All posts by z3u9t.icu

Matt Doherty endured another disastrous Tottenham Hotspur outing as the north Londoners crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening.

Antonio Conte was beaten by his former side 3-1 across two legs in the semi-final, leaving him with only the Premier League – where a place in the top four is the target – and the FA Cup left to play for.

And he will surely be reeling by another abject outing from his wing-back.

In the absence of Sergio Reguilon, the £10.8m-rated Irishman was trusted to start once again, even over the more natural left wing-back Ryan Sessegnon.

That plan lasted only 65 minutes after he was hooked by the Spurs head coach.

It was 20 minutes longer than he lasted in the first leg but it’s evident that Doherty is just not delivering whenever given an opportunity.

Back-up goalkeeper Pierluigi Gollini was at fault for the Blues’ only goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium but it’s not as if the rest of the squad looked like ever testing the Champions of Europe, so he can’t front the blame.

Players like Doherty badly failed Conte, not for the first time in this case, either.

Wing-backs are crucial to the Italian’s system, so to actually manage fewer touches of the ball (21) than the goalkeeper (24) is appalling. And with what time he did have in possession, he was either lacklustre or weak.

As per SofaScore, the 29-year-old made only 13 passes, failed to deliver a single cross and won none of his ground duels. He also did not register a single tackle or interception.

This train of thought was echoed by The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who slammed the defender in his post-match ratings column.

‘Offered no threat down the left flank, frequently cutting inside on his right foot and slowing down attacks. Having struggled at Stamford Bridge, his selection again was strange,’ he wrote.

He was a disaster in the first leg, he was a disaster in the second leg. It’s time for Conte to stop trusting the struggling £74k-per-week calamity.

AND in other news, Contact made: Spurs have “sounded” out “phenomenal” 35-goal star, fans will be fuming…

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has revealed the latest on Aston Villa starlet Indiana Vassilev.

What’s the story?

The 20-year-old had spent the previous few months on loan in the MLS with Inter Miami, playing 21 times for them and scoring three goals.

Now, during a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece has admitted that Vassilev’s current situation at Villa Park is a “strange” one.

He said: “Yes, I’ll ask Gerrard about Indy. It’s an odd one and it looks like he’ll have to make do with just training until that December 31 deal officially expires. Not been involved with under-23s which is again strange.”

Villa fans might be worried

Previously on FFC, we’ve earmarked Vassilev to play a big role for Villa in the coming years, and it’s no surprise given the kind of rave reviews he has earned.

Rusty Scarborough who headed up the IMG academy during the 20-year-old’s spell there, said: “On the field, you know he’s out there, he’s a leader, people follow him. The technical aspect he’s developed at a young age so now he’s phenomenal on the ball, passing, dribbling, shooting, heading, receiving.”

And, another coach from IMG, Kevin Hartman, hailed: “He’s got great leadership qualities and he’s got an undying desire to win every time he plays. That competitiveness is an attribute that I think every coach is going to be looking for and it really drives development.

“His future is boundless. He has all the physical capabilities of a top level player. The attributes and the characteristics that he has within are the ones that will drive his development. I don’t see a limit to what he can achieve.”Villa’s first-team squad is brimming with bright academy prospects coming through, including the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka among others.Vassilev of course has got the first-team edge on some of his fellow academy starlets given he has played senior football with the likes of Inter Miami and also Burton Albion last season.Losing him without even seeing him make his first-team debut for the club would surely have Villa fans worried about the rest of their promising young stars and the direction the academy is heading in.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has delivered the latest Aston Villa transfer update…

Leeds United should ‘seriously consider’ making a January move for Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Alli’s fall from grace

Alli was one of the hottest properties in English football at one point, scoring 18 Premier League goals in the 2016/17 season when he was only just out of his teens.

He has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by former Arsenal hero Ian Wright but his stock has fallen rapidly of late, with only six league starts coming his way this season and none since the arrival of Antonio Conte.

It means a January exit could potentially be on the cards, and Leeds are desperately in need of a new midfielder, with Phil Hay believing the plan is to go shopping for one in January after the injury to Kalvin Phillips.

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The Latest: Leeds backed to sign Spurs man

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed Alli is an option Victor Orta and co would have to weigh up if the opportunity arrived to sign him:

“Not to rule out Leeds, either. I think if Dele Alli was there and he wanted to go to Leeds, it’s something they would have to seriously consider.”

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The Verdict: Worth a gamble?

Alli’s reputation has undoubtedly diminished over time but he is such a talented footballer and he may just require a fresh challenge.

