All posts by z3u9t.icu

Daniel Pinder, the editor-in-chief of Get German Football News, has exclusively told Football FanCast that Lucien Favre would be a better fit for Celtic than Jesse Marsch, who will replace Julian Nagelsmann at Leipzig following his move to Bayern Munich.

The Hoops are approaching the three-month mark since they sacked Neil Lennon, although they don’t appear any closer to naming a replacement.

Eddie Howe remains Celtic’s number one target, but ex-Borussia Dortmund manager Favre and Salzburg boss Marsch were both in the running, before the latter’s latest move was confirmed.

The former has been out of management since his departure in December, with Dortmund sitting fifth in the Bundesliga, whilst Marsch is on the verge of leading Salzburg to their second consecutive Austrian league title.

Despite the sorry end to his spell at the Westfalenstadion, Pinder believes that Favre is going to be a man in demand this summer, and would fit the bill at Parkhead.

He told Football FanCast:

“I actually think he’d be more suited to Celtic than Marsch would. But I do think there will be a lot of teams after him in the summer despite his performances for Borussia Dortmund towards the end of his sacking.

“He started his tenure at Dortmund very well but towards the end he was criticised for not knowing what his best XI was and best formation – whether it was 3-5-2 or 4-2-3-1, there wasn’t really any thought behind it.

“Speaking to fans, there wasn’t really any style of play, there wasn’t any plan B.”

Rangers and Steven Gerrard are sweating over the availability of key midfielder Glen Kamara ahead of their crucial Europa League encounter against Brondby IF this evening.

What’s the word?

The 26-year-old shone for Steven Gerrard’s charges last time out, bagging a goal and an assist in the 6-1 thrashing of Motherwell, but a knock to his ankle is threatening to rule him out of this midweek clash.

“Glen had a whack on his ankle, actually two kicks on the same ankle, so there’s swelling. There’s been a big improvement overnight which gives him that 50 per cent chance,” said the Gers manager in Wednesday’s press conference.

However, there was some good news for supporters of the reigning Scottish champions. Gerrard then confirmed that winger Ryan Kent is ready to return, with long-term casualty Ryan Jack also on the way.

He said: “Ryan (Kent) trained fully with the group yesterday, came through it, and looked pretty good. So he’ll travel, assuming he comes through today’s session.

“Ryan (Jack) is training away. He’ll have an outside chance of being involved at the weekend depending on how this game goes.

“He’s been back in full training for a couple of weeks. The international break is super important in terms of getting work in his legs and maybe trying to get a game behind closed doors for him.”

Steven Gerrard will be worried

News that Kemara may not be fit enough to feature against Brondby will have Gerrard feeling extremely worried, given his importance to the Ibrox outfit.

The Finland international has started 16 games for the Glasgow giants in all competitions so far this season, and his underlying numbers are indicative of the influence he has over proceedings.

As per WhoScored, Kemara has averaged 0.9 tackles per league game in 2021/22, 0.9 interceptions and 0.6 defensive dribbles, highlighting his efficient displays in the engine room.

But the former Arsenal academy graduate is also crucial when in possession. He has recorded a passing of 90% in the opening weeks of the campaign – the third-highest total compared to his colleagues – whilst averaging 63.6 passes per game – the second-highest tally amongst his teammates.

Therefore, his potential enforced absence would be a bitter blow to Rangers as they look to keep their Group A hopes alive with a positive result in Denmark.

And, in other news…Gerrard must unleash £26k-p/w Rangers “leader” vs Brondby, he’s a match-winner 

A number of Manchester United fans have been criticising the performance of Diogo Dalot in their 2-1 Champions League win at home to Villarreal on Wednesday night.

Cristiano Ronaldo spared Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s blushes with a last-minute goal after Alex Telles had cancelled out Paco Alcacer’s opener with a well-taken volley from outside the penalty box.

In spite of the win, Dalot endured a torrid time up against Arnaut Danjuma at right-back in place of the suspended Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Villarreal’s goal came down his flank.

The Portugal international lost out on four of his duels and also failed to block any shots or make any key passes or accurate crosses in the game, losing possession of the ball on 11 different occasions (Sofascore).

Man Utd fans on Dalot’s performance

These United supporters on Twitter blasted the 22-year-old’s performance, with one Red Devils supporter even going as far as to claim that Dalot was a ‘liability’ last night:

“Dalot was never good enough but Trippier was too expensive for what #MUFC wanted to pay.”

Credit: @JohnMozMolloy

“Telles passed the test. Dalot needs to improve massively.”

Credit: @ant4177

“A superb win to overshadowed many errors. Dalot was extremely poor throughout. Midfield lacking ball providers. A simple crossing might lead to a goal but we didn’t do that till end of the game. Sancho not at his best. Greenwood should do better. Again late substitution.”

