All posts by z3u9t.icu

Flocking to Twitter, many Leicester City fans have erupted over an official post by their club after what has been a rather lacklustre start to the 2021/2022 campaign.

Brendan Rodgers’ side, after a fruitful transfer window and clinching the Community Shield, certainly looked as if they could be right up there with the traditional top four at the very beginning of this new season.

While there is still time for the Foxes to continue their steady rise over these last few seasons and turn things around, results haven’t exactly gone swimmingly over the last month.

Leicester won just one game in all competitions over September, a Carabao Cup victory away to Millwall, whilst losing to the likes of Manchester City, Brighton and Legia Warsaw.

In their most recent outing, Rodgers’ side also blew a two-goal cushion away to Palace as they eventually shared the spoils in a 2-2 draw – with the club now dropping an official post on what awaits them after the international break.

Sharing the official fixture list for October, Leicester relayed the fact that Man United, Brentford and Arsenal await them in the Premier League this month while they also cope with cup games against Spartak Moscow and Brighton.

Flocking to Twitter, in reaction to the official post, many Foxes fans erupted with their takes on the challenges ahead – find all of their best ones down below.

Leicester fans flock to official club post…

“Championship here we come”

Credit: @Mahesh_y_m

“We’re losing all”

Credit: @Aaronic514

“oh wow 5 Ls”

Credit: @OliverRowe14

“0 points from 5”

Credit: @geoolihag

“We gonna be in the relegation zone by November tears”

Credit: @Lestahas

“L, L, L, L, L”

Credit: @SPW_85

“Mercy”

Credit: @JoBeanCash_

“Big big month ahead”

Credit: @Denzi10

An update has emerged on Southampton target Keane Lewis-Potter, regarding Hull’s expectation for the January window.

What’s the talk?

According to The Hull Daily Mail, Hull are expecting offers to come in for Keane Lewis-Potter in the January transfer window.

The report claims that Southampton have a firm interest in the forward and that Hull could find it difficult to stop him from leaving the club.

Exciting for Southampton

Southampton fans will surely be excited by this update as it suggests that the club could be ready to make a move for him in the next window. Hull seem to believe that Saints’ interest in the player is serious and that it could lead to an offer in the upcoming months, which could be exciting for supporters who may want to see the club add to the squad.

Lewis-Potter has impressed since breaking through into the Hull team and has produced two goals and one assist this term in the Championship. In the 2020/21 League One campaign, he racked up 13 goals and five assists for his side, showing that he could score and assist goals on a regular basis.

Last year, Hull manager Grant McCann lauded the youngster for his performances in League One. He said: “The kid’s a special talent. Wherever we play him across that frontline, he’ll create and score goals.

“He can be anything he wants to be. He’s quick, he’s getting stronger. If you see him physically now compared to where he was this time last year, he’s head and shoulders above in terms of his physique. He’s got all the tools to be anything he wants.

“With young players you need to keep on at them. They need to keep understanding what’s expected on an everyday level. We’ve got good staff around here to help Keano keep progressing.”

This shows how highly rated he is and why Saints fans could look forward to the prospect of him arriving at St. Mary’s in January. Ralph Hasenhuttl would be getting a 20-year-old attacker with scope for development, who could push the current first-team players whilst also being a long-term project for the manager to work on.

He could be one the fans are able to enjoy watching over the course of a number of seasons, watching his progress, instead of someone who comes in and provides quality straight away.

AND in other news, 5 tackles won: Southampton powerhouse with 7 duels won stole the show vs SUFC…

Celtic may have their first win of the Ange Postecoglou reign under their belts but they cannot neglect the need to bring more new faces to Paradise.

Joe Hart and James McCarthy became members of the Hoops family last week but there is still plenty of work to be done.

On the chalkboard

Anthony Ralston has performed admirably this season after coming in for scrutiny that he wasn’t good enough for Celtic.

Those claims made sense considering he played just once for the Bhoys last term. However, he’s been ever-present since Ange Postecoglou took charge and even scored a wonderful goal against Hearts last weekend.

Ralston collected the ball from Odsonne Edouard before dancing beyond several defenders and then planting the ball past Craig Gordon from inside the area.

