All posts by n8rngtd.top

Tottenham Hotspur secured an emphatic victory in Austria last night as they made easy work of beating Europa League rivals Wolfsberger. Jose Mourinho opted to start the likes of Gareth Bale and Dele Alli in their 4-1 win on enemy soil.

Goals came from the Real Madrid loanee, Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura and substitute Carlos Vinicius. It was a convincing performance from the team and one that Mourinho will be pleased with following their back-to-back defeats to Everton in the FA Cup and Manchester City in their latest Premier League clash.

However, one man in particular was a weak link for Spurs in the middle of the park. Moussa Sissoko struggled to get a grip on the game and was the culprit for Wolfsberger’s only goal of the 90.

Moussa Sissoko vs Wolfsberger

Not only was the Frenchman to blame for Michael Liendl’s second half penalty, but his overall stats weren’t anything to write home about. Before he was hauled off in place of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Sissoko fumbled his way through the match.

According to Sofascore, he committed a whopping six fouls, which was more than any other Spurs player on the pitch. He also lost nine of his 13 attempted duels, squandering 70% of his challenges. This is very out of character for Sissoko, who won 3/5 duels against Man City and 6/7 against Everton.

The £90,000 per week midfield man is a regular under Mourinho and has missed just five Premier League fixtures this season. He has also been ever-present in Tottenham’s EFL Cup and FA Cup run, according to Transfermarkt.

However, with Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele and Hojbjerg all competing for their spot in the lineup, Sissoko can’t let performances like this become a regular thing or he risks slipping down the pecking order.

In other news, Steve Howey drops verdict on Spurs boss Jose Mourinho’s issue with Gareth Bale…

Many players try to play like Lionel Messi but few come anywhere close – That doesn't stop pundits from comparing their stars to the icon, though!

• Getty
  

  Barcelona's new Messi: Bojan Krkic

  Best known to English football fans thanks to his goals for Stoke City, Bojan Krkic broke Lionel Messi's record for Barcelona's youngest debutant in 2007, earning him instant comparisons to the Argentine forward. He played over 100 La Liga games for Barca before moving on to Roma, AC Milan, Ajax and Stoke. In 2018, he revealed that the "new Messi" nickname held him back and that he rejected a chance to go to Euro 2008 with Spain because of anxiety issues.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  Catalan Messi: Gerard Deulofeu

  Any player who comes up through the Barcelona academy is always going to be in the shadow of Messi. Gerard Deulofeu was given the nickname the "Catalan Messi" as he broke through during his teenage years. Now at Watford, the Spain international was sold by Barca to Everton in 2015 but actually returned to his hometown club in 2017 when they exercised a buy-back option in his contract. He teamed up with Messi, playing 23 times before being loaned out and then sold back to England.

• Getty Images
  

  Croatian Messi: Alen Halilovic

  Not all the new Messis get to follow in the original Messi's footsteps, but the 'Croatian Messi' arrived at Camp Nou in 2014 to sign for Barcelona from Dinamo Zagreb, where he had rose to fame. The youngest ever player to play for Zagreb at 16 years and 101 days, he also became the youngest player to play for Croatia in 2013. Unfortunately, his only first team involvement at Barcelona was less than half an hour in a cup game and he was sold to Hamburg in 2016. Now on the books at AC Milan, the 22-year-old joined Standard Liege on loan in January with the Belgian club having an option to buy him this summer.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  Egyptian Messi: Mohamed Salah

  Mohamed Salah was named the 'Egyptian Messi' due to his amazing left foot, but by now he has moved on from the nickname to be regarded as one of the best players in the world. He finished sixth in the 2018 Ballon d'Or voting, just one place below Messi, having helped Liverpool reach the Champions League final and bringing Egypt to the World Cup. Still just 26, he followed up an exellent 2017-18 season with Liverpool by scoring over 20 league goals again in 2018-19 with the Reds again reaching the last four in Europe.

The winter window has only just closed but after landing just one acquisition in January, Wolves are already being linked with some new faces ahead of the summer.

On the chalkboard

One player linked with Wolves in recent days has been Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey.

According to TuttoJuve, the Welshman’s future in Italy is now in doubt and thus, the Serie A giants may choose to cash in.

It’s reported that both the Old Gold and Tottenham are interested in signing Ramsey who could cost €10m-€15m (£9m-£13m).

