All posts by z3u9t.icu

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According to reports from BBC Sport, West Bromwich Albion are set to sign Jefferson Montero on loan for the rest of the season.

What’s the word?

West Brom are flying high in the Championship this season and developed a real lust for scoring goals, netting a division-highest 57 in 28 games so far.

Darren Moore’s attacking ranks, however, have been depleted throughout the January transfer window. Harvey Barnes was recalled by Leicester City, Oliver Burke joined Celtic on loan and Bakary Sako was allowed to return to Crystal Palace.

Montero, meanwhile, is yet to actually start a Championship game this season despite making 12 substitute appearances and grabbing two assists from the bench back in September.

West Brom appear to be taking advantage of Montero’s bit-part status, by swooping for a player who has shown flashes of brilliance in the Premier League previously – during his first season at Swansea, he grabbed seven assists in the top flight.

A new weapon for Moore

If there’s one thing Montero undoubtedly offers, even if his consistency can be questioned, it’s service and trickery in wide positions. Per ninety minutes this season, he’s averaged 2.7 accurate crosses and 4.9 successful dribbles according to Whoscored.

While those statistics are skewed somewhat by the fact Montero has only featured as a substitute, no West Brom player to make more than 10 Championship appearances this season has averaged more than two successful dribbles per ninety minutes, although Matt Phillips matches his return for accurate crosses.

Montero then, offers something a little different in terms of his ability to carry the ball and as we approach the final run-in, that potential to change games by introducing Montero from the bench could be crucial for the promotion-chasing Baggies.

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Alisson Becker says Liverpool remain confident of winning the Premier League title.

The Reds goalkeeper has seen his side undergo something of a blip in recent games but he says they are assured in their own ability to win the title.

What’s the word?

Liverpool have slipped off the top of the Premier League table in recent days.

Back-to-back draws with Leicester City and West Ham United have allowed Manchester City to reclaim the lead as they look to defend their title.

The two sides are currently level on points but Pep Guardiola’s side have a markedly superior goal difference.

Nevertheless, Liverpool will return to the summit if they beat AFC Bournemouth on Saturday – City face Chelsea on Sunday – and Alisson insists that they still believe they can be champions.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “We believe we can win the league.

“We’ve shown in the past that we’re good enough and we’ll continue to show this in the games we’ve got to come.

Check out Neymar’s controversial new haircut for 2019 and Xherdan Shaqiri as you’ve never seen him before in the video below…

“Our pressure is the same. We take things game by game without worrying about what our opponents are doing.

“Everyone wants to win this league but at Liverpool, our concern is winning games and not dropping points.

“We don’t think about Man City, we think about ourselves. We only think about what we can do and how things are moving forward.”

Pride before a fall

It is always best to say nothing at all.

Alisson would have been wise to preach that gospel and keep schtum as Liverpool look to win their first ever Premier League title.

Of course, the club have won the top-flight’s biggest prize before, but not in its current incarnation and they last came close in 2013-14, when a Steven Gerrard slip and a Crystal Palace comeback prevented them from being crowned champions.

This time around, they are facing an even greater Man City than the one that became champions under Manuel Pellegrini.

Guardiola’s irrepressible winning machine appears to be roaring back into gear and Liverpool have, in recent games, looked akin to a rabbit caught in headlights.

If the Merseyside club do fail to win the league, this interview will surely haunt Alisson – he should not have said anything at all.

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Tottenham Hotspur had Hugo Lloris to thank for a vital victory over Leicester City on Sunday.

The France international goalkeeper made a key penalty save with the score at 1-0, denying Jamie Vardy from 12 yards to keep Spurs’ lead – given to them by defender Davinson Sanchez – intact.

Christian Eriksen then doubled Tottenham’s advantage with a dipping strike from the edge of the box.

Vardy redeemed himself somewhat with a tap-in to make it 2-1 thereafter but Son Heung-Min wrapped up all three points on the break in injury time.

Pl>ymaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

Lloris’ save came at a key moment, with Leicester pressing to find an equaliser that they would arguably have deserved.

Spurs, of course, went on to win, leaving them five points behind both Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table.

And fans have expressed their relief that Lloris, who has been under-par in several games this season, appears to have returned to form at just the right time.

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Reported Everton target Tanguy Ndombele produced a brilliant performance for Lyon as they picked up a goalless draw in the first leg of their last 16 Champions League tie with Barcelona at the Lyon Olympic Stadium on Tuesday, surely ending the Merseyside outfit’s chances of signing him.

On the chalkboard

Well, The Liverpool Echo reported in November that Toffees chief scout Martyn Glover had been sent to watch the powerful 22-year-old midfielder in action, with the media outlet reporting at the time that the France international was worth £40m.