He is still a player with 37 England caps to his name, not to mention scoring 51 goals and registering 37 assists in 179 Premier League appearances.

Granted, he wouldn’t be a signing to accommodate the loss of Phillips to injury, given his attack-minded nature, but Marcelo Bielsa may believe he could get the best out of him, and he would certainly add quality depth to a side whose injury concerns are becoming a full-blown crisis.

In other news, a journalist has made another Leeds transfer claim. Read more here.

Writing for 90min, reporter Toby Cudworth has shared a promising update on West Ham United and their pursuit of Sparta Prague sensation Adam Hlozek.

The Lowdown: West Ham in Hlozek chase…

The Irons have been linked with a move for the exciting Czech Republic striker since the summer transfer window, with a previous report from 90min detailing that lengthy talks were held.

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That interest carried on past the summer window, with Cudworth taking to Twitter in a September update and claiming West Ham still very much had their eyes on the 19-year-old.

Since Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky completed the purchase of a 27% minority stake in West Ham earlier this month, links to Hlozek have only intensified given the magnate’s ties to Sparta.

In a fresh update, it appears West Ham are now set to follow through with an offer.

The Latest: West Ham prepare offer…

According to 90min journalist Cudworth, the Hammers are ‘preparing a bid’ to sign Hlozek which could see him move to the London Stadium on loan with a mandatory purchase option.

They add that the teenager is ‘ready’ to move on from his current club amid West Ham’s interest alongside other clubs, which include European heavyweights Juventus, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.

Kretinsky’s presence could be key as co-owner of Sparta and given he holds a 40 per cent share in the club, putting West Ham in ‘good stead’ to potentially do a deal.

The Verdict: Exciting times…

After the billionaire’s off-field move to buy a share in West Ham, it appears supporters may now be about to see it pay dividends as this exciting claim emerges.

Hlozek is without a doubt one of the most exciting young forwards in world football, as evident by his goal record from last season and interest from a plethora of big sides.

He bagged 15 goals and eight assists in just 19 Fortuna Liga appearances for Sparta over 2020/2021, highlighting just how clinical he could be in front of goal for David Moyes.

The talented teenager comes with plenty of sell-on value at such a young age and is highly rated by those close to him.

His agent, Pavel Paska, has described Hlozek as ‘world class’ and ‘extraordinary’ in recent interviews and it’s safe to say West Ham could land themselves a real talent if Sparta accept their offer.

In other news: ‘Oh yes’, ‘Steal’, ‘Top of my wish list’…West Ham fans rave as Newman eyes ‘baller’ new target, find out more here.

Leeds United are among the teams lining up a move for Jason Knight…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Football League World, who claim that Championship outfit Derby County are at risk of losing several of their young talents in the near future as their struggles to find a new owner continue.

It’s thought that the club’s administrators have failed to rule out the prospect of selling players in January and the 20-year-old midfielder is a prime candidate to depart Pride Park.

However, the Yorkshiremen face fierce competition from their top-flight rivals Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City and Crystal Palace, among others.

It remains to be seen how much Knight would command, though Transfermarkt currently value him at just £5.4m, having been capped at international level eight times.

Gelhardt repeat

This is a move which could see the Whites replicate their Joe Gelhardt masterclass after they nabbed the hugely promising striker from the grasp of Wigan Athletic, whilst they were dealing with financial issues back in 2020.

A fee of just £1m helped the Latics pay the wages and their loss is certainly United’s gain as he is a massive prospect at Elland Road. His manager Marcelo Bielsa recently waxed lyrical about the teenager to Sky Sports.

“He’s like a human wrecking ball. I like him, he’s really exciting,” the Argentine claimed. “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.”

Just like Gelhardt, the Rams sensation has already racked up plenty of appearances at senior level, even more than the Leeds youngster at this stage, having featured 93 times.

This season, he has certainly taken his opportunity, starting ten of his 13 league appearances under Wayne Rooney, and he’s amongst Derby’s four top performers, as per WhoScored ratings.

Earlier this year, the Manchester United legend dubbed the Derby academy graduate a “manager’s dream” who “gives everything”, and Knight already has plenty of leadership qualities at such a young age, which will definitely appeal to Bielsa.

Bielsa, Leeds’ director of football Victor Orta and owner Andrea Radrizzani could well seal another bargain raid on the lower echelons of the English pyramid with a swoop for the 5 foot 6 dynamo, who continues to pull up trees in the Championship.

