All posts by z3u9t.icu

Emerson Royal put in his best performance since joining Tottenham Hotspur this summer as they defeated Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.

The Brazilian right-back was drafted in on deadline day, signing in a €30m (£26m) deal from Barcelona, and finally, the north London outfit caught a glimpse of exactly what he had to offer.

In a game where Heung-min Son excelled with two assists and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg ran the show from the engine room, it was the 22-year-old defender who was an unsung hero for Nuno Santo and his side.

No player recorded more touches of the ball than Emerson (86) as he was a constant threat down that right flank.

Not only was he a rock defensively but he also got up the pitch to contribute in the final third.

As per SofaScore, Emerson recorded a match-high four interceptions, helping thwart the threat of wing-back Matt Target and Danny Ings, who was on his side in Villa’s two-man attack. He also made six clearances, two tackles and won a whopping ten duels.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick wrote in his post-match ratings column:

“A promising showing after a tough start in the Premier League. Committed and aggressive defensively and got forward well, creating a big chance for Son at the start of the second half.”

Indeed, the £26m-rated dynamo won three free-kicks, created one key chance and managed to pull off 100% of his dribbles, via SofaScore, further suggesting that he was capable of contributing in the final third.

It was only his third start in the Premier League but for the very first time, Nuno witnessed a player that should be starting there week in, week out. He’s a breath of fresh air in comparison to Serge Aurier, who left the Lilywhites by mutual consent in the summer.

According to football.london’s Alasdair Gold, the Brazil international has impressed staff with his “incredible” fitness levels and we saw some of that during the match today.

The Hotspur faithful were equally impressed by Emerson, too, with many expressing their delight with his performance.

On a day where Spurs ended a run of three straight heavy Premier League defeats, it was the new summer signing that went hugely under-the-radar and deserves plenty of credit for such a showing.

AND in other news, Forget Son: £36m-rated Spurs machine who had 6 dribbles stole the show against Villa…

As per Portuguese newspaper A Bola, as shared by Sport Witness, a Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has come to light involving Benfica star Darwin Nunez.

The Lowdown: Nunez in demand…

The prolific striker seems set to be one of the big-name transfers of the summer 2022 window.

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As backed by reliable reporter Fabrizio Romano, Nunez is set to leave Benfica this year, with the Primeira Liga giants setting a price tag of €80m (£67m) for his services.

Many clubs are currently in the mix, including several Premier League sides, a number of whom even sent officials to Lisbon last week to run the rule over the Uruguay striker (Daily Express).

A Bola have now shared an update on Tottenham’s links with the 22-year-old.

The Latest: Spurs in hunt for Nunez…

According to their sources (via Sport Witness), Spurs and Antonio Conte are in the hunt to sign Nunez alongside Chelsea, Manchester United, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, Inter Milan and AC Milan.

In addition, they claimed that the Lilywhites – and by extension their chairman Daniel Levy – have been interested in the 22-year-old since as far back as 2019.

The Verdict: Good chance for Tottenham?

With Nunez valued at around £67m, Tottenham arguably face an uphill battle to sign the prolific forward unless they can offload surplus players like Tanguy Ndombele for a handsome fee.

That being said, if transfer chief Fabio Paratici and co manage to muster up the funds, the Uruguayan would undoubtedly be a stellar addition and provide real competition for Harry Kane.

Lauded as a ‘rapid quick’ and ‘really strong’ striker by Anfield Index podcaster Hari Sethi, Nunez’s stunning goal return of 24 goals in as many league appearances this term isn’t the only reason that he would be a brilliant signing.

In other news: Tottenham could strike quick agreement to sign ‘special’ £25m striker! Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur moved into the top six in the Premier League with a win over Brentford on Thursday night, meaning Antonio Conte also maintained his unbeaten record in the top-flight.

A 12th-minute own goal from Sergi Canos and a well-taken finish from Heung-min Son sealed all three points in north London and whilst it was a vital victory, the Italian may well be concerned by the performance of Lucas Moura as he looked a little lacklustre in the final third once again.

The £22.5m-rated Brazilian winger is yet to score in the league this season and has provided just the one assist, coming against Leeds United nearly two weeks ago.

Conte has started him in every Premier League outing since arriving in N17 but he hasn’t seen any sort of substantial return from him barring that assist. It was a familiar story against the Bees.

Per SofaScore, Moura managed just one shot on target throughout the 77 minutes he was on the pitch, whilst he recorded only 15 accurate passes, in which none resulted in a key chance created.

One pass every five minutes is far from inspiring from someone who is supposed to support Son and Harry Kane in the final third and similarly, he registered just 38 touches, also losing possession 15 times.

