All posts by n8rngtd.top

Many Wolves fans have been slamming the performance of Rayan Ait-Nouri in their 0-0 draw at Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday.

It was a frustrating game for Bruno Lage and his team as they could not find a way past Tim Krul, with some players really struggling to make an impact from an attacking point of view.

One of those was Ait-Nouri, who was unsuccessful in all three of his dribble attempts, while he also misplaced four of his crosses and five of his long balls in the match (SofaScore).

The left wing-back was also guilty of losing possession of the ball far too often, 26 times to be exact, which was by far the most out of any player on the pitch (SofaScore).

Wolves fans slam Ait-Nouri

These Wolves fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter going as far as to claim that the 20-year-old was ‘abysmal’ at Carrow Road:

“Ait-Nouri has zero end product”

Credit: @NathaaanM

“Ait-Nouri struggling today. Needs to take him off. He will fake a knock around 80 mins”

Credit: @Stuart16913042

“Ait-Nouri can go too.”

Credit: @Brosephvrcek

“We haven’t showed up today, can’t handle the Norwich press. Ait-Nouri and Trincao have been particularly wasteful”

Credit: @ScottyQuinn

“Ait-Nouri offers nothing to this team bring back Vinagre”

Credit: @Adam11520205

“Ait-Nouri abysmal too. When’s Jonny back?”

Credit: @Titchtherick1

In other news, find out whose display against Norwich was also slammed by many Wolves fans

Manchester United are could finally end their striker hunt after being linked with a move for Sevilla’s Youssef En-Nesyri ahead of the upcoming January transfer window.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish outlet Super Deporte (as relayed by the Manchester Evening News), the Red Devils have the highly-rated 24-year-old on their ‘agenda’, with new manager Ralf Rangnick looking to make his mark on the first-team squad.

The report states that: “Manchester United has the Sevilla player Youssef En-Nesyri on the agenda…The English team are looking for a forward with good scoring figures, and En-Nesyri fits the profile they are managing.”

En-Nesyri was close to joining fellow Premier League outfit West Ham United in the summer after they had a €30 million (£25.5m) bid rejected, and Sevilla are said to be happy to let him leave ‘if a good offer arrives.’

Ralf Rangnick could end Man Utd’s striker hunt

With Edinson Cavani set to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign and Cristiano Ronaldo turning 37 in February, reinforcements at the top end of the pitch should be high up on Rangnick’s wishlist.

United have long been linked with an additional striker, and although Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland is believed to be their No.1 target, the competition for his signature is set to be fierce.

Therefore, viable alternatives will need to be assessed by the club’s hierarchy, and a potential move for the £36m-rated En-Nesyri could well be on the cards.

The Morocco international only arrived from La Liga minnows Leganes in January 2020, but he’s quickly established himself as one of the division’s elite forwards, bagging 24 goals in 52 appearances for Julen Lopetegui’s charges last term.

And his underlying number were equally as impressive. As per WhoScored, En-Nesyri averaged 2.1 shots per league game throughout 2020/21, 2.5 aerial duels won and 1.6 touches in the penalty area, placing him in the top two for each metric when compared to his teammates.

These returns saw pundit Terry Gibson dub the African forward a “world-beater” and highlight his truly top-class potential.

Whether Rangnick would deem En-Nesyri an ideal fit for his high-intensity pressing system remains to be seen, but it appears as though the United hierarchy are keeping close tabs of the 6 foot 2 target man.

And, in other news…Huge boost: David Ornstein delivers big Man Utd update, Rangnick will be elated

Lots of Everton fans have been left stunned by the latest news on their proposed new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

As per the official website of the Merseyside club, all of the water in the dock has now been displaced with sand after three months of construction, a major step in the development.

The sand allows a solid bed for where the new 52,888-capacity ground can emerge, and so the second phase of the ground works has now begun, which is compacting the sand.

The Toffees released a video of the completed phase on their official Twitter page, with insight from some of the construction workers on the process and what is happening next.

