All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

This season has been the very definition of a horror show for Celtic and everyone at Parkhead.

The Bhoys have surrendered their grasp on the league title and they will finish the 2020/21 campaign without a single trophy to their name.

It ends what has been a decade of complete dominance for the Hoops and throughout the rest of the season, nothing but pride is at stake.

They capitulated in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup last weekend, ruing not only a missed penalty and a succession of excellent chances but also their defending.

As Rangers won 2-0, it was their two full-backs who had to be held accountable from a defensive point of view.

On the chalkboard

Diego Laxalt has had a very inconsistent stay at Celtic. Going forward he has looked like creating plenty of chances but when he tries to defend, he is left all at sea.

Against Dundee United a few weeks ago he was tortured by Lawrence Shankland and he was left at the mercy of Joe Aribo in a similar fashion last Sunday.

The Rangers winger led Laxalt a merry dance down Celtic’s left-hand side and the Uruguayan was powerless to stop it.

For the opening goal, he wasn’t even in the picture as Steven Gerrard’s men countered and then scored acrobatically from Steven Davis.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-lampard-klimala-ajer-gossip” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

Though, for the second strike, Laxalt was worse. The AC Milan loanee was turned inside out by Aribo who then rolled the ball across goal. Jonjoe Kenny didn’t track Ryan Kent and he then inadvertently put the ball in his own net.

It was a shocking performance from the left-back, a player who surely won’t warrant the £7.2m fee Celtic could pay to sign him permanently in the summer.

John Kennedy has to take the decision of dropping him when the Hoops face Aberdeen on Wednesday night.

He was a liability last weekend and has to be taken out of the firing line. After all, his performance sparked considerable criticism.

Celtic podcaster Paul John Dykes called his first-half against Rangers a “nightmare” during the interval while John Hartson had some very choice words for the defender.

Speaking on Premier Sports’ live coverage of the clash, Harton said he “does nothing” before unleashing the following: “Well he went off after half time obviously and John Kennedy would have been disgusted with his left-back. He’s from good stock as well. He’s on loan from AC Milan. He is a good player.”

Unfortunately, Laxalt has rarely shown that he’s a good player while in Glasgow.

With little time remaining in the season and nothing to play for, it feels pointless to field an individual who is almost certainly going to depart in a few months.

Kennedy needs to axe him for good, starting on Wednesday evening.

AND in other news, Celtic may have their new Tierney in “tricky” 18 y/o who’s rarely-seen at senior level…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer believes transfer plans could be holding up David Moyes’ contract extension at West Ham.

Moyes’ current deal expires at the end of the season and he is yet to agree on fresh terms despite the excellent campaign the Hammers are having.

After fighting relegation last term, West Ham are now on course to secure European football this time round, showing just how great of a job the 57-year-old is doing.

Bearing that in mind, it may come as a surprise to some that he has not signed a new contract yet. Palmer, however, believes there is good reason, suggesting the former Manchester United and Everton manager could be waiting to hear how much money he has to spend in the summer.

“David Moyes has put himself in the driving seat with West Ham,” Palmer told FFC. “As long as they meet his demands, in terms of players he would like to bring in [he should sign a new deal].

“I know that they had a bit of a sticking point over the centre-back that they wanted to get out of Burnley [James Tarkowski]. But, you know, to be fair to Sean Dyche, why would he want to sell one of his best players? And if he’s going to sell him, like he said, he wants top dollar for him. So I don’t disagree with the West Ham owners standing their ground on the money that they were asking for him, but that could be a sticking point for David Moyes.”

It is understandable if Moyes is indeed waiting for clarity over funds as he potentially looks to establish West Ham as a side who regularly challenge for European football.

The Scotsman will also feel that he should be trusted when it comes to recruitment after bringing in the likes of Tomas Soucek and Jesse Lingard, who have both made massive impacts at the London Stadium this season.

Speaking exclusively with Football FanCast, Carlton Palmer has backed Josh Windass to win a place in Sheffield Wednesday’s starting XI under new manager Darren Moore.

