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Report: Club want to offer Newcastle Denmark international in exchange for 31y/o
According to The Sun, Championship side Bournemouth have a long-term desire to bring Newcastle United winger Matt Ritchie back to the Vitality Stadium, and they are ready to let Philip Billing go the other way in a swap deal. Sportslens View The 31-year-old left the Cherries in 2016 after four seasons that produced 31 goals in 142 appearances across three different divisions, and has since established himself as a key player for the Magpies. Ritchie left the top-flight to link up with Newcastle in the Championship, helping them seal an immediate return to the EPL with 12 goals and seven assists in 42 league games. He has played just eight times in the Premier League for Newcastle this term, and while he does not have a goal or assist yet, Bournemouth are keen on his expertise when it comes...
Report: Spurs keeping close eye on £20m target, club officials watched him in midweek
According to reports from the Sunday Mirror (print edition, page 72), Tottenham Hotspur are keeping a close eye on Norwich City defender Max Aarons. Spurs have been heavily interested in the young defender for some time now, and the club officials watched him in action recently during Norwich’s clash against Bristol City in midweek. The 21-year-old is a highly exciting young full-back and Spurs are closely following his situation. He has more than three years left on his contract at Carrow Road and is rated at £20 million. Sportslens View Aarons is primarily a right-back, but he can also play as a left-back. The youngster impressed last season in the Premier League for Norwich. This season, he has managed just one goal for the Canaries in the Championship and has failed to ...
‘He knows the game inside out’: Chelsea urged to target 53-year-old as Lampard’s replacement
Chelsea have been urged to consider Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl as a replacement for Frank Lampard. The Blues have slipped down to eighth in the Premier League after a disappointing run of form, cranking up the pressure on their current boss. Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips, who also had a spell with Saints, told Stadium Astro that the Austrian has the ability to be a success at Stamford Bridge. “I think he’s almost got that (Jurgen) Klopp appearance about him, that authority,” he said. “He’s a big guy, he’s very intelligent, he knows the game inside out. “The big thing for the club is, can they keep hold of him? The biggest problem is keeping hold of their manager. “He’s doing a really good job down on the south coast. I wouldn’t like to see Frank lose his job, I don’t l...
‘Unplayable’, ‘Superb’: Some Man United fans hail 23-year-old’s performance vs Liverpool
A section of Manchester United fans on Twitter have praised the performance of Marcus Rashford during the club’s 3-2 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup fourth round yesterday. The England international has generally excelled against the Reds at home (three goals in the last three games) and he continued the fine run with a goal and an assist. The 23-year-old delivered an inch-perfect cross-field ball in the opening half which put Mason Greenwood clear on goal to score the equaliser. Shortly after the interval, the roles were reversed as Greenwood turned provider for Rashford, who gave United the lead on the counter-attack. Rhy Williams’ missed interception allowed Rashford to go one-on-one with Alisson and he calmly slotted the ball past the advancing goalkeeper. Bruno Fernandes de...
Tactical Analysis: How Manchester City narrowly avoided a huge upset against Cheltenham Town
The FA Cup produced yet another cracker as Premier League title contenders Manchester City visited the Jonny-Rocks Stadium (sadly without John Stones) to face League Two side Cheltenham Town. Pep Guardiola’s side were expected to coast home and advance with ease, but the side with the meanest defence in the fourth-tier last season proved to be a tough nut to crack. Cheltenham battled hard in the first half and went into the break level, before opening the scoring through Alfie May in the second half. City did survive the scare in the end, though, as late goals from Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres saw them come away with a 1-3 win. But, the Robins pushed the Mancunian giants further than even some Premier League teams, so here is an analysis of their spirited performance, C...
‘Unreal’, ‘Hero’, ‘Absolutely boss’ – Some Villa fans are in awe of 23-yr-old’s performance
Aston Villa cruised to a 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the Premier League last night. Dean Smith’s side were comfortably better than their opponents and could have easily won with a bigger margin. Newcastle have been quite poor in the recent weeks and they failed to step up once again at Villa Park. They have lost their last five matches in all competitions. Steve Bruce could find his side fighting relegation if things do not improve quickly. Meanwhile, Villa produced a complete performance and there were several impressive displays all across the pitch. However, 23-year-old Ezri Konsa stood out once again with a splendid performance for his side. The young centre back has been dribbled past just once this season and he looked at ease against the Newcastle attackers. He managed to ...