Nonetheless, a lot of Blues supporters were delighted with the progress that has been made, and cannot wait to move out of Goodison Park and into their new home.

Everton fans on stadium news

These EFC fans were left stunned by the news as it was shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that they were ‘amazed’ by the speed of the progress:

“Made up with this! Rafa out though.”

Credit: @BT_1878

“The most ambitious Everton project happening before our eyes. Fantastic.”

Credit: @terry__smith

“What an immense project and it’s brilliant to see the pace of progress. Shoalway and Forth Jouster securing their own impressive entries into the Everton Football Club history books.”

Credit: @dixiedeansboots

“So we’re now building both team and stadium in plain sight. Onwards & upwards! COYB!”

Credit: @bill1bigley

“How exciting, I’m looking forward to seeing more videos on how our amazing new home is progresses.”

Credit: @ghardie33

“Sterling work there, absolutely amazed at the speed this is progressing since we finally received the green light to start work. Can the ‘fans’ who kept claiming the stadium was fake news and would never happen please stand up.”

Credit: @MarcusTobiasUK

In other news, find out what transfer news has Evertonians fuming here!

Wolves are back in action this lunchtime with an away Premier League clash against Manchester City after their crushing 1-0 defeat against Liverpool at Molineux last weekend.

On the chalkboard

In terms of which players Bruno Lage could pick to be in his starting XI to take on Pep Guardiola’s side, one man who should not be in the team today is wing-back Nelson Semedo.

His display against Liverpool showed why the Portuguese international isn’t capable of performing against the top teams in the Premier League, such as Manchester City, who have scored 32 goals and conceded just nine in their 15 league games so far this season.

In Semedo’s 90 minutes on the pitch against Jurgen Klopp’s side, he only completed 18 of his 29 passes and found a team-mate with just one of the six long balls he attempted, ultimately losing possession 21 times.

From a defensive point of view, the ex-Barcelona player – who has previously been derided as a “liability” at the back by Tim Spiers – only won three of his 11 duels and failed to make any tackles or block any shots. He was also dribbled past on two occasions, hardly making himself a tough opponent for Liverpool’s attacking players.

This display ultimately earned the 28-year-old an overall match rating of 6.2/10, making him the lowest-rated Wolves player on the day according to SofaScore – even lower than the likes of Joao Moutinho and Francisco Trincao, who came on as late substitutes in the 1-0 defeat.

The Express & Star also picked up on Semedo’s rather worrying display by claiming that he “struggled” in the game and that “defensively he allowed Mane and Robertson to get beyond him too often and he gave the ball away regularly,” as well as saying that he “offered little going forward.”

With this in mind as well as City’s plentiful attacking riches, it could be in Lage’s best interest not to start Semedo – who is currently earning £84k-per-week according to Salary Sport – this afternoon, as City’s attacking stars could target him as Wolves’ defensive weak link.

In other news – Huge relief: Wolves handed double injury boost ahead of City clash which will have many fans buzzing

The January transfer market will open in the next few weeks, and all eyes already on new manager, Steven Gerrard, as he enters his first window with Aston Villa, who is reported to make moves and changes at his new club.

Although there has been mounting speculation on incoming transfers, there is also likely to be a number of outgoings too as Gerrard sets out to free up funds to develop and build a team with his vision for the future of Villa in mind.

One player who will reportedly be moved on when the opportunity arises is Wesley, who became a record signing for the club when Villa paid Club Brugge £22m for the striker who is currently on a season-long loan back with his former team.

The 25-year-old was hailed a “handful” by teammate, Tyrone Mings when he was secured on a permanent deal at Villa Park:

“He’s a handful! He’s a very strong guy, a very big guy, technically he’s very good,” he said.

Despite the praise from Villa’s captain, Wesley struggled to make a direct impact on the side, with only 26 appearances due to an unfortunate knee injury that sidelined the Brazilian for over a year. He scored just six goals and registered one assist for the senior team in the two seasons prior to his current loan stint at Club Brugge.