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That means the 29-year-old gifted the ball back to the visiting team once every 2.5 touches.

‘As always he worked hard and his pressing led to opportunities but he was just lacking that decisive quality in the opposition half,’ is how football.london’s Alasdair Gold described the former PSG dynamo in his post-match ratings column, where he graded him amongst a couple of their worst performers.

That has to be of major concern to the Italian because the Lilywhites are still amongst the poorest teams in the division when it comes to attacking play, having averaged fewer shots per game (10.4) than any other team, even rock-bottom Newcastle United and Norwich City.

Elsewhere, the passenger-like Moura failed to provide an accurate cross and lost nearly 50% of his battles up against Thomas Frank’s back-three.

As a result, Conte may want to consider the Brazilian’s involvement heading into the weekend, when Spurs host the Canaries on Sunday afternoon.

AND in other news, Conte could right Daniel Levy’s ghastly £32m transfer mistake…

There was a time when Leeds United supporters spitefully shook their heads as the club’s recruitment team neglected important areas of the team in the transfer window.

That had never been truer than when someone like Pascal Struijk joined the Whites.

The Dutch defender didn’t receive a particularly warm welcome but he serves as a fine example for needing to be patient.

He has been crucial this season and in a campaign where the likes of Robin Koch and Liam Cooper have been injured, the emergence of the colossal Struijk has been timely.

But it’s at the other end of the pitch that we want to focus on for the time being where another timely breakthrough act has been discovered.

That falls in the form of Joe Gelhardt, a teenager who is very quickly becoming an important figure at Elland Road.

Star striker Patrick Bamford has featured only once since a bad ankle injury back in September as the previously irremovable object from Bielsa’s side was finally dethroned.

Dan James, Rodrigo, Tyler Roberts and Gelhardt have all been utilised at the top of the pitch in Bamford’s absence but of all of them, it’s the lad the Elland Road faithful know as ‘Joffy’ who has caught the eye the most.

Signed for just over £1m in August 2020, his value and estimations are growing rapidly.

It’s clear to see why, too. He already has 25 career goals across senior and youth level and has taken to Bielsa’s methods like a duck to water, winning a crucial penalty against Wolves and scoring against Chelsea in his limited opportunities this season.

His performances have subsequently earned rave reviews with Leeds Live reporter Bergen Cross who hailed the masterclass done in the transfer window by Victor Orta and co.

He said: “Gelhardt may well be the best bit of business the club has done in the last 20 years, if not ever, because he just looks absolutely outrageous, very, very good player.”

The youngster has been so impressive that he was described as a “human wrecking ball” by Bielsa.

The boss added: “I like him, he’s really exciting. He’s fast, he’s aggressive, he gets on the ball, he takes people on. Once he gets into the box, he loves it. That’s where he can do most of his damage.”

It’s clear that Gelhardt has a quite remarkable amount of potential and for that alone, it is a dream deal.

Combine Bielsa’s affection for the player with his growing importance and it’s hard to disagree with Cross’ bold statement.

He’s certainly someone that can loosen the burden on Bamford’s shoulders in the coming years.

AND in other news, Leeds can finally replace Hernandez with 17 G/A “grafter” who “Bielsa quietly admires”…

A number of Wolves supporters are delighted after a new report claimed Wanderers aren’t interested in re-signing Matt Doherty in the January transfer window.

The 29-year-old traded Wanderers for Spurs back in the summer of 2020, in a move that was supposedly seen as a step forward in his career.

Doherty has struggled hugely in north London, however, rarely finding himself as a regular in the team, only registering four assists in 42 appearances and not scoring a single goal.

The Republic of Ireland has been linked with a return to Wolves this month, as he looks for a way out of Spurs, but that now appears to be unlikely.

According to The Mirror [via Talking Wolves on Twitter], a reunion isn’t on the cards, with neither Wanderers or Doherty keen on the move coming to fruition.

Wolves fans delighted with Doherty latest

These Wolves fans reacted positively to the news on Twitter.

“Love to see it”

Credit: @DaneWWFC

“Thank god for that”

Credit: @eve_elizabethxx

“THE PLAYER HIMSELF! He knows he wouldn’t play Semedo and Hoever clear”

Credit: @wwfcglover

“Thank god”

Credit: @Darren_Wolves_8

“We don’t need him”

Credit: @the_brewersarms

“Great news we moved on waw”

Credit: @AntonyHaselum

In other news, some Wolves fans are buzzing over a potential swap deal. Read more here.

