All posts by z3u9t.icu

Manchester United’s mad scramble to salvage the summer transfer window has left the Red Devils with more questions than answers. Their last minute-swoop for former Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani has not gone unnoticed.

What’s the word?

Harry Redknapp, who has never been one to mince his words, launched a scathing attack on United’s transfer strategy. The former Tottenham boss wrote in his column for The Sun on Sunday that “signing Cavani, 33, on over £200,000 a week on the final day of the transfer window did smack of desperation to me.”

The stakes have arguably never been higher for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his side slumped to an embarrassing 6-1 defeat at the hands of Jose Mourinho before the international break.

Big gamble?

Whether or not United have made the right decision remains to be seen but all the signs seem to suggest it is a big gamble which could backfire. The 116-cap Uruguay international is PSG’s record scorer but he was released by the French giants amid fears over his long-term fitness.

Despite the fact that Cavani arrived as a free agent, the veteran will earn mega wages worth £200,000-per-week, which has made him one of the highest paid players at Old Trafford. By comparison Bruno Fernandes earns £100,000 a week and Paul Scholes has criticised the club’s “very strange” decision to sign the striker on the transfer deadline day.

The United legend is in full agreement with Redknapp that the forward may be past his best. He said “Five, six years ago, yeah he’s a great signing, he’ll take us onto that next level possibly. But I just don’t think he’ll take us to the next level now.”

Cavani only played 14 Ligue 1 games last term, with a significant amount of his appearances as a substitute, and he scored four goals and supplied one assist, whilst he averaged two shots and completed fewer than one key pass and one dribble per game, via WhoScored.

One thing is for sure, Ed Woodward will want to avoid another Alexis Sanchez situation at all costs. He will not want to pay out huge sums of money if Cavani is forced to spend a lengthy spell on the sidelines, which is always a risk with any aging player.

Some supporters have even accused the board of papering over the cracks. Would they have been better off focusing on all of their efforts on signing Jadon Sancho instead? Only time will tell.

AND in other news, Marcus Rashford’s performance highlights why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a problem at Man United…

Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as surprising contenders to sign Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan this summer, according to reports. 

Jose Mourinho wanted to bring Perisic to Old Trafford during his time in charge of Manchester United but Ed Woodward refused to sanction a deal. Recent reports revealed that the Croatia international is weighing up a move to north London in the summer, amid interest from Mourinho’s former club.

Tottenham have held talks with his agent over a potential transfer and it seems a deal could be one step closer to being completed. According to Calciomercato, as per @TranSPURS, Spurs are prepared to offer Erik Lamela in exchange for the Inter Milan midfielder.

Perisic has spent the past season on loan at Bayern Munich, scoring four goals and supplying three assists in the Bundesliga this season, taking 1.9 shots per game (via WhoScored). However, the German giants will not trigger the option to sign the 31-year-old on a permanent basis and he is now considering his options.

The Italian publication claimed that Antonio Conte has no intentions in using the Croatian at the San Siro next season, which has left him in a precarious position.

Mourinho has the answer to his old adversary’s problems as the Portuguese wants to take Perisic off his hands. He is willing to offer Lamela in exchange to sweeten the deal, which could be a shrewd piece of business by Daniel Levy.

The Argentine was a firm favourite of former boss Mauricio Pochettino, becoming the club’s first-choice winger during his compatriot’s reign, but he has struggled for consistency this season.

His output has simply not been up to scratch, especially as the Spurs boss has made it clear that he wants to win trophies.

Clubs are operating in unprecedented circumstances and Mourinho knows that his budget has been severely slashed, so he will have to resort to hunting for bargains, searching for free agents and sorting out swap deals. It is arguably the perfect opportunity for the Portuguese to finally get his man.

Tottenham fans, should Levy sign Ivan Perisic in the summer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Aston Villa could land themselves a new striker during the summer window and it’ll be a familiar name to manager Dean Smith.

What’s the word?

