All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Sunderland fans have been left slamming the display of Tom Flanagan in their 3-1 loss at home to Lincoln City in League One on Tuesday night.

It was a miserable night for the Black Cats, which was capped off by Lee Johnson getting himself sent off at the end of the game after a scuffle broke out between both teams.

Chris Maguire haunted his former side with a hat-trick at the Stadium of Light, as Flanagan and the rest of the backline simply did not defend well enough to keep him at bay.

The SAFC captain was especially guilty of a lacklustre performance, losing out on six of his duels in total, while he was also guilty of giving the ball away on no fewer than on 18 separate occasions in the match, the joint-second most out of his teammates (SofaScore).

He could have especially defended better in the build-up to Maguire’s second goal, which he scored from the penalty spot after teammate Carl Winchester was sent off, which pretty much summed up how things went for the central defender.

Sunderland fans slam Flanagan

These Sunderland supporters slammed his display on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that he is a ‘liability’:

“Honestly unfair on LJ that, only defending Doyle, also Flanagan is a liability had a one off at the start of the season”

Credit: @safcleo_

“Worrying echoes of last season for #SAFC tonight. Lincoln. Passing awful. No creativity. Stupid errors. Flanagan, Gooch and Embleton all dreadful. Hume back in the team. Still, better to have points on the board than games in hand.”

Credit: @__Gazz___

“And now we all know why Flanagan, Hume and Gooch need to go in the summer”

Credit: @crazycorner01

“Sunderland only have themselves to blame tonight. Zero intensity & comical errors for each goal. Weak from Patterson, ridiculous from Flanagan & Winchester, not to mention Gooch chasing the ball & leaving Maguire. That was a very weak Lincoln side as well. Poor.”

Credit: @MattyCrichton

“Don’t even get me started on Flanagan for the penalty, literally swung and missed the ball”

Credit: @PDavy1

“Flanagan’s a walking time bomb.”

Credit: @Boshanko

In other news, find out why Kevin Phillips thought Sunderland were robbed against Wycombe here!

After it was recently reported by The Athletic that the San Francisco 49ers have a deal in place to buy Leeds United for more than £400m with an option for 100% control of the Yorkshire club to pass to 49ers Enterprises by January 2024, which includes ownership of Elland Road, it seems as though fresh details have emerged on the matter.

What’s the news?

Leeds journalist Adam Pope recently shared a post on his Twitter page with some fresh details on the proposed takeover deal.

He said: “I understand that due to a multiple of revenues the overall price to take over Leeds could rise to £500m or more depending on factors such as future spending and league status.”

Pope also said that Andrea Radrizzani’s company Aser have the option to void the deal if they wish and that the current message seems to be 49ers and Leeds are “still working closely.”

Radz buzzing

Radrizzani completed his takeover of Leeds back in May 2017, ending Massimo Cellino’s three-year spell as the club’s owner after buying a 50% stake in January of the same year.

Since then, the Yorkshire club have managed to rise from the bottom half of the Championship at the end of the 2017/18 season to a top-half finish in the Premier League last season under Marcelo Bielsa’s guidance.

With the future in mind, it seems as though the club could be welcoming new owners in the near future to presumably push the club even further than they’ve managed to come under Bielsa and Radrizzani, which would surely delight a lot of Leeds fans.

However, taking into account what Pope had to say in his recent tweet, it seems as though the club’s final league position this season could have some sort of financial impact on what the takeover deal could look like.

Consequently, if Leeds can finish as high up the table as possible, this would lead to more money being put into the club, which would surely be music to Radrizzani’s ears. Not only would he have generated some fantastic results behind the scenes, keeping them in the division, but his pockets will be larger as a result.

Of course, the Italian’s first thoughts should be with the club but he will surely be motivated by the opportunity to gain an even greater source of income from Leeds’ accomplishments this term. The end goal for Radrizzani was always to cement their Premier League status and if he ends his tenure at Elland Road with that achieved, he will be a very happy man indeed.

