All posts by n8rngtd.top

Liverpool supporters have bemoaned an injury update regarding Thiago, with the Spaniard set for a spell on the sidelines.

The 30-year-old arrived as a star signing last summer, coming in from Bayern Munich after a wonderful period of success at the Bundesliga club.

Thiago’s first season proved to be an injury-prone one, however, and he was unable to make a major impact, partly because of the Reds’ struggles as a team.

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He was arguably Liverpool’s best player in the final 10 matches in the Premier League, though, and he has made a strong start to 2021/22, too.

Unfortunately, the Spain international limped off against Crystal Palace with a calf injury last weekend and missed the Carabao Cup win over Norwich City.

Jurgen Klopp has now confirmed [via Paul Joyce on Twitter] that Thiago will be out until next month’s international break, ruling him out of the games against Brentford, Porto and Manchester City.

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Liverpool fans react to Thiago latest

These Liverpool fans bemoaned the news on Twitter.

“Injury crisis. The midfield edition 21/22 loading. Stay tuned”

Credit: @9squeeze

“The Spanish Naby Keita”

Credit: @DIA_LXVI

“Here we go AGAIN”

Credit: @nasir_l

“This what we all have been preventing, stupid owners”

Credit: @Eminez_1

“I’m convinced this guy is made out of glass”

Credit: @ravisc0_

“Yeah he’s not playing until 2022”

Credit: @exdes10

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

Speaking to Football Insider, Sky Sports contributor and injury expert Ben Dinnery has shared what he thinks on Ryan Fredericks’ injury for West Ham.

The Lowdown: Moyes reveals ‘major’ concern…

Featuring for a total of just 17 minutes so far for West Ham domestically over 2021/2022, it looks as if Fredericks could be about to spend some more time on the sidelines.

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Suffering a repeat of his groin injury from last season (Transfermarkt), manager David Moyes revealed before his side’s weekend clash with Leeds that he had and his staff had ‘major concerns’ over the 28-year-old.

Now, injury expert Dinnery has shared his insight over how long Fredericks could be sidelined for.

The Latest: Fredericks injury claim dropped…

Speaking to FI, the analyst says that Fredericks could be facing up to a month out of action based on his average time recovering from groin injuries in the past.

“I think it’s the third groin-related injury he has reported in the last 11 or so months. He has also had a positive Covid test in that time.

“That makes me very worried. Historical data is a good indication of how long a player might be out and the problems he might have.

“The difficulty with Fredericks is that he has only had two Premier League minutes this season.

“There are players at West Ham who have had limited opportunities who want to go out and make an impression.

“Fredericks wanted to impress David Moyes but unfortunately he broke down fairly early in that game.

“Typically, with those groin problems we have seen in the past, the average return time has been about three to four weeks.”

The Verdict: Blow for Moyes?

Described as an ‘extra threat’ beyond West Ham’s attackers by journalist Sam Delaney on the U Irons Podcast (via This is Futbol), Moyes would have liked having the Englishman as an option off the bench given his lack of depth at full-back.

While Vladimir Coufal is the clear first choice down that channel, Fredericks’ presence off the bench provides West Ham with an extra dimension in the form of another pacey, attack-minded right-back.

It remains to be seen whether the defender will be out for up to a month, but it would be less than ideal for Moyes given his side’s fight on more fronts this season.

In other news: West Ham could now sign ‘big’ £25.2m-rated striker for Moyes, he is open to a London move…find out more here.

Sunderland travel to face Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Saturday as they look to extend their unbeaten run to nine games in all competitions.

Lee Johnson’s side are sitting pretty at the top of the League One table on 22 points and could extend their lead at the top with a win over Pompey.

The Black Cats come into the game off the back of a thumping 5-0 win over Cheltenham at the Stadium of Light earlier this week.

How many changes will Johnson make to his side? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make three changes from Tuesday night, with Dan Neil, Leon Dajaku and Alex Pritchard returning to the starting XI after sitting on the bench against Cheltenham.

The back five should stay the same. Hoffmann has kept two clean sheets in four League One games and the defensive four of Carl Winchester, Tom Flanagan, Bailey Wight and Niall Huggins should all keep their places for this one.

In midfield, we are predicting the first change to the XI will see Neil coming in, with Corry Evans being axed from the side. In five League One appearances this season, the 31-year-old has averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.68, with the Northern Ireland international averaging 58 minutes per match.

Meanwhile, Neil has averaged an impressive rating of 6.92, starting eight matches and averaging 87 minutes per game. This suggests that he is able to play to a higher standard whilst also having the fitness to see out more of the match, which is why the teenager should come in for Evans.