The £9m-rated centre forward hasn’t scored or assisted for his loan club yet in six appearances so far, and spoke out recently on his future, refusing to rule out a return to Brazil;

“I do not rule out returning to Brazil at this time,” Wesley told Globo Esporte.

“I try to focus on my field work and leave this part of the negotiations with my managers.

Steven Gerrard could strike gold if he can find a good suitor for Wesley that would raise funds for the Villa manager to reinvest into other key areas, where the squad is thinner, like midfield.

Villa are facing no troubles in their attack, winning three of their last five games, after beating Norwich comfortably in their midweek Premier League fixture at Carrow Road, where the Villans bagged a 2-0 win ahead of their clash with Burnley on Saturday afternoon.

When comparing Wesley’s current form of no goals or assists on loan to Villa’s current strike force, with Ollie Watkins on five goals and Danny Ings on three strikes and two assists, along with Leon Bailey breaking into the team, the likelihood of the Brazilian starting in Villa’s attacking line is low.

With that being said, Wesley being put on loan before Gerrard’s arrival and currently struggling to make a convincing impact at his temporary side, it should only further the manager’s decision to axe the forward.

In other news: Aston Villa must sign Liverpool star Joe Gomez

Tottenham Hotspur could advance into the final four of the Carabao Cup with a win over West Ham United as the two Premier League sides go to battle in tonight’s quarter-final clash in north London this evening.

This competition could now represent Antonio Conte’s best chance at securing silverware for the trophy-barren Lilywhites, having been eliminated from the Europa Conference League this week after being forced to forfeit their postponed final group game against Stade Rennes.

At the weekend, Spurs held ten-man Liverpool to a 2-2 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, so they will be buoyed by plenty of confidence heading into kick-off tonight.

The Hammers meanwhile have suffered a dip in form amid a mounting defensive injury crisis and that is something that the Italian head coach must make the most of.

As such, he should look to Lucas Moura, who took a place on the bench on Sunday, with the likes of Dele Alli and Tanguy Ndombele being preferred.

David Moyes is without two key central defenders in Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma, whilst Vladimir Coufal is suspended, with doubts lingering over full-back duo Aaron Cresswell and Ben Johnson.

Unleashing a player with the pace and dynamism of Moura could be absolutely devastating to an already weak-looking backline.

Last year, Lilywhites teammate Eric Dier dubbed the £22.5m-rated Brazilian a “nightmare” to train against. “There’s no one worse to train against than Lucas Moura. He’s a nightmare. He’s so fast, so sharp,” Dier told the Premier League’s official YouTube channel.

Despite his omission at the weekend, Moura ranks as Spurs’ second-best performer in the top-flight this term, having managed an average WhoScored rating of 7.12, a feat only bettered by midfield mainstay Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Furthermore, only central defender Davinson Sanchez (2.7 duels) is winning more in the air than the 5 foot 8 dynamo (2.6), though it is his squad-leading 2.8 dribbles per game that could pose a threat to the Irons – Heung-min Son is next best, managing half that figure, which is quite telling.

Moura is also averaging 1.4 shots and 1.2 key passes per league outing, so he could certainly cause plenty of damage later this evening, should Conte bring him back into the starting fold.

Moyes and co must be absolutely fearful of the Brazilian if he is named in the XI at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight.

AND in other news, Talks planned: Spurs source drops major January transfer update, fans will be buzzing…

Newcastle put in a valiant display on Monday night as they held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park in the Premier League.

It was a result which ended a run of three successive defeats for the Magpies, having lost to Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester City in recent weeks.

Allan Saint-Maximin handed Eddie Howe’s side the lead in the first half as he improvised a stunning finish into the top corner whilst falling off balance. However, Edinson Cavani equalised in the second half for the away side as he collected a rebound from his own shot to slice an effort into the corner, with Martin Dubravka given no chance to save it.

