All posts by n8rngtd.top

Newcastle United’s takeover continues to rumble on into June, and there still may yet be a decision for several more weeks.

The anxious wait for news has often left supporters at St James’ Park questioning whether or not the deal will go through – even more so after the Guardian’s revelation.

They claim that a World Trade Organisation report has found the Saudi Arabian state to be behind pirate streaming service beoutQ, which illegally broadcasts Premier League matches amongst other global sporting events.

Which is supposedly why the top-flight are taking their time with their owners and directors test.

This week, the Telegraph’s Luke Edwards appeared on the ‘Everything is Black and White‘ podcast where he delivered a confident verdict over the prospects of Mike Ashley being in charge of the Magpies past 2020.

He said:

“It will be sold this time.

“If it’s not these [buyers], the only grain of comfort that I will offer Newcastle fans is that if this collapses, it will be sold this time.

“It will go – I do not think Mike Ashley will be Newcastle United owner in 2021.

“I’m going to say that.

“I’m not going to bet my house because that would stupid but it will be sold this time.

“He wants out, he wants to go and I think he will be gone by 2021.”

Edwards believes that the Sports Direct mogul “wants out” and that United will be sold this time – whether that means to the Saudi-backed consortium led by PCP Partners’ Amanda Staveley remains to be seen.

The Times’ Henry Winter revealed that there is another US group waiting in the wings alongside another consortium fronted by Henry Mauriss.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Newcastle is a prized asset and will surely be sold regardless of the outcome of the Premier League’s decision.

You’d imagine many supporters would be thrilled by this bold claim as Edwards is rather assured that Ashley will no longer be associated with the Magpies by 2021.

AND in other news, Newcastle fans furious with Miguel Delaney takeover update…

Newcastle United fans have been left fuming by the latest news to come from their prospective £300m takeover as the Premier League’s CEO, Richard Masters, has commented on matters.

He was in conversation with Sky Sports’ Bryan Swanson on Friday afternoon where he said: “I don’t think timing is an issue here. I don’t think we have any specific views about when these things need to be done by. We need to ensure all processes are followed properly, and when the decision is made it’s the right one.”

But the Magpies faithful disagree, claiming the club has been left “rudderless” in a time where clear leadership is needed.

Players’ contracts are expiring, staff are on furlough and money is still being taken for season tickets.

Given Mike Ashley is still the current owner at the northeast outfit, many have placed blame on him, which is hardly a surprise given how poorly he’s run the club during his 13-year tenure.

Think you’re a big Magpies fan? Can you name these former players by looking at their careers? Go on, give it a go…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Several seasons of mediocrity and two relegations to the Championship cover just a fraction of fans’ disappointment.

The interview has also led to some members of the St James’ Park faithful to speculate when the takeover might actually happen, even if some are more tongue in cheek.

Evidently, some are sick of the length of time this whole process has taken, let alone how many more weeks it is before an official announcement.

AND in other news, Newcastle transfer target tipped to “excite” fans…

With the Premier League announcing today that action won’t resume at the end of May as previously planned, it could be a long time before we see Newcastle back on the pitch.

Whether that’s a good or bad thing remains a matter of debate – before beating Southampton in their last match, the Magpies had won just once in ten Premier League games.

Nonetheless, Newcastle are one of the most well-supported clubs in the country and it’s inevitable some sections of the Toon Army will be getting withdrawal symptoms around now.

And we just might have something to cure that itch, in the form of a quiz that all Newcastle fans will be able to dig their teeth into.

This piece of trivia has a simple premise – we show you a picture of an obscure former Newcastle player, you select the according name from four possible answers.

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? We can assure you this’ll be anything but…

Newcastle United’s prospective takeover is still yet to be confirmed but that seemingly hasn’t stopped them from preparing for next season as fresh reports suggest the Saudi-backed consortium will look to replace Steve Bruce with one man in particular.

According to Le 10 Sport, former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is very close to becoming the next Magpies manager with negotiations said to be ‘at an advanced stage.’

They also suggest that the Argentine is their number one priority for the role, currently favourite with punters using their BetWinner bonus code even with Rafa Benitez’s name in the hat.

ESPN recently claimed that Pochettino would cost a whopping £12.5m for any club willing to take him on as Spurs included such terms as part of his departure in November.

However, this is thought to expire next month, so if the Magpies’ new owners want to land him in May, they’ll have to fork out a fortune.

Bruce is also still under contract for the next two years, meaning they would have to pay him off at least £2.25m as the 59-year-old is reportedly on £20k-per-week at St James’ Park.

Stuck in isolation? Our mega footy quiz will cure any boredom…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

v

And then there is, of course, the wage packet that Pochettino would clean up for taking the job. Last week there were suggestions that he could land himself £19m per year according to Sky Sports, but it remains to be seen what sort of wages the 48-year-old would command.

It’s reasonable to suggest that it would be well above Bruce’s current offering.

All in all, if Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, led by Amanda Staveley, want to clinch the Champions League finalist this month, they are going to have to spend at least £15m – or more.