Ramsey is currently on a wage of £300k-per-week in Turin so it seems far-fetched that Wolves would pursue a deal like this. After all, one of the main reasons they didn’t end up targeting Christian Eriksen and Diego Costa in January was because of their wages.

Claims from Tim Spiers suggest that Joao Moutinho could be in his final season of regular football at the club so Wolves will need to find alternative midfielders from somewhere.

The solution

Wolves signed 20-year-old Vitinha on loan from Porto in the summer but after his arrival, he’s started just two Premier League outings.

It’s been a difficult campaign for the Portuguese but he’s progressed well and demonstrated that he has the potential to thrive in Nuno Santo’s system.

Hailed as “special” by Jeff Shi when he first penned terms, he scored an absolute peach against Chorley in the FA Cup. Arguably, his best performance of the season came against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

As the Old Gold tasted defeat late on against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men, Vitinha won 100% of his duels and also completed all of the dribbles he attempted. It was a high-class performance on what his very first start in the top-flight of English football.

The youngster may not have had many chances to prove his worth this term but the small glimpses we’ve seen should be enough to convince Wolves to lure him to the Midlands permanently next summer.

Just like they do with Willian Jose, the Old Gold have an option to buy Vitinha next summer. As good as a player like Ramsey is, this would be a smart way for Wolves to save some cash.

Ramsey’s wage demands would be astronomical but in Vitinha, they’d be assured of not only having a player they can develop for the future – a mantra that fits the club’s policies – but also of having a high-class performer on low wages.

Nuno must continue to nurture him this season before unleashing him properly in 2021/22.

AND in other news, 67% duels lost: Nuno must axe £73k-p/w “liability”, he’s been costing Wolves for weeks…

Goal looks at the form for each team in the knockouts for the most recent 10 games in all competitions ahead of the last 16 second legs…

• Getty/Goal composite
  

  16. Basel | 10 points | ⬇️ 4 places

  UCL last 16 first leg result: Basel 0-4 Manchester City

  dabblebet odds to win UCL: 3000/1

  So used to having it all their own way in Switzerland, this season has been a rude awakening. They will relinquish their Super League crown to Young Boys and are about to tumble out of Europe with a heavy defeat.

  However, they should take encouragement from their qualification to the knockout phase given their original goal of the season was any sort of continental football after the winter break. And they will have learned plenty from playing against Guardiola. 

Advertisement

• Getty/Goal composite
  

  15. Chelsea | 13 points | ➖

  UCL last 16 first leg result: Chelsea 1-1 Barcelona

  dabblebet odds to win UCL: 33/1

  The Antonio Conte era – not yet two seasons old – appears to be coming to an end. Defeats to Manchester United and to Manchester City in the Premier League in recent weeks were shocking in their manner with Conte even taking criticism from his own goalkeeper.

  Chelsea are big underdogs and short of confidence after their trip to the Etihad on Sunday. A remarkable turnaround and mounting problems for a coach who last season could do no wrong. 

• Getty/Goal composite
  

  14. Roma | 14 points | ⬆️ 2 places

  UCL last 16 first leg result: Shakhtar Donetsk 2-1 Roma

  dabblebet odds to win UCL: 66/1

  Paulo Fonseca is winning plenty of credit – and being linked to bigger jobs than his current one – for the work he's done this season. Now Ukraine's runaway leaders, Shakhtar have stormed back from their long winter break in sensational form.

  Their intricate play was too much for Roma to handle in the first leg. If they can hold their nerve and play to their values in the Italian capital, they will go through. 

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty/Goal composite
  

  13. Sevilla | 18 points | ⬇️ 3 places

  UCL last 16 first leg result: Sevilla 0-0 Manchester United

  dabblebet odds to win UCL: 150/1

  Vincenzo Montella's side will be kicking themselves that they didn't find a breakthrough in the first leg even if they managed to avoid conceding an away goal.

  They will be well aware that most observers will be expecting United to have a much easier ride at Old Trafford and fighting against that perception with belief will be key to progress. Their form has been up and down. Maintaining confidence even if they concede will be vital. 

When it rains at Parkhead, it seemingly pours. This has been a very rocky season for Celtic and the war of words between Neil Lennon and supporters is unrelenting in its nature.

