All posts by z3u9t.icu

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…

Ronaldinho is one of the universally beloved former stars in the world of football. And even though he is also part of the Barcelona faithful, having spent the best years of his career at the Catalan club, recently, in a pre-match press conference ahead of an exhibition game, the Brazilian talked about Real Madrid’s 19-year-old talent, as reported by EFE (via Marca).

What did he say?

It’s strange seeing a Barcelona legend talked extensively about a big Real Madrid talent but the thing that connects Ronaldinho to Vinicius Junior is their nationality.

Both the young star and the retired veteran are Brazilians and it doesn’t really come as a surprise to hear the now 39-year-old ex-Blaugrana icon shower Los Blancos’ talent with such praise.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Ronaldinho mentioned how Vinicius is already playing for a big club and then went on to say he will become one of the world’s best in the not so distant future.

Here’s what he said in full:

“[Vinicius] is already at one of the best clubs in the world. I think he will soon be there, among the best.”

A hidden gem

Vinicius had a rocky start to his Real Madrid career, to say the least.

After a brilliant first season in which he managed to score seven goals and assist a further 13, it unfortunately all went downhill for the young talent.

Of course, a big part of that was actually an unlucky injury as Vinicius was sidelined by a ruptured knee ligament, making him miss out on nine games in total and more importantly, stopping his red-hot form altogether.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

And he’s been struggling to truly reach those heights once again.

In the ongoing 2019/20 season, the Brazilian has only managed to accumulate 313 minutes in a total of seven games across all competitions so far, scoring one goal and assisting another in the process.

And sure enough, when his form went down and he started struggling, the alarm bells were all ringing in the media for quite a while.

But Ronaldinho seems to believe Vinicius is destined for greatness and if the 2018/19 campaign and his stint at Flamengo, during which he scored ten goals and assisted four in 49 games, are any indication, the talent and the potential are certainly there.

Real Madrid have a true gem on their hands and it will be up to them to groom him properly so he can become one of the best players in the world.

Ronaldinho seems to believe that is possible so why shouldn’t Real Madrid believe it as well?

[ad_pod ]

So even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now admits Manchester United are in major need of a striker.

The Norwegian saw both Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez depart Old Trafford this summer, but no replacement for the two forwards was brought in.

The United boss has now revealed “you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know it’s a forward we’re going to try to recruit next time”.

Further to that, The Athletic claim the Red Devils plan to make another swoop for Juventus forward Mario Mandzukic in the January transfer window, after they came “very close” to signing him in the summer.

After hearing about the club potentially going back in for the Croatia international, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their opinions on the 33-year-old.

Many supporters of the Manchester side threw their backing behind a possible swoop, and one fan in particular suggested it “makes perfect sense”.

Some pointed to his huge level of experience as a major reason why United would be doing the right thing in targeting the 6 foot 3 striker again in the winter.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Marcelo Bielsa hasn’t done a lot wrong while in charge of Leeds but two matches have now gone by where he’s lamented his own decisions.

In Leeds’ win over West Brom, his choice to bring on Tyler Roberts for the injured Jamie Shackleton saw them lose control in the midfield before eventually putting Stuart Dallas in that role instead.

However, the defeat against Millwall saw more poor decision making from the 64-year-old.

This time it involved Dallas again, but also Luke Ayling.

The 28-year-old was returning from injury and made his first start for the first team since undergoing ankle surgery.

He played ahead of Dallas at right-back who consequently started in the middle of the park. The red card to Gaetano Berardi changed the nature of the game, however, as Ayling was moved into the centre of defence as the match played out.

It was a judgment call that ultimately saw Bamford have to drop deep as the entire system Leeds begun the game with was thrown up in the air.

Starting Ayling ahead of Dallas, who has arguably been one of Leeds’ most consistent players this term, was intriguing.

The former Arsenal man started 40 times in 2018/19 but his main competition has earned rave reviews from supporters and averaged the fifth-highest match rating of any Leeds man according to WhoScored.

While it may have gone better with 11 men on the pitch, Ayling didn’t look too comfortable at centre-half, a role he was playing in for the first time in ten months.

It was far from a disastrous display but it rather proved that Bielsa’s tactical gamble backfired. The first of which was playing Berardi and the second was perhaps rushing Ayling back because of injuries elsewhere.