WHILE in other news, Newcastle fans react to Craig Hope takeover update…

So after a miserable opening to the current campaign, it appears Unai Emery’s misery may be finally coming to an end.

Following a series of poor results, Arsenal find themselves in eighth in the Premier League table, and are already eight points off the top four.

Reports in recent weeks had suggested that Emery may have just a month to save his job, but it now appears it could be far sooner than that.

According to The Daily Mail, the Gunners have set their sights on Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo as their new manager, with the north London side’s hierarchy impressed by what the Portuguese man has done in his time at Molineux.

The report further claims that Nuno’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has particularly close ties with Raul Sanllehi, and that could prove to be decisive.

[ad_pod ]

After hearing their links with the Wolves manager, Arsenal fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on their potential Emery replacement.

Many Gunners supporters insisted he simply isn’t good enough to manage a club like Arsenal, and revealed they are feeling particularly underwhelmed by the reports.

Check out some of the reaction of Arsenal fans below:

Meanwhile, Arsenal fans want former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri to replace Unai Emery.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Manchester United clawed their way back to 3-3 draw against Sheffield United but despite being second best for the majority of the game, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wasn’t too disappointed with his team’s performance.

What did he say?

But for a ten-minute spell in which the Red Devils scored all three goals, Solskjaer would have been facing a difficult situation with his players underperforming in an away match once again.

A point at Brammall Lane will be viewed as a good one considering the flow of the match, though it would have been all three but for Oli McBurnie’s last-minute equaliser.

As a result, it was a difficult game to assess, and that is reflected in Solskjaer’s post-match reaction. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said:

“Mixed emotions. We cannot be happy, we have not performed for the majority of the game, but we turned it around and we showed what we could be capable of. We have to do it now for a whole game.

“We know we can, we just have to show it. When you are 2-0 down you have to go for it, play with less fear and just go for it.

More worrying was his explanation for the first-half display, with several Manchester United players being out-fought on the ball leaving the Blades in the ascendency.

“It’s not something you can put your finger on here and now, but they looked like they wanted it more than us,” said Solskjaer, as reported by Fox Sports.

[ad_pod ]

Wrong mindset

The fact United don’t seem to be learning from past mistakes and poor performances is a concern.

This term alone they have failed to win away matches at Southampton, Bournemouth and West Ham to name a few, with insipid performances demonstrating a lack of effort and perhaps a lack of belief that exists in the squad.

That is not the Manchester United team that became so famous and allowed them to win so often, and it is up to the manager and more senior players in the squad to put it right.

At times in the first-half Harry Maguire was visibly angry with his teammates – Dan James and Fred bearing the brunt of his criticism due to continued sloppy mistakes in giving away possession.

The comeback displayed a strong spirit but if Manchester United want to progress they cannot rely on teenagers like Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood to claw their way out of trouble.

They failed to put their stamp on the game throughout and if that style continues away from home then it is unlikely results will pick up any time soon.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Roshane Thomas, of The Athletic, has been speaking about West Ham United’s goalkeeper situation, following the 3-0 loss against Burnley.

What did he say?

Roberto made another big mistake against Burnley when he attempted to punch away a corner, seeing the ball spin off his fist and over the line.

The goalkeeping situation is beginning to severely cost the Hammers, as they have now gone on a run of seven games without a victory in all competitions – with Roberto making a number of questionable saves during that time.

During a Q&A on The Athletic, one fan put it to Thomas that Roberto should be dropped and that Adrian was never adequately replaced, to which he replied: “Yep, I also think Martin should start the next game. Roberto was very poor today. He’s yet to keep clean sheet in the Premier League. Pellegrini pretty much refused to talk about his performance.

“I don’t think the situation would be this bad if Adrian was still the club’s second-choice goalkeeper.”

Watch West Ham United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Hard to argue

Adrian definitely would have been able to help the Hammers’ situation because Roberto’s frailties have been a big reason behind them, with fans having shown their frustrations towards him.

A contrast between Roberto and his fellow Spaniard shows just how bad a deal West Ham set out for themselves during the summer.

Adrian played an important part in Liverpool’s UEFA Super Cup win, saving Tammy Abraham’s penalty shootout, with only 1 of his 11 appearances this campaign ending in a loss.

He has also become a surprisingly popular figure at Anfield, which cannot be said for the Hammers’ back-up goalkeeper based on reactions to yesterday’s performance.

The 32-year-old also impressed Garth Crooks when featuring against Burnley, as he was quoted on BBC Sport as saying: “The relationship between the Liverpool back four and stand-in keeper Adrian has had its good and bad moments.”

“Adrian’s performance against Burnley, however, was about as good as it gets. The Spanish keeper made a superb save from Chris Wood at a critical time in the first half, while his defensive unit made sure Adrian was not required to come to their rescue thereafter.”

The Hammers certainly miss the stopper, but will need to find a solution to the issue if they are to pick up points while Lukasz Fabianski is out injured. That may well come in the form of David Martin, the current third-choice, starting between the sticks next time out.