Windass has been “frustrated” by his lack of playing time, something former caretaker boss Neil Thompson revealed last month, but was given a start in the recent 3-2 defeat to Luton Town and did not disappoint.

The 27-year-old managed to bag himself two goals on the day in a display that will surely give his new boss something to think about ahead of that all-important clash against Rotherham United on Wednesday.

They were his fourth and fifth of the Championship campaign, and Palmer is now hoping to see him kick on amid what has been a difficult period not just for the player, but the club as a whole.

Speaking exclusively to FFC about Windass’ recent performance, Palmer said:

“He’s now scored two goals. So, you know, I expect Darren to select him. I’m sure he’ll be speaking to Thompson, who knows the players really well. And I would assume that Josh will start the next game. You would expect to as a player if you scored two goals, and then the rest is down to him.”

While Windass will surely be keen to impress if selected for the visit of Rotherham as he looks to nail down a regular position in Wednesday’s XI, his biggest concern will undoubtedly be securing the three points.

Paul Wayne’s side are only one point ahead of the Owls, albeit with a game in hand, so a win could really help change the complexion of the relegation battle.

Southampton will be looking to put distance between themselves and the relegation spots in the Premier League when they take on Brighton and Hove Albion at St Mary’s on Sunday afternoon.

The Austrian manager has welcomed back the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters and Ibrahima Diallo from injury recently, and after they were rested in midweek, it seems likely that they will come back into the starting lineup against Graham Potter’s side.

Hasenhuttl rotated his side for the trip to Manchester City in midweek and whilst his side lost 5-2, they played in a positive way and looked good going forwards in the absence of Danny Ings.

Brighton look in serious danger of relegation from the top-flight this season, so defeat against the Seagulls would potentially drag the Saints back into a relegation battle this season.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Hasenhuttl to line his side up on Sunday, with five changes from the team that started in midweek…

After shipping another five goals in midweek, Fraser Forster should come back in for Alex McCarthy, with the 32-year-old boasting an impressive record of just one goal conceded in six appearances so far this season.

There’s one change in defence, as Walker-Peters returns at right-back, with Ryan Bertrand switching back to left-back, meaning Mohammed Salisu drops to the bench.

There are two changes in midfield, as Takumi Minamino returns in place of Moussa Djenepo on the left-hand side, after the Malian came off with a knock at the Etihad, whilst Diallo comes back in for Jack Stephens, who deputised in a midfield role in midweek.

Finally, Nathan Tella deserves to start after his impressive performance in the 2-0 win against Sheffield United, which led Owen Hargraves to label him a “handful”, so he comes in for Nathan Redmond to partner Che Adams in attack against Brighton.

And, in other news… Forget Forster: Southampton can sign serious McCarthy upgrade in £8.6m beast

South Africa manager Eddie Ntseki has confirmed the Bafana Bafana will be without Glasgow Rangers midfielder Bongani Zungu for their African Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan on Sunday.

Zungu unavailable

Zungu had already been ruled out of South Africa’s clash with Ghana in his homeland after Rangers refused to let him travel there, but it seemed he would be available for the Sudan match (Sowetan Live).

Now, though, Ntseki has revealed he will also be unavailable for that game too. He said (via The South African):

“We got an email from Zungu’s club to say they are no longer releasing him – whether it’s coming to South Africa or going to Sudan.

“I then spoke to him and explained the situation, and he said, ‘It’s a decision that will work against me if ever I force to come to Sudan.’

“We saw a new list of countries that are being referred to as ‘red zones’, and in this case we have Dubai and Ethiopia, which is where players were going to have to come via to get to Sudan.”

Disappointing

This is no doubt a huge disappointment for both Ntseki and Zungu – the former has already shared his frustration at not having Zungu for the Ghana fixture. In 2021, the 28-year-old has played just 112 minutes in the Premiership (Transfermarkt) and is clearly not a big part of Steven Gerrard’s plans. The international break should have given him an opportunity to get some much needed playing time, but that will now not be the case.