However, the fact that Leeds are currently sitting in 15th position in the Premier League table with 16 points on the board from their opening 15 games of the season suggests that there is still some work to be done throughout the second half of the season if they want to match or even improve on their ninth-place finish in the league last season.

In other news: Time to shine: Bielsa must now unleash “superb” £17k-p/w prodigy after big Leeds blow – opinion

Newcastle United have reportedly now made an offer in excess of £84m to sign Dusan Vlahovic in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Vlahovic stock rising

Vlahovic’s stock is continuing to rise as he makes a name for himself in the beautiful game, with market value now at a record £45m and surely set to inflate more.

The Serbia international is currently averaging more than a goal contribution a game at Fiorentina, with no fewer than 17 strikes and a further three assists made in just 19 matches in total over all competitions so far this season (Transfermarkt).

Given that he is a striker who is just 21 years of age, the Italian media are inevitably comparing him to Erling Haaland, as they claim that he is a ‘force of nature’ just like the Borussia Dortmund star.

The Latest: Big offer

Speaking to passioneinter.com (via Calciomercato), journalist Filippo Grassia has now claimed that the St. James’ Park faithful ‘have made a three-figure offer’ to try and sign Vlahovic, meaning a sum in excess of €100m (£84m).

It would be a ‘considerable temptation’ for Fiorentina to take that kind of money, but it is not clear whether Vlahovic himself would want to move to the North East.

The Verdict: Unlikely

Despite the riches that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium have at their disposal, it seems very unlikely that Vlahovic would move to Tyneside, especially in January.

His growing pedigree in the game means that big clubs in Europe are poised to try and pounce on his signature, and the Magpies cannot offer him any form of European football at the moment, only a relegation battle that he may not be interested in.

That is not to say that he would’t be a great signing not just for the Toon but for the Premier League as well, with his six-foot-three frame bound to terrorise any defence, as his 2.1 aerial duels won per game in the Serie A this term would currently rank him as the joint-fourth highest in Eddie Howe’s squad.

However, he just seems too difficult a signing to make at this moment in time.

In other news, find out which ‘phenomenal’ Prem star NUFC have now been urged to sign here!

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been left fuming over some news that has emerged involving their Non-Fungible Token (NFT) scheme.

The Ibrox faithful announced the new scheme earlier this month, which has been set up to commemorate their 2020/21 title-winning campaign.

The tokens allow supporters of the Teddy Bears to be entered on a blockchain ledger of payments, of which there are 1,111 in total, so that they can purchase various items related to their title success.

The Light Blues have now made the items in the ‘Rangers FC Champions NFT Collection’ available to buy on their official website, with NFT’s that have to be purchased in order to give the supporters a chance of winning them.

While taking the Scottish Premiership title off of the hands of bitter rivals Celtic was a triumph at the time, it seems a lot of Gers just want to concentrate on this season now, following their 3-1 loss at home to Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup semi-final on Sunday.

Others see it as nothing more than a money-making scheme, given that you would have to buy a significant amount of tokens to give yourself the best chance of winning.

Rangers fans on NFT news

These RFC fans fumed as the news was shared in an official club post on their Twitter page:

“No. Just no.”

Credit: @MobRoolz

“Who do the club actually think wants these things???”

Credit: @ECMcElhatton

“Going from bad to worse Rangers”

Credit: @RampantRyanJack

“Stop scamming fans!”

Credit: @gordmatheson

“This ain’t it”

Credit: @EG_72_

“Shut up about last season, it’s done”

Credit: @GilmertonLoyal

In other news, find out what ‘catastrophic error of judgement’ Giovanni van Bronckhorst has made here!

Everton manager Rafa Benitez will be hoping to relieve some of the pressure that has been building in recent weeks by securing a positive result in tonight’s Merseyside Derby against Liverpool.

The Toffees have failed to claim three points since seeing off newly-promoted Norwich City at the end of September, dropping them down to 14th in the Premier League table.

A 1-0 defeat at the hands of Brentford last time out extended their current winless run to seven games, piling the pressure on Benitez following a fast start to life at the Goodison Park outfit.