After the Hoops dropped yet more points against Livingston this week, Lennon revealed that he wouldn’t leave Glasgow behind unless he was sacked.

Given the way the club’s hierarchy backed him in November, it doesn’t bode well for fans who are keen on seeing the Northern Irishman leave.

Truth be told, the end of his tether must be near. The Bhoys have won just seven of their last 22 games and are trailing behind Rangers by a considerable margin of 20 points. It’s safe to say that their stronghold over Scottish football has gone as far as it can.

The likes of Eddie Howe and Roy Keane have been touted with taking over from Lennon in various circles, but another name that did the rounds in December was Hibernian manager Jack Ross.

Speaking on A Celtic State of Mind podcast last month, Hoops pundit Kevin Graham went as far as to say the Hibs boss could be at Parkhead come the end of January.

He said: “We’ve got at least four players that are wanting to leave and those players could actually leave in January. Give the new man a blank slate. And for me, by the end of January – and even maybe before we go to Ibrox, maybe even before Christmas Day – I’m going to say Jack Ross will be Celtic’s manager.”

Of course, Lennon is still in charge at the moment, but it’s reasonable to suggest that come the end of January, a new manager could be in the hot seat.

Ross had a troubled spell at Sunderland where he lost in the Checkatrade Trophy final and ultimately failed to gain them promotion. He crumbled under the enormous pressure of managing a big club, but we believe he’d be near perfect for Celtic.

Hoops fans won’t need reminding of the wonderful things Brendan Rodgers achieved in Glasgow. He took the club to numerous domestic honours and Ross is someone who has the seal of approval from the current Leicester boss.

They are like two peas in a pod, trading ideas and developing a wonderful relationship. What’s more, is that the 44-year-old coach is already familiar with Lennoxtown.

That’s according to Lewis Morgan who told Open Goal (via Glasgow Times) last August: “Brendan Rodgers loves him and used to invite him to Lennoxtown all the time. He’d taken his Alloa team to Parkhead and done well  and he’s got a similar coaching style, that’s his coaching idol. He loves him. All our team talks or analysis it would be like what Brendan was doing at Celtic.”

Morgan continued: “Or these drills are what he’d seen Brendan do at Lennoxtown. Brendan used to invite him and they’d talk tactics or whatever it was. He was very good. Obviously I wouldn’t compare him to Brendan, I’m not going to be disrespectful, he’s in the Premier League with Leicester. I’m not sure if he can be as successful as that because you need a lot of luck, but I would hold [Jack] in as high regard as I do Brendan, in terms of coaching and man management.”

Those are intriguing words and for Hoops supporters, this should bode well. Lennon clearly hasn’t been able to install the same mentality in his players but given the vast majority of the playing squad know what it was like under Rodgers, bringing in a like-minded coach could work wonders.

Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell have some big decisions to make at the club in the coming weeks, but the first they must undertake is sacking Lennon and bringing in Ross. His methods have the potential to be game-changing for Celtic.

AND in other news, Celtic veteran should be running scared if Hammond signs £27k-p/w speed demon in Jan…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Dean Windass has delivered his verdict on a potential return to Leeds United for James Milner.

The midfielder started his career at Elland Road but hasn’t played for the Whites since 2004. After leaving Yorkshire behind, Milner has gone onto play for Newcastle, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Liverpool.

He is now a multiple Premier League winner and he’s also earned a Champions League winners medal for his troubles.

Milner has previously been asked whether he would return to the club he rose through the ranks of as a trainee and he didn’t rule it out in 2019, saying: “I’m a fan. I always follow the team and the results. So you can never say no or even yes because just so much changes in football, you never know what happens.”

Football FanCast questioned Windass about a potential return this week and he admitted that although it would be a good fit for the player, he’d probably struggle to get into the side.

He said: “I think that’d be a good fit for him. But I think with James, he’d still want to play. And if he went to Leeds he won’t play, he will be just like he is now at Liverpool – a squad player. James will want to go on and play for an extra two or three seasons.

“I played until I was 39/40 in the Premier League and I wasn’t as fit as James Milner. So I’m sure that he won’t be looking at 35 – when I was younger, at 35 you retire. You get your pension and that’s it, you’re done. You play now until you’re 36, 37 or 38 and I’m sure that James will look that way.”