Unfortunately, this is becoming a more and more regular occurrence given the coronavirus pandemic we are currently living through. Zungu will just have to hope that, with the Premiership title already sewn up at Ibrox, he may now get more chances to play at club level.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at an update on this 34-year-old.

Leeds United were unable to make much use of the January transfer window and as such, they will see out the rest of the 2020/21 season without any new personnel. However, their summer business was fruitful enough to ensure that they look certain to survive in the Premier League upon their return to the big time.

Despite the injury problems that are hindering their backline, the Whites are benefitting from the likes of Raphinha and Jack Harrison week in, week out. Between them, the creative duo have contributed nine goals and eight assists so far this season, according to BBC Sport.

However, due to their untouchable status in Marcelo Bielsa’s lineup, Helder Costa has slipped drastically down the pecking order. Despite playing a huge role in Leeds’ promotion-winning campaign, the former Wolves man has been a bit-part player at best this time around.

As per Transfermarkt, the 27-year-old hasn’t started for the Whites since November. The Championship winners fell 4-1 to Crystal Palace and Costa was responsible for one of their goals after putting the ball into his own net. Since then, he has been reduced to mere cameo appearances for Leeds and has just one goal and two assists to his name for the season.

With the emergence of youngster Ian Poveda, the role of Raphinha’s deputy is now highly contested. The 20-year-old has already bagged himself ten senior appearances this season and is quickly becoming one of Bielsa’s go-to options from the bench.

Poveda is very likely to usurp Costa in the pecking order at Leeds and once that happens, the Portugal international could waste his years on the bench at Elland Road.

Costa has failed to impress onlookers as well this season. In a recent Q&A for The Athletic, Phil Hay admitted that the summer signing has “fallen well behind Raphinha” and was a “big disappointment” for Leeds against Crawley Town back in October.

Indeed, the Whites suffered a shock defeat to the League One side, who dumped them out of the FA Cup after firing three goals past them. According to Sofascore, Costa had two clear-cut chances to find the back of the net, but squandered both opportunities.

Although he has only recently signed permanently for Leeds, Andrea Radrizzani will not take kindly to forking out £70,000 per week for a player who rarely sees first team action these days. A transfer away from Elland Road may appear rash on paper, but as things stand, it looks to be the best move for all involved.

In other news, Leeds can’t afford to let Raphinha leave amid Liverpool interest…

James Pearce, The Athletic’s Liverpool correspondent, seems to have dropped a huge hint regarding Liverpool and their transfer plans this month.

Pearce shows Reds’ hand?

The Reds have been heavily linked with a move for Lille defender Sven Botman in recent weeks, in light of their catastrophic injury crisis at the heart of their backline.

Both Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez were ruled out for a significant amount of time before the turn of the year with serious knee injuries, and Botman himself kicked off the cryptic Instagram hints this week.

Pearce has now added fuel to the fire, using his Instagram to follow both Botman and his agency, Muy Manero, which could be an indication that Liverpool are indeed in serious talks with the Dutch colossus and Pearce is getting in the loop (via The Anfield Buzz).

This comes after Muy Manero, a Dutch agency who also played a role in Takumi Minamino’s move to Anfield, was tagged in a video from Botman, in which the defender was sitting in their offices, posting a red heart and a handshake emoji. The agency themselves then ‘liked’ multiple posts from fans linking him with the Anfield move (via LFC Transfer Room).

Botman, 20, moved to Lille last summer from Ajax and has featured in every Ligue 1 game so far this season, averaging a match rating of 7.13 per game, winning 3.8 aerial duels and making 2.9 clearances per game (Whoscored).

Transfer Tavern Verdict

This will be an eye-opener for Liverpool fans. After hearing so many conflicting rumours about their January transfer plans, Pearce’s activity could suggest a deal is on the cards.

The Reds certainly need to sign a defender, with Joel Matip having been ruled out with an adductor injury after their goalless draw to Newcastle.