Throughout the game he made just a solitary interception and one tackle while he also gave away a considerable three fouls, via WhoScored.

Why are Leeds fans the best in the country? Find out in the video below…

It was a testing afternoon for the entire Leeds side as they suffered defeat with what was a makeshift XI.

Ayling was thrown in at the deep end on his return and it was rather unfortunate that this occurred.

Had Leeds signed more defensive cover in the summer he may have had a more straightforward route back into the side.

As it happened, the defender put in a rather underwhelming display statistically. As a result, Bielsa will have to think long and hard about whether Ayling should play at centre back or even if he should start ahead of Dallas.

[ad_pod ]England boss Gareth Southgate has announced his squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo.

The Three Lions boss has included a number of new faces in his pool, with Aston Villa’s Tyrone Mings earning his first call-up to the national team.

Leicester City’s James Maddison could also win his first cap, while Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has also been included, though Manchester City’s Kyle Walker is left out, as is Tottenham’s Dele Alli; Atletico Madrid’s Kieran Trippier has earned his way back into the squad after being left out of the selection for the Nations League finals in the summer.

Football FanCast, as a result, has taken a look at three options available to Southgate as he looks to get six points on the board in qualification.

EXPERIENCE

This is blessed with experienced heads but there is still an embryonic feeling to Southgate’s project and the inclusion of a handful of young players in this XI reflects that.

Jordan Pickford has emerged as England’s first-choice No.1, while Kieran Trippier and Harry Maguire both enjoyed excellent World Cups in 2018.

Michael Keane has won seven caps, while Danny Rose remains a steady hand at left-back.

Declan Rice, of course, is still young but he is an excellent defensive midfielder and has been tried and tested by Southgate before, while Jordan Henderson is a Champions League winner.

Raheem Sterling is an incredibly exciting attacker and everyone knows just how good he is.

Sancho is far from your typical experienced figurehead at just 19, but he already has six caps under his belt and has been playing with maturity at both club and international level since he broke onto the scene.

Harry Kane leading the line would be something of a no-brainer; he is the best striker England have and won the Golden Boot at the World Cup.

EXPERIMENTAL

There’s this option, too.

Nick Pope is an excellent goalkeeper and has been superb for Burnley for quite some time now.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is an exceptional full-back and could be given the nod ahead of Trippier as he bids to make the right-back slot his own.

Ben Chilwell is a terrific left-back and has shown as much at Leicester City, though he is just 22. Joe Gomez and Mings are both excellent centre-backs and have been terrific for Liverpool and Villa; they could be a superb partnership for their country.

Harry Winks has won just three caps despite showing his ability for Spurs, while Mount is an exceptional talent.

Sterling could well be rested in favour of Lingard, though he is more experienced than the majority of this XI; it is often forgotten that he’s 26.

Adding James Maddison and Marcus Rashford into the attack, along with Sancho, would add some craft and pace, too.

Watch Premier League Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

THE IDEAL MIX

This is exciting.

A full-back pairing of Alexander-Arnold and Chilwell would add pace, assiduity and exceptional crossing ability, while Maguire and Mings would be a remarkably powerful centre-back pairing, complementing each other with their excellent distribution from their favoured side of the defensive unit.

Winks and Henderson playing in midfield would perhaps be a tad static but Sterling, Sancho and Maddison playing behind Kane is a trio absolutely packed with pace and skill.

This is legitimately an XI that could go toe-to-toe with a number of major European countries; it would overwhelm both Bulgaria and Kosovo.

[ad_pod ]

[ad_pod ]

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

Back in the summer, Crystal Palace were strongly linked with a move for CSKA Moscow striker Fedor Chalov.

Reports even suggested that the Eagles made a £14m bid for the Russia international, which was rejected by the side who impressively beat Real Madrid inside the Bernabeu in last season’s Champions League – Chalov found the net in that game.

Russian outlet Championat reported that the south Londoners would be making an improved offer for the 21-year-old, although it appears that no second bid was officially made.

Presumably, the man with 33 goals in total for CSKA will remain on Palace’s radar given his fine start to the campaign.

Chalov has three goals and two assists in nine Russian Premier League appearances so far this term, and his style continues to suggest that he would be a better fit under Roy Hodgson than Christian Benteke is.

