All posts by h716a5.icu

With the league title all sewn up, one would imagine that Liverpool might take their foot off the gas for the remaining few games of the season.

While the Reds weren’t at their brilliant best during the 1-1 draw with Burnley on Saturday, the desire to win was still as strong as ever.

Unfortunately, that manifested itself in quite a negative way after the final whistle at Anfield as Andy Robertson was caught on camera giving the referee a dressing down, using some rather colourful language while lambasting the official.

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With no crowd in the stadium, it was very easy to hear exactly what the Scot thought of David Coote’s performance on Saturday, and it’s fair to say that he wasn’t full of praise for him.

Robertson was clearly aggrieved that his side didn’t get a penalty in the second half, and he let his emotions get the better of him.

Understandably, the wider footballing world has taken issue with Robertson’s behaviour, with many calling for him to be banned, while others branded him as disrespectful.

The critics certainly have a point.

Football is an emotive sport, especially at the top level, but Liverpool have already won the league, and while this sort of reaction may have been slightly more justified had Coote’s failure to award the Reds a penalty have cost them the title, Roberston’s tirade just came across as immature and over the top on this occasion.

The left-back wasn’t the only man to confront the officials after the game.

The clip also shows Jurgen Klopp having a word with the referee, and while he kept his cool more than Robertson did, some viewers still weren’t happy to see the German talking to the officials, with many pointing towards other managers who’ve received sanctions for similar behaviour.

An unnamed club has made an offer for Rotherham United striker and Sunderland transfer target Jerry Yates, according to Sunderland Echo.

With the League One season ending prematurely, Black Cats manager Phil Parkinson will be looking to bring in some new faces after failing to gain promotion to the Championship. Interest in former Swindon striker Yates has re-emerged, with an unnamed club said to have made an offer in the last few days.

The 23-year-old scored 13 goals in 31 games on loan with the Robins in League Two during the 2019/20 season before returning to parent club Rotherham.

Swindon are also said to be looking at pursuing a permanent move for Yates, with their manager Richie Wellens having spoken about an offer that he believed would be submitted in the next 48 hours.

With the striker’s future now being heavily discussed, Sunderland Echo have claimed that the unnamed club to have submitted an offer are Blackpool and not the Wearsiders.

Yates was expected to leave Rotherham this summer due to his contract expiry but the newly-promoted Championship club chose to activate the option to extend by a further year, thus allowing them to sell him on.

It looks like Sunderland could miss out on Yates if indeed it is Blackpool who have just tabled a bid for him, although missing out on him might not be disastrous for the Wearsiders.

Yates has done well in League Two but, having scored just once in 18 League One games, the step up to England’s third tier could be a lofty one for him, so Sunderland ought to just turn to other targets instead.

Do you think Sunderland should make a bid for Yates? Let us know in the comments section below…

Manchester United have cooled their interest in Aston Villa skipper Jack Grealish having deemed Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho a better fit within their transfer budget.

The young English superstar has been linked with a move back to the Premier League for some time now, having left Manchester City at just 17 years of age. German giants Borussia Dortmund are holding out for €120m (£109m) for the 20-year-old England international winger according to Sky Sports.

Given the financial impact of the global pandemic, funds are tight for many football clubs, and the Red Devils are not willing to meet Dortmund’s valuation for Sancho.

Dortmund are insisting on a deal to be made prior to August 10 when they return for pre-season training, so that a replacement can be identified ahead of their next campaign.

There has been no official bid from Manchester United just yet; however, they are the only club to have made contact with Dortmund. The German’s are not worried about selling Sancho this summer as his contract runs out in 2022 and they are in no rush to sell him for a reduced price.

The Red Devils turned their attention from Jack Grealish to Jadon Sancho after Aston Villa have him at over £80m which is much higher than they would have liked to bring him in for. Furthermore, there has been uncertainty as to whether or not Grealish would have fitted into United’s squad and style of play, with Bruno Fernandes running the midfield.

Verdict

It is a no brainer for Manchester United to pursue the transfer of Jadon Sancho instead of Jack Grealish. Sancho is younger, and had over double goal contribution than Grealish had last season, in addition to winger fitting their team more.

For £20/30m more, it would be silly for United to not sign the better player who has proven himself at a world class level.

Leeds United are ramping up their efforts of clinching loan star Ben White this summer, but Victor Orta and Andrea Radrizzani can’t afford to put all their eggs in one basket which is why an alternative must be considered…

What’s the word?

According to the Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, the Yorkshire giants will turn their attention to Freiburg centre-back Robin Koch if their hopes of clinching the Brighton sensation fall through.

White is the top target this window but the club have already had two bids knocked back and could be faced with the same answer over their latest £35m offer as per The Sun (via TEAMtalk).

Now Koch has emerged as a potential plan B and with him entering the final year of his contract, he could be available on a much cheaper deal than the Seagulls man.