Both teams had chances to win the match, with Jacob Murphy hitting the post and David de Gea producing a stunning save from Miguel Almiron, whilst Cavani fluffed an opportunity to score after Dubravka dropped the ball at Jadon Sancho’s feet in the penalty box.

Lightweight

Despite an impressive showing from the Magpies, one player who let Howe down on the night against Ralf Rangnick’s team was Javier Manquillo, who lined out at left-back.

For the equalising goal, the Spaniard was dragged out of position initially by Cavani and was left scrambling to get across to Diego Dalot on the switch. He then failed to stop the cross as he turned his body and allowed the Portuguese full-back to produce a cutback to the Uruguayan striker, who eventually turned the ball into the back of the net.

This shows that the 27-year-old was partly to blame for Newcastle failing to pick up all three points as he was unable to stop Dalot from creating the goal. However, this was not the only error in his game as his all-around performance was lacking in quality.

Defensively, he was poor throughout. As per SofaScore, he lost six of his 11 duels and was dribbled past a whopping four times in the match. This shows that he was a lightweight in his physical battles and was nowhere near good enough in his defending as he allowed himself to be beaten in the dribble on four separate occasions.

He also offered little in possession. As per SofaScore, he only completed 72% of his passes, with a mere 13 overall. He also failed to complete a single cross and failed with two of his four attempted dribbles. This aspect of his performance could be excused as he was playing on his weaker side, usually lining out at right-back, but it was a disappointing display from Manquillo all the same and he let Howe down with his performance.

AND in other news, Forget ASM: Newcastle’s “unplayable” beast who won 8 duels stole the show vs Man Utd…

Loads of West Ham fans have been flocking to a transfer update from The Mirror, as a report claims the Hammers are eyeing a £40m swoop for Euro 2020 superstar Patrick Schick.

The West Ham striker hunt is a tale as old as time, with the Irons desperately searching for an adequate back-up option to Michail Antonio for what seems like an eternity.

David Moyes confirmed the club had bid for Sevilla star Youssef En-Nesyri in January 2021, and nearly a year later the manager is still relying on Antonio to avoid injury week in week out.

However, The Mirror believe that could be about to change, revealing GSB are ‘exploring a big-money move’ for Bayer Leverkusen’s Schick, who shone at the Euros alongside current Hammers Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal.

The 25 year-old scored five times in five games for Czech Republic, also leading their press from the front with an impressive 1.2 tackles per game, the type of work rate that would instantly endear him to the fans at the London Stadium (Whoscored).

If you are done with the stats you can look at slot website Indonesia for an alternative entertainment, whilst we continue to analyse the Hammers.

He has continued that form this season with 16 goals in 14 Bundesliga showings, and with that in mind it’s no surprise to see so many fans flocking to Twitter to express their excitement as one fan hailed the ‘wicked’ talent…

Hammers fans love Schick links

“I’d be all over this, if he can perform in the prem like he has done in Germany and on the international scene, then we’d have a proper player”

Credit: @JackPar78026231

“Absolutely the one player who would suit us down to the ground”

Credit: @WHU_life

“Bloody wicked player”

Credit @HossackMatt

“Should go all out for him”

Credit @arthammer14

“Please. Wanted him for ages”

Credit @joeharris06

“Get that Kretinsky money out!!”

Credit @SweeneyWestHam

In other news: West Ham “monster” could leave to a Premier League rival in January…

Image from: unsplash.com

Arsenal’s Rob Holding will be on Newcastle’s January centre-back shortlist, journalist Pete O’Rourke has told Give Me Sport. 

The lowdown

A recent report from The Daily Mail suggested that the Magpies want to sign two centre-backs this month, while The Athletic’s Chris Waugh said over the weekend that the club were hopeful of adding both Lille’s Sven Botman and Seville’s Diego Carlos to their ranks.

Newcastle have the joint-worst defensive record in the Premier League for goals conceded and the outright worst for expected goals against.

A potential alternative to the aforementioned duo, especially with Botman seemingly now unattainable, Holding has two-and-a-half years remaining on his Arsenal contract and is valued at £10.8m by Transfermarkt.