AND in other news, “It’s not true…”: Phil Hay drops behind-the-scenes Leeds claim that’ll delight fans…

At the age of 35, Liverpool midfielder James Milner is currently the seventh-oldest current Premier League player, with an astonishing 568 league appearances under his belt in what has been an impressive career in English football.

Taking that into account, and with his current contract at Anfield set to expire next summer, it’s not out of the question that the Merseyside club could be looking to replace the veteran if he ends up leaving then.

Rather than potentially splashing out a significant transfer fee on a new player from another club to replace Milner if he were to leave, we feel that Liverpool could already have their perfect heir for him within their youth squad in James Norris.

The 18-year-old, who is a product of Liverpool’s youth academy, is predominantly a left-back, a position where Milner has made 66 appearances throughout his career. He has also played as a central midfielder, centre-back and left-midfielder on two occasions for England’s under-19 side this season, showing her versatility at such a young age, just as Milner has done throughout his long career.

According to Liverpool’s official website, Norris is an “energetic left-back who can also play in midfield”, has “a great work ethic matched with a sweet left foot” and “loves to get forward and support the attack”.

Throughout his short career so far, he has made 35 appearances for Liverpool’s under-18 side, with five goals and five assists to his name, as well as making 13 appearances for the under-23 side, scoring one goal and providing one assist in the process.

Norris made his senior debut for the Reds during Liverpool’s 5-0 defeat against Aston Villa in the Carabao Cup back in December 2019.

Looking ahead to the future, if he can keep developing within Liverpool’s youth teams for the time being and adapting to different positions as he has been doing, he could well go on to become a very useful figure for Liverpool in their senior squad in the foreseeable future given his versatility, especially if Milner leaves the club when his contract runs out next year.

In other news – Forget Keita: Klopp must unleash £120k-p/w LFC outcast on Sunday, he impressed v Atletico

Aston Villa have been linked with bringing Chelsea midfielder Ross Barkley back to the Midlands, football.london report.

The Lowdown: Barkley is a man in demand…

The player spent last season on loan at Villa Park and made 24 appearances for the club, scoring three times and registering one assist.

He is now back at Stamford Bridge, with Thomas Tuchel recently labelling him as ‘strong’. However, he has only started two games in all competitions for the Blues this term, and a move away in the New Year could well be on the cards.

Everton, Leeds and Newcastle have all been linked with the 27-year-old, and it seems as if Villa could also be keen now that Steven Gerrard has officially taken over from Dean Smith.

The Latest: Villa return?

football.london shared a story on Wednesday, looking into Villa’s January plans if Gerrard seals a move to Villa Park.

They brought up the 41-year-old’s previous admiration for Barkley before he became a manager, hinting that a winter window move could be on the cards.

The Verdict: Avoid…

Barkley fell away during the second half of the 2020/21 campaign, starting just four of Villa’s final 15 Premier League fixtures. He is also on a £100,000-per-week salary with the Blues and has a history of injuries, so it could be a risky first addition to kickstart Gerrard’s tenure as Villa manager.

A more versatile midfielder who can play in Gerrard’s preferred attacking 4-3-3 system could be a smarter decision, with Villa having just four senior options in the middle of the park at this moment in time, along with youngsters Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka.

In other news: Many Villa fans go wild over one man Gerrard could bring to Villa Park

Crystal Palace’s summer overhaul appears to have been a considerable success in the opening weeks of the new campaign, with Patrick Vieira’s charges impressing so far.

With Odsonne Edouard scoring a brace on his debut, Conor Gallagher already becoming a fan’s favourite, and the centre-back pairing of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen growing stronger by the game, it’s hard to criticise the south London outfit’s business in the transfer window.

However, while the arrivals at Selhurst Park have settled quickly, proving themselves to be sensible purchases, it’s one of their former stars who was allowed to depart that has raised several eyebrows.

Winger Andros Townsend was amongst several experienced campaigners to be released by the capital club in the previous window, although he revealed back in June that negotiations over a new deal were taking place with Palace’s hierarchy.

“We’re still having brief discussions,” Townsend told talkSPORT (as reported by Football.London). “The club have told all of us that there’s no decisions being made until a manager has been appointed.

“Since then, Christian Benteke has signed a new deal, so… (laughs). So I don’t know. I want to be somewhere on July 1st.

“My agent is in the background now getting as much interest put into an offer, and then I’ll sit down with my agent, and around July 1st (we’ll) see which one is the best for me at this time in my career.”

However, just a month later, the Evening Standard reported that a change in circumstances meant that the former England international would not be returning to Palace, leaving the door open for Everton to swoop.

And now chairman Steve Parish must be regretting his decision to allow the £58,000-per-week gem to depart after watching Townsend flourish at Goodison Park.