We are also predicting two changes to the attacking trident behind Ross Stewart. Nathan Broadhead is an injury doubt for this game, which could open up the number 10 spot. Pritchard was brought off the bench ahead of Elliot Embleton against Cheltenham and that could be a hint towards Johnson’s selection for this clash with Pompey, which is why we believe he could get the nod behind Stewart.

Finally, Dajaku should come in for Aiden O’Brien. We published an article explaining why Johnson should unleash the German winger on Portsmouth, with his goal against Cheltenham earlier this week hinting at his potential to be a game-changer for the Black Cats.

The rest of the team should stay the same, with Aiden McGeady, Luke O’Nien and Ross Stewart retaining their places in the XI. The latter has scored seven times in nine League One matches and will be aiming to add to his tally this weekend.

Read more: Johnson drops fresh injury update on “one of the best”, Sunderland fans will be gutted

After losing at home to Oxford United in their previous League One outing due to a late injury-time winner, Darren Moore’s side were back in action yesterday with a clash against Bolton Wanderers which saw the Owls secure all three points with a 1-0 victory.

A second-half strike from Lee Gregory was all that was needed for the Yorkshire club to secure the win which has now lifted them to ninth in the table.

One other player who stood out for Wednesday was full-back Liam Palmer, who played the entirety of the match and blocked four shots, made two interceptions, two clearances and one tackle in the game and won three out of the four duels in which he was involved. That ultimately earned him an overall match rating of 7.6/10, making him Wednesday’s joint-highest rated player on the day alongside goalscorer Gregory according to SofaScore.

So far this season, the 30-year-old has played 90 minutes in all of Wednesday’s League One games in a number of defensive positions, showing just how important and versatile he has been for Moore and the team.

In addition to his impressive match statistics, particularly on the defensive side of his game, Wednesday journalist Dom Howson said that Palmer “put his body on the line for the team” in what was a “solid showing” from the defender against Bolton. That shows just how important he was on the day in helping the Owls to keep a clean sheet.

Moving forward, with Wednesday’s next league game taking them to AFC Wimbledon next weekend, we feel as though Palmer should definitely keep his place in the team for that match based on his impressive display against the Trotters on Saturday.

An update has emerged regarding Newcastle’s interest in Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot.

What’s the talk?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, the Magpies are eyeing up a potential swoop for the former PSG midfielder ahead of the January window.

The report claims that a sale could work out for all parties involved as Juventus consider a number of midfield options to potentially replace the 26-year-old.

Imagine him & Willock

PIF could land a dream midfield duo in the form of Rabiot and Joe Willock by landing the Frenchman in January, which is why they must ensure that they can get this deal over the line in the coming months.

The 26-year-old has not enjoyed a brilliant time in Italy with Juventus, failing to average a WhoScored rating of 7.00 or higher in either of his full seasons for the club to date. This could be why they are prepared to cash in on him, but his prior form for PSG suggests that he could be an excellent signing for Newcastle.

In his last five Ligue 1 campaigns in Paris, Rabiot averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.11 or higher as he caught the eye for the French giants. He averaged at least 3.2 tackles and interceptions per game in each season during that spell, whilst he also holds a career average pass completion of 89.9%.

Former Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo previously called him ‘complete’, saying: “He is a complete player, I have rarely seen someone so strong both physically and technically.”

Bianconeri legend Gianluigi Buffon has also lauded him, saying: “He is a fantastic mix, he has the physical strength of Pogba, who is like a wardrobe, has the personality of Vidal and potentially the dynamism of Marchisio. He is incredible, extremely strong.”

Rabiot’s statistics from his time at PSG and these quotes from Buffon and Pirlo suggest that he could have the tenacity and strength to be a solid holding midfielder for the Magpies. This could make him the perfect partner for Joe Willock, who is capable of providing goals from the middle of the park, and PIF must ensure that they can get them playing alongside each other.

The former Arsenal man found the back of the net eight times in 11 Premier League starts for Newcastle last term, having produced three goals and three assists in four Europa League starts for the Gunners earlier in the campaign. This shows that he has the quality to make an impact in the final third and that is why he could thrive alongside Rabiot, who can do the dirty work and break up play to allow Willock to push up and support the attack.

AND in other news, Newcastle make contact with £22.5m-rated “genius”, him and Saint-Maximin could be terrifying…

Everton fell to a 5-2 defeat at home to Watford on Saturday afternoon, with former Toffees striker Josh King netting a hat-trick on his return to Merseyside.

Tom Davies gave Rafa Benitez’s side the lead early on and Richarlison netted in the second half to put the Toffees back in front, but a crazy final 15 minutes saw the hosts concede four times and leave Goodison Park with nothing.