The £140k-per-week Liverpool midfielder played 50 times for Leeds between 2002 and 2004, scoring five goals in the process.

He was part of the side that were relegated from the top-flight 17 years ago so a return to Elland Road would be a fairytale ending to his career.

Certainly, as far as heading back to somewhere he loves, it would be a positive move for the 35-year-old. However, given his age, it’s unlikely he’d have what it takes to thrive in Marcelo Bielsa’s system.

You only need to look at the minimal impact Pablo Hernandez has had at the age of 35 this term. He’s started just two Premier League games all season.

AND in other news, Fabrizio Romano hints at possible “opportunity” for Leeds, it would usurp Rodrigo deal…

According to a report by Italian news outlet FcInterNews, via Sport Witness, West Ham United have lodged a ‘serious proposal’ to sign free agent and former Premier League striker Graziano Pelle this month – with a suggestion that GSB talks are ‘advanced’. 

Pelle, who was apparently wanted in 2016 by former Hammers boss Slaven Bilic, is able to talk to clubs over the possibility of joining them as a free agent – with the former Italy international now without a club.

Pelle talks ‘advanced’

The 6 ft 4 powerhouse has emerged as a target for David Moyes in recent days, coming as his search for a striker to bolster his attacking options continues.

Reports have indicated that an extra forward option could be GSB’s priority for this month, especially considering the over-reliance on club record signing Sebastien Haller.

Michail Antonio’s injury worries have also prompted calls for the club to swoop for a new target man, and this update explains that the Irons have lodged a ‘serious’ proposal for Pelle as the answer.

There is a suggestion that talks are ‘advanced’ in an effort to acquire his signature, and he could be a sound outside option given his free agent status.

Transfer Tavern take

Likened to former Premier League star Robin Van Persie, Pelle has also been described as an ‘excellent’ striker by Juventus coach Antonio Conte.

Time will tell whether West Ham do land the 35-year-old, but despite his accolades, Moyes and GSB could have to be patient in seeing the very best of Pelle given he hasn’t played Premier League football since leaving Southampton for China in 2016.

In other news: ExWHUemployee says West Ham could swoop for this star ‘like Luis Suarez’, find out more here.

DeAndre Yedlin was Steve Bruce’s real star as Newcastle United produced a defensive masterclass to secure a point at home to Liverpool on Wednesday night.

Bruce welcomed Jurgen Klopp’s champions to St. James’ Park and saw his players prove resilient in the face of danger to record the first goalless league draw between the Magpies and Reds since February 1974, 69 meetings ago.

The result also saw Liverpool fail to score in a Premier League fixture for the first time in 21 matches, having been denied throughout by a sublime display from Karl Darlow to prevent Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Liverpool had a string of chances during their time on Tyneside to end the year on a high and move five points clear at the top of the table, yet were forced to accept a stalemate with Fabian Schar saving Darlow’s clean sheet 10 minutes from time by clearing off the line after a fortuitous rebound for Sadio Mane.

Yedlin often had Mane, plus Reds full-back Andrew Robertson, in his back pocket as he continued to hold down honours at right-back in Bruce’s plans, after taking over the role at home to Fulham.

The 27-year-old, who continues to be linked with a move away from St. James’ with his £30,000-per-week contract due to expire next summer, has now started Newcastle’s last three league games and proved against Liverpool why the position has become his.

Yedlin continually brought exuberant overlapping runs in partnership with Jacob Murphy down United’s right-hand channel, while contributing an array of vital tackles and coming close to only his fourth-ever Toon goal when his 17th-minute effort was deflected wide.

Salah fell victim to the 62-cap USA international, whom Rafa Benitez once declared “I love this player” for, late in the first-half when Yedlin timed his challenge to perfection to snatch the ball as the Egyptian sought to release the trigger.

Yedlin saw out the midweek meeting with two successful tackles to his name in total, while registering two interceptions and six clearances, per SofaScore.

He additionally won five of his six ground duels, never committed a foul, was successful with his only attempted dribble and provided one key ball from 11 accurate passes, despite failing to connect with a Magpies teammate with his only cross of the night.

Javier Manquillo may have returned to the matchday squad at Manchester City on Boxing Day, while Emil Krafth once again took a seat on the bench at home to Liverpool, but both will struggle to displace Yedlin from the starting line-up should he maintain his current form.

