All posts by n8rngtd.top

Southampton face Crystal Palace at St Mary’s on Tuesday night and Ralph Hasenhuttl should axe centre-back Jan Bednarek from his side, as the 25-year-old has been on an awful run of form.

Following Fulham’s 2-0 defeat to Burnley on Monday night, the Saints are now mathematically safe from relegation, which should hopefully ease the pressure on the players and the manager, after a dreadful 2021 thus far.

Results have seen Southampton slip from a potential European spot to relegation fodder and one of the main reasons for this has been the Saints’ leaky defence.

Only Sheffield United and West Brom have conceded more than Hasenhuttl’s side this season and whilst that has been partly due to injuries and a lack of depth at full-back, questions must be asked of the centre-back partnership.

Bednarek and Jannik Vestergaard looked to have formed an excellent duo at the heart of Southampton’s defence earlier in the season but whilst the Denmark international has maintained his form, the Poland international has not.

In his last seven appearances in the Premier League, Bednarek has earned above a 7/10 rating from WhoScored just once, in the 3-2 comeback win against Burnley back in April.

This run of form included extremely poor displays against Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton, yet he is seemingly undroppable in Hasenhuttl’s side, having started all 34 of the Saints’ top-flight fixtures this season.

Despite Mohammed Salisu producing a superb display in the 1-1 draw with Leicester City recently, he was dropped for the trip to Anfield and now that Southampton are safe, surely he deserves a start alongside Vestergaard at centre-back.

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Earlier in his time in charge of the club, Hasenhuttl was full of praise of Bednarek, saying:

“He is very aggressive in the one-to-one duels at the back, and also with the ball he is calm and has a good view for the surrounding players.”

However, Southampton have been far from aggressive in their defending for much of the season and they have been out-fought and out-thought on a number of occasions.

Therefore, after his poor run of form, Hasenhuttl should drop the Polish defender for the game against Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.

And, in other news… Linked in 2020, now wanted by CL clubs: Saints missed out on “perfect” gem with 18 G/A

Despite earning a superb 1-1 draw against the reigning Premier League champions on Monday, there was one man who failed to impress for Leeds: Helder Costa.

The Portugal international was given the nod to start against Liverpool with Raphinha being out injured, and while those are some big boots to fill, he certainly didn’t show anything to Marcelo Bielsa that would warrant him keeping his place against Manchester United this coming weekend.

As per Sofascore, he missed one official big chance, failed to provide any accurate crosses, and managed just 12 successful passes in total – by and large, the game just seemed to pass the winger by.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, Leeds Live’s Beren Cross gave him a five, saying: “Never really figured as an option at any stage in attack for Leeds and was left for dead far too often by Andrew Robertson going in the other direction.”

Such was Costa’s ineffectiveness, that Bielsa took him off on the 67 minute mark, choosing to bring on the largely unseen Ian Poveda,

And, following his performance, former Leeds man Noel Whelan tore into the winger, even going so far as to saying that he’s simply been a “massive flop” for the price that they paid for him.

He said: “The one player that disappointed me was Helder Costa. Once again he was poor. There is something there that is not right because Poveda came on and did more in that short time than Costa did in the 60 minutes he was on the field.

“He is fourth in the pecking order in terms of wingers for me. Poveda has to come before him now. He is direct, exciting and wants to take people on. He wants to do his job as a winger and Costa does not. He plays it safe and he’s negative. For a player that cost £16m, I need to see a hell of a lot more from him.

“At least Poveda runs at people. He is positive and that is what a winger should do. Costa has been a massive flop. A real disappointment again.”

The winger has failed to score in his last seven Premier League appearances, and it’s been no real surprise that Bielsa doesn’t seem to trust him fully – he’s completed the full 90 minutes just once in the top-flight since November 2, and has either been hooked early or brought on as a very late substitute.