Credit: @RRajen81

“Dalot is one of the worst defenders I’ve ever seen. Don’t know why we kept him this summer. Rather give Laird a chance.”

Credit: @BallRaffles

“Dalot was so poor today. Watching his defending the goal. If he went down he would have blocked that cross”

Credit: @StanChurchill

“Great excitement, drama and a win in the end but why did it take 60 minutes for United to start playing with any urgency and attacking verve? I’ve got nothing personal against Dalot but he is an absolute defensive liability”

Credit: @philgoldsmith

In other news, Dalot wasn’t the only player to come in for criticism from some Man Utd fans last night

Aston Villa want to sign Joe Gomez in January, and that could spark the end of Tyrone Mings’ time in the starting lineup under Steven Gerrard.

The new manager has started his tenure in a great way, winning three of his four fixtures with the only defeat coming to league leaders Manchester City at Villa Park. After a clean sheet in his first game though, Villa have conceded four goals in the following three games to add to their woeful defensive record this season.

So far in the current campaign the Midlands side have conceded 24 goals in 15 games, with only five teams conceding more than they have. Of those five teams, Norwich and Newcastle are both in the relegation zone – which shows the size of the problem that Gerrard has in front of him.

Reports suggest he is keen to bring the £27m-rated England international Gomez into the fold on a temporary basis to help bolster the defence, with the 24-year-old currently fourth choice centre-back at Anfield behind Virgil Van Dijk, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konate.

He has made just three starts this season in all competitions, with only two appearances off the substitutes bench to his name in the Premier League. His total of 13 minutes of action in the league means his chances of getting back into the England squad are very slim and with a World Cup coming up next year, he will be keen to get more regular game time.

But should he arrive then Gerrard will have a decision to make over whose place in the team he will take between captain Mings and Ezri Konsa. But after his brace in the win over Leicester at the weekend, Konsa has made his claim to keep his place.

This season Konsa has averaged 0.7 tackles per game, 0.7 interceptions per game and 0.4 fouls per game in comparison to Mings’ 0.4 tackles per game, 0.9 interceptions per game and 0.9 fouls per game per WhoScored.

There is next to nothing between them, but it should be remembered that Mings was dropped by Dean Smith before he was sacked due to his poor form. With that in mind, there is strong evidence to suggest that an additional defender arriving would be the end of his days as a regular in the starting XI.

During Gomez’s last full campaign, where he was labelled “exceptional” by Jurgen Klopp, he averaged 0.8 tackles per game, 1.4 interceptions per game and 0.8 fouls per game, demonstrating that his reading of the game is considerably better than what the Villans already have at their disposal.

Mings isn’t the quickest and with Gerrard preferring to play a possession-based game with a higher defensive line, Gomez could slot in alongside Konsa for a better partnership to help the system. The 28-year-old captain will be competing with Gomez for an England and Villa place should the move happen, so expect the former Charlton man to be gunning for his place.

AND in other news, Joe Gomez could move to Aston Villa in January for sake of England place.

Steve Bruce must recall Federico Fernandez for the game away to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday after the Newcastle United defender returned to full first-team training.

That’s according to The Shields Gazette, who note that the Argentine took a full part in all sessions carried out on Wednesday as the Magpies prepare to visit their relegation-rivals.

Fernandez has not featured for a single minute since sustaining a calf injury in defeat to Sheffield United on January 12, in what was his sixth Premier League outing since recovering from coronavirus.

Fernandez’s potential return away to West Brom will come as a huge boost for Bruce, who has lost star forwards Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin until April due to injuries sustained in last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The pair join top-scorer Callum Wilson in the treatment room, although Elliot Anderson is expected to be fit to travel to the Hawthorns after an ankle injury as one of a handful of potential options to replace Almiron.

Javier Manquillo is also back in light training as he looks to continue his recover from an ankle injury sustained against Southampton, while Emil Krafth is due to return to training and contend for a place against the Baggies after developing a shin issue last Saturday.

Fernandez had returned to training ahead of last month’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester United but was deemed unfit to feature at Old Trafford or against Wolves, to see that the 32-year-old has missed Newcastle’s last 10 games across all competitions.

The £4m-rated titan, who is a free agent in the summer, has been one of Bruce’s more favoured options this season, with Fernandez starting all 16 available Premier League games and captaining the side on four occasions.

Bruce must recall Fernandez to the starting line-up at West Brom should the £47,000-per-week defender go through training unscathed ahead of Sunday’s relegation six-pointer, with the 32-cap international a key presence when on the field.

Fernandez has averaged the highest number of tackles per game by a United player who has been fielded at centre-back more than four times in the Premier League this season, with 1.5 successful challenges from 1.8 attempts, per WhoScored.