We recently outlined why Jordan Ayew’s impressive start to the campaign, coupled with Benteke’s goalless run of form and spell out of the starting XI, proves that the target man era at Selhurst Park is no more, while Hodgson is in charge at least.

So, with Chalov standing at 5 foot 11 – one inch smaller than Ayew – and maintaining his impressive goalscoring knack by building on his 15 goals from 2018/19, the Russian striker would be a much better fit for Palace right now than Benteke.

His goals in the above video from the Russian Premier League’s official YouTube channel showcase how effective Chalov is with the ball at his feet, further reinforcing his suitability to Hodgson’s system, while also weakening any argument someone might have for Benteke’s hopes under the former England manager.

Chalov is an instinctive goalscorer whose movement in and around the box appears to be very good – based on his excellent start to the season, Palace should re-enter the bidding when the transfer window reopens.

[ad_pod ]

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino vetoed a move for AS Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans, per Belgian media outlet Het Belang van Limburg, via Sport Witness.

According to The Telegraph’s Midlands football reporter John Percy on Twitter, the midfielder is now reportedly poised to move to Leicester City in a loan deal that will see Adrien Silva go the other way, also on loan.

However, the aforementioned report, via Sport Witness, claims that Spurs’ hierarchy were keen on a move for Tielemans, with a purchase option included in any loan deal.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Pochettino, however, is said to have nixed the potential deal, as he was unconvinced by the qualities offered by the Belgian.

Tielemans has won 19 caps for his country, per Transfermarkt, and has been a key member of Monaco’s squad this season, starting a total of 30 games in all competitions and chipping in with five goals.

And it’s fair to say that the news that Pochettino was not keen on the midfielder has not gone down too well on Twitter.

[ad_pod ]

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…

Joe Gomez has endured a difficult spell of late but the international break provides him with a chance to prove to Jurgen Klopp that he should be a regular starter for the Reds.

He started last season as the main defensive partner to Virgil van Dijk, but subsequent injuries reduced him to 17 starts, and allowed Joel Matip to take his place in the starting line-up.

Despite starting Liverpool’s opening three games of the season, Gomez has since found himself out of favour under the German, but playing against Bulgaria or Kosovo could help to change that.

The 22-year-old has only seven caps but has impressed in an England shirt before. His ability should help to make England resolute defensively, and his passing out from defence could help the Three Lions unlock the opposition.

Not only should Gareth Southgate allow him to play, but he could give him the opportunity to play alongside his Liverpool teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold, and that could be vital moving forward.

The duo started together in only 12 games for the Anfield outfit last term, mostly because Gomez often played at right-back when he did appear, and that means the two playing alongside each other are relatively unproven.

Despite their pedigree of winning games and playing in Europe, the pair are still young and inexperienced, which could explain why Klopp often chooses to play Matip.

With only Kieran Trippier to rival his place in the team, it is very possible Alexander-Arnold will start, and with regular starter John Stones omitted from the squad there is a perfect opportunity for the former Charlton player to impress, too.

If the two can show their understanding and work well on the right side of England’s defence, then they could do enough to persuade the Liverpool boss, which would certainly work out in Gomez’s favour as he seems to have lost out on the right-back slot to his teammate as things stand.

[ad_pod ]

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side will be looking to return to winning ways as they head into Scottish Cup action on Friday night.

They were held to a 1-1 draw by Aberdeen in the Premiership earlier this week and now come up against League Two outfit Stirling Albion.

This match could be an opportunity for a number of fringe players to get welcome minutes and for others to find their confidence following the frustrating draw with the Dons.

How many changes will Van Bronckhorst make from Tuesday night? Here is our predicted XI…

We are predicting that he will make seven alterations to the side from the draw at Pittodrie, with Jon McLaughlin, Leon Balogun, Jack Simpson, Cedric Itten, Fashion Sakala, Alex Lowry and John Lundstram all coming in.

Starting off between the sticks, McLaughlin could get the nod to enjoy some minutes after a lengthy spell out of the team. He has not played a competitive game for Rangers since 9 December against Lyon, and this is the perfect chance to bring him back in for a match.

