fellow Scottish side Motherwell (as per Transfermarkt).

However, the Corr family will hope Dylan can have a more successful career at the club, and there is a great range of young talent at the Celts right now who he can seek to emulate. Seventeen-year-old right winger Karamoko Dembele has already made three senior appearances for the club, including one in the Europa League.

It looks like Celtic fans are getting a glimpse of their future earlier than expected and Corr will hope he can follow in Dembele’s footsteps.

Here is what some Hoops fans had to say following the youngster’s announcement:

Celtic fans, are you happy to see Corr signing a first team contract at Parkhead? Comment below with your views!

A lot of Aston Villa fans are talking following some banter over Twitter from centre-back Tyrone Mings, who replied to a tweet by journalist Mat Kendrick.

Kenrick’s tweet said: “This is the worst defending I have seen for a very long time. And I watch Aston Villa,” in reference to Boris Johnson’s public address on Sunday defending Dominic Cummings.

Mings spotted Kendrick’s post and replied by saying: “This is some of the most garbage I’ve read for a while… & I read the Birmingham mail! I joke Matt, I enjoy your writing.”

This is clearly the entertainment that Villa fans didn’t know they needed whilst football is currently postponed, and they have been enjoying his witty comment, whilst others have highlighted the poor defensive performances from the club this season.

It has been a rollercoaster of a season for the defender, as the club sit 19th in the Premier League, but are only two points from safety with a game in hand, via SofaScore.

They have conceded the most goals in the league, letting in 56, but Mings has received a lot of praise this campaign, and it saw him get a call up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad back in October 2019, via Transfermarkt. He has now made two appearances for the Three Lions and looks to be in Southgate’s future plans.

Here is what fans had to say following the tweet:

Do you think Villa can stay up? Comment below!

With finances set to be tight all across the board this summer, many Premier League sides are likely to be shopping in the bargain basement to try and find the best deals possible.

And an opportunity to sign a Premier League-proven midfielder in Adam Lallana on a free transfer shouldn’t be something Tottenham turn their noses at.

According to The Daily Mirror, the north London side are in the race to sign the England international when his contract with Liverpool expires at the end of this season, and are set to face competition from the likes of Burnley, Arsenal, West Ham and Leicester.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Whilst on the face of it, signing a 32-year-old who’s played just 373 minutes of Premier League football all season and has a history of injury problems doesn’t seem like the best investment, when fit, Lallana has the ability to be a versatile option for Jose Mourinho.

He can play anywhere behind the striker, and also play deeper as a central midfielder or even in a holding role as he did so twice for Jurgen Klopp’s side this year.

And one of the things that Lallana has been hailed for has been his work rate and hard work off the ball, with Klopp himself waxing lyrical about that side of the game after his performance against Burnley last season.

He said: “He is always good on the ball but he is pretty aggressive too, so on the counter-press situation it’s a game-changer. It’s a brilliant thing in that moment which didn’t look promising until he jumped in.”

Amidst all the frustrations surrounding Tanguy Ndombele and his lack of work ethic on the pitch, Lallana would be the furthest thing from that. The former Southampton ace is someone who puts it all on the line, and it’s no surprise that despite being a more creative midfielder, he has still won 51% of his ground duels and made 1.3 tackles per game in the Premier League this campaign.

Despite all of his injuries, Lallana has consistently worked hard for the team and never let it affect the way he performs out on the pitch, unlike Ndombele. After a particularly embarrassing display against Burnley, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher ripped the Frenchman to shreds for that vital aspect of the game, saying his “his performance was nothing short of a disgrace”, and that “he just seems to walk about”.

On a free transfer, Daniel Levy would be ensuring that Spurs keep a tight rein on the finances, and also bringing in a player who could quite conceivably move ahead of Ndombele in Mourinho’s thinking for the starting eleven. It’s a move that ticks all the boxes in this current climate.

This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is without a doubt one of the best young players in the world right now, through personal and club achievements alone.