He also scored against Dundee on Sunday afternoon in their 6-0 thrashing to continue his mightily impressive campaign.

Though, if Celtic are serious about advancing in Europe and contending for the title again, they will need to sign an improvement.

That’s why supporters should be delighted that they are in discussions to sign Royal Antwerp defender Aurelio Buta.

He’s been on Celtic’s radar for a number of weeks now but Sky Sports reported last Friday that a bid of £4.5m was now being prepared.

If they can lure him to Paradise, it would be an almighty upgrade on Ralston.

The Glaswegian side haven’t replaced Jeremie Frimpong since he left for Bayer Leverkusen last January but Buta would help them significantly.

He is a tackling machine and is equally adept in forward phases of play. Dubbed “very gifted” by journalist, Aster Nzeyimana, the 24-year-old completed 1.2 tackles per match in 2020/21.

That’s a tally that would have equalled Frimpong’s success rate in a Celtic shirt from the same season.

Hailed as one of the best full-backs in the Belgian top-flight, Buta would be an exceptional piece of business by Postecoglou and co.

They have needed a permanent full-back for the best part of eight months now and thus, fans should be excited at the idea of signing him.

Ralston has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign but he is still relatively unproven in the Premiership over a prolonged period of time.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Edouard: Celtic can boost title hopes by signing “wonderful” 19-goal beast…

Eberechi Eze will travel north with the Crystal Palace squad for Saturday’s Premier League clash with Burnley, manager Patrick Vieira has confirmed. 

Eze has not played for Palace since the 3-2 victory over Aston Villa back in May.

He suffered a serious Achilles injury in training the following week.

But now, more than six months on, he’s on the verge of a return to first-team action.

Vieira revealed that Eze completed 90 minutes in an in-house friendly and is training with his team-mates once again.

As a result, he’s in line to potentially get some minutes at Turf Moor.

Eze’s return: A big boost for Palace

In his debut season at Selhurst Park, Eze ranked in Palace’s top five performers, according to WhoScored data, an impressive feat for a youngster only just emerging in top flight football.

He led the way in the Eagles’ ranks for assists, key passes and dribbles per 90 minutes.

The official Crystal Palace Twitter account relayed Vieira’s comments, and here’s what supporters had to say.

Palace fans express excitement ahead of Eze comeback

“Excellent”

Credit: @SilverGeoff

“Super”

Credit: @123456789ogfk

“The Prem has missed its best midfielder”

Credit: @45RileyC

“ahh my boy is back tomorrow, the prem is in trouble”

Credit: @pogzizouu

“imma cry when I see this man on the pitch again”

Credit: @tklug13

“Eze in the squad tomorrow!”

Credit: @FPL_EZE

“Scary hours”

Credit: @cpfc_austin

In other news, fans also flocked to this Nathan Ferguson update.

Many Glasgow Rangers fans are delighted with an image of a small model Gers shirt which has been shared on Twitter.

The Gers are preparing for the new campaign after a fantastic 2020/21. They won the Premiership for the first time in 10 years as they went through the whole league campaign without experiencing a single defeat (thefishy.co.uk), and they are now in with a chance of reaching the Champions League group stage.

However, Twitter user @TinyJerseys has been looking to Rangers’ past rather than the future, and has put together a fantastic miniature model featuring a Gers jersey from the 1996/97 season, famously worn by the likes of Ally McCoist, Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup. The attention to detail in the design is impressive, to say the least.

An image of the shirt was shared on the @TinyJerseys account and it attracted plenty of attention from Gers supporters. These fans to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the ‘tremendous’ design.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the image

“Exquisite”

Credit: @jackfrankwitts

“Outstanding”

Credit: @GoterborgL

“Tremendous.”

Credit: @BaldyBanger

“Top draw as always pal”

Credit: @CugeC1

“Excellent again”

Credit: @wearra61

“Do you sell these, they are fantastic”

Credit: @bobstar1701

In other news, Rangers are set to sell this “fautless” ace.

Leeds United could have up to an extra £35million to spend on signings in the summer transfer window, according to expert Kieran Maguire.

The Lowdown: Key summer at Leeds

The Whites enjoyed a triumphant return to the Premier League last season, finishing ninth in the table and arguably playing some of the most attractive football in the division.