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With another clash against one of the Premier League’s big boys to come against United on Sunday, Bielsa has simply got to make a ruthless call on the £70k-a-week earning Costa and drop him from the starting line-up.

Meanwhile, Leeds should land this “exceptional” English striker…

Given that he was linked with a move away from Leeds United in the January transfer window, it’s been a real turnaround in fortunes for Tyler Roberts in terms of his position at Elland Road.

The Wales international appeared to be heading for the exit door a couple of months ago, with reports suggesting that clubs from the Championship were looking to sign him.

Now, he’s become a permanent fixture in Marcelo Bielsa’s starting eleven over recent weeks, especially with summer signing Rodrigo struggling with injury, and is likely to be in contention to start against Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday night.

But while he had a couple of impressive cameos against Arsenal and Southampton back in mid-February, picking up a couple of assists, he’s been way off the pace in Leeds’ last six Premier League games – no goals or assists whatsoever.

Former Leeds Noel Whelan simply insisted that the £4.5m-rated forward just may not be cut out for the top-flight, saying: “Is he good enough? In my opinion he isn’t. I would love him to go out there and prove me wrong because I want everyone to succeed. I need him to show me more. He needs to show more fight and desire. I just do not see that.

“It makes me wonder whether he would be better off leaving and going somewhere where he would get regular game time. I do not think we have seen the real Tyler Roberts yet. I find it very hard to see a career for him at Leeds United on the current evidence.”

Whelan himself has even called on Bielsa to drop Roberts from the starting line-up before the game against West Ham last month, saying: “I’m just not seeing enough from him. There’s glimpses there but he’s not hurting teams with his performances and his creativity. Now number 10, you’ve got to be that special player. You’ve got to be that player that can open up teams and really take the game by the scruff of the neck. I just don’t think Tyler Roberts does that for Leeds.”

Playing in a Leeds team that operate at full throttle over the 90 minutes, and commit men forward to try and create chance after chance, Roberts should be racking up decent numbers, particularly when you think he’s been the man playing that support role to Patrick Bamford.

As per Whoscored however, his measly averages of 0.9 shots and 0.6 key passes per game in the Premier League are even worse than the likes of Stuart Dallas and Gjanni Alioski respectively, and a real indictment on his lack of end product.

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Roberts just hasn’t shown that clinical edge or creative guile, and Bielsa must absolutely drop him for the Premier League clash against Liverpool tonight.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing a summer swoop for this European star…

Liverpool head into Wednesday evening’s meeting against Real Madrid aiming to avenge their UEFA Champions League final defeat of 2018.

Whilst not quite the same stage of the competition with two only meeting at the quarter-finals this time around, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds could deal a big dent in Los Blancos’ season with a victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The best chance they will have of doing that is by including the electric Diogo Jota from the start instead of Roberto Firmino.

Once labelled as a “monster” by Liverpool’s Assistant Coach Pep Lijnders, the Portuguese has been in electric form recently.

The 24-year-old netted three goals in just two matches over the international break for his country and continued that form upon his return to Merseyside by scoring twice in the 3-0 victory against Arsenal.

It all means that Jota has now scored 18 goals for both club and country since the start of September.

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This is a huge contrast to the form of Firmino who has found himself on the scoresheet on just seven occasions for the Reds this season.

Jota’s European form is also vastly superior to that of the former Hoffenheim man.

The 24-year-old has netted 11 goals in 23 European appearances for FC Porto, Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Reds which includes three hat-tricks against the likes of Atalanta, Besiktas and Espanyol.

Whilst Firmino betters that with 15 career strikes in the UEFA Champions League alone, he has scored just three times in his previous 24 appearances in the competition – statistics that will not strike any fear at all into Real Madrid.

With Zinedine Zidane’s men reportedly missing captain Sergio Ramos through injury, Wednesday’s clash is the perfect opportunity for the £36m-rated beast to extend his great European record and his stunning recent form.

Jurgen Klopp simply has to play him from the start at the Bernabeu – a move which could see Liverpool avenge their gutting 2018 final defeat.

