All posts by n8rngtd.top

Many Liverpool fans heaped praise on summer signing Thiago Alcantara and his performance against the club’s arch-rivals Manchester United.

The 29-year-old made his first start at Anfield this season in what has been a frustrating campaign for the Spaniard since his £20m move from Bayern Munich in September.

After contracting coronavirus at the end of that month, Thiago picked up a knee injury following a hard challenge from Richarlison during the Reds’ 2-2 draw against Everton.

Because of this, he has seen very little action – but the cameos he has made have received widespread praise from far and wide, and this evening’s performance against the Red Devils was no different.

Unsurprisingly, his quick thinking, sharp movement and his eye of a needle passing excited the supporters and made their feelings clear towards him on social media.

Fans drool over Thiago

“Thiago is just different class.”

Credit: @DanielRoachLFC

“Man like Thiago”

Credit: @mv_jenkins

“Thiago is world-class. The problem is he’s playing as a no 6 and is marked constantly. Need him in the advances midfield positions.”

Credit: @Strictly_Scouse

“Thiago is making mincemeat of United here, different gravy”

Credit: @macjp1991

“Thiago is wonderful to watch. Make it look so easy”

Credit: @BradleyPearce96

“Thiago is a baller #LFC walking through that midfield as he likes…”

Credit: @Goranh75

In other news, Liverpool eyeing up Serie A skipper as possible Gini Wijnaldum replacement.

Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts has told Football FanCast that Eric Dier should play as a right-back for the club.

The England international has struggled for form at times this season prior to the sacking of ex-manager Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese was relieved of his duties last week, with Ryan Mason installed as the interim head coach in his stead.

Mason has subsequently managed the club against Southampton in the Premier League and Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final, before the 4-0 win against Sheffield United at the weekend.

Spurs beat Saints 2-1, coming from behind to win, and lost 1-0 to City at Wembley previously.

Dier played the 90 minutes in the three games at centre-back but Roberts believes he is best suited to playing as a full-back.

The 27-year-old is a versatile presence and, per Transfermarkt, has played at right-back 26 times in his career, though he has not been deployed in that role since the 2014/15 season.

Nevertheless, Roberts, who won the UEFA Cup as a player with Spurs, said to FFC: “If it was me going into that job, I would go for Eric Dier to play right wing-back or right-back because he’s not a centre-half.

“Eric Dier is not a centre-half.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been handed a huge double injury boost ahead of their trip to Leeds United this lunchtime…

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-game press conference on Friday, interim manager Ryan Mason revealed that Tanguy Ndombele and Lucas Moura were back in contention after missing Sunday’s 4-0 victory over Sheffield United.

He told reporters, via football.london’s Alasdair Gold: “Ben Davies is the only one that has not been training, Tanguy and Lucas didn’t train for the majority of last week, they trained the day before the game but this week we have had a fully fit squad.”

Gold then added in a separate tweet: “Asked Mason about those Lucas and Ndombele injuries and he said Lucas had a knock from the cup final that took a little while to shake off and Ndombele a muscle problem. Both fine now.”

Mason’s massive call

Both Ndombele and Moura have largely been a regular presence in Spurs’ starting XI throughout the season, but after their resounding win last weekend, it will give Mason a rather tough dilemma.

In the Brazilian’s absence, the 29-year-old caretaker opted for Gareth Bale on the right flank in a move which paid serious dividends as the Real Madrid loanee bagged himself a hat-trick.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-managerial-update-levy-mason-mourinho-sacked” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, managerial gossip and more!”]

It’s now four goals in his last two league games for Bale and a total of 14 for the season – a rate of one goal every 105 minutes – so it would certainly be a bold call to axe him from the starting XI at Elland Road.

Similarly, Dele Alli stepped up to the plate with the French dynamo missing, although luckily for Ndombele, he could well come back in due to his ability to play in a deeper role, meaning Giovani Lo Celso may be at risk instead.

Alli’s performance against the Blades drew glowing praise from teammate Eric Dier, who lauded his work rate off the ball, and Mason claimed he saw a “hunger to compete in training,” which earned him a rare start – only his third of the season.

He has every reason to keep his place in the starting line-up, so again it leaves the interim coach with plenty to ponder in terms of team selection.