Liverpool face Premier League title rivals Manchester City on Sunday with the chance to put clear distance between themselves and the Sky Blues, but some Reds supporters have felt the need to demand that Mohamed Salah improves his game ahead of the key tie.

Salah had taken to Twitter ahead of the crunch clash to share a selection of images of the winger in training, as the Egyptian worked on his balance at the Anfield outfit’s Melwood facilities.

Some supporters have replied to the post by suggesting that the 5 ft 8 forward should be working on his shooting instead, following a number of fans slamming Salah for his efforts in front of goal against KRC Genk in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Re-live the moment Sadio Mane robbed Leicester City of a point at Anfield through the eyes of the Foxes fans in the video below…

Fans were left disgruntled despite Jurgen Klopp’s men beating the Belgian side, as Salah attempted a joint-game-high five shots but only managed to direct one on target.

His shooting is not the only thing some Liverpool fans appear to be concerned about ahead of facing Man City, though, as supporters have also suggested the 27-year-old must work on his ball retention.

Only Sadio Mane has been dispossessed by an opponent more often in the Premier League than Salah of those called upon by Klopp thus far, with the Senegal forward losing the ball 24 times to the Egyptian’s 19 instances, per WhoScored data.

Mane is also the only Liverpool player to give away possession more often through unsuccessful touches, as the former Southampton star has gifted the opponent control 33 times in 11 games to Salah’s 32 in 10 appearances.

Here are some of the messages shared in response to Salah’s post of the winger working on his balance…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Aston Villa’s run of three games without defeat in the Premier League was halted by the reigning champions Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, but they can put things right this week by advancing in the Carabao Cup.

Dean Smith’s side host Wolves at Villa Park on Wednesday night knowing a victory would see them into the quarter-finals of the competition.

Last time out, the west Midlanders soared past a youthful Brighton & Hove Albion line up as the 48-year-old rung nine changes, which he has frequently done in the cup so far this season.

Based on that, Smith remains likely to rest several players in favour of those on the fringe of the squad – Keinan Davis, Ahmed Elmohamady, and Henri Lansbury should all surely feature if fit.

On the Chalkboard

However, the latter could be in the firing line come January if the latest reports surrounding the club is accurate.

The Daily Mail claim Villa are one of four Premier League clubs monitoring Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara, who was once on the books of Arsenal as a youngster.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The 24-year-old has proved to be instrumental in Steven Gerrard’s engine room across matches in both the Scottish top-flight and in the Europa League – the 14-cap Finland international has played 15 times this term.

Given that Villa added Marvelous Nakamba and Douglas Luiz to their midfield of John McGinn, Conor Hourihane, and captain Jack Grealish in the summer, it seems unlikely that he would come in to replace any of these players.

All have played their part in the season to date, featuring in at least six of their ten Premier League matches.

Aston Villa’s summer signings’ performances so far this season are rated in the video below…

Whereas Lansbury continues to be a bit-part member of the squad with persistent niggles restricting him to three appearances this campaign.

Adding a player that has been competing on the European stage would certainly be one way to supplement their ambitions to remain in the big time, more so than hanging onto one of Steve Bruce’s signings, who has been blighted by injuries – he even only played six games in their playoff-winning season.

Patience may be wearing thin over the 29-year-old.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Luka Jovic was one of Real Madrid’s big summer scoops, but despite his successful stint at Eintracht Frankfurt prior to the big move, life in the Spanish capital hasn’t been that dreamy for the young Serbian.

Zinedine Zidane finally addressed the issue in his latest press conference.

What did he say?

It took Real Madrid a reported sum of £53.2m to land their 21-year-old target and lure him away from the jaws of the Bundesliga where he was definitely thriving.

Jovic managed to net 27 goals and assist seven more in the 48 games he played for Eintracht Frankfurt across all competitions in the 2018/19 campaign so Los Blancos’ interest wasn’t really that much of a surprise.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

What was a surprise, however, was Zidane’s reluctance to actually play the Serbian and give him a proper chance. As a result, he only tallied 218 minutes across seven games for the Galacticos so far in the ongoing season.

For that reason, the Frenchman was asked about his “demotivated” outcast by the press.

Here’s what he said in full:

“He’s not demotivated. He’s just arrived and he’s looking much better now than when he came in. He’s slowly learning Spanish and becoming part of the group. I will be counting on him and he’s important despite the fact he hasn’t played much recently.”

Not done yet

Zidane’s words will definitely come as a relief to Jovic, and to any football fan who enjoys seeing young talent thrive.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

His situation is a strange one, as even though he is presumably a bet for the future since he is very much at the beginning of his career, Real Marid’s recent rumoured transfer targets and preferences in the market have put the Serbian’s transfer under question.

After all, why would the club be on a lookout for a new striker to replace Karim Benzema if they already have one within their ranks?

Still, Zidane seems to believe there is a place for the young forward in this Los Blancos squad and just by stating the 21-year-old is important should at least give the Jovic fan club some hope.

By all accounts, he is not done just yet and his chance might be coming in the near future.

All he has to do is be patient.