It is vital that Marcelo Bielsa doesn’t rest on his laurels, however, strengthening his squad this summer and looking for an even better finish next time around.

The Latest: Expert provides big update

Leeds look to set to have receive a major boost, in that respect, with a hefty amount of funds seemingly set to be available for Bielsa in the next few months.

Speaking to Football Insider, football finance expert Maguire outlined precisely why this will be the case, with as much as £35million extra to spend mooted:

“Leeds can certainly afford to spend more. They have had substantial financial developments. They finished 9th and probably budgeted to finish something like 16th.

“So realistically, they’ve got an extra £15-20m from that particular [prize money] pot. They were also chosen as the first picks for matches to be broadcast live on TV 24 times, so that’s an extra £14m.

“That’s because the first 10 picks are considered part of the overall deal and anything above that is an additional £1m per match.

“So we’ve automatically got around about £35m in the budget that they hadn’t originally budgeted for.”The sponsors are very keen to get into bed with them too, so you’d imagine that Leeds will have a pretty good budget to work with this summer.”

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The Verdict: Time to go up another level

Leeds are in the best position they have been in for many years and this update is a major positive for them in their quest to push towards a European finish next season.

Bielsa doesn’t need to make huge changes to his squad, but bringing in a few top class players could improve his starting lineup and make the squad depth even more formidable.

It is a crucial summer in which Leeds have to get their business right – if they do, they should aim big in 2021/22.

In other news, Leeds have been linked with an incredible move for one player this summer. Find out who it is here. 

Some Liverpool supporters have been left stunned by a statistic which has emerged regarding the Reds’ domestic cup opponents under Jurgen Klopp.

Klopp has masterminded a wonderful period in Liverpool’s history, winning the Premier League and Champions League, as well as playing some breathtaking football along the way.

But while the German has shone in the league and in Europe – he also reached the Europa League final in 2016 – he has done very little in the domestic cups.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

Liverpool reached the League Cup final in 2016, losing to Manchester City on penalties, but they have never even got to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with Klopp at the helm.

The Reds have been drawn away to Norwich City in the third round of the League Cup, the latest top-flight opponent to be pitted against them.

In fact, Liverpool have faced Premier League teams 18 times out of a possible 27 in the domestic cups under Klopp, as revealed by journalist Ian Doyle on Twitter.

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Liverpool fans bemused by cup statistic

These Reds fans took to Twitter to show their bemusement at the statistic.

“This is ridiculously bad luck”

Credit: @daleyland

“Whereas Man City have now been drawn against lower league opposition 27 times in 18 domestic cup draws under Pep Guardiola”

Credit: @jrewingL4

“And people wonder why we haven’t won one”

Credit: @Ronnie_lfc19

“Don’t tell me this isn’t rigged”

Credit: @jimmers1976

“An amazing stat when you think about it”

Credit: @binfampho

“Nuts this”

Credit: @Web6times

In other news, some Liverpool fans are also unhappy about a transfer update that has emerged. Read more here.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore is keen on signing Nathaniel Mendez-Laing this summer, according to Dom Howson.

The Lowdown: Great summer for Sheff Wed

The Owls may have suffered relegation from the Championship last season, but there is real positivity in the air at the moment.

Not only do Wednesday top League One after four matches, winning three games and drawing the other, but they have also enjoyed a hugely productive summer, signing a host of new names.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The Latest: Mendez-Laing interest confirmed

With deadline day approaching looming on Tuesday, the Owls’ business may not be done just yet, with Howson confirming Moore’s interest in free agent Mendez-Laing, in a Q&A for Yorkshire Live:

“I know he is someone that was mentioned to Wednesday earlier in the summer. I am led to believe that Moore likes him as a player. “The difficulty with all free agents is how long it will take to get them up to match speed. Mendez-Laing, for instance, has not got a pre-season under his belt so you could be looking at anywhere between six to eight weeks to get him fully fit and firing.”

Mendez-Laing spent last season at Middlesbrough, making just two Championship starts, and the 29-year-old may be desperate for a new challenge.

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The Verdict: Another exciting addition

While Wednesday aren’t necessarily in desperate need of any more signings, bringing in Mendez-Laing can only help increase competition for places in wide areas.