Despite the disappointing result over the weekend, Everton were able to welcome key midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure back into the starting XI following an extended absence through injury.

And the 28-year-old should be joined by star forward Richarlison this time around after the Brazil international served a one-match suspension.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast predicts Benitez to line up for this crucial midweek clash, with just two changes from the side that featured from the off against the Bees…

In goal, Jordan Pickford should start between the sticks once again after making a solid start to the season for both club and country, and he’ll be desperate to pick up his fourth clean sheet of the campaign.

Ahead of the English shot-stopper is set to be a rather familiar back four. Yerry Mina’s injury and Mason Holgate’s suspension means Benitez is expected to stick with a defensive unit of Lucas Digne, Ben Godfrey, Michael Keane and Seamus Coleman.

But it’s in midfield where the former Valencia, Real Madrid and Inter boss will have some big decisions to make.

Demarai Gray was only fit enough to come off the substitutes bench for the defeat at the Brentford Community Stadium, yet he should take up his usual residency ahead of Anthony Gordon, Allan, Doucoure and Andros Townsend.

Gray’s return will drop the underwhelming Alex Iwobi to the bench once again after providing just two goal contributions in 11 top-flight appearances throughout 2021/22.

And upfront, the £49.5m-rated Richarlison will come in for summer signing Salomon Rondon as Benitez attempts to add some class and genuine firepower to his stuttering forward line.

And, in other news…Huge boost: Everton receive big selection lift ahead of LFC, Benitez will be buzzing

Retired Scotland international Kris Commons recently claimed that Rangers should attempt to sign Billy Gilmour on loan from Chelsea in the summer and take advantage of his lack of game-time on loan at Norwich.

The midfielder has not started a Premier League game since 18 September, losing his place in the middle of the park for the Norfolk side.

Interestingly, one of the players keeping Gilmour out of the team also has strong connections with Rangers – that’s Kenny McLean.

Not only was the midfielder a reported target for Rangers in 2020, he also came through the ranks at Ibrox in the academy. He played for the under-17 team for two years before joining St Mirren, where he eventually broke through into the first team.

McLean went on to join Aberdeen and then signed for Norwich in January 2018. He made 253 Premiership appearances for St Mirren and Aberdeen, scoring 36 goals and providing 21 assists to earn himself a move down south.

The £25k-per-week beast has gone on to make a name for himself in the Championship and the Premier League with Norwich. Despite suffering relegation in the 2019/20 campaign, Canaries boss Daniel Farke hailed McLean’s Premier League performances and claimed that he is “irreplaceable”.

He said: “Kenny for me last season was unbelievably important and he has developed further. He is a versatile, all-round player with the game to play a number of positions.

“Let’s be honest, we have some players with great possession skills, or finding a key pass, or maybe delivering a set-piece. But he is probably our most complete midfielder. He is competitive, his workload and his endurance are good and he is definitely our best defensive header.

“He is aggressive in the duels and our most dynamic midfielder.

“He is also composed on the ball, and a left-footer. He offers many skills, and that physicality at this level is irreplaceable for us. If you can dominate the ball in a game then maybe the defensive skills are not as important.”

The Scotland international has played 112 times for Norwich since the move from Aberdeen, playing 45 times in the Premier League and winning two Championship titles. In that time, he has scored eight goals and provided 15 assists from a deep-lying midfield position.

This suggests that he has the quality required to be a top-class player for Rangers, as he has proven his ability in the top two tiers in England and in the Premiership with St Mirren and Aberdeen. Therefore, the Gers fumbled the ball by opting against keeping him in their academy at the start of his career.

Instead of ending up in England with Norwich, McLean could have come through the academy at Ibrox and bossed the midfield for years at Rangers. They could also have brought him through into the first team before making a decent chunk of change by selling him on, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £4.05m in 2019. Instead, they axed him from the academy and watched on as he has enjoyed a fairly successful career.