Forget White

As good as it will be to secure White permanently, it won’t solve all of Marcelo Bielsa’s defensive problems as currently, he only has skipper Liam Cooper at his disposal alongside some youngsters.

That’s not really ideal when you’re entering the first top-flight campaign at Elland Road in 16 years.

Which is why Koch would be a steal to consider, he’s been called up to the German national side by Joachim Lowe in the past year and has even been likened to Bayern’s Javi Martinez in playing style – “a rangy battering ram” and “enforcer” are just two words that have been used to describe him.

According to Freiburg’s head coach Christian Streich, the 24-year-old is a “warrior” and his numbers for the 19/20 campaign back that up immensely.

Per WhoScored, the centreback, who can also play in midfield, averaged 2.9 clearances, 1.4 interceptions, 1.1 tackles and 1.1 shots per game in the Bundesliga whilst also displaying his ability on the ball, managing a passing success rate of 83.7% from nearly 50 passes each outing.

German outlet Kicker (via BuLiNews) believe he could be sold for just €10m (£9m) – that’s a fraction of what Brighton are drumming up for White.

In an ideal world, they secure both but Koch won’t be a bad alternative by any means.

AND in other news, Five realistic signings Leeds United should target this summer…

Manchester United have signed midfielder Donny van de Beek and a lot of fans are unable to contain their excitement following the club’s tweet announcing the transfer.

The Dutchman’s statistics show that he had a very good season in 2019/20, as he managed 10 goals and 11 assists in all competitions whilst averaging 1.9 shots, 1.8 key passes and two tackles a game, per WhoScored – this shows that he can make a big impact throughout the pitch.

According to BBC Sport, the 23-year-old has signed for £35m, plus £5m in add-ons, on a five-year contract, adding to a glitzy midfield which also contains Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes. Van de Beek racked up 21 goal contributions last term whilst Pogba managed four  in 16 games and Fernandes totalled 15 for United, per WhoScored.

It is clear to see why a lot of United fans are excited by the signing and it will be interesting to see how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lines up for the 2020/21 season.

Here is what these fans said following the confirmation of Van de Beek’s arrival at Old Trafford:

Man United fans, how excited are you to see Donny van de Beek play for the club? Comment below with your views!

Celtic are closing in on a new signing this week and if reports are to be believed, then it’s an absolute masterstroke from Nick Hammond…

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Scottish champions are on the verge of clinching Motherwell midfielder David Turnbull after a long-term contract was agreed between the player and the club.

It’s claimed that the Hoops have submitted a bid in excess of £2m to their SPFL rivals and hope to strike a deal out before the end of the week.

The 21-year-old signed a new deal back in March in order to maintain his value and very nearly became a Bhoys player last summer before his move collapsed after a medical.

Bargain hunters

Neil Lennon is landing one of the SPFL’s brightest young talents in Turnbull, so it’s no wonder he’s moving quick to secure him this time around with Tom Rogic heading out the exit door.

During the 2018/19 campaign, the Well playmaker provided 16 goals and seven assists but missed the majority of last season due to surgery.

Although he does seem to be back on track having averaged a whopping 3.6 key passes, 3.6 crosses and 3.4 shots per game in the opening five matches of this season (via WhoScored).

It means he is averaging more critical passes than current number ten Ryan Christie as well as more crosses than both of Lennon’s first-choice full-backs.

The 2019 SFWA Young Player of the Year was described as an “elegant” player by Lennon last year while Hoops skipper Scott Brown believes he’s got the “winning mentality” and would be a “fantastic” addition.

In addition to that, Well legend James McFadden has claimed that Turnbull is a “special talent” who’s “technically gifted”.

Parkhead will clearly reap the rewards from this one for years to come going by the aforementioned endorsements, all for a little over £2m.

AND in other news, Celtic keen on signing former Premier League flop…

Aston Villa’s summer spending spree isn’t finished just yet as Dean Smith looks to splash the cash for a second time.

Having brought in his old Brentford striker Ollie Watkins for £28m along with Lyon winger Bertrand Traore for £19m, it appears that the Villa chief is still after another attacker.

Wesley Moraes is still on the sidelines following a nasty ACL injury last season whilst the future of Mbwana Samatta is by no means certain with West Brom and Fenerbahce battling it out to clinch him on loan.

According to the Express & Star, Celtic’s leading talisman Odsonne Edouard is still very much a player on the shortlist of options but the Midlands outfit will need to make their move soon with the window closing in a little over two weeks time.

The 22-year-old is one of the most in-demand players in the United Kingdom at the minute with Everton, Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Newcastle United also touted with interest.

Although Edouard could cost in excess of £40m, as per the Daily Mail.

The young French powerhouse bagged a whopping 27 goals and even provided 19 assists last season as the Bhoys clinched a ninth title in a row – and his red hot form has continued into this term having already scored five times.