The right-back is living the dream of practically every young Liverpool fan and the best part is that he knows it. His raw passion for the badge is something the Reds watched in Steven Gerrard and many worried they wouldn’t find player devotion like that ever again.

But in this young Scouser is absolutely everything a club could want in a player and more often than not, it’s something money can’t buy.

Alexander-Arnold has made a fairy tale transition from academy football to lifting the Champions League trophy. He was first integrated into the senior squad at just 18 and since his debut, he hasn’t looked back.

The defender has made 127 appearances for the first team and has become untouchable in his role. TAA usurped Nathaniel Clyne and is now confident in his ability to dominate the right flank. Such growth is mirrored in fellow Scouse talents Gerrard and Wayne Rooney. Both debuting young and going on to become icons for both club and country.

Despite being part of the club’s history as they enjoy their first ever Premier League title, Alexander-Arnold isn’t done with his dream. “Becoming Liverpool captain eventually motives me every day,” the 21-year-old told the Telegraph. “It is something I want to achieve. Obviously that will not be my decision, but if I did not manage that before the end of my career I would be disappointed.”

Gerrard was first named Liverpool captain in 2003, at 23-years-old. He went on to dedicate a further 12 years to the club and led them to their magical European title in Istanbul. Alexander-Arnold is well on his way to following in similar footsteps.

The current Liverpool squad is arguably one of the best in the club’s history and TAA is at the perfect age to be going into this new era.

Now worth an astonishing £88.6million more than when he broke through, Alexander-Arnold will undoubtedly have the world’s most elite teams begging for his signature. But if he truly is to echo Gerrard’s pathway, he’ll only have eyes for Anfield.

What are your best memories of Trent Alexander-Arnold? Let us know in the comments below!

Sky Sports reporter Keith Downie has revealed on his official Twitter page that Newcastle United could be without as many as six key players available for this evening’s clash away to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium as Steve Bruce faces a possible injury crisis ahead of the game.

As per the journalist, Isaac Hayden and Sean Longstaff have been ruled out already and Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron are major doubts, with Jamaal Lascelles and Andy Carroll also doubtful for the match against last season’s Premier League champions.

They have all featured regularly throughout a satisfying season for the Tyneside club in 2019/20 as they reached an FA Cup quarter-final and have now been confirmed as mathematically safe from relegation from the Premier League.

Almiron has made 38 appearances in all competitions so far in this term, Hayden 34, Longstaff, Lascelles and Saint-Maximin 28 and Carroll 19, according to Transfermarkt.

Four of these players also started the Magpies’ last game in the 2-2 draw at St. James’ Park against West Ham United on Sunday, with Carroll coming off the substitutes’ bench, as per Sofascore.

Perhaps the biggest loss out of all of these players would be Saint-Maximin, as the 23-year old has been a revelation for Newcastle so far in the Premier League, scoring three goals and making four assists in 22 matches whilst also creating eight big chances and averaging 4.6 successful dribbles and 1.3 key passes (via Sofascore).

His absence, along with those of up to five other regular players, could be a significant blow for Bruce’s teamÂif they are to have any chance of beating Man City, given their contributions already in this campaign.

Geordies, do Newcastle have a chance of beating Man City this evening? Comment below with your views!

Key information about Etihad Stadium

The City of Manchester Stadium, also known as Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, was built in 2002 and is the home of Manchester City football club. The ground is located in the Etihad Campus in Manchester and was originally built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, transforming into a football pitch after that.

Its current capacity stands at 55,017 and has a pitch that measures 105m by 68m. The Etihad Stadium’s pitch is covered with hybrid grass with undersoil heating installed and no running track surrounding it.

The record attendance of 54,693 supporters was set during Manchester City vs Leicester City on 6 February 2016.

A history of Etihad Stadium

Even though it now houses one of the biggest teams in the Premier League, the Etihad Stadium was first designed with a different purpose. Initially, the plans for a new stadium in Manchester were formulated back in 1989 as part of the city’s bid to host the 1996 Summer Olympics. Failing that, they also applied for the 2020 iteration but didn’t succeed once again.