He’s one who slipped through the cracks at Ibrox…

AND in other news, Imagine him & Aribo: Wilson could land dream Rangers midfield with “fabulous” maestro…

Roberto Martinez is now reportedly being ‘pushed’ by Graeme Jones to take over as manager of Newcastle United after Unai Emery’s latest snub.

The Lowdown: Emery snub

As per journalist and La Liga expert Guillem Balague, Emery is set to reject an approach from the St. James’ Park faithful, after having doubts over their vision for the club.

It was reported by The Athletic that Emery was the favourite for the job with Eddie Howe as the alternative, but the Spaniard has now released a statement confirming he will stay at Villarreal (via Craig Hope).

Balague questioned why both managers would be on the shortlist given that they are completely different, and rightly so, as Emery has managed big names at the top of their divisions, while Howe’s experience only comes from working up the divisions with AFC Bournemouth and Burnley.

The Latest: Jones pushes for Martinez

According to Football Insider, Jones has ‘massively pushed’ for Martinez to be given the new manager role.

A source from the North East club has revealed that the interim coach has ‘made it clear’ to the board that his former co-worker at Belgium should be the permanent successor to Steve Bruce.

He believes that the Spaniard ‘can be lured’ for his current position as Belgium coach, and Martinez is seen as a ‘realistic’ target for the new owners, as experience of managing in the Premier League is ‘key’ for them.

The Verdict: As a last resort

The longer that the Tyneside outfit go without a permanent boss, the more likely it is that they will be relegated from the top flight come the end of the season.

Despite Jones coming in as interim to replace Bruce, they have still not managed to win a game yet in the division, and sit in a very worrying 19th spot in the table with a mere four points (Premier League).

With an international break coming up, the Magpies need to get someone in fast, so that they can implement their ideas properly during that break.

While Martinez could seem a good option on paper, as former Premier League boss Alex McLeish labelled him as ‘world class’ and he showed his credentials by winning the FA Cup with Wigan Athletic and guiding Belgium to first place in the official FIFA World Rankings, he does not seem to be the right fit.

Yes, he is experienced in the top flight, but recorded disappointing bottom-half finishes with Everton in his last two terms at the Merseyside club (Transfermarkt), and also took the Latics down to the Championship in 2013.

The Toon need to bring in someone with a vision to drive the club forward, not a manager who has already been beaten by the drop in England.

In other news, find out which £175,000-per-week ace has emerged as a potential NUFC January signing here!

According to The Athletic, Tottenham can sack Nuno Espirito Santo on the cheap if they fail to finish in the top six this season.

The Lowdown: Mixed start to the season

Spurs have so far had a mixed start to the campaign. They started well, winning their first three Premier League matches 1-0, including a victory over champions Manchester City (Sky Sports).

However, they then lost three league games in a row, conceding three goals in each, before returning to winning ways on Sunday against Aston Villa.

The Latest: Levy’s backup plan

As per The Athletic, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy has a contingency plan in case things do not go as they hope with their current manager.

The report stated: “The Athletic has learned that chairman Daniel Levy succeeded in reaching the agreement on his terms, notably including a clause that would benefit Spurs if their season does not go to plan.

“It is understood that should Nuno fail to deliver a top-six finish, Tottenham would be able to sack the 47-year-old midway through his two-year deal without having to pay any compensation.”

The Verdict: Great news

While there was little fanfare around the hiring of Nuno, it looks like Levy has pulled off an impressive deal here. It is a win-win situation for the north London outfit – should they finish in the top six, the season will be a success; if they fail, they can bring in another manager without it costing them an arm and a leg.

In Nuno’s case, they do have a manager with Premier League experience who has twice finished in the top seven with Wolves. To get such a deal for a solid manager is impressive from Levy and illustrates his ability to find value in the market.

In other news, this man turned down the chance to manager Spurs in the summer.

Flocking to Twitter, many Manchester United fans were less than impressed with the performance of defender Victor Lindelof as their side edged past Atalanta 3-2 on Wednesday evening.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, losing 2-0 just before the half hour mark courtesy of strikes from Mario Pasalic and Merih Demiral, had it all to do on a thoroughly enthralling night of Champions League football.