According to the Express & Star, the Midlands outfit are among the admirers of Brentford talisman Ollie Watkins along with Premier League rivals Crystal Palace and Sheffield United.

It’s claimed that the 24-year-old marksman is the club’s primary transfer target this off-season as Smith looks to address their striking issues.

Watkins could cost the club around £25m if reports are to be believed.

£25m steal

The Bees forward has enjoyed another prolific season in west London, notching 26 goals in all competitions and after losing out in the playoff final to Fulham, he could demand a move to the top-flight.

Smith, of course, knows him very well having originally signed the 5 foot 11 star from Exeter City back in 2017.

Originally he joined as a winger that could play behind the striker but he’s come on leaps and bounds as a centre-forward in recent seasons.

Former Hammers legend Trevor Sinclair believes Watkins is similar to ex-Spurs man Jermain Defoe whilst his current boss Thomas Frank called him “amazing” and that “he’s a pleasure to work with in terms of his determination and his desire.”

Villa have rued their recent transfer dealings – club-record man Wesley could only provide five goals before a suffering a long-term injury whilst his January replacement Mbwana Samatta has scored just once. That’s over £30m wasted.

Smith could well reunite with the signing he once dubbed as a “hell of a player” and it would certainly help alleviate one of their biggest problems.

At just £25m, that’s a steal considering what the club has paid above. It would be one exciting way to kickstart Johan Lange’s era at Villa Park.

AND in other news, Villa could have saved millions by signing two stars last summer…

Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips has discussed a potential points-per-game (PPG) system to end the League One season, saying that he is against the idea.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former England international gave his thoughts on the outcome to England’s third tier, saying that he felt it should be decided on the football pitch and not via a computer system.

Sunderland sit seventh in the League One table with a play-off place in their sights, following the disappointing play-off final defeat to Charlton last term. Black Cats fans are desperate to see their side return to the Championship after a period which has seen them relegated twice since 2017.

Should the season be decided by a PPG system, the Wearside club would miss on a play-off spot, despite only being three points off the second automatic place as things stand.

Phillips’ comments follow the club’s CEO Jim Rodwell, who released a statement against the potential outcome of the league. The former striker said:

“I would be selfish and say that I do not want that to happen. I want Sunderland to get back into those play-offs.

“It has obviously happened in Scotland, Celtic winning the league and Hearts getting relegated and it seems unfair. I would not want to see that happen.

“The teams need to battle it out on the pitch, not somebody working it out in an office.

“I would be lobbying for the season to be finished whenever possible. But if it cannot, I think everyone should just go again next season.”

Sunderland are desperate to get back in the Championship and missing out on a play-off spot this term would be a cruel blow to them after several galling years of late.

A drop down from the Premier League to League One has been largely documented via Netflix series Sunderland Til I Die, which may have damaged the club’s reputation on a wider scale. A promotion would change that slightly and hopefully Phillips will get his wish.

Do you think Sunderland will make the play-offs if the season finishes on the pitch? Let us know in the comments section below…

Jose Mourinho has warned that Tottenham are in “big, big trouble” after they slumped to a 3-1 defeat to Sheffield United.

The Lilywhites were beaten by the Blades at Bramall Lane after Harry Kane’s equaliser was controversially ruled out by VAR due to a handball from Lucas Moura during the build-up. Tottenham struggled to break down a defence marshalled by Chris Basham as Kane, who had another goal ruled out at 2-0, added a consolation strike in the closing stages of the second half.

Chris Wilder’s side climbed above Spurs into seventh in the Premier League, while Mourinho’s men dropped to ninth, nine points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea.

The Portuguese, who has never been one to mince his words, didn’t hold back in the post-match press conference (as per football.london).

He said: “I think the way we trained, what we did in training I think we have to be better than we were. We have to create more chances than we did. From what we trained in the past days, I have to admit that at that level, I am disappointed.