Van Bronckhorst could also swap out his two first-choice centre-backs, Connor Goldson and Calvin Bassey, to start Balogun and Simpson for the same reason. The aforementioned duo have started every game under the Dutchman and could be rested for this cup clash.

The Scotsman have reported that Lowry will be given his first-team bow in this game and we are predicting that it will come from the start. The 18-year-old could be handed the opportunity to show what he can do over the course of 90 minutes at senior level, which could be an audition for his chance to play in the Premiership between now and the end of the season.

Lundstram could then come in alongside him in place of Glen Kamara, with James Sands keeping his spot in the XI. The American, who joined from New York City FC this month, could need additional minutes to build relationships with his new team-mates, which is why he could start tonight.

In the frontline, Sakala and Itten could both be played from the start in order to help them find some form in front of goal. They both came off the bench in the draw at Aberdeen, and Van Bronckhorst could axe Alfredo Morelos and Scott Wright from the team.

The Colombian endured a difficult night against the Dons and could be axed from the XI as a result. The £33k-per-week gem was not at his best, so handing him a rest here could be a shrewd call by the head coach.

AND in other news, “He is the one”: Journalist delivers big Rangers transfer claim which will get fans excited…

Duncan Ferguson slumped to a 1-0 defeat in his first game in charge at Everton at the hands of Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

An Emi Buendia header from former Toffees left-back Lucas Digne’s corner was enough to give Steven Gerrard’s team all three points at Goodison Park, in what was another disappointing result for the hosts.

Using statistical experts SofaScore, The Transfer Tavern have analysed who the three worst performers (to have played at least 45 minutes) were for Everton on the day:

Dominic Calvert-Lewin (6.4)

Admittedly tied with Jonjoe Kenny in terms of rating (6.4), Calvert-Lewin ranks in third here as he also picked up a yellow card.

The striker registered no shots on target and only had 36 touches of the ball in total, fewer than Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. He also lost out on no fewer than 17 of his duels, by far the most out of any player on the pitch, and lost the ball 15 times.

Andre Gomes (6.3)

Gomes has the same rating as the worst player (6.3), but ranks second in our classification as he did not play the full game.

The Portuguese midfielder lost eight duels and failed to have a strike on goal, while he also made no clearances or interceptions. He also recorded no key passes and gave the ball away on six occasions before being substituted early in the second half.

Mason Holgate (6.3)

Also with a 6.3 rating, Holgate ranked as the worst player for the Blues, as he was left on the pitch for the full 90 minutes.

The defender was beaten in seven individual duels and made no clearances, while he too was guilty of losing possession far too cheaply, giving the ball away 18 times in total.

In other news, one of the above trio was hammered by many Everton fans over his performance

A report has now revealed that Newcastle United attempted to sign Cole Palmer on loan ahead of the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Big future

Coming through the ranks at Manchester City, there is no doubt that Palmer has a big future ahead of him.

He has scored goals for fun at youth level, and has since earned call-ups to the senior team, despite being just 19 years of age.

He is a player that Pep Guardiola is especially fond of, having dubbed him ‘exceptional’ and a ‘talent’ with ‘special quality’ when he gets in front of the net (talkSPORT).

However, with the array of talent that City have at their disposal, a loan move away could suit Palmer as he aims to develop quicker by playing more regular football.

The Latest: Attempt rejected

The Athletic have now revealed that the Sky Blues have ‘knocked back’ an attempt from the St. James’ Park faithful to take Palmer on loan for the rest of the season.

Representatives of the North East club ‘suggested’ the idea of a loan deal, but were told that the striker is in Guardiola’s plans for the next few months.

The Verdict: Shame

It is certainly a shame that the Tyneside outfit now look set to miss out on bringing Palmer in, given the circumstances that they currently find themselves in.

A loan move would have suited them, as if the worst case scenario happened and they were to find themselves relegated from the Premier League down to the Championship at the end of the term, then Palmer could have just been sent back to the Etihad Stadium.

Callum Wilson is by far their top scorer this campaign with six goals, and has not really been helped by his fellow strikers.

Nonetheless, Palmer has shown that he knows where the back of the net is, and could have aided Wilson in that sense to get as many goals as needed to stay up.

In other news, find out which ‘world-class’ ace NUFC are now ‘most likely’ to sign here!