If Liverpool want to keep their Premier League title hopes alive, a fresh face in the defence would be a huge development, such is the dire situation Jurgen Klopp has been dealt with injuries.

In other news, Behind the scenes footage containing Klopp star sent many Liverpool fans wild.

Mike Ashley is set for disaster at Newcastle United with plans to reject all approaches for Andy Carroll in the January transfer window.

What’s the word?

According to the Chronicle, the Magpies are likely to retain Carroll in the mid-season market despite West Bromwich Albion boss Sam Allardyce being keen on a reunion.

Allardyce worked with Carroll at West Ham United and planned to reconnect with the centre-forward following his appointment at The Hawthorns, believing the Toon may accept a cut-price fee with the striker inside the final six-months of his £75,000-per-week contract.

Newcastle are yet to receive any formal approach for Carroll but are expected to reject any offers should they arrive this month, feeling the Tyneside outfit are not in a position where they should be aiding any potential relegation rival.

Carroll had been frustrated at his limited playing time under Steve Bruce, having only started two of nine Premier League appearances thus far this season, but has been offered assurances that he will get more action in the second half of the campaign despite all four of Newcastle’s central attacking options now being fit.

The 6 ft 3 target man scored his first Newcastle goal since 2010 during the Magpies’ 2-1 loss at home to Leicester City last time out, having come on in the closing stages with United two goals behind.

Making the wrong decision

Newcastle chiefs would be making the wrong decision should they reject any and all approaches for Carroll in the January transfer window and must make a swift U-turn on their verdict before West Brom finalise alternative options.

Carroll has failed to hit the heights Toon fans would have liked when the striker returned to St. James’ Park in 2019, with the 32-year-old taking 34 games to score again in black and white.

Bruce clearly does not consider Carroll to be anything more than an impact man, who has failed to deliver that frequently enough thus far, and would be sacrificing results by handing the £3m-rated dud a more pivotal role in order to see the 9-cap England striker remain in the North East until the end of the season.

Ashley would also be making a horrific business decision by allowing Newcastle to retain Carroll until the summer, as the former Liverpool striker he sold to the Reds for £35m when his stock was at its highest is now bleeding him dry on a £75k-p/w contract.

There is little expectancy of Carroll turning his form around, let alone to become United’s main striker, so must be sold this month.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce must axe a Newcastle lightweight Rafa Benitez once dubbed “a good player for the future”.

Steve Bruce may be left with only one option at left-back for when Newcastle United host Southampton on Saturday, with Jamal Lewis and Paul Dummett both doubts through injury.

The Toon boss has confirmed concerns over the full-backs’ fitness ahead of this weekend’s Premier League meeting, when he may also be without three centre-halves.

Federico Fernandez and skipper Jamaal Lascelles are both confirmed as being out for the Saints’ trip to St. James’ Park, while Ciaran Clark has left Bruce in the lurch after his wife went into labour.

Newcastle are without a win in five games at home but have beaten Southampton during the Saints’ last three trips to Tyneside, while scoring eight goals to just two conceded.

Bruce faces a fraught task to keep United’s run over the St. Mary’s natives going with a large group of key players potentially missing, and accepts the situation is alarming.

“Defensively, it’s a concern,” Bruce said. “Jamaal Lascelles and Federico Fernandez will not make it. Ciaran Clark’s partner has gone into labour, so we’re hoping he’ll still make it.

“We have a worry to Jamal Lewis, who has a hamstring problem, and Paul Dummett is still struggling. So that defensive part of the team is a bit depleted at the minute.”

Lewis has started 16 of his 19 Premier League appearances for Newcastle since a £15m transfer from Norwich City last summer, and achieved his first assist in black and white during the Magpies’ 2-0 win over Everton last month.

Lewis and Dummett both failing late fitness tests and being ruled out for the visit of Southampton to St. James’ Park on Saturday will likely leave Matt Ritchie as Bruce’s only option to solve his injury woes at left-back.