Ciaran Clark (1.1/1.4) and Jamaal Lascelles (0.9/1) have been Bruce’s most utilised options in recent weeks after losing Fabian Schar to knee ligament surgery, with both offering fewer average clearances that Fernandez (5.6) with 4.1 and 4.5, respectively.

Only West Brom’s Kyle Bartley (5.9) records a greater number of clearances per game than Fernandez, among all Premier League players who have featured at centre-half five or more times this term.

United will need Fernandez’s leadership and no-nonsense approach at the Hawthorns as they strive to secure a first win in four top-flight games, having conceded six goals in their past three and 10 since last they last kept a clean sheet.

AND in other news, an “absolutely awesome” titan has been tipped to quit Newcastle this summer…

According to a report by club insiders Claret & Hugh, via West Ham news, defender Fabian Balbuena has made up his mind over leaving east London and will depart at the end of this season when his contract expires.

Balbuena, who briefly forced his way back into the team under David Moyes, partnering Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell consistently in a back three at the back end of the last calendar year, will now leave according to C&H.

Indeed, with no new deal on the table for him, the Paraguayan has apparently made up his mind and has decided to move on from West Ham when his current contract officially runs out.

The 29-year-old has recently had to watch summer signing Craig Dawson take his mantle in the starting eleven, and when Ogbonna succumbed to injury, Issa Diop was the chosen defensive partner by Moyes.

Flocking to this update, many Hammers fans had their say – find all of their best comments down below.

West Ham fans react to Balbuena development

“Noooo I rate this lad”

Credit: @daggers496

“How stupid though, great squad depth. Wont even get a fee for him”

Credit: @szn_bowen

“Very bizarre we aren’t keeping him. We have 3 senior CBs left. Reports Alves will step up but I feel we need another senior.”

Credit: @westhamtransfer

“This hurts but it’s completely understandable

He is good enough to be starting every game”

Credit: @MattIngram28

“Day ruined”

Credit: @WhuJosh

“Bang out of order alienating him like that. Was injured then got COVID which extended his absence but he hasn’t put a foot wrong for us this season”

Credit: @DanOCon23169711

“Another good player going for nothing”

Credit: @HarryZippyAx

“Big shame. I like the guy and he’s a good squad player who knows the club.”

Credit: @WesthamVan1

In other news: West Ham fans also flocked to a transfer claim, find out more here.

Aston Villa journalist Ashley Preece spotted manager Steven Gerrard turning away in ‘disgust’ after a Leon Bailey mistake against Leicester City. 

The lowdown

Gerrard named Bailey in his Premier League starting line-up for just the second time in 2022 ahead of the clash with the Foxes.

He played the full 90 minutes against Wolves at the start of the month, but aside from that he’d been limited to six substitute appearances since returning from a thigh injury.

The £28.8million, £85,000-per-week summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen slotted in alongside Philippe Coutinho and behind Ollie Watkins in the 4-3-2-1 formation.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/aston-villa-latest-developments/” title=”Aston Villa latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The latest

Preece noted shortly before half time at The King Power Stadium that Gerrard was left fuming after Bailey conceded a ‘daft’ free-kick 25 yards from the Villa goal.

It was ‘so sloppy’ from the Jamaican, he remarked, leading to the manager’s ‘disgust’.

Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans tweeted that Bailey was ‘really struggling’ in the first 45 minutes.

The verdict

The 24-year-old was unable to make any real impact in the first half against Brendan Rodgers’ side.

He finished the period with a meagre tally of 14 touches and four passes, having only attempted eight overall (via SofaScore).

Bailey won only one of the three ground duels he contested, and so it was no surprise to see Gerrard’s frustration mount.

Indeed, Preece also spotted the 41-year-old going ‘on at Bailey’ as he gathered his team near the touchline during a break in play.

It was something of a shock, then, to see him emerge for the second half. The manager might well have considered a change at the interval.

In other news, Villa are now in advanced talks over this signing.

When Chelsea set their eyes upon Arsenal’s team sheet at the Emirates on Saturday evening, they will have lit up.

They were missing a host of senior players including new summer signing Gabriel, their captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and former Blue, Willian.

However, if they took added confidence from that, it clearly didn’t show on the pitch.

This was arguably one of Chelsea’s worst displays of the season as they missed the chance to go second and suffered a disappointing 3-1 defeat. Frank Lampard was understandably angry at full-time – this was a display that lacked quality, desire and urgency.

They were playing a team who hadn’t won in seven Premier League games so on paper, they should have come away with all three points. Instead, they were battered and bruised by a heavily improved Arsenal side.

One of the worst performers was Reece James, someone given a torrid afternoon by the rampant Kieran Tierney and Gabriel Martinelli.