However, having everyone at his disposal is certainly a nice boost, with a top four finish a genuine possibility.

AND in other news, “I was told”: Worrying claim emerges on future of Spurs “monster”, Levy will be livid…

Lots of Everton fans have been left to blast the display of Mason Holgate in their 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Friday night.

The former Barnsley man was guilty of some very poor defending along with Michael Keane for both of their goals conceded at Goodison Park, as Harry Kane pounced both times to earn Spurs a point.

Holgate did not have his best game for the Merseyside club statistically as well, as he failed to block any shots on Jordan Pickford’s goal and also lost possession of the ball on no fewer than on 11 different occasions in the match, earning him a very measly 6.4 overall rating on Sofascore, the second-lowest out of any Toffees outfield player to have set foot on the pitch.

Everton fans on Holgate display

These Blues blasted his performance on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to compare the English central defender to a ‘Sunday league’ player.

That may feel a little harsh on a young player with potential, but it’s fair to say the Goodison faithful were not happy with what he produced against Jose Mourinho’s side…

“Keane and Holgate like a pair of Sunday league players. Other than that we battered them there. Looking more like a shootout for 7th place now with spurs #EVETOT #EFC”

Credit: @PaulEddie84

“So frustrating. Didn’t play badly. Keane and Holgate poor. James and Sigurdsson really good. #efc”

Credit: @james_mcgrow

“Defensive mess again! Absolutely awful and Holgate at fault again for me #EVETOT #EFC #COYB”

Credit: @Macca8t1

“Good 1st half performance. Always look better when we play the ball quicker and close down as a team. Allan looks a couple of games away from full fitness, still not convinced with Holgate. #efc”

Credit: @caehoward

“Holgate for me at fault both goals. Didn’t communicate with Keane in both, could of instructed Keane the 1st, didn’t listen to Keane at all the 2nd when he was screaming. And all the rumours are about Mina? #EFC”

Credit: @AlanWong_1987

“Keane & Holgate cost us the points tonight with their playground defending #Everton #efc”

Credit: @Kmac7472

In other news, find out what transfer update has been lauded by Toffees here!

It goes without saying that Liverpool needed an exhilarating attacking performance in order to stand any chance of progressing in the UEFA Champions League.

3-1 down to Real Madrid after the first-leg, that was exactly what they produced at Anfield on Wednesday but there was just one thing missing: goals.

Jurgen Klopp’s men wasted a number of opportunities as their attacking triumvirate did not just seem quite up to the task – with Sadio Mane one of those who underperformed.

Deployed on the left-flank alongside Roberto Firmino and Mo Salah, it was another extremely quiet evening from the Senegalese forward, who has now scored just one goal since the start of March in all competitions.

According to WhoScored, the former Southampton man only had one shot throughout the entire 90 minutes, not even managing to get it on target.

He just seemed not quite up to speed in promising situations for Klopp’s men, an aspect that was encapsulated with a situation in the first-half as he trapped Trent Alexander-Arnold’s centre expertly but lost his footing just yards from goal when attempting to spin and fire towards the net.

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Faced up against Federico Valverde, who was shoehorned in at right-back due to an injury crisis at Real Madrid, Mane also only managed to complete one dribble.

He did manage ease away from the Uruguayan early in the first-half as Liverpool started quickly but that was about as good as it got for the Liverpool forward.

Mane’s passing was also not too inspiring. Despite completing a key pass, he could only accumulate a poor 68% pass success rate throughout the game, with only substitute Diogo Jota producing worse for the Reds.

Considering the huge importance of the match, Jurgen Klopp will certainly have been expecting more from his £100k per-week forward, whose woeful form continues. Mane has been a superstar for Liverpool since his arrival, but he’s in very poor form and his inept dispaly at Anfield let his manager down on Wednesday night.

AND in more news, take a closer look at our player ratings for the game…

Leicester City have reportedly made a transfer offer to sign Ozan Tufan, according to Ajansspor.

As per the Turkish news outlet, they are one of five separate clubs to have made an official offer for the Fenerbahce ace, with Everton, Crystal Palace, Werder Bremen and Real Sociedad the others named.