Ritchie remained in the North East after Monday’s Deadline Day after seeing Newcastle and AFC Bournemouth fail to agree on a fee for his return to the Vitality Stadium, after last-ditch efforts were made by the Championship side as they seek an immediate return to the Premier League.

The former Scotland international has been frozen out of the first-team picture at United in recent weeks, with Bruce omitting Ritchie from his last two top-flight matchday squads and leaving the 31-year-old as an unused substitute in the prior three fixtures.

Ritchie last opened a league game on January 3 in defeat to Leicester City but should not be disregarded as a threat ahead of the Saints clash, having offered close to twice as many key passes a game as Lewis when fielded at left-back this term.

While Lewis has contributed 0.8 key balls a game over his league outings, Ritchie offered 1.5 and delivered 2.0 accurate crosses from 6.5 attempts to his 23-year-old teammate’s 0.8 from 2.6, per WhoScored.

He further broke up opposition play with more interceptions (0.8 to 0.6), made vastly more clearances (3.5 to 1.6), took more shots (0.3 to 0.1) and was stronger at winning possession in the air with 1.8 aerial duels won to 0.6.

But where Lewis eclipses Ritchie is in bringing possession out form the back, with 0.6 successful dribbles from 1.3 attempts to his experienced teammate’s record of 0.5 failed runs from 0.5 attempts a game.

Bruce should not let that sway his view of Ritchie, though, as even if it is not through choice that the £8.5m-rated man is recalled, he should be able to do more than an adequate job for Newcastle against Southampton on Saturday.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce should make Joe Willock wait for his Newcastle debut and unleash a “bright spark” on Southampton…

Following the news that Friedkin Group have reached an agreement over the terms of their deal to buy a majority stake in Everton, reports have emerged over the first big move that they want to make.

Friedkin reach agreement to buy Everton

Whilst the deal is still subject to the approval of the Premier League, FA and Financial Conduct Authority in a position that Everton have, of course, been in before with 777 Partners, Friedkin Group look set to complete their takeover of the club. The deal will finally end the Toffees’ wait for new owners and will see Farhad Moshiri step aside as Everton look to take a crucial turn away from relegation troubles and financial instability.

Releasing a statement after news, A spokesperson for The Friedkin Group told Everton’s official website: “We are pleased to have reached an agreement to become custodians of this iconic football club.

“We are focused on securing the necessary approvals to complete the transaction.We look forward to providing stability to the club, and sharing our vision for its future, including the completion of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.”

Not just Ndiaye: Everton ace who lost the ball 15x showed he's undroppable

Everton were so close to picking up their first three points of the Premier League season away at Leicester City.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 22, 2024

What is good news for Everton, however, may be the opposite for Sean Dyche and his job security. Recent reports have instantly linked the likes of Gareth Southgate to the Goodison Park role, with Dan Friedkin and Co keen to make their mark from the off.

Southgate has been out of a job since leaving England at the end of Euro 2024, in which the Three Lions fell short at the last hurdle once again. Now, he could be in line for a return to club management, but he’s not the only name that’s been mentioned, as the new owners have apparently already made their decision on Dyche’s future.

Friedkin eyes new Everton manager and fitness coach

According to Corriere dello Sport via Sport Witness, Friedkin are plotting a move to hire both Maurizio Sarri and fitness coach Daniele Tognaccini, putting their Italian connections to good use in the process. The pending new owners already own AS Roma and reportedly wanted to bring Sarri to the Serie A club after sacking Daniele De Rossi. In the end, however, they were forced to settle for Ivan Juric thanks to Sarri’s previous role at rivals Lazio.

The Italian would be quite the addition at Goodison Park in a role that would be a contrast to his last Premier League position at Chelsea, in which he guided the Blues to a Europa League win.

Games

38

Wins

21

Draws

9

Losses

8

As things stand, Sarri would have a tough task ahead of him, given that Everton are without a Premier League win in their opening five games amid a developing habit of conceding two-goal margins to make matters even worse.

As those results continue to arrive, there’s no doubt that the pressure will only increase on Dyche and rumours will begin to mount up over his Everton future.