But as they say, third time’s the charm and in 2002, the Etihad Stadium would finally get its shot as host for a big event, albeit it were the Commonwealth Games and not the Olympics. After that, it was converted into a football stadium, set to be used by Manchester City from the 2003/04 season onwards as the Citizens were looking to move to a more modern ground than Maine Road.

The reconstruction started immediately following the Games and sections of the tracks were removed, set to be reused at other athletics venues. The internal ground level was also lowered so an additional tier of seating could be added on the already-constructed terracing. The three temporary stands that had a capacity of 16,000 were replaced with a permanent one of a rather similar design to the existing one at the southern end.

All of that took about one year to finish, ultimately increasing the capacity, making the stadium functional for football games and enabling Man City to move in for the start of the 2003/04 campaign. As we now know, the 2008 takeover made the club one of the wealthiest outfits in the world and it had a direct impact on the stadium as well.

Just a couple of years later, in March 2010, Manchester City signed an agreement with Manchester City Council to allow a £1 billion refurbishment that would be led by architect Rafael Viñoly. That year, the Etihad Stadium saw numerous improvements with the renovations of both the pitch and the hospitality areas while also renegotiating the lease and acquiring the naming rights.

More expansion followed in the 2014/15 season with construction commencing on the South Stand in April 2014 and being finalised for the start of the 2015–16 campaign. In November 2018, further discussions were had with a view of building a still larger two-tier North Stand without executive boxes or corporate hospitality lounges included.

This project would boost the maximum capacity to around 63,000, making the Etihad Stadium Britain’s third-largest club ground, only behind the iconic Old Trafford and potentially the London Stadium, but still slightly bigger than Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tickets to watch Manchester City at Etihad Stadium

All tickets to watch Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium can be found on the club’s official website. The price varies and the Citizens’ games are among the most expensive ones in the Premier League, on average costing around £70 for adults.

They do, however, offer memberships and season tickets that can get you discounts over the course of the season.

Related links

https://www.mancity.com/ – Official website of Manchester City

https://tickets.mancity.com/ – Manchester City Ticket Office

Leeds United are said to want four or five new signings to bolster their maiden bow in the Premier League and one name stands out from the rest.

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, the Yorkshire giants “rate” Brentford’s Ollie Watkins as one of several options they’re eyeing up from the division they have just won.

It’s claimed that the club believes the Bees talisman could suit Marcelo Bielsa’s system to a tee – strong link-up play, slick finishing and is a similar profile to Patrick Bamford, albeit one with a better conversion rate.

The Athletic have previously reported that the 24-year-old could be available for just £18m due to a release clause in the contract he signed back in August.

Exciting addition

One huge stumbling block to the deal will be down to whether or not the Bees join United in the Premier League – if they defeat local rivals Fulham at Wembley next week, then it could be curtains.

Although that shouldn’t stop Leeds trying to chance their arm, especially at just £18m as a deal like that presents far greater reward at a lower risk. It’s certainly not going to be Jean-Kevin Augustin 2.0.

As Hay says in his piece, Watkins is a glove for Bielsa’s style of football and one that is substantially better than Bamford.

Before the playoff final, the young Englishman has bagged 26 goals, averaging 2.6 shots, 1.5 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

Such a fit is emphasised by Brentford boss Thomas Frank who lauded him after their 1-o win over Preston last month, he said: “All the praise to Ollie – he’s done amazing. He’s a pleasure to work with in terms of his determination, his desire. The key thing for me to coach him this year was his position in the box for crosses and he has improved that massively, he has also improved his link-up play.”

The praise doesn’t just stop there with former Hammer Trevor Sinclair comparing him to Jermain Defoe. Leeds should absolutely try to snag Watkins from Brentford – there probably isn’t a better fit out there right now.

AND in other news, Bielsa can boost PL chances with swoop for Dutchman