The Englishman has a wealth of Championship experience, not to mention making 20 Premier League appearances for Cardiff City back in 2018/19.

It could be a shrewd addition, especially as no fee would be required to sign him.

In other news, one Sheff Wed player has been tipped to join the Owls on a permanent move. Find out who it is here.

Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend has revealed he’s received offers from overseas with his contract set to expire over the summer.

What’s the story?

The 29-year-old is one of 14 first-team players approaching the end of their current deals at Selhurst Park, and he disclosed on a recent interview on TalkSport how his future looks like it will be away from the south London outfit.

Speaking live on air, Townsend claimed he’s been approached by a number of clubs and will assess his options in the weeks to come.

“I’ve had a few offers from overseas. Waiting, hopefully now the season’s ended, for the Premier League offers to come in, and then I’ll just sit down with my agent and see which is the best offer for me at this time of my career, ” he said.

Fans will be gutted

Although Townsend may not have set the world alight during his five-year stint at Palace, scoring just 16 goals in 185 games for the capital club, he is certainly a useful player to have around.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United man contributes to the Eagles’ play in other aspects than just in terms of goals and his underlying numbers for 2020/21 indicate he’s still very much a key figure when given the chance to shine.

Townsend’s haul of five Premier League assists was only bettered by the impressive Eberechi Eze, while the pair’s 1.1 shots per game were the joint-third highest totals.

The former England international was again only behind Eze in terms of key passes per game this season, recording an impressive total of 1.2, and Townsend’s 1.6 crosses per game was the highest total in the first-team squad by far, as per WhoScored.

His direct nature once saw former Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas describe the speed demon as a “fearless player” who can “drive forward and produce great link-up play” which is a set of attributes that could come in handy for whichever manager succeeds Roy Hodgson.

With multiple changes expected at Selhurst Park following the 73-year-old’s departure, some continuity could be extremely beneficial to Palace, and news of Townsend’s potentially imminent exit will surely leave large sections of the club’s supporters gutted.

And, in other news…Forget Tomkins: Crystal Palace must move for £2.7m-rated beast who bullied Rashford 

Liverpool have joined the chase for RB Leipzig’s Austrian midfielder, Konrad Laimer.

What’s the word?

That is according to the latest reports from Inside Futbol, via German outlet Kicker, who claim that Klopp’s side are “interested” in the 24-year-old and have now joined the race with Manchester United.

The Austrian has attracted the attention of a number of clubs across Europe with his positive performances in the Leipzig engine room.

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Which has prompted the interest of Bayern Munich, Manchester United and now Liverpool, who are said to be “looking” at the Austrian.

Their own Bellingham

The £23.4m-rated “talent” as described by Journalist Constantin Eckner is just what Liverpool need in their midfield arsenal, bearing in mind the likes of Jordan Henderson and Thiago (both 31) are approaching precarious ages in which they will soon require more frequent rotation.

Having progressed through the Red Bull set-up after beginning his career at RB Salzburg, the Austrian dubbed “sensational” by host of LiveScore Jack Collins has been a key component for Domenico Tedesco’s side after overcoming an ankle fracture that saw him miss almost the entirety of the Bundesliga campaign last season.

His four goals and four assists in the league have made him a valuable asset for Tedesco, with his defensive acumen another one of the attributes that make him comparable to Jude Bellingham, who Liverpool have also been linked to recently.

For a fraction of the price, Laimer could well be Liverpool’s very own Jude Bellingham, with metrics such as 0.51 goal-creating actions per 90 close to the Englishman’s 0.64 GCA per 90.

With Liverpool’s beautiful balance of possession football and directness, through ball passes are always welcome in Klopp’s system and Laimer can offer just that, with his 0.26 through balls per 90 placing him in the elite category amongst positionally similar players, whilst Bellingham is around that mark with 0.21.

With 19 attacking returns (six goals, 13 assists) from 40 appearances this season in comparison to Laimer’s ranks slightly better as a creative threat this season.

Though Laimer makes up for this with significantly higher stats in the defensive side of his game.

The price tag between the two must also be taken into consideration, with Laimer rated at £23.4m and Bellingham around €100m (£83m).

In other news: Liverpool now plot bid for “sensational” 19-goal gem worth £67m, imagine him and Salah