Time and time again the full-back was beaten and caught out of position, eventually giving away a penalty after contentiously bringing down Tierney. It was a moment that summed up his game and it didn’t get better.

James is known for being a fabulous crosser but on this occasion, he was poor in attack too. The England international succeeded with just 12.5% of the balls he delivered into the area.

Furthermore, the 21-year-old conceded two fouls and lost possession a mammoth 17 times. To put things simply, this was a horrible outing for the youngster.

To make matters even worse, James failed to win any of the ground duels he contested, being bullied down Chelsea’s right-hand side.

It was a surprise that he wasn’t withdrawn at half-time but the defender did combine more nicely with Callum Hudson-Odoi when he was introduced at the break. Unfortunately for Lampard, it was too little too late.

James hasn’t done too much wrong this season but this performance has to draw questions about his place in the side. Cesar Azpilicueta may have lost a yard of pace, but he is still capable defensively.

The manager has some thinking to do.

Kris Commons has strongly criticised wantaway Celtic duo Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer, arguing that the club ought to have sold the ‘demotivated’ pair last summer.

The Hoops’ dismal season took yet another wretched turn on Sunday as they were thumped 4-1 by arch-rivals Rangers at Ibrox. With two games to go, they trail Steven Gerrard’s side by 23 points in the Premiership.

How did Edouard and Ajer play against Rangers?

Edouard equalised for Celtic in the first half with a header from close range, before Alfredo Morelos swiftly restored Rangers’ lead. Two further goals in the second half compounded the misery for John Kennedy’s side.

Daily Record journalist Gordon Parks awarded Edouard a team-high rating of seven out of 10 for his performance, writing that his ‘appetite for the occasion wasn’t in question’ and that he ‘refused to give up the ghost despite being drip served decent service’.

It has been reported that the Frenchman, who has now scored 20 goals this season, is intent upon leaving the club regardless of whom they appoint as Neil Lennon’s successor.

Ajer is also reported to have his eyes on the exit door. The centre-half provided a knock-down assist for Edouard’s goal but Parks accused him of ‘dereliction in duty’ after he ducked out of the way of Morelos’ subsequent shot.

What did Commons have to say about Edouard and Ajer?

Former Celtic player Commons wrote that ‘an improvement in the attitude and performances’ of Edouard and Ajer was expected after Lennon’s departure, adding that Celtic’s ‘unhealthy obsession’ with winning 10 titles in a row has led to them retaining players who ‘felt like they were doing a Celtic a favour’.

“The problem lies squarely with these players who have their own agendas and prioritised them ahead of the club,” he wrote in the Daily Mail print edition, via Daily Record.

“The unhealthy obsession with 10 In A Row is at the heart of it.

“Celtic felt compelled to hold onto a select few players who were already plotting their own exit.

“They should never have entertained the idea of having to coax these players into giving the club ‘one more year’.

“As soon as a player expresses a desire to leave, as Lennon made clear after the Ferencvaros game last August, the club should be phoning them a taxi to the airport.

“These players felt like they were doing a Celtic favour by hanging around.

“They have lost all motivation and it has been the club and the supporters who have suffered for it.”

Transfer Tavern verdict

There’s an added layer here in that Celtic have also allowed both players name-checked by Commons to reach the final year of their respective contracts. That means they won’t be able to maximise the fees for £13.5m-rated Edouard and £3.6m-rated Ajer.

That could make the task of replacing them with players of similar quality all the more difficult. Commons may have a point in wondering whether their hearts are truly in it at Celtic, but the practicality of sorting their futures seems trickier than the theory.

In other news, Edouard has responded to a huge contract offer from this Premier League club.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Everton defender Michael Ball believes supporters at his old club would welcome the signing of Gareth Bale.

The Welsh forward is currently on loan at Tottenham from Real Madrid and is set for a return to Spain in the summer. However, with only a year remaining on his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, his future could be away from the Champions League semi-finalists.

If that does turn out to be the case, according to El Chiringuito (via TEAMtalk), Everton could be his new home, with former manager Carlo Ancelotti keen on a reunion.

For Ball, this is a transfer that he cannot see Toffees supporters being against. On the rumours, he told FFC:

“I think the Everton fans would like to see that happening. I think Carlo would like to see that happening. Carlo wants players to make an impact straight away, he wants players to push for Europe, challenge that top four and start making a bit of a noise.

“Carlo wants instant success; Gareth has obviously got that in abundance. If he comes to the football club, he will raise the levels of the players around him.”

Bale has really come to life of late, recently scoring a brilliant hat-trick against Sheffield United. He is also a player Ancelotti obviously knows well from their time at Real Madrid, so a move to Goodison Park does not sound like the craziest idea.