AND in more news, take a closer look at Trent Alexander-Arnold’s excellent showing against Arsenal at the weekend…

David Moyes could land a defender more productive than Craig Dawson by sealing a bargain swoop for Celtic-owned centre-back Jack Hendry this summer.

What’s the word?

According to 90min, the Irons have joined the race for Hendry ahead of the next transfer window as interest continues to swell for his services.

Hendry is currently on loan with KV Oostende and is expected to join the Belgian Pro League outfit permanently at the end of the season, owing to a £2m purchase clause in his contract.

But Oostende may look to make a quick profit, as scouts from West Ham, Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United are all keeping tabs on his situation, while Burnley saw a bid rejected in January for the centre-back now excepted to be rated at around £10m.

Several Premier League and Championship clubs, along with Bundesliga duo SV Werder Bremen and SC Freiburg, plus AZ Alkmaar, Brondby IF and KRC Genk have also been touted as potential destinations for the 25-year-old previously.

Hendry has not ruled out a return to Celtic, either, with reports by the Mirror over the weekend claiming the three-cap international could chase a second chance at Parkhead while he eyes a return to the Scotland national side.

The centre-half has not represented his country since 2018 but has seen his profile grow this season, having helped Oostende go from a side that narrowly avoided relegation last term to one with a chance of qualifying for the Champions League at the end of the campaign.

Should West Ham sign Hendry?

West Ham are expected to be in the market for a new central defender at the end of the season, with Moyes said to be on the lookout for at least one or two senior options who can supplement the current group assembled at the London Stadium.

Whether Hendry is in the running remains to be seen, but the Celtic-owned enforcer could represent a cheaper option than most and is currently performing at a more productive level than the Irons are seeing from Dawson – who Moyes has confirmed he wants to retain.

The Hammers were not afraid to submit big bids for defenders last summer, with Sky Sports claiming that a £30m offer was made for Burnley’s James Tarkowski. The Sun also suggested a £25m bid was on the cards for Olympique de Marseille’s Duje Caleta-Car, who would have been presented with a £150,000-per-week contract.

Hendry could come at a fraction of those sums and has been lauded by Oostende boss Alexander Blessin, who noted in November: “He’s a great talker in defence. He makes the people he’s playing with better. You can see them listening to him.

“He’s been a tower of experience for us. Jack’s the most important member of the team this season and he’s one of the best defenders in the league. When you get signed by a club the size of Celtic at such a young age, then you obviously must have a lot of qualities.”

Dawson is likewise often lauded for his leadership for West Ham, yet has offered Moyes fewer successful tackles per game (0.5) in the Premier League this season than Hendry has averaged in the Pro League (1.2) to date, per SofaScore.

Hendry also averages more clearances (4.5) than Dawson (4.0), wins possession in the air more often (2.9, 76% to 2.6, 70%) and is yet to make an error that leads to a shot, while the Watford-loanee has committed two thus far.

Moyes may not install Hendry as a starting option next season but if the West Ham boss is looking for depth and does not want to spend excessively, winning the European-wide race may be a reasonable route to go.

AND in other news, David Moyes has confirmed his intent for West Ham to sign a £42k-p/w brute this summer…

Reports by Gol Digital earlier in the week claimed that Newcastle United are considering a move to sign Divock Origi, and Mike Ashley should be sanctioning a summer swoop to land the Liverpool striker who broke Rafa Benitez’s spirits in 2019.

Origi is potentially set to hit the transfer market at the end of the season after enduring a challenging campaign at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp frequently opposed to unleashing the Belgium international.

The 25-year-old has only started six of his 17 appearances across all competitions, while left an unused substitute in 18 fixtures and omitted from seven matchday squads to date.

Liverpool are understood to see Klopp’s position on Origi as justification to part ways with the £60,000-per-week forward three years before his deal lapses, as he is unlikely to occupy a key role in the German’s plans going forward.