AND in other news, an “unplayable” £75k-p/w Newcastle United player is in-demand ahead of the January transfer window.

David Moyes can solve his Sebastien Haller dilemma after Gabby Agbonlahor stated the West Ham striker will be “frustrated” to not have successfully replaced the injured Michail Antonio.

What’s he said?

Speaking with Football Insider, Aston Villa hero Agbonlahor has claimed Haller will be growing increasingly irritated to have not staked his claim for a starting role at the London Stadium whilst Moyes has been without star striker Antonio.

The £10.8m-rated dynamo has missed his side’s last two Premier League fixtures as a result of the hamstring injury sustained at home to Manchester City last month, which was expected to sideline Antonio for six weeks, yet he remains the Irons’ joint-top scorer with three goals.

Haller failed to strike a single effort against either Liverpool or Fulham when handed his first starts of the top-flight campaign, leaving the club-record £45m signing with just one goal in his last 13 Premier League outings.

Agbonlahor feels the Cottagers’ defensive-minded tactics played a great role in Haller’s plight continuing last time out, noting: “It’s not as if Fulham played a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, Fulham played a very defensive formation. It would have been tough for even Antonio to break them down.

“West Ham get their most joy when they play against teams on the counter-attack. The game against Fulham was tough to create chances. So, it’s not something that I’d worry about.

“I think with Haller, if you get the right balls into the box for him then he will score goals, but West Ham didn’t manage to do that. I’m sure he’ll be frustrated because he wants to be scoring goals.”

Moyes has the answers

Agbonlahor’s comments come in line with Moyes’ remarks following the Fulham clash, having told the West Ham website: “Our crossing quality was really poor and we didn’t deliver good enough quality into the box when we were in positions to do so. We were hoping to get something aerial for Haller to score from.”

Moyes now has the chance to afford Haller another shot at proving his worth in claret and blue when league action resumes against Sheffield United later this month, with ExWHUemployee – while speaking on the West Ham Way podcast – claiming the Scottish coach has already decided he will not risk Antonio aggravating his injury by starting him at Bramall Lane.

Instead, Antonio is due to be listed among the substitutes with Moyes keen to see if Haller can fare any better against a side who has allowed the second-most shots (15) and fourth-most crosses (21) a game in the top-flight thus far this term, per WhoScored.

Haller could only win six of his 10 aerial duels against Fulham last time out while striking just one of three shots on target, which Moyes will no doubt hope he can improve after netting on his Ivory Coast debut.

AND in other news, West Ham have been given the ideal chance to sign a “phenomenal” £20m David Moyes target.

As the dust settles on another hectic transfer window, Aston Villa’s attentions will already have turned towards their plans for the following year.

Big decisions will have to be made, not just in terms of the kinds of signings that need to be made, but also which of Dean Smith’s current first-team squad need to be sold.

And one man whose future is really up for debate, is Ahmed Elmohamady. The Egypt international’s contract at Villa Park comes to an end in the summer of 2021, meaning that he will be free to negotiate a pre-contract with foreign clubs in January and thus eventually seeing him leave on a free transfer when his deal expires.

Whilst the right-back has proven to be an astute piece of business since arriving from Hull City in 2017 – he has made an impressive 117 appearances for Villa – the time is surely right for the club to say goodbye to him.

At 33, he’s way past the peak years of his career, and whilst he’s done well in terms of his longevity thus far, if Smith is intent on ensuring his side push on and establish themselves as a top ten club, then making ruthless decisions on players like Elmohamady have to be made.

The £25k-a-week earning ace has been a reliable performer and welcome dressing room presence for Smith, with the Villa boss waxing lyrical about the veteran right-back when he penned an extension to his deal in 2019.

He said: “He’s deserved it for his performances, which is what all players deserve to get new contracts from. He was integral to the 10-game winning run we had at the end of last season to get into the playoffs. If you captain a country like Egypt, you have to be a certain type of character and player. He’s established himself in our dressing room and the English game and he’s a very well respected and good player to have in our squad.”

With Villa also spending decent money on Matty Cash from Nottingham Forest, it already feels like the club are moving in a fresh and new direction. When Elmohamady’s contract comes to its end, the Midlands side should just bid a fond adieu.