All posts by z3u9t.icu

Arsenal have been calling for Mesut Ozil after the club lost to Sheffield United in the Premier League last night.

The Gunners lost 1-0 thanks to a goal from Lys Mousset midway through the first half. Arsenal created very little in front of goal with the best chance falling to Nicolas Pepe, who failed to convert from close range.

In all the Gunners had nine shots at goal, however, only three of them were on target with none in the final 18 minutes (via WhoScored).

Last night wasn’t the only game the side have failed to create chances in. The game at home to Bournemouth prior to the recent international break saw Arsenal create just one shot on target from open play.

Ozil has been frozen out by manager Unai Emery this season, only starting two of the club’s 12 games in all competitions.

Former Arsenal man Paul Merson expressed his shock at the 31-year-old’s omission from the line-up, saying he should be starting (via Daily Star).

Fans took to Twitter to ask for the reintroduction of Ozil after last night’s game.

Here is a selection of tweets from the north London faithful:

Arsenal fans, would you reintroduce Ozil into the starting lineup? Let us know your thoughts!

Sheffield United duo John Fleck and Oliver McBurnie have been named in Scotland’s 25-man squad for their October international fixtures.

The duo have both been regulars in the Premier League for the Blades of late, and have impressed Steve Clarke enough to be included in his squad.

This is the third time that Fleck has been called up in his career. However the 28-year-old is yet to make his debut for Scotland so he will be hoping that he can finally earn some minutes this time around.

As for McBurnie, he has already made eight appearances for the Tartan Army, including starting against Russia in their last round of fixtures in September. However, the former Swansea City striker is yet to score for his country.

Scotland play two UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers this month. Their first game is against Russia at the Luzhniki Stadium before returning to Hampden Park for a tie against minnows San Marino.

Most Blades fans are delighted for the duo, particularly for Fleck as they cannot understand why he has not been utilised before by his country after some outstanding performances in recent years for his club.

Here is what some Sheffield United fans have had to say following the announcement that Fleck and McBurnie will join up with the Scotland squad shortly…

Are you happy to see Fleck and McBurnie in the Scotland squad? Have your say by commenting below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Sheffield Wednesday appear to have made the right appointment in Garry Monk – the 40-year-old has guided his side to ten points from a possible 15 which sees them sit just one point outside of the playoff picture.

After being appointed in early September, the former Swansea City man has had to work with a squad assembled by his predecessors, namely Steve Bruce and then caretaker boss Lee Bullen – the latter’s familiarity would have helped to an extent as he still remains as part of the backroom staff.

Some of their signings like Julian Borner and Kadeem Harris have been spot on, they are averaging over a 7.00 rating by WhoScored this season as both have made an impact at either end of the pitch.

But not all of the arrivals have gone swimmingly – Moses Odubajo has been particularly poor on the right-hand side of defence.

Against Everton in the Carabao Cup, he struggled with the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, and then fans slammed his performance in the Hull City defeat last week.

On the Chalkboard

Dealing with Odubajo’s inconsistencies over the course of the season isn’t something Monk can afford to do if they are truly a playoff contender.

The Wednesday chief has options in that role too, so it can’t hurt to shake things up.

Watch Sheffield Wednesday Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Maybe he opts for Dominic Iorfa with Tom Lees lingering closer towards a return from injury. However, that’s not a move that seems likely given how well the 24-year-old has performed at centre-back alongside Borner.

How about playing Liam Palmer in his actual position?

The Scotland international has been at the Owls his entire career and is primarily a right-back.

But since the start of the season, he’s been playing on the left-hand side to allow Odubajo to feature in the starting line up.

When comparing his eight games at left-back this term to those played on the opposite side last season, you’ll soon see where he’s more comfortable.

And it’s no surprise that it’s in his more natural position – recording better figures for tackles, clearances, and dribbles per game on top of his crossing ability – all via WhoScored.

Monk should shift Palmer back across to the right, especially as he can call on Morgan Fox to instantly come in and fill the resulting void left behind at left-back.