Fenerbahce want at least €20m (£17m) if they are to let Tufan go, as they believe that he will increase his market value after the Euros.

The publication quote the Turkey international as saying that he wants to play in the Premier League, and so Brendan Rodgers’ team may have an advantage over some of the other sides in the chasing pack.

Leicester should sign Tufan

The East Midlands club should certainly consider signing Tufan in the summer transfer window as he would give another handy option in the middle of the park to add to the likes of Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans and James Maddison.

The 26-year-old was once likened to former Manchester City and top-flight star Yaya Toure back in 2016 by his own manager Victor Pereira, and if has anywhere near the sort of impact that the Ivorian powerhouse had during his time in the division, then the Foxes surely have no time to waste in getting his signature.

In other news, find out which talent compared to Dayot Upamecano LCFC are in an EPL race to sign here!

Tottenham Hotspur have been told how much it’ll cost to land one of their mooted targets this summer…

What’s the word?

According to The Star, Sheffield United are expected to demand in excess of £35m for midfielder Sander Berge amid interest from their rival Premier League clubs.

It’s claimed that the Norway international appears destined to leave Bramall Lane at the end of the season, with the Blades heading back to the Championship after two seasons in the big time.

They also believe that claims United would consider a fee of £28m, a mere £6m return on the investment they made to land the 23-year-old a little over a year ago, are wide of the mark.

Liverpool and arch-rivals Arsenal are two other teams interested in his signature.

Fellaini 2.0

Built like a towering centre-back at 6 foot 5 inches, Berge offers a unique presence in midfield, particularly as his ability on the ball is far greater than what you’d expect from an absolute man-mountain.

And this sort of threat is something that Spurs do not have amongst their squad but is one Jose Mourinho has utilised before in Marouane Fellaini.

Originally signed by David Moyes at Old Trafford, the Belgian colossus quickly became a favourite under the Portuguese. “He is a player and a person I like and the person is more important. He will always have my trust and protection,” once said Mourinho.

The Spurs boss relied on Fellaini for his aerial dominance and could only often get into the match when the ball was played up to him, though this is where Berge differs as an impressive box-to-box presence.

In terms of defensive ability, the 23-year-old brute is averaging 1.2 tackles per game this season, a decrease on his 1.6 per match from last campaign, as per WhoScored. He’s also chipping in with 1.4 clearances and 1.2 aerials won.

Only Tanguy Ndombele and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are more productive when compared to Spurs’ current central midfield options.

Clearly, Berge can read the game well and is prepared to put in the hard work to stop the opposition.

Whilst in attack, he’s averaging 1.3 dribbles per game, proving to travel with the ball up the pitch, and 0.9 key passes per match, too. Again, only Ndombele and Harry Kane have pulled off more successful dribbles, and he would rank third in the Spurs squad for creativity too.

It’s no wonder ex-Blades boss Chris Wilder has lauded the powerhouse as a “unique” and “complete midfielder” in the past.

Given CIES Football Observatory currently value Berge at €40m (£36m), Levy could well seal the north Londoners a nice bit of business if he sanctions this deal in the summer.

In return, Mourinho would get a new weapon to play with. Almost similar to that of Fellaini but almost certainly an improvement. Berge would be a fine addition under the ‘Special One.’

AND in other news, The £70m worth of talent now fighting for their futures under Mourinho…

Many Rangers fans have been left to feel very happy with the latest update coming out of Ibrox, involving the ruling by the Scottish Football Association (SFA).

As per a tweet from Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, the Glasgow club have appealed the bans that were given by the SFA to Nathan Patterson, Calvin Bassey, Bongani Zungu, Dapo Mebude and Brian Kinnear for breaching lockdown rules by attending a party.

A hearing date has not yet been confirmed, but it seems as if Steven Gerrard wants to get them back playing as soon as possible.

Even though the Gers are already champions of the Scottish Premiership, the Liverpool and England legend will still want his team to finish off the rest of the 2020/21 term as strong as possible, and may need to rely on the five players to maintain their unbeaten run in the league – perhaps allowing those who will star in a possible cup run to rest in league fixtures.