‘Hopeless’, ‘Joke of a player’ – Some Newcastle fans tear into 28-yr-old after Villa defeat
Newcastle United put in a disappointing display against Aston Villa in the Premier League last night. Steve Bruce’s side were beaten 2-0 but the manner in which they lost the game will worry the fans. The Magpies crashed to their fifth straight defeat in all competitions and the fans will be thoroughly disappointed with some of the performances against Villa. The home side comfortably outplayed them, and most of the Newcastle players simply failed to show up. Summer signing Jeff Hendrick produced an abysmal display for the away side. Some Newcastle fans heavily criticised the midfielder on social media after the game. The former Burnley midfielder kept giving the ball away and he lacked the desire to work hard and press the opposition players. When Hendrick was signed, the fans expected a ...
‘Would be a dream’ – Some Celtic fans react after hearing 60-yr-old could replace Lennon
Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has been linked with a move to Celtic. The Scottish champions are under immense pressure after a mediocre start to the season and manager Neil Lennon could be out of a job soon. The Hoops are currently 23 points behind bitter rivals Rangers in the League table and they were expected to perform a lot better this season. Celtic had the chance to win their 10th league title in a row this year but the chances are slim given their position in the table. According to Mirror, Benitez is set to take over at Parkhead after quitting quit Chinese Super League club Dalian Pro. SL View: Too expensive for Celtic? Benitez has proven himself across Europe in Spain, Italy and England. He would be a sensational addition for Celtic but the appointment seems hig...
Report: West Brom want to sign former Leicester City attacker, medical planned next week
West Bromwich Albion are looking to land the signature of Ahmed Musa on a short-term contract, a report from The Mail claims. The Baggies have experienced a tough return to the top-flight this season and they are in the relegation zone at the midway stage of the campaign, six points adrift of safety. The lack of goals from their main strikers has been a concern with Callum Robinson failing to score since September while summer signing Karlan Grant, who is currently injured, has netted only one. Hence, the west Midlands outfit are on the search for reinforcements and it is reported that they are keen on signing former Leicester City forward Musa, who is available as a free-agent this month. The 95-cap Nigeria international was released by Al-Nassr in November last year and he could sign the...
Report: Newcastle and Celtic told to forget about appointing 60-year-old
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague says that Rafa Benitez will not be the next manager of Celtic or Newcastle United. Benitez left his role as boss of Chinese side Dalian Professional this week and was immediately linked with a return to British football. However, Balague has told the BBC that while there was interest from Celtic in securing Benitez’s services, he will not replace Neil Lennon. He also added that a return to St James’ Park is not on the cards while Mike Ashley retains ownership of the club. “Newcastle is not an option for Rafa Benitez under this owner,” said Balague. “Change the owner and then maybe. “Rafa has a huge respect for the fans, the club, the town. And I feel there is a bit of an unfinished business there.” SL View Given Benitez’s salary expectations, Ce...
‘Pay the money’, ‘No brainer’: Some Crystal Palace fans want 24-year-old winger signed
A section of Crystal Palace fans on Twitter have urged the club to land the signature of out-of-favour Leicester City winger Demarai Gray this month. Gray has dropped down the pecking order under manager Brendan Rodgers this term, making just two appearances in all competitions for the club. With under six months left on his contract, the Foxes are considering the 24-year-old’s sale this month and The Mail claims that he is valued at only £1.8 million. Palace are in the running to sign former Birmingham City graduate, but they face competition from Bundesliga heavyweights Bayer Leverkusen. A selection of Palace fans have reacted positively to the transfer speculation and believe it is a no-brainer for the club to sign Gray for the price quoted. Twitter Reactions: 24, ridiculously chea...
Report: West Ham keen to sign ‘top class’ Newcastle target on loan
West Ham United are keen to sign Manchester United full-back Brandon Williams on loan in the January transfer window, according to reports from The Sun. Williams made a strong impact at Old Trafford last season where he managed 36 appearances, but he has struggled for regular games in 2020-21. The versatile full-back has dropped down the pecking order at the club managing only six appearances in all competitions so far. Luke Shaw has nailed down the left-back position with an extended run in the side, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has summer signing Alex Telles as another reliable option. United rate the youngster highly and Solskjaer hailed him as ‘top-class’ after his impressive performance in the Europa League clash against AZ Alkmaar last year. While Wil...