According to Sky Sports football reporter Keith Downie on Twitter, Sunderland are planning on buying striker duo Tom Eaves and John Marquis before the end of the month. 

Eaves is currently with Gillingham in League One, while Marquis is with Doncaster in the same league, and are both being eyed as replacements to Josh Maja at the Stadium of Light.

This would be a wonderful move for Eaves, who is floundering at the bottom of the league with Gillingham. Currently sitting in 19th place, The Gills are embroiled in a relegation battle this season. With 15 goals and four assists this season, Eaves has, in truth, carried his club. So much so that the next best scorer has nine fewer goals. He will want to test himself at a better club, and promotion-chasing Sunderland are certainly that team, who can offer him the prospect of Championship football. It may spell the end for Gillingham, but it will be very promising for The Black Cats.

Meanwhile, Marquis will be another huge signing for Sunderland. When a club lose the league’s joint-second top scorer in Maja, the only thing they can do to improve that is sign the top scorer, which The Black Cats are proceeding to do. Marquis has 16 goals in the league this season, and with the added quality of Sunderland around him, he will only improve and could possibly make The Black Cats favourites to secure promotion.

Maja’s loss will be huge, but by recruiting two players like this, Sunderland will be taking massive steps forward rather than backwards.

An update has emerged on Newcastle’s search for a manager to replace Steve Bruce, regarding the main candidates in the race…

What’s the talk?

According to The Times, Villarreal’s Unai Emery, Rangers’ Steven Gerrard and Belgium’s Roberto Martinez are leading the way as PIF weigh up their options in the managerial market.

The report claims Bruce will remain in charge until a replacement is found, with the club seemingly narrowing their search down to these three names.

Excitement

This update from The Times will surely leave Newcastle fans feeling excited as all three of the leading candidates have their merits and could potentially be superb appointments by PIF. They are all currently excelling in their current roles, with the Magpies poaching an actively successful coach instead of picking up one who has recently been sacked.

Firstly, Martinez has had an impressive spell in charge of Belgium. He led them to third in the 2018 World Cup and fourth in the 2020 (2021) European Championships, whilst he also has over 200 Premier League games under his belt as manager of Wigan and Everton.

Gerrard, meanwhile, won the Scottish Premiership with Rangers last season. He has averaged 2.15 points per game across 186 matches in charge of the Glasgow giants, showing that he knows how to pick up points on a regular basis and would bring a winning mentality with him to St. James’ Park.

Finally, Emery has a sublime C.V. Although he endured a difficult spell with Arsenal, he has proven his quality elsewhere as a manager. During spells with Sevilla and Villarreal, he has won an eye-catching four Europa League titles, beating Manchester United in the final earlier this year to secure his fourth, whilst he also won a Ligue 1 title and two French Cups during his time with PSG.

This shows that he knows how to win trophies and he could bring that trait along with him to Newcastle. This is why Magpies fans will be excited by the news that he, along with Gerrard and Martinez, is among the contenders to replace Bruce.

They are three impressive managers with a recent track record of achieving success and could help to lift Newcastle up the Premier League table. Emery, in particular, could increase their chances of winning silverware with his trophy-laden history as a coach in Spain and France.

AND in other news, 77.7% duels won: NUFC gem with six tackles may have saved his Tyneside career…

Crystal Palace are in fantastic form at the moment from picking up a place in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley against Chelsea later this month to going unbeaten in their last five Premier League games, the side has gone from strength to strength under Patrick Vieira.

The individual quality in the Palace team has not gone unnoticed by outsiders either, with Marc Guehi, Connor Gallagher and Tyrick Mitchell all earning their first senior England national team caps this season too, which is an incredible achievement for the trio.

Thanks to the spotlight being so brightly shone upon the youngsters in Vieira’s side it has led to speculation from journalist Pete O’Rourke predicting that 22-year-old Mitchell could potentially be snapped up by another Premier League club in the summer transfer window.

With that being said, if the scenario of Mitchell leaving became a reality, the French manager could already have his next rising star ready to break into the first team with Tayo Adaramola.

Speaking on Adaramola, O’Rourke told GIVEMESPORT:

“It’s a good place for Palace to be right now because they might have a ready-made replacement for Tyrick Mitchell if they do decide to cash-in on him.”

Despite not making any Premier League appearances so far this season, Adaramola made his debut in a four-minute appearance under Vieira in the FA Cup fourth round against Hartlepool and clearly impressed his manager during the short performance, as the left-back was selected again in the victory over Stoke City in the fifth round and given 65 minutes to shine.