The Liverpool Echo said that the interest in the Ligue 1 star was evidence that Marco Silva and Marcel Brands were keen to bolster the team’s options in the centre of the park across the January transfer window and then in the summer, which could be a priority given they did no business in that area last month.

Andre Gomes is only on loan from Barcelona, Idrissa Gueye has been heavily linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain while 20-year-old Tom Davies has captained the team in recent weeks.

Could they sign Ndombele?

In a word, no.

Any chance they did have of bringing him to Goodison Park have surely vanished after his latest display in Europe, where he produced a display full of quality and composure against some of the best players in world football.

Not only did the powerful Frenchman shine from a defensive point of view – which is of course important given his usual deep-lying position – but he also made an impact going forward for the Ligue 1 outfit as well, as you can see from his WhoScored stats, as he completed five dribbles and was successful with all three long balls he attempted.

Everton may well be keen to strengthen their midfield this summer, but they won’t be getting Ndombele whose price will be soaring and who will surely be attracting interest from the very best clubs in Europe as he continues to excel at the highest level.

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With Virgil van Dijk suspended through yellow card accumulation in the group stages, Liverpool will be without their defensive leader for Tuesday night’s clash with Bayern in the Champions League and it may have just got a lot worse for Jurgen Klopp.

On the chalkboard

Having fell at the final hurdle last season as Real Madrid emerged victors of the final, the Reds will be hoping to go one further this time around but will have to get through Bayern first if they are to progress to the quarter finals.

The Anfield Stadium outfit’s big problem last campaign was their defence and goalkeeper – both of those weaknesses have been addressed now with the signings of Van Dijk and Alisson Becker but the former will not be in contention for the first leg and, with Joe Gomez out injured and Dejan Lovren also looking unlikely to play, Klopp has a bit of a headache.

The former Dortmund boss discussed the possibility of Fabinho deputising at centre-back again although this will be detrimental to Liverpool, who will undoubtedly miss the number 3’s physicality in the middle of the park.

Pulling together

One of multiple summer signings, Fabinho’s gradual integration into the team has seen him become a key member of the Reds midfield and he has even stepped into the defence when required, owing to his versatility.

Joel Matip will likely directly replace Van Dijk with the former Monaco man coming in as his partner in an unorthodox pairing. Klopp may be light of centre-back options but, equally, the 25-year-old’s skill-set is unmatched in the middle and, while they are stacked with legs, they will undoubtedly miss having that anchor.

At 6-foot-2, the Brazilian towers over the other Liverpool midfielders but he is still far from lacking in the technical department – see his assist for Sadio Mane versus Manchester United. He has shown previously that he can play capably in the back four and so, by deploying him there, Klopp loses more in the midfield than defence for this clash despite the absence of van Dijk.

We all love the Champions League theme tune but you’ve never heard it like this before! Check out the video below…

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Andy Walker has accused Motherwell of cheating in Sunday’s stormy encounter at Celtic Park.

The post-match debate has almost entirely centred around the 52nd minute goal scored by Gboly Ariyibi as the Celtic players waited on the ball being returned after they had put it out of play to allow treatment to Ryan Christie.

Motherwell officially broke no laws of the game but as the ball hit the net, the fury of the home support and playing staff was unleashed.

Referee Kevin Clancy couldn’t do a thing about the incident although Motherwell could have allowed Celtic to score unopposed from the re-start to restore their two-goal lead.

Walker left Motherwell for Celtic in 1987 and was astonished by the incident and the way that his first senior club reacted.

“I know that cheating happens most weeks in football but this is taking it to a different level,” The Scottish Sun reported the Sky Sports pundit saying. “It was extraordinary to hear the reaction of Stephen Robinson.

“I have no idea why he is bringing the young players salary into it. He’s on a couple of hundred quid a week James Scott but I’ve no idea what relevance that has.

“I was a bit surprised that maybe some of the senior Motherwell players didn’t take control, realise that this was maybe pushing the boundaries too far and let Celtic go up the park and score a goal without anyone challenging them.

“We’ve seen that once or twice in England in the last number of years in the lower leagues.

“I seem to remember Stevie Crawford did it for Plymouth some years ago when there was bit of controversy in that game.

“Cheating has always been a part of the game but that took it to a different level yesterday.”

For over 20 minutes the game was in the balance with Celtic knocked out of their stride and their fans baying for retribution.

But when there was nine minutes left to play Odsonne Edouard restored Celtic’s two-goal lead, while Oliver Burke also added to the score-sheet.

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So, it’s official. Brendan Rodgers has been appointed as the new manager of Leicester City after Claude Puel received his marching orders from the King Power Stadium.

Everything about the appointment makes sense from the Foxes’ point of view. Rodgers is a forward thinking manager who works well with youth and always tries to play football in the right way – the likes of Youri Tielemans, Demarai Gray and Ben Chilwell should thrive under him.