Interest in Origi is expected to be vast given his age and experiences, including his goals in the 2018/19 Champions League semi-final with FC Barcelona that started and completed an unlikely comeback from 3-0 down on aggregate.

La Liga side Real Sociedad are noted to be weighing up a move but face strong competition from the Premier League, with Newcastle plus Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers also keen.

Origi allegedly hopes that any move away from Merseyside in the off-season will see that he is given a chance to be the lead striker of his new side, having never had that opportunity in six seasons at Anfield.

Football Insider claim that bids of just £12m will be considered by Liverpool, having failed to find any suitors willing to pay £20m in January.

Borussia Dortmund have additionally been touted as a potential destination for Origi, with the Bundesliga outfit one of a clutch of sides tracking his situation ahead of the summer market.

The chances of Newcastle meeting Liverpool’s demands for Origi may be in doubt with the St. James’ Park natives expected to operate on a shoestring budget this summer, with loans and free transfers likely to be the flavour of the month.

But Ashley should dig deep into his pocket to acquire the LOSC Lille product, as whoever is in charge of the Toon next term – be it Steve Bruce or someone new – will need a higher calibre forward to rival with 10-goal top-scorer Callum Wilson.

Andy Carroll and Dwight Gayle are both out of contract in June and have rarely offered a consistent goal threat in the north east, with the former striking home just once in 41 games since his return in 2019 and the latter only hitting 11 in 66 Premier League outings.

Origi has proven that he can score on the biggest stage, Barcelona have the nightmares to show that, while also striking Belgium’s only goal in a 1-0 win over Russia during the 2014 World Cup.

The Oostende-born forward once had the better of Benitez during the Spaniard’s time in charge at St. James’ Park, too, when Origi broke the Toon’s spirits with a late header to seal a 3-2 win and keep Liverpool in the mix for the 2018/19 Premier League title.

Newcastle had twice come from behind in their final home game of that season in search of what would have been a famous and rare result in modern meetings between the two clubs, with Salomon Rondon constantly proving a handful for the visiting Reds.

But their hopes were destroyed by Origi, and whoever sits in the United hot seat next term would surely like to have a striker capable of such an impact at their disposal.

AND in other news, Newcastle face a global battle to land a £8.5m striker with 18 goals in 26 league games this term…

Although Southampton were able to bring an end to their woeful recent form with a 2-0 win against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Saturday, their injury problems only increased, as talismanic striker Danny Ings was forced off in the first half.

Although his replacement Che Adams scored a superb second goal for the Saints against his old side, it is a huge cause for concern for Southampton that Ings is now set for another spell on the sidelines, with Ralph Hasenhuttl confirming following the game that the 28-year-old striker would likely miss at least four weeks with the muscle problem.

This comes as a huge blow to the South Coast club, who eased relegation fears with the three points on Saturday but cannot rule themselves out of being dragged back in, especially in the absence of their main goalscorer.

Ings has contributed eight goals and three assists in 22 top-flight appearances this season, in a campaign where he has failed to hit the heights of last season when he hit 22 goals in the Premier League.

However, injury problems have led to a stop-start season for the forward, whereas last season he featured in every Premier League game, and you feel that Hasenhuttl’s side would be in a much better position had he and other key players stayed fit.

James Ward-Prowse is the closest to Ings in terms of goals this season, as he took his league tally for the season to six with the penalty against Sheffield United, whereas Adams brought an end to his own barren run.

Hopefully, that will give him the confidence boost he needs to start finding the back of the net more regularly, as Hasenhuttl will be reliant on the former Birmingham City man to step up whilst Ings is sidelined.

Last season saw former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe sing Ings’ praises, as he said:

“The most impressive thing about Danny is, of course, he’s an outstanding player.”

Whilst he hasn’t been able to show that on a regular basis for Southampton in recent months, he is undoubtedly still one of the first names on the teamsheet for Hasenhuttl, and therefore, it is a big blow to lose him for so long.