United’s unlikely fight back started early in the second half when Marcus Rashford fed off Bruno Fernandes’ sumptuous through ball to bury a neat finish into Atalanta’s bottom corner.

As the Red Devils kept knocking, it was an unlikely hero who stepped up next in Harry Maguire, with the England international defender netting a half volley at the back post for 2-2.

In typical Hollywood fashion, there was only one man set to take centre stage for United’s late winner as Cristiano Ronaldo leapt to meet Luke Shaw’s cross with a towering header and the eventual winner.

One man who certainly didn’t take any acclaim, however, was Sweden ace Lindelof – and it is clear to see why going by his numbers.

According to SofaScore, he was United’s second-lowest rated player on the night with a 6.5/10 and won none of his ground duels up against the Serie A side.

Flocking to Twitter, many supporters criticised his performance – find all of their verdicts down below.

Man United fans hammer Lindelof…

“Lindelof is a poor defender, he should not be starting”

Credit: @jibolajibade

“Lindelof is dreadful he needs shipping out get bailly in”

Credit: @pelehudson

“De Gea is WORLD CLASS and Lindelof is dreadful…”

Credit: @ZalFTW

“Make them just sell Lindelof go Turkish league. Na there fit am”

Credit: @pyrexgoon

“Lindelof was, is and will always be a defensive liability.”

Credit: @Vyastache

“I swear I dont understand how lindelof is a pro footballer”

Credit: @MUFCNEPTUNE

“Just watched the game again. Linedolf is very very weak. Bailly must be better”

Credit: @CraggyDevils

“Lindelof needs to get in the weight room asap the guy is too weak”

Credit: @Zuka91729997

“Maguire & Lindelof are worse than Fred & Mctominay tbf”

Credit: @WaseemMUFC

In other news: ‘Praying’, ‘Bring him home’, ‘The real deal’…Man United fans rave as Murtough eyes ‘incredible signing’, find out more here.

West Ham will continue to monitor Kerr Smith after nearly signing him on transfer deadline day last month…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the ever-reliable ExWHUemployee, who delivered a fresh update on the situation on the recent episode of ‘The West Ham Way’ podcast.

He said: “A guy called Kerr Smith who we were close to signing on deadline day, he is one as well who we are keeping an eye on.”

The Irons were linked with the Dundee United gem during the summer, with The Sun’s Alan Nixon claiming that there was also interest from Premier League rivals Southampton and Crystal Palace.

It was even thought that manager David Moyes wanted the 16-year-old to come to London for talks over a potential move, which speaks volumes considering his age.

Moyes masterclass

The Hammers, and Moyes in particular, made some very smart signings throughout the summer, ranging from the arrival of Champions League winner Kurt Zouma to the addition of potential future star Thierry Nevers.

Smith would undoubtedly be a signing for the long-term but the fact that the 58-year-old would have liked to speak to him personally suggests that there is a first-team element in mind – and understandably so.

The young centre-back has already made his senior bow for the Terrors and has racked up a total of seven appearances since the start of last season.

It’s thought that Smith has a £500k release clause in his contract, which for a Premier League side like West Ham is peanuts. He has even trained with Aston Villa, Manchester United and Everton, as per the Courier, so he’s clearly caught the eye in recent years.

The vastly experienced Mark Connolly, his teammate at Tannadice Park, spoke glowingly about the teenager back in April this year.

“Kerr, who played beside me, was fantastic. He’s 16 years of age and it’s incredible,” he told reporters after a defeat to Kilmarnock. “It’s the way the football club wants to go, bringing young players through, and this boy’s ready.”

The 6-foot emerging talent would fit into the mould of what Moyes has been doing in recent times, having overseen the progression of academy talents like Ben Johnson.

If the Scotsman can secure one of the biggest talents from his home country, then he deserves to be lauded for pulling off another masterstroke in the transfer window, especially after being given the full authority over such decisions.

AND in other news, ExWHUemployee drops exciting transfer claim on West Ham’s interest in EFL “game-changer”…