Vieira showered the young talent with praise following his performance against Hartlepool where he nearly scored. He said:

“He is a young player so full of energy,”

“He likes to go forward and has been doing well with the academy. This was the right time to give him a couple of minutes. He was close to scoring his first goal.”

The 18-year-old has also made 13 appearances with one goal and one assist in the Premier League 2 this season, but after having a taste of success in the senior team during his game time in the FA Cup there is no doubt he will be desperate to break through into a more regular spot in the side, especially if Mitchell does leave in the summer.

In other news: CPFC’s £70k-p/w “massively important” gem stole the show vs Arsenal

An update has emerged on Rangers’ transfer plans, regarding Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s efforts to bring a winger to Ibrox in January…

What’s the talk?

According to Spanish outlet Noticias de Gipuzkoa, the Gers have made an enquiry over a potential deal to sign Pablo Torre from Racing Santander.

The report claims that Real Madrid and Valencia are also keen on the youngster, who could be available for a fee of £2.1m (€2.5m).

Fans surely buzzing

Fans will, firstly, be buzzing with this update as it suggests that the club are working on procuring a deal for the young talent. They have already made an enquiry and it remains to be seen whether they will follow that up with a bid, but it does show that there is a serious degree of interest there.

The supporters would be delighted to see Torre in Glasgow as he is a talented teenager with experience in professional football whilst having the potential to improve further. He has already shown glimpses of quality for Racing, with seven goals and 11 assists to date at senior level, showing that he could come in and make an instant impact at Ibrox.

Torre, who has been called Racing’s “conductor”, could, therefore, be a player the fans take a shine to straight away as he is someone who can score and assist goals on a regular basis. He has shown, in Spain at least, that he can be a difference-maker in the final third and Gers fans would surely enjoy watching him work his magic at the top end of the pitch in the second half of the campaign. 

At the age of 18, he is also still in the early stages of his career and the supporters would undeniably love to watch his development over the years. They would enjoy seeing him make progress on the pitch under van Bronckhorst, whilst scoring and creating goals in the Premiership to help Rangers win the league title.

Therefore, the Dutch head coach and Ross Wilson must now work hard to ensure that they can get a £2.1m deal over the line for Torre this month. Real and Valencia’s interest could complicate matters, but the Gers can offer him Europa League football and the potential of regular game time – if van Bronckhorst is willing to give it to him.

AND in other news, Report delivers big update on £3.1k-p/w Rangers outcast that’ll leave fans buzzing…

Marcelo Bielsa’s future as Leeds United manager remains up in the air but a mid-season change is highly unlikely, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Bielsa showing signs of recovery

The Argentine hasn’t had the most impressive of starts to this season, with his Whites team languishing in the Premier League relegation zone at one point.

That being said, there are signs that Leeds are slowly clicking back into gear, with five points picked up in their last three games against Wolves, Norwich City and Leicester City.

It is now time for another international break, but Whites fans will hope that their three-match unbeaten run can continue away to Tottenham on November 21.

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The Latest: Hay discusses Bielsa’s future

Bielsa’s current Leeds deal expires next summer, and speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic after the Leicester game, Hay admitted there are still question marks regarding the 66-year-old’s future at Elland Road when the issue was raised by a Whites supporter in light of a recent piece in The Guardian claiming that Leeds’ fans faith in the manager could be tested by their poor start to the season.

The journalist responded by saying:

“This group of players have been coached and handled in such a specific way that I think it would be very risky to change manager mid-season.

“Also, Bielsa deserves time to address the first sustained dip he’s experienced. He’s been so good for so long and I’d like to think that his impact would be reflected in support for him when results turn against him (and I do feel like that support has been there, from the crowd and the club).

“Every project has a lifespan though. Assuming Leeds are okay this season, it will be very interesting to see what happens next summer.

“Do they continue or do the club try to go in a slightly different direction? Will Bielsa want year five? Plenty of questions, which was part of what my piece on Cooper was about.”

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The Verdict: Still the right man

While it is important that things don’t grow stagnant at Leeds, Bielsa has proven during his time at Elland Road that he remains the right man to take this team forward, unless they collapse between now and the end of the season. His record speaks for itself – they finished 13th in the Championship in the season before his arrival – and one bad period shouldn’t lead to knee-jerk decisions.

The 66-year-old hasn’t always impressed so far in 2021/22, but he has been missing some key players through injury and there are clear signs of improvement in recent games.

If Bielsa signs for one more year next summer, perhaps a younger replacement could then come in in 2023, at which point he may feel as though he has taken this team as far as he can.

In other news, three Leeds players struggled against Leicester – find out who they are here.