How Southampton perform in his absence could be season-defining, as if they slip back into the awful run of form that saw them pick up one point in nine games, then Ings may have a big role to play in keeping the Saints up when he returns from injury.

And, in other news… Forget Tella: Saints beast who played 4 key passes was Hasenhuttl’s star vs SHU

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed that Scott McTominay has suffered a fresh injury setback ahead of facing Real Sociedad in the Europa League on Thursday night.

What’s the word?

Solskjaer also revealed the Red Devils will be without Donny van de Beek, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba again for the return fixture against Imanol Alguacil’s side at Old Trafford tonight.

McTominay came off during the 4-0 victory over Real Sociedad in Turin, while both Cavani and Van de Beek have missed the past two games due to injury.

Pogba, on the other hand, is working his way back to fitness, but is not expected to be back until the beginning of March at the earliest before the Manchester derby later that week.

“No. They are still out,” Solskjaer said in his pre-match press conference.

“Still not trained enough or joined in, it will be more or less the same squad as Newcastle.”

Bad news for Solskjaer?

The update will come as a double-edged sword for Solskjaer, who faces the prospect of being without one of his star midfielders ahead of the trip to Manchester City in just over a week’s time.

On the one hand, it will allow McTominay to rest and recuperate to hopefully recover in time to face-off against Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad.

On the other, however, he faces a race against time in order to prove his match fitness before potentially facing their arch rivals.

The Scotsman was forced to limp off in the second half after being replaced by Nemanja Matic which left a sour note on an otherwise outstanding evening for the Red Devils.

McTominay, 24, has scored four goals, recording a further assist, in 21 top-flight appearances in the Premier League this season. For context, that’s more than Fred and Matic have scored between them across all competitions this season, per Transfermarkt.

Given United’s busy schedule – three games in the past seven days – he may very well have sat out against Sociedad anyway, but potentially losing the player for even longer would come as a huge blow for Solskjaer, given his fine vein of form.

AND in other news, Man Utd plotting Jarrad Branthwaite transfer with an eye on the future…

West Ham United have landed a potential boost in their aspirations of signing Andre Silva following reports Eintracht Frankfurt are willing to sell the striker in the summer.

What’s the word?

According to Bild, La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid plus Wolverhampton Wanderers are eyeing a move to snap up Silva at the end of the season following his sublime efforts in Germany this term.

Silva took his tally to 18 goals in 21 games across all competitions on Sunday when he fired home in Die Adler’s 3-1 win over TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, following back-to-back braces in Bundesliga victories over Arminia Bielefeld and Hertha BSC.

Only Bayern Munich’s UEFA Men’s Player of the Year winner Robert Lewandowski (24) has scored more often in the German top-flight this term than Silva (17), while the duo each account for 41% of their respective side’s goals for the division’s third-highest rate.

Silva’s impressive efforts have caught the attention of Atletico, who are now said to be planning on bidding for the 25-year-old in the summer, but face offering in excess of €30m (£26.5m) to open negotiations with Eintracht for the forward once lauded by Cristiano Ronaldo for his “phenomenal” record.

The chances of the 37-cap Portugal international leaving Frankfurt at the end of the season are expected to increase should Adi Hutter fail to secure the Deutsche Bank Park natives European football, though Die Adler are currently fifth in the Bundesliga table and a point outside the Champions League places.

West Ham were linked with Silva during the recent mid-season market with David Moyes said to have considered the former AC Milan flop as an option to replace Sebastien Haller.

Should Silva be an option for the summer?

With Moyes eventually opting against signing a striker to replace Haller in the winter transfer window, West Ham will have to be in the market for a new centre-forward to help support Michail Antonio in the summer.

And Silva should absolutely be an option the Irons explore, given how he has turned his career around with a €9m (£8m) move to Germany on the back of scoring just 10 goals in 41 games with AC Milan.