“Even in the first half, we were very dominant in the long defensive balls. In all these kicks, extremely long, we were very dominant there. Dier, Sissoko, Davinson won every ball in the air, but then we need to win the second ball and be more aggressive there in the transition to attack.”

He added: “Clearly if these boys don’t care about results and don’t care about the position we finish at the end of the season we’ll be in big, big trouble for the future. So I hope that they care and fight for the best position in the table for the end of the season.”

Mourinho has every right to feel disappointed, as Chelsea and Leicester had dropped points beforehand, and the game presented the perfect opportunity to make up some ground on the top four. Now their Champions League hopes have been all but ended by the Blades just over a year since the club’s famous run to the 2019 final in Madrid.

Once again Tottenham’s defensive frailties were laid bare, as Lys Mousset peeled away from Eric Dier to slot home a cool finish for Sheffield United’s second goal.

Mourinho has put all his faith in Dier and Davinson Sanchez, who have started the last three games since the Premier League restart, but they didn’t repay his trust on Wednesday. Oli McBurnie outpaced Sanchez, to make matters even worse.

Although the manager eventually had enough, as he called upon Jan Vertonghen to replace Ben Davies later on, the damage had already been done. McBurnie added the third goal soon after the veteran came on the pitch, to add insult to injury.

In fairness to Mourinho, the Lilywhites have been leaking goals all season even before his arrival, but this was another devastating blow for their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.

Meanwhile Japhet Tanganga, who has been one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise abysmal campaign, is out with a back injury to compound Spurs’ problems further.

Tottenham fans, who do you blame for the club’s defensive woes? Let us know in the comments below!

A stunning volley from Alan Shearer has been voted among the best Premier League goals of all time after a poll was put out by Sky Sports to recognise some of the top flight’s best strikes.

The other nominees are as follows; Andros Townsend for Crystal Palace against Manchester City, Paulo Di Canio for West Ham United against AFC Wimbledon, Glen Johnson for Portsmouth against Hull City, Eric Cantona for Manchester United against Sunderland, Pajtim Kasami for Fulham against Crystal Palace, Dietmar Hamann for Liverpool against Portsmouth, Thierry Henry for Arsenal against Manchester United, Matt Le Tissier for Southampton against Newcastle, David Beckham for Manchester United against AFC Wimbledon, Gareth Bale for Tottenham Hotspur against Stoke City, David Luiz for Chelsea against Fulham, Tony Yeboah for Leeds United against AFC Wimbledon, Matthew Lowton for Aston Villa against Stoke City, Robin Van Persie for Arsenal against Charlton Athletic, Juliano Belletti for Chelsea against Middlesbrough and Wayne Rooney for Manchester United against Manchester City.

Shearer’s stunning volley against Everton in the Premier League back in 2002 levelled the score up at St James’ Park before Craig Bellamy scored a late winner after Kevin Campbell had given the Toffees a lead, according to the BBC. Joseph Yobo was also sent off shortly after Campbell struck which encouraged the momentum to shift to the Magpies.

According to the article by Sky Sports, Shearer says that this goal was his best in the top flight, and you can watch it over and over again here.

Members of the Toon Army can also vote for the ‘stunning volley’ via the Sky Sports website.

Shearer’s stunning strike was certainly a worthy inclusion in the list of nominees and it was undoubtedly one of the best goals he netted during his illustrious career.

Having netted a ridiculous 260 g0als in total in the Premier League (Transfermarkt), there were plenty to pick from but it comes as little surprise that it was his hit against the Toffees which made the cut given the technique involved.

Whether it is good enough to beat some of the other strikes on the list remains to be seen.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Newcastle discussion going on in the Vital Newcastle Forum! Click here to get involved!

Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with many players this summer, particularly in defence, and this week one fresh report has angered many supporters in north London.

According to La Voix du Nord, via Sport Witness, Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan could arrive at Spurs and team up with his old goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos.

They also claim that the Ligue 1 outfit have already prepared for the 24-year-old’s departure by signing Brazilian shot-stopper Leo Jardim last year.