However, from Celtic’s point of view, the decision is unforgivable. Rodgers could have overseen a treble-treble, having won all three domestic trophies available to him for the last two seasons running – somehow, mid-table mediocrity and nothing to play for appealed to the Welshman more than achieving such a huge feat.

Former Hoops boss Neil Lennon has since been appointed on an interim basis, but let’s take a look at who could replace Rodgers on a long-term deal…

Rafa Benitez

The relationship between Mike Ashley and Rafa Benitez had become incredibly tense by the end of 2018, so much so that the Spaniard threatened to leave unless players were signed in the January window.

The Spaniard, who famously led Liverpool to Champions League success in 2005, was finally rewarded for his fine work on Tyneside in January with a marquee signing worth shouting about.

Miguel Almiron arrived for a club-record fee, but it remains to be seen whether or not that acquisition will tempt Benitez into signing a new contract with his current deal due to expire this summer.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 

A bold suggestion, but if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t get the Manchester United job on a permanent basis his stock will be sky high for those searching for a new boss.

The Norwegian has lost just one of his 15 games in charge since being appointed at Old Trafford on an interim basis, and should certainly be in the Bhoys’ sights if the Red Devils decide to look elsewhere in the summer.

David Moyes

The former Real Sociedad boss has been out of work since his short-term contract at West Ham expired last season.

Moyes, 55, was born in Glasgow and began his playing career at Celtic, so the opportunity to manage them could be too good to turn down should he be offered the role – it is also worth noting that Moyes repaired his reputation somewhat during his time with the Hammers.

Alex Neil

The former Hamilton boss has been back to his best since being appointed as Preston’s manager back in 2017.

Neil has guided his side to a recent run of five wins and three draws from their last eight, form which has them sitting just six points off the play-off positions.

Born in Bellshill, the lure of managing a Scottish giant could be enough to lure him away from what is a decent project at Preston.

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Loads of Celtic fans have been reflecting on the weekend’s action, and they’ve already made their minds up on the future of Neil Lennon.

Celtic had the chance to pretty much put the title to bed on Saturday courtesy of Rangers dropping points at Easter Road on Friday night, but the Bhoys weren’t able to break down Aberdeen at Parkhead.

It was the first 0-0 draw between the Hoops and the Dons since 1994, and it leaves Lennon’s side eight points clear of the Gers with four games left to play.

Despite their superb position in the table, fans were understandably infuriated by the performance on Saturday, as the side struggled to create clear-cut chances and simply weren’t clinical enough in the final third.

And they have seen enough after the goalless draw, calling for someone else to take over from Lennon in the summer.

The 47 year-old replaced Brendan Rodgers on an interim basis at the end of February, but it appears the large majority of fans simply want him to steady the ship and then get out of the way.

Take a look at the Twitter reactions down below…

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Supporters of West Brom have taken to Twitter to hail the performance of central defender Ahmed Hegazi, throwing superlatives the Egyptian’s way following a tweet he made.

The Hawthorns faithful haven’t had too much to shout about recently but bounced back to winning ways after three matches without a victory this week in what was their first game since Darren Moore’s departure.

Hegazi was one of the key men to make a difference in their 3-0 win over Swansea as the 28-year-old kept a clean sheet. It was a display that earned rave reviews as fans left comments for him on social media.

The 51-cap Egypt international was ever present for the Baggies in the Premier League last season and as such has since been labelled by one supporter as too good for the Championship. Similar plaudits were aimed at him, claiming he is the best centre-back at the club as fans were left drooling over his defensive efforts.

His initial tweet showed him blocking the ball to deny Connor Roberts, a challenge that was hailed by one specific Baggie, calling it an incredible stop. The ex-Fiorentina man’s display was lauded as brilliant, with another member of support fearing where they would be without him.

Albion’s defender has featured 31 times for them in the league this campaign, having scored one goal.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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There’s been no shortage of reaction to the incident involving Jack Grealish during Sunday’s Second City derby. With the score at 0-0, a Birmingham City fan ran onto the pitch and punched Grealish in the head as Aston Villa eventually went on to win 1-0.

The man in question has since been jailed for the attack and ordered to pay £350 in fines, according to a variety of sources including BBC Sport.

But Blues fans are putting the blame on the security company K2 who, if fans of the club are to be believed, have received a host of complaints after concerns they have no interest in safety at all.

Birmingham supporters have seemingly taken issue with security at St Andrews for a while with an incident like the one which occurred this weekend something that was just waiting to happen.

This comes after a statement was issued by the club about stadium stewarding, safety and security.

K2 are a company based in Dudley in the West Midlands and have over 30 years of event experience, covering race meets at Silverstone and also providing security at festivals across the country.

However, their priorities following the punch on Grealish have been called into question. The best of Blues supporters’ reaction can be found below…