Rangers fans on SFA update

These RFC supporters lauded the update on Twitter, with one fan claiming that they were ‘so happy’ while another even went as far as to call it ‘brilliant’:

“All season RFC have been systematically abused by the biggest corrupted football association in Europe, disgusting treatment of Morelos from SFA and other clubs, I’m so happy they have appealed, so many players all over UK broke rules along with government officials, EQUALITY”

Credit: @Russell0716

“Brilliant innit”

Credit: @AlanMc290376

“We run Scottish football. We are the champions. Yasssssss”

Credit: @Dug99278121

“Get in”

Credit: @LouisWeb_72

“Love it, well played @RangersFC. Got them all on string”

Credit: @P3D__55

“Outstanding”

Credit: @lewishobbsx

In other news, find out which EFL star Rangers have been urged to sign here!

As Benji Kimpioka wheeled away after scoring in the 90th minute to rescue a draw with Coventry in 2019, it felt like a landmark moment.

11 months on from when Josh Maja had been sold, a member of Sunderland’s academy was scoring goals again.

Unfortunately for the 21-year-old, he has not scored for the senior team in league action since.

Chances have been hard to come by for Kimpioka, a young talent who swapped Swedish shores for the north-east of England in 2016.

It was in Scandinavia where he learned the game, but it’s at Sunderland where he’s been developed and tailored.

That being said, it has not been an easy ride for the striker, someone who has struggled to make a sufficient impression under both Jack Ross and Phil Parkinson.

Ross was the man to give him his senior debut but he’s not kicked on and has also had his troubles with injury.

Speaking in October 2018, just over a year before he scored his first league goal, Ross commented: “He’s an enigma at times. He’s got really good attributes. It’s just about trying to piece it all together.”

Indeed, not a single manager has been able to piece them together until recently. Kimpioka has been busy making a big impression for Elliott Dickman’s U23s but his season hasn’t been without its setbacks.

The talented forward didn’t even have a club at the beginning of the term. He was out of contract with the Black Cats and even went back to his native Sweden to train with his former club, IK Sirius.

He eventually penned new terms at the Stadium of Light in October and immediately hit the ground running, scoring four goals in five Premier League 2 outings.

A hamstring injury in November proved another setback, but we’re starting to see signs of a revival. He was among the substitutes bench for the EFL Trophy final at Wembley just over a week ago which clearly shows Lee Johnson has him on his radar.

The arrival of Ross Stewart has damaged the potential of further senior minutes but with Will Grigg out on loan, there is a spot in the first-team with Kimpioka’s name on it.

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If he continues to score with great regularity for the U23s, there’s no reason he can’t make an impression at first team level. After all, Johnson has already handed minutes to the likes of Dan Neil and Ollie Younger.

Could Kimpioka be the next in line? You should hope so. The forward has proven he can hit the back of the net this season and Sunderland are surely done with Grigg.

Therefore, the youngster should be unleashed next season instead.

AND in other news, Drop him: Sunderland gem who lost 67% of his duels continues to let Johnson down…

Some Glasgow Rangers fans were baffled by Steven Gerrard’s “daft” decision to take off Joe Aribo during their match with Slavia Prague on Thursday.

The Gers picked up a 1-1 draw in Czechia in their Europa League round of 16 first leg clash. Nicolae Stanciu opened the scoring with a stunner in the first half but Filip Helander was on hand to tap in Ianis Hagi’s pass to level things up. The result, as well as the away goal, gives the Ibrox outfit a great chance to qualify for the quarter-finals in the return clash next week.

Nigeria international Aribo started the match in Prague but was taken off with 10 minutes left on the clock. Many Gers fans thought he had played rather well, notably completing a team-high three dribbles, and were therefore shocked when Gerrard chose to replace him with striker Kemar Roofe.

These supporters took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Gerrard’s Aribo decision below

“Aribo off??????”

Credit: @MattG95

“Stevie mate what are you doing?! Aribo has been outstanding second half!”

Credit: @LaurzieJay12

“Aribo off is a strange one, our best player”

Credit: @bobsyshambs

“Aribo best player on the park ! That decision baffles me ??”

Credit: @jamied28

“Aribo surely not”

Credit: @RyanK52755

“Aribo has been our best player. Daft sub.”

Credit: @Macdooooogall

In other news, Rangers fans react to a tweet from this journalist.