As to be expected with the result, a number of Everton starters disappointed, as The Transfer Tavern dives into the three worst-rated outfield starters by statistical specialists SofaScore…

Allan

The Brazilian midfielder kept up his record of starting every Premier League fixture so far this season, partnering Davies in a 4-4-1-1 system.

However, he had an afternoon to forget, recording a SofaScore rating of 6.1/10. Allan lost six ground duels and one aerial duel, while losing possession 13 times and being dribbled past on five occasions.

Seamus Coleman

Coleman also received a SofaScore rating of 6.1/10 – the joint-worst when it came to outfield starters alongside Allan.

The right-back lost the ball on 16 occasions, lost four ground duels and two aerial duels and was dribbled past three times.

He also only made one tackle all game, compared to Lucas Digne at left-back who made seven.

Salomon Rondon

Summer signing Rondon is still awaiting his first Toffees goal, and like Allan and Coleman, he failed to have a single shot on goal against the Hornets.

He had just 26 touches all afternoon, lost the ball eight times and struggled in the air, losing eight of his 12 duels and three of five on three ground.

It seems as if the quicker Dominic Calvert-Lewin can return from injury, the better, following the much-maligned Venezuelan’s SofaScore match rating of 6.5/10.

In other news: ‘Don’t make me cry’ – Many Everton fans buzz over ‘great news’. 

Celtic failed to make it six wins from six in October following a 0-0 stalemate against Livingston on Saturday afternoon.   

The Hoops had a golden chance to take all three points and move to the top of the table with a stoppage-time penalty in the second half, but Giorgos Giakoumakis failed to convert the spot kick.

It wasn’t just the Greek striker who had an afternoon to forget, though, as The Transfer Tavern looks into the three worst-rated outfield starters by statistical specialists SofaScore…

Giorgos Giakoumakis – 5.8/10

Giakoumakis was comfortably Celtic’s worst performer with a match rating of 5.8/10. The 26-year-old lost possession on four occasions and missed a golden opportunity from the spot – his only shot on target throughout the entire 90 minutes.

He also lost four of his six duels and touched the ball just 19 times, completing only five passes all afternoon.

Jota – 6.6/10

On the left-hand side of a front three, Jota lost the ball on a whopping 27 occasions. The winger failed to complete a key pass at Parkhead and lost seven of his 12 duels.

He didn’t register a single shot either and was unsuccessful with 10 of his 12 crosses, leaving him with an overall match rating of 6.6/10.

Liel Abada – 6.7/10

Abada completes Celtic’s failed front three after being brought back into the starting line up by Postecoglou.

The 20-year-old was making his 20th appearance of the campaign and, like Jota, he failed to register a single shot on goal. He lost the ball 13 times, was beaten in five of his six duels and attempted just one dribble all afternoon.

It was a game to forget for Celtic’s attacking trio…

In other news: ‘It looks like’ – Sky Sports man reacts as Celtic seemingly close in on star with electric speed. 

It’s time for Nuno Santo to be bold and axe Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur’s starting XI, beginning with tonight’s Carabao Cup Round of 16 clash with Burnley.

The Lilywhites succumbed to defeat against West Ham United on Sunday afternoon, where they failed to register a single shot at goal throughout the entire second half.

To make matters worse, the north Londoners were left chasing the game from the 72nd minute and the England international never once looked threatening, nor did he seem like he wanted to. In fact, it was Kane who put in a lazy attempt to try and defend goalscorer Michail Antonio from the corner.

After scoring just once in seven successive league starts, there must now be a major cause for concern as the 28-year-old’s head just doesn’t look in it right now.

That could perhaps be a direct consequence of his failed move to Manchester City in the summer, so there’s no point trusting a player who doesn’t want to be at the club – it’s only damaging the rest of the squad.

‘Harry Kane like a disinterested passenger at times’ is how the Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick led after the defeat.

At this stage last season, the Spurs talisman had found the net seven times, and even then he’s known for starting seasons slowly, but no one could’ve predicted this.

As per The Sun, Kane has taken far fewer shots – with just 18 all season, compared to 38 at the same point last term – and a shocking conversion rate of just 5.6%, down from 18.4% a year ago.

Similarly, the £60m-rated star has just one assist and seven key chances created so far this year, compared to eight assists and 18 key chances at the same stage last season.

On that evidence, he’s more of a hindrance than a help to his side. Maybe some time on the bench would do him the world of good, almost a warning shot to spark a reaction. After all, he’s still contracted to Spurs until 2024, so he better get used to it.