In just nine appearances for the Toffees, Townsend has bagged five goals and laid on a further three assists for his teammates, highlighting his ability to still produce at the highest level despite turning 30 in July. He even scored at Old Trafford against Manchester United, mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration in the process.

The flying winger joined Palace in a £13m deal back in 2016, and the club’s chief will surely be gutted that such a talented star walked away for free over the summer, condemning them to their first transfer nightmare of Vieira’s new era.

And, in other news…Crystal Palace could be set for surprise injury boost, Vieira will be delighted 

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes that ENIC’s reported plans to invest in Belgian club Standard Liege could be hugely beneficial for Tottenham.

The lowdown: ENIC considering Standard Liege investment

Earlier this month, Belgian football journalist Sacha Tavolieri tweeted that Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been in talks with Standard Liege chief Bruno Venanzi over the establishment of a partnership between the two clubs.

Venanzi intends to sell his shares in the Jupiler Pro Leagye outfit and Tottenham’s ENIC ownership are reportedly the closest to taking over the shares, a move which could lead to Standard Liege become a feeder club for Spurs.

The latest: Maguire approves of proposed Spurs-Liege partnership

Speaking to Football Insider about the reported link-up, Maguire thinks that it could be a shrewd move from ENIC in terms of establishing formal links between Tottenham and Standard Liege.

He said: “I’ve heard from agents that Brexit is going to have a more detrimental effect on the English game than Covid. The reason is that it will be longer term in nature.

“By having a relationship with another club which can recruit players at the age of 16 is beneficial. It means they can continue to recruit from the European talent pool.

“By having synergies, like we have seen with the City football group, there is not a culture change when these young players arrive.

“I think this makes a lot of sense from ENIC. It think it would be hugely beneficial for Spurs in the long run.”

The verdict: Partnership could help Spurs

As Maguire points out, there are already some clear partnerships between English clubs and those on the continent, such as Manchester City’s links with the likes of Girona and Chelsea often sending players on loan to Vitesse Arnhem. The Red Bull chain as seen with players moving from Salzburg to Leipzig is another prime example.

The establishment of a formal partnership between Tottenham and Standard Liege could benefit Spurs two-fold. Aside from having a clear connection to potentially snap up promising talent from Belgium, the north London club could also utilise the loan market to send young or fringe players to Liege for a greater chance of gaining senior game-time before returning to N17.

It should be interesting to see if ENIC invest in the Belgian club, and the potential effects that could have on Tottenham.

In other news: John Wenham has expressed his delight over another off-field partnership involving Spurs

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has proven to be an inspired managerial appointment at Rangers since his arrival at Ibrox in 2018.

The former England midfielder has successfully managed to wrestle back supremacy for the Gers in Scottish football, winning the Premiership title in the 2020/21 campaign and now trying to defend Rangers’ crown this term.

Along the way, he has made some shrewd decisions in the transfer market, both in selling players and in signing them. One player on whom he made an astute call was left-back Declan John.

Gerrard arrived in 2018 and the sale of John was one of the first decisions he had to make in terms of recruitment, with the defender ultimately being sold to Swansea for a reported fee of £801,000. This was after he played 31 times the previous season, scoring three goals and providing four assists from left-back.

In the subsequent three years since leaving Ibrox, John has gone on loan to Sunderland and Bolton and then left Swansea permanently for the Trotters and is currently playing in English League One, having been promoted out of the fourth tier last season.

Transfermarkt currently has him valued at just £270,000. This is a 66% decrease from the fee Rangers received from Swansea for his services in 2018, despite him now being in what should be the prime years of his playing career at the age of 26.

His value plummeting since leaving Rangers suggests that it was a masterstroke from Gerrard to sell him at the time, as his decrease in value could have happened with the Ibrox club had they opted not to cash in on him. Therefore, it may have been perfect timing from Gerrard and the Light Blues in making the most of the situation by getting rid of someone who, quite frankly, had been a bit of a flop in Glasgow.

What makes the deal even better from a Rangers perspective is that the man they brought in to replace John was Borna Barisic. The Croatian left-back has gone on to play 119 times for the club, scoring seven goals and providing 33 assists and is now valued at a cool £5.4m, 20 times greater than John’s current valuation.

Therefore, it was an all-around masterclass from Gerrard. The 41-year-old was able to sell a player in John before his career took a turn for the worst and duly replaced him with an upgrade in his position who is now worth far more than his predecessor.

AND in other news, Gerrard provides fresh injury update that’ll leave Rangers fans delighted…