That way, Wednesday can shore up the one weak spot in their defence.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

As Leeds saw Pontus Jansson and Kemar Roofe walk out of their doors in the summer, there would likely have been concerns surrounding Kalvin Phillips too.

The midfielder was at the centre of rife speculation during the transfer window as multiple clubs wanted to snap him up.

Aston Villa were sniffing around the 23-year-old but Leeds’ £30m valuation of him was clearly a sticking point.

However, that didn’t stop Phillips from courting interest from Wolves and Bournemouth too.

This was a player who was imperative to Leeds’ hopes last term, featuring 44 times so to eventually hold onto him was huge for their ambitions this season and for the club in general.

Things could be about to get a lot better, though.

Managing Director Angus Kinnear revealed on Wednesday night in an interview with West Yorkshire Daily on the BBC that the club was close to agreeing terms with Phillips on a new deal.

During the window, claims started to mount on potential contract negotiations but that now seems to have become a reality.

Considering how important he is, it won’t come cheap.

Football Insider disclosed that the deal could be as much as £40k a week in an overall contract worth £8m plus. It’s terms that would see him become the club’s joint-highest earner alongside Kiko Casilla and Patrick Bamford.

They also happen to be on £40k a week which means the total spend every seven days on the trio would be £120k.

For a club whose wages have been mounting under the ownership of Andrea Radrizzani, something that was admitted by Kinnear himself, it’s an expensive commitment.

But on this occasion Leeds are making a sensible decision. In fact, it would have been baffling if the Whites didn’t make an attempt to make him one of their highest earners.

Phillips is one of Leeds’ most consistent performers and the fact he’s won the highest number of tackles per game of anyone in the Championship tells the story.

To think he could be matching the wages of inconsistent figures like Bamford and Casilla makes perfect sense.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Spaniard always seems to have an error in him, something that was evident when he came charging out of his goal against Salford and also versus Derby in the playoffs.

Bamford is Leeds’ top scorer but he has had two matches this term where he’s been wasteful in front of goal.

He missed six changes against Wigan and then four versus Swansea. Per WhoScored, Phillips hasn’t dipped below a match rating of 7 this season.

For that reason alone, he deserves the reported £40k a week being thrown in his direction.

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Oh Marcos Rojo. That’s exactly why you play at the back, my friend. The Argentina international probably grew up watching Diego Maradona tear things up with his skills and tricks, and thought ‘you know what? I’ll have some of that thank you very much’.

The 29-year-old was given a rare chance to start in Manchester United’s opening Europa League game of the season against FC Astana, and he made sure it was an occasion to remember for the tens of thousands in attendance.

Playing as a left-back, the former Sporting CP star cut inside on to his right foot just outside the opposition penalty area, and undoubtedly saw his name in lights. ‘This is it Marcos. Ballon d’Or incoming’.

Instead, the centre-back contrived to get his legs in a tangle, and saw his attempted rabona come cannoning off an Astana player. So much for that then.

After seeing the game’s true highlight of the evening (sorry Mason Greenwood), United fans flooded to Twitter to revel in Rojo’s genius.

Many Red Devils supporters took the proverbial mickey out of the Argentine, with one fan in particular suggesting he should re-name himself as “Rojodinho”.

Others showed him a bit more love, and insisted EA Sports give him five-star skills on the latest FIFA game.

Check out some of the hilarious reaction of United fans below:

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed that the club are trying to sign new players in January.The club have not signed a new player since last January, but Pochettino has opened the door to potentially reinforcing the squad this month.What’s the word?Tottenham’s transfer dealings have been a bone of contention for many fans.Chairman Daniel Levy failed to bring in a single new player in the summer and it has appeared for the duration of January that lightning would strike twice.A Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea on Thursday highlighted the need for reinforcements, however, with the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son all unavailable.CheekySport’s Joel claims Spurs badly need to invest in January after not having “the balls” to beat Arsenal. Check out his uncensored opinion in the video below…And Pochettino has now given fans hope of a new recruit arriving in north London.He said, per Goal: “There are a few options. We will see if we are capable to deliver [on] it.”He added: “I am more than open to improve and to add players to the squad. You can find on the internet or my previous press conferences that I always say the same thing.”If we can find the right player that is going to help us improve, then we will…but we were never close. There is always a chance. We have still seven days [of the transfer window].”Challenge for LevyPochettino has regularly towed the party line at Tottenham.He has a superb track record of improving the players he has and Spurs rarely splurge on players in the transfer window.However, this is crunch time for Tottenham’s project.They are third in the Premier League and remain in both the Champions League and the FA Cup.With their new stadium seemingly close to completion, it is high time that the club starts showing some ambition in the transfer window.Pochettino’s words, then, appear a direct challenge to Levy to do just that; he has confirmed that there are options available to Spurs, but it remains to be seen whether they will be taken over the coming week.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Former Manchester City and England defender Danny Mills has raved about Tottenham Hotspur attacker Son Heung-min, per Football Insider.