Maignan, who is valued at £15.75m, has kept 13 clean sheets in 37 appearances this term, via Transfermarkt, but failed to keep the ball out of the net in all six of their Champions League group games.

Money talks: How much did Levy pay for each of these Spurs stars?

Spurs’ current first-choice Hugo Lloris has endured an indifferent campaign, suffering from a string of injuries and blunders, which has restricted the skipper to only 18 appearances and a ton of flak from the north London fanbase.

Though it appears as if the fellow French goalkeeper isn’t the man that supporters want between the sticks next season.

Here’s what has been said in response to the report…

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold believes Spurs will regret selling 22 y/o this summer…

Leeds United fans on Twitter have made it very clear that they want the club to pay tribute to Howard Wilkinson in one way or another as their former manager celebrated his 76th birthday.

There were plenty of suggestions as to what the club should do to celebrate the successful gaffer, and these ranged from a new statue, all the way to naming a new training ground in his honour.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

You can understand why fans want to see him commemorated in such a way as Wilkinson has to go down as one of the greatest managers in the club’s storied history.

Indeed, Wilkinson was hugely successful at Elland Road leading them to the league title for the first time since the era of Don Revie.

The successes of Wilkinson’s teams haven’t been replicated since his departure, and fans think he deserves a fitting tribute from the club.

Here’s what the Elland Road faithful have been saying on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]

West Ham United fans have called for Manuel Pellegrini to leave the club after they lost 3-2 to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Spurs won their first Premier League away game since January, when they defeated Fulham 2-1, at the London Stadium and actually took a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Son Heung-Min, Lucas Moura and Harry Kane.

Michail Antonio hit the net to bring the Hammers back into the game and Angelo Ogbonna nabbed a second in injury time, though it came too late to have an effect on the game.

The result is the Irons’ third successive defeat and also their seventh consecutive game without a win in the league.

Indeed, in those games, West Ham have scored eight goals and conceded 16.

And fans are hoping that the Hammers powerbrokers either sack the manager or that he decides to walk away.

Take a look at the best of the reaction on Twitter below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Newcastle United do not have a top transfer target in mind to bring to St James’ Park in January, according to The Chronicle.

What’s the word?

The Magpies have had a tough start to the season and find themselves in the relegation zone after nine games, with just two wins and two draws to their name.

The club sent over £60m on new players this summer but have not fixed any issues which have linger

Lee Ryder of The Chronicle hosted a Q&A session and answered the elusive question – were the Magpies looking to bring anyone in during the January transfer window?

A Newcastle fan calls for Sean and Matt Longstaff’s Mum to give birth to a starting eleven’s worth of Longstaffs in the video below…

He said: “I don’t think there is any individual player who is regarded at the top of the list.

“United operate on the basis of putting aside three or four possibles in each position.

“You’d be amazed by the number of players that Steve Nickson and his team have watched since July.

“The media often get criticised for linking the club with lots of players but they are looking at more players than ever before in a bid to try to find the right ones.”

Terrible scattergun policy

This kind of approach to transfers is the reason why they find themselves hovering in and around the relegation zone.

Without any system in place or any players that have been shortlisted to bring in, Newcastle cannot expect to compete in the Premier League.

Watch Newcastle United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

This is clear when we look at some of the players that the North East club have brought in.

Emil Krafth is an example that had fans thinking he was way down manager Steve Bruce’s shortlist when he signed. Unfortunately, his performances prove it as he has averaged just 0.8 tackles and 0.2 crosses during the six Premier League appearances he has made so far.

Joelinton, the big summer signing, has not started in the way that supporters were expecting after his £40m move from Hoffenheim, scoring just one goal in nine Premier League games.

Even Ryder himself said that the club’s scouting system has watched many players since July but unbelievably do not have anyone on the shortlist.

The club are setting themselves up to fail and can only blame themselves if they are relegated once more.