Neil Lennon has given him high praise in the past, he believes Edouard is an “outstanding footballer, talismanic almost” and is also so talented” whilst former Hoops forward Andy Walker believes he’d be a “bargain” for “any of the big boys” in the Premier League.

It very much remains to be seen if Celtic would sell their key star this close to the end of the window, but it would be on Johan Lange and co to make an offer they simply can’t refuse.

For now, he remains north of the border.

AND in other news, Villa need to swoop for £20m maestro after his latest transfer revelation…

Leeds United appear to be finding their feet in the Premier League, mixing it with the big boys superbly.

A narrow defeat to Liverpool and a 1-1 draw with Manchester City is certainly an encouraging sign that perhaps they’ll be looking towards the top half of the table rather than staring down the barrel at an instant return to the doldrums of the Football League.

We witnessed a thrilling game in the rain at Elland Road on Saturday evening with Marcelo Bielsa duelling his student, Pep Guardiola, but we also got a glimpse of an old issue.

City’s new-look backline, which included £64.3m record signing Ruben Dias, practically rendered Patrick Bamford ineffective as the Whites talisman failed to make much of an impact upfront.

Despite winning the Championship last season, Leeds had one of the worst chance conversion rates in the division, scoring just 12.5% of their opportunities (fifth-worst) and with Bamford starting all but one of their matches, he was certainly one of the problems.

Yes, the 27-year-old has begun the season in red-hot form banging in three goals in their opening three matches but the game last night displayed a little cause for concern that this streak isn’t likely to continue.

Bamford lost 100% of his four duels, touched the ball just 20 times, failed to score from four shots and missed one big chance, as per SofaScore.

The visiting duo of Dias and Aymeric Laporte silenced Leeds’ solitary striker for the first time this season.

Supporters at Elland Road have always been a bit divisive on the Englishman, especially as he once cost a decent-sized £10m chunk, so it’s only a matter of time before those contrasting opinions enter the fray once again.

Bamford is among the club’s highest earners on a reported £35k-per-week and it’s this figure that’ll put him under well-deserved scrutiny whenever he fails to make an impact.

Maybe it’ll be a one off, maybe it won’t. Those in Yorkshire will not want to see another lightweight display from their star man again.

AND in other news, Leeds need to stay away from ONE costly transfer target before Monday’s deadline…

Leeds United won’t be signing any more stars from La Liga or the Bundesliga, but there may still be deals to be done at Elland Road.

The domestic transfer window is still open until October 16th, and with Leeds reportedly targeting some of the Championship’s best players this summer, they could reignite their interest in any of the second-tier’s top stars.

The likes of Said Benrahma and Emi Buendia have been linked in the past, and if United still want to bolster their squad, now is the time to do it.

Of course, this also means that some players could be on their way out of Elland Road, with the likes of Robbie Gotts still needing a loan move to the lower leagues.

We’ve had a go at predicting what Leeds’ starting XI will look like after the domestic deadline.

As you can see, we’re not expecting too much to happen between now and the end of the domestic window.

The backline remains largely the same, but we are tipping Diego Llorente to take Robin Koch’s spot in the starting XI in what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest selection headaches Bielsa faces this season.

Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling retain their spots at full-back, but we do expect Dallas’ deputy to move on, with Barry Douglas receiving a lot of interest from both Watford and Blackburn Rovers.

The midfield does have some changes, Raphinha comes in on the right-wing after his £17m deadline day move, while Leeds also re-opened talks with Todd Cantwell over the weekend, and with over a week to conclude that deal, the Norwich man could soon be turning out at Elland Road.

We have Cantwell down as playing on the left due to a potential switch to inverted wingers after signing Raphinha, a left-footer who plays primarily on the right, but he could just as easily take Pablo Hernandez’s spot in this team.

We also fancy Rodrigo to earn a starting berth ahead of Patrick Bamford after the international break.

Pedro Caixinha’s reign at Ibrox with Glasgow Rangers was a disaster.

The Portuguese manager was hired in May 2017 in the hope that he guide the Gers back to the good times. However, it was a disaster almost as soon as it started. He spent a considerable amount of money on new players – £8.73m to be exact – but for the most part they struggled, with Eduardo Herrera and Carlos Pena failing to make an impact. Alfredo Morelos has been a superb signing, but he was the exception rather than the norm.

It soon got worse, as they were beaten by Luxembourg minnows Progres Niederkorn 2-1 on aggregate in their attempts to qualify for the Europa League. A 5-1 defeat against Celtic also followed, and he was sacked on this day three years ago. He lasted just 229 days – making him the shortest-serving permanent manager in the club’s history.

The Daily Record asked fans to share their thoughts on Caixinha in three words, and the Gers supporters were scathing in their opinion. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what they had to say about Caixinha

In other news, Rangers fans rage as this worrying coronavirus news emerges. Let us know what you think in the comments!