What’s he said?

The South Korea international played a major role in Spurs’ 2-2 draw with Arsenal at the weekend, providing a constant threat on the break with his pace and trickery.

He won the penalty from which Harry Kane scored his side’s second goal but Mills believes that the 27-year-old, who netted 20 goals in all competitions last season, remains “underrated”.

He said: “He’s a fabulous player, I think he’s massively underrated.

“His quality, his ability, his discipline and his work rate are absolutely exceptional, he very rarely lets you down in any way, shape or form.

“Yes, all players miss chances and have off moments but overall, the way that he plays – his energy and enthusiasm – his effort for the team is incredible.”

A phenomenal asset

Spurs’ attack would not be the same without Son.

A brilliantly multi-faceted player, the attacker is capable of scoring all types of goals, as well as taking on players, beating them, while also winning it back on a regular basis.

He adds pace and dynamism on the left flank and is also capable of playing through the middle, particularly if Kane is absent.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Mills is right to draw attention to the fact that he is not seen as one of the elite talents in the Premier League.

The fact is though; he should be.

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As per Sky Sports (via Football Daily), Tottenham Hotspur may have been handed a possible boost in the race to sign Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger as his contract winds down.

The Lowdown: Spurs work on agreement…

According to reports, the Germany international is very much a top transfer target for Spurs, managing director Fabio Paratici, chairman Daniel Levy and coach Antonio Conte.

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Football Insider claim that Paratici is in fact ‘calling every day’, maintaining constant contact with Rudiger’s entourage as he attempts to reach an agreement and win the race for his signature.

However, suitors from overseas like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich possess an advantage given they can formally agree pre-contracts this month – a card Spurs do not hold.

Tottenham do remain in the hunt as things stand with another source, Eurosport journalist Dean Jones, recently backing the Lilywhites’ interest.

Now, in an update on Rudiger’s situation at Stamford Bridge, Sky have shared some ‘interesting news’ in what could be a boost for Spurs.

The Latest: Sky share possible Rudiger boost…

Dropping an update on live TV (via Football Daily), the broadcast giant relays that Chelsea’s star defender is in ‘no rush’ to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club.

This is because he is ‘very aware’ there could be ‘interest from the Premier League’ if he were to become a free agent at the end of this season.

As well as this, despite the fact he could still sign an extension with Chelsea, they would have to make the 28-year-old the ‘highest paid defender’ in England’s top flight to stop him from leaving.

“Some interesting news reaching us regarding Antonio Rudiger,” Sky explained.

“He says he’s in no rush to sign a pre-contract agreement, now earlier this week we reported that Real Madrid, Juventus, PSG and Bayern Munich had all opened talks with his representatives.

“Barcelona, they’re also keeping an eye on his situation, but he’s very aware there could be interest from the Premier League if, of course, he were to become a free agent in the summer.

“Signing a new contract at Stamford Bridge hasn’t been ruled out for Rudiger, but we’re told Chelsea would have to make him the highest paid defender in the Premier League to keep him there.”

The Verdict: Boost for Spurs…

This update on Rudiger’s situation and transfer stance does come as a boost with Paratici as Tottenham remaining very much in contention.

Foreign sides being able to formally secure the centre-back to a pre-contract in January certainly put Spurs at a big disadvantage in the race so his willingness to bide time and entertain offers closer to home bolsters Paratici and Conte’s chances.