Once dubbed a “monster” by teammate Heung-min Son, the England skipper must be ruthlessly axed from Nuno’s starting XI, as he’s massively holding them back in the final third.

AND in other news, Nuno must offload “average” £18m-rated Spurs passenger, he “looks a shadow of himself”…

Leeds United could sign an exciting upgrade on Patrick Bamford in Espanyol marksman Raul de Tomas.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days have suggested that Marcelo Bielsa’s side, along with fellow Premier League outfit West Ham, are continuing to follow the Spanish striker ahead of a potential move.

The report adds that Espanyol would demand a fee in the region of £38m to part ways with their talismanic striker, and that with his contract only expiring in the summer of 2026, they are under no pressure to let him go just yet.

Better than Bamford

While Bamford enjoyed a fine full season in the Premier League last term – he netted 17 goals in the competition – his injury-riddled campaign this year saw him well below his best.

In the five matches that he played, the England international bagged just once, while less than a third of shots per game actually found the target – an indication of his wayward finishing at times.

In contrast, De Tomas has started the new campaign on fire, netting six in 11, and being far more accurate with his attempts on goal – 1.7 of the 3.5 shots on average he takes actually finds the target.

And it’s not just in his finishing that the Espanyol man far outshines Bamford, also averaging more successful dribbles per game, and winning more duels per match too – the kind of all-round impact that Bielsa will surely love.

As per OptaJose, the Spaniard actually achieved a bit of history this season in La Liga with a very impressive feat that has been unmatched this century for his club side.

They revealed: “Raúl de Tomás has become the first Espanyol’s player in 21st Century to have recorded two different streaks scoring +4 #LaLiga games in a row in each one of them: the first one between January-February 2020 & the last one this October.”

De Tomas himself has revealed the kind of striker that he is, saying: “I am a pacey, competitive and technically gifted goal-scorer.”

The man with 96 senior goals to his name appears to be an upgrade on Bamford, and someone who could give Bielsa an added clinical touch up front.

Meanwhile, Phil Hay has dropped a behind-the-scenes Leeds update…

Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing Lille midfielder Renato Sanches as new manager Bruno Lage looks to bolster his engine room options.

What’s the story?

According to reports from Portugal (via BBC Sport), the Midlands outfit are the ‘most interested’ party in the highly-rated 24-year-old and are also reportedly in the best position to sign him.

Sanches was heavily linked with a summer move before an injury ended plans he had to depart the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but with the winter window fast approaching, an imminent exit could be on the cards.

He’d transform Wolves

The Portugal international has already experienced several highs and lows in his short career after bursting onto the scene with boyhood club Benfica after making his first-team debut back in 2015.

His impressive performances at club level saw Sanches make six appearances throughout his nation’s victorious run on their way to claim the trophy, resulting in him being named Young Player of the Tournament and winning the Golden Boy award.

A big-money move to Bayern Munich followed, but the youngster struggled to find his best form under the immense pressure that playing for the Bavarian giants brings.

Sanches then joined up with Swansea City for the 2017/18 campaign in an attempt to get his career back on track, yet things just went from bad to worse for the £47,000-per-week beast in south Wales.

He made just 12 Premier League appearances for the Swans before heading back to Munich, and many pundits, journalists and fans alike understandably questioned whether the box-to-box dynamo would ever fulfil his potential.

However, his second stint at the Allianz Arena was slightly more fruitful. Although he only scored two goals and provided three assists in 24 appearances, Sanches impressed several onlookers with his performances both in training and on the pitch.

Former Bayern boss Niko Kovac heaped praise on the midfielder by comparing him to German legend Lothar Matthaus, saying to ​Sky Sports: “Renato has an exceptionally good technique, very good speed and a great body

“It’s true that people fly off him left and right – just like they used to do with Lothar Matthaus. I’m delighted for Renato – I said yesterday that he was excellent in pre-season, and it wouldn’t be long before he plays.”

But he struggled to nail down a regular starting spot at Bayern, leading to his permanent exit in the summer of 2019. And it’s in Lille where Sanches has truly begun to resurrect his career.

As per WhoScored, the Portugal international completed 1.7 dribbles per league game last term and 0.8 key passes while recording a passing accuracy of 85.8%, highlighting his effective use of the ball as he played a pivotal part in Les Dogues first title victory in 10 years.

His exceptional passing range, dribbling ability and work rate would have the potential to transform Wolves’ options in the centre of the pitch, especially with Joao Moutinho now 35 years old.

It remains to be seen whether Fosun follow up their interest with a concrete offer, but Sanches certainly has the ability to take Lage’s charges to new heights.

And, in other news…Bruno Lage drops promising Wolves update which is sure to have fans buzzing