Silva also seems to thrive on competition having netted six of his 18 goals for the season since Luka Jovic returned to Frankfurt on loan on January 14, and even welcomed the return of the Real Madrid striker.

“I spoke to Andre and he said that it’s very, very important for him to have competition for places, that we have quality in the side,” Hutter said, via quotes by Bundesliga.com.

“That doesn’t bother him at all. Andre’s played at AC Milan and Sevilla, so it’s not like he’s not used to it, and we’ll see in the next few weeks that he’s able to cope with the competition.”

Silva would not be guaranteed a starting role at West Ham with Antonio the firm first-choice of Moyes, who the buck for the decision not to sign a striker in January stops at, as the West Ham boss was adamant that his side would not waste the £20m made from Haller’s sale.

“We didn’t get one, but we were looking, and we wanted to try and pick correctly. We had money to spend, we sold Seb earlier in the window so we had that,” the Hammers boss said, via quotes by the Evening Express.

“But we are trying to do things different at West Ham and we’re not going to follow the same path we have been following before. I chose to keep my money and hopefully we can start another rebuild come the summer.”

It remains to be seen if West Ham can sign Silva in the summer, but Moyes should absolutely urge the Irons to swoop in and test the waters in his eventual striker search, as the Frankfurt star can prove his decision not sign a Haller replacement in January was a masterclass and not a mistake.

AND in other news, West Ham failed to offload a £70k-p/w outcast in January despite a manager’s intent efforts…

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho is keen on Lille centre-back Sven Botman, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Sunday Times and Daily Record journalist Duncan Castles revealed on ‘The Transfer Window’ podcast that the Spurs manager was a big fan of the Dutchman as he fits the profile of the left-sided central defender he’s longing for.

He said:

“I can tell you that in addition to the interest from Liverpool, Jose Mourinho likes Botman as a player. We’ve told you previously that Mourinho has targeted two positions in his side for improvement and is asking the club to fund purchases in those areas. One is a box-to-box midfielder, which he is prioritising, and the other is a left-sided quick centre-back, left-footed centre-back, which is what Botman is.”

Terry-like leader

Measuring all of 6 foot 4 inches, the Ligue 1 monster has been described as a “leader” by his manager Christophe Galtier, and Mourinho has often had this sort of presence in all of his defences over the years.

Perhaps none more important than that of John Terry at Chelsea.

The ‘Special One’ won three Premier League titles and one FA Cup with the Englishman as his skipper, so adding someone of Botman’s nature could solve multiple issues in one fell swoop.

In Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier, Davinson Sanchez and Joe Rodon, he potentially lacks that leadership.

Some of Spurs’ best captains have come in the position – Ledley King, Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Dawson and Younes Kaboul – to name just a few.

Therefore, Mourinho must add this attribute if they are to truly contend for silverware under his stewardship.

And Botman does indeed fit the profile immensely, as Castles claims, it’s that left-footer he needs to shore up the backline.

In 25 appearances for Lille this term, the 20-year-old powerhouse has averaged 3.3 aerials won, 2.6 clearances, 1.8 interceptions and 1.1 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

For comparison, these numbers are better than that of Dier (2.9 aerials won, 0.4 tackles) and Alderweireld (2.3 aerials won, 0.3 interceptions) each outing in the Premier League, also per WhoScored.

According to French outlet Foot Mercato, Lille could be willing to let the Dutchman leave for around €30m (£27m), which on the face of it, is quite a bargain considering we’ve seen Harry Maguire and Virgil van Dijk command in excess of £75m in the past.

Daniel Levy may have to shift some of the deadwood out to fund the move, but do that he should as Mourinho could stumble on his next Terry – and that’ll only benefit Spurs tenfold.

It’s time to forget about Milan Skriniar, Botman would be a class addition to make.

AND in other news, Shades of Modric, Mourinho heading for worst nightmare over £81m-rated “revelation”…