Rudiger’s demands to be made the highest paid defender in England if he is to agree a Chelsea extension could also boost Spurs.

Indeed, Lilywhites chairman Levy apparently has no problem tabling lucrative wages and is willing to make a ‘huge’ salary offer to tempt the player across London (Football Insider).

Taking all this into account, you can’t rule Spurs out just yet.

In other news: Tottenham ‘working strongly’ for ‘phenomenal signing’ as reporter shares news on Twitter, find out more here.

Aston Villa are determined to sign Joe Gomez from Liverpool before the end of the January transfer window, according to Football Insider. 

The lowdown

The 24-year-old finds himself fourth in the Reds’ centre-back pecking order following the arrival of Ibrahima Konate last summer. He has played just 12 minutes of Premier League football so far this season and only started four games in all competitions.

The Londoner’s trophy haul at Anfield includes the 2019/20 Premier League title and the previous year’s UEFA Champions League.

Gomez’s £75,000-per-week contract runs until June 2024 and he is valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt. Notably, he is represented by the same agency as Villa captain Tyrone Mings.

The latest

Football Insider claimed that Villa have ‘not given up hope’ of landing Gomez before next Monday’s transfer deadline.

The Midlands club enquired about the English defender earlier this month, with Gerrard intent upon strengthening his backline, and a Villa source has now told the publication that they plan to make ‘another move’ for the player this week.

Gerrard is described as a ‘huge admirer’ of the 24-year-old and remains optimistic that a deal can be done in the next seven days.

The verdict

A previous report from The Athletic suggested that Gomez ‘would not be leaving Anfield this month’, but significantly Football Insider claimed here that Liverpool are ‘likely to offload one senior centre-back’ in the next week.

The expectation has been that Nat Phillips will leave, but the Reds are struggling to find a suitor who will meet their asking price of him. That only adds to the ‘uncertainty’ around Gomez’s future.

Perhaps there’s a scenario here where Liverpool allow the ex-Charlton defender to join Villa on loan for the remainder of the season, as Jurgen Klopp might recognise the benefits of the defender consistently starting Premier League matches.

It could help him to regain maximum sharpness after he missed most of the 2020/21 season with a serious knee injury, while also giving Villa a much-needed boost to their centre-back options for the remainder of this campaign.

In other news, many Villa fans reacted to links with this Ligue 1 beast

Celtic appear to be edging closer to the signing of Daizen Maeda.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Record, who claim that the Yokohama F. Marinos centre-forward is rumoured to be in London in order to complete a medical ahead of a switch to Celtic in the January transfer window, with both Reo Hatate and Yosuke Ideguchi expected to follow on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old striker has been heavily linked with a move to Parkhead for a number of months now, and, if the latest reports are to be believed, Ange Postecoglou’s swoop for the Japan international looks as if it is now at the final stages.

Postecoglou will be ecstatic

Almost all of Postecoglou’s current options in attack having been sidelined due to injury at one point or another this season – something which has often left the 56-year-old manager extremely short up top.

That means the news that a deal to sign Maeda – who Kevin Muscat dubbed a “dream” to manage – now being extremely close to being completed is sure to have left the Greek-Australian coach ecstatic.

Indeed, ahead of the Bhoys’ trip to St. Johnstone on Sunday, Postecoglou was unable to select left-winger Mikey Johnston, attacking midfielder David Turnbull, centre-forward Giorgos Giakoumakis, attacking midfielder Ewan Henderson, centre-forward Albian Ajeti and right-winger James Forrest as a result of injury.

Meanwhile, centre-forward Kyogo Furuhashi also picked up a knock and was brought off just 15 minutes into the game – leaving the Hoops manager no choice but to field right-winger Liel Abada and 18-year-old B team striker Joey Dawson as his front two.

As such, it is abundantly clear that Celtic are in need of attacking reinforcements if they are to maintain their title charge over the second half of the current campaign, meaning that Maeda’s apparently impending arrival is extremely good news for everyone involved with the club.

In other news: Ange can finally axe £41k-p/w Celtic deadwood with January swoop that “should happen”