The latest

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke is certain that the Gunners defender is one of the names under consideration at St James’ Park.

He stated: “Rob Holding at Arsenal. I’m sure he’s on Newcastle’s list.”

The verdict

Holding has found Premier League minutes hard to come by this season as he battles with the likes of Gabriel and Ben White. He has only started three times in the top flight in 2021/22, with most of his game-time coming in the domestic cups.

He may duly be open to leaving the Emirates Stadium and, intriguingly, data from FBRef shows he’s stylistically similar to Botman, with a high volume of progressive passes and blocks.

He also earned praise last month for reporting alleged racist abuse of some Arsenal team-mates during one Premier League match, with a statement from the anti-racism group Kick It Out saying that “his actions are a great example of taking a stand and being an ally to his team-mates” (The Mirror).

Is he actually good enough to address Newcastle’s defensive woes, though?

If scouts were watching him on Sunday, they may be far from convinced. Holding produced what Football FanCast editor Matt Dawson called a ‘royal stinker’ as Arsenal were shocked by Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup, while he ranks a lowly 18th in WhoScored’s performance rankings among Mikel Arteta’s squad this season.

Ultimately, Newcastle can’t afford to take any chances on these crucial signings, especially with their Premier League status on the line beyond the midway point of the season.

In other news, Chris Waugh has said that PIF want to upgrade on this £10m Benitez signing

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing a swoop for Nantes attacking midfielder Ludovic Blas, with Eddie Howe’s side in desperate need of extra creativity in the final third.

What’s the story?

According to the Daily Star, the Magpies are in talks with the Ligue 1 outfit over a potential deal for the 24-year-old, with Premier League rivals Watford also reportedly in discussions.

The Frenchman has been in stellar form this term, scoring seven goals and setting up another one in 19 Ligue 1 appearances, with his side currently ninth in the French top flight.

Valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt and earning £16k-p/w, the attacking midfielder -who is often deployed as an inverted right-winger – has two years left on his contract with Nantes and could be on his way to the Premier League this month.

Last season, Blas completed the most successful dribbles in Ligue 1 with 80, whilst recording the fifth-highest amount in the French top flight since the 2017/18 campaign.

There has been plenty of attention surrounding the 24-year-old, with team-mate and former Liverpool midfielder Pedro Chirivella comparing Blas to former Anfield teammates Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

Speaking to French magazine So Foot, Chirivella said: “When it comes to pure talent, I rate Ludovic Blas above all the others. I played with [Philippe] Coutinho, Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, I know what they are capable of.

“And when I see what ‘Ludo’ is doing in training or in games, he has nothing to envy them when it comes to talent. He’s incredible, spectacular, and his future looks bright. We are often lined up together in the middle, we see football the same way, and it is a pleasure to grow alongside him.”

Blas would be a huge upgrade for Newcastle

With Eddie Howe’s side still 19th in the Premier League table and in real danger of being relegated, the 44-year-old will be desperate for as many new recruits as possible this window.

The Magpies have already signed right-back Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid and striker Chris Wood from Burnley this month.

However, their attack could do with the sort of creativity that Blas may be able to provide. The Tyneside outfit are currently averaging a goal per game in the Premier League, having scored just 20 goals in their 20 matches; only three teams have scored fewer goals in the division.

Callum Wilson has provided six of those goals, but the 29-year-old is set to miss eight weeks of action through injury.

Right now, Allan Saint-Maximin is the Magpies’ top creator with five goals and three assists. However, after the Frenchman, no midfielder or attacker has contributed more than one assist.

Granted, there is the argument that Blas would need the time to settle in a new league, whilst there also being serious expectations put on the 24-year-old’s shoulders with Newcastle deep in the relegation dogfight. Based on the Nantes player’s goal return and the garlands surrounding him, though, he could prove to be exactly what Howe desperately needs.

AND in other news, Newcastle eyeing a move for player dubbed the “new Vidic.”