All posts by z3u9t.icu

Loads of Everton fans have been lauding an update from the Goodison Park faithful as Tom Cannon has signed a professional contract with the club.

As per the official website of the Merseyside club, the 18-year-old has signed a two-year deal that will keep him at the Toffees until the end of June 2023.

Cannon has impressed both at U18 and U23’s level for the Blues, scoring no fewer than 23 goals and making a further eight assists in 41 games in total over all competitions across the last three consecutive terms (Transfermarkt).

Carlo Ancelotti will certainly be keeping an eye at youth level for any talent that he can promote to the senior team, and the striker is one that will eventually be looking to break into the squad with more good performances for the rest of this season.

Everton fan reaction to Cannon update

These EFC supporters lauded the update on Twitter, with one fan even going as far to claim that Cannon is a ‘proper talent’:

“Congratulations Tom, well deserved for you and all the family…hard working starts now!!”

Credit: @PeterCronin00

“Got a bit of a swagger about him.”

Credit: @bernieo63

“This lad is a proper talent. Congrats mate!”

Credit: @NTylerVI

“Welcome Tom. Only the best is good enough.”

Credit: @gill_mcmahon

“Well done Tom, hopefully see you soon.”

Credit: @1878Johnny

“Best of luck Tom – what a great achievement”

Credit: @greenie1878

In other news, find out what early news before Burnley has left fans fuming here!

According to Wigan Today, Glasgow Rangers have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of bringing Kyle Joseph to Ibrox after Wigan Athletic administrator Paul Stanley insisted nothing would change before deadline day.

What’s the word?

Steven Gerrard’s side have enjoyed a superb Scottish Premiership season thus far as they find themselves far ahead of Celtic in the title race.

Reports have emerged over the past few weeks that Rangers are interested in signing the 19-year-old, who has made 14 League One appearances with five goals and one assist to show for his 12 starts.

Gers chiefs believed Wigan would panic as the deadline drew ever closer and would be forced into accepting a cut-price bid.

But the League One strugglers are refusing to budge, which is precisely why Ross Wilson must renew their efforts to sign the highly-rated teenager before the transfer window closes this week.

Wilson must act now

After former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor suggested that Rangers could be forced to sell Alfredo Morelos after his reckless behaviour in recent weeks, Joseph – who has been tipped for greatness by Leam Richardson – could be just the man to complete Gerrard’s dream attack for years to come with an eye on the future.

Whilst Cedric Itten is also predominantly right-footed and plays upfront, the Scotland U19 international offers far more of a threat in attack, as he has shown his all-round game is solid and he can create chances for his teammates whilst scoring himself. As per WhoScored, he currently averages more shots (2.1) per game and is caught offside on fewer occasions than Itten.

Former Rangers youth academy graduate Kal Naismith recently heaped praise on his young strike partner following his return from injury.

“I really enjoyed it up there with young Kyle Joseph,” said Naismith. “He’ll be a top player, a really, really good player and he works his nuts off not just in the games but all week in training as well, he has a great appetite for the game and a great attitude – I enjoy playing with him, he did a lot of work for me in what was my first game back after not having a lot of training.”

Ianis Hagi, on the other hand, has managed the same amount of shots (2.1) and more key passes (1.2) in the Scottish Premiership, picking up a whopping nine assists so far, via WhoScored.

Signing Joseph could turn out to be a shrewd investment for the future, as having the two of them in the same team and starting alongside each other could cause havoc for any opposition, with Ryan Kent lining up on the opposite flank.

AND in other news, the stats that show why Rangers signed Jack Simpson…

The pressure is mounting at Tottenham Hotspur, according to emerging reports.

According to the Telegraph’s Matt Law, Spurs will target RB Leipzig gem Julian Nagelsmann to replace Jose Mourinho if the Portuguese boss cannot alleviate the club’s recent run of disappointing results.

He claims that this next 12-day period could prove crucial in the 58-year-old’s future, though this is somewhat hard to believe given the north London outfit have a genuine chance of clinching their first piece of silverware since 2008 with the Carabao Cup final on the horizon.

They also remain in contention to qualify for Europe once again and have the Europa League knockout stages to contend with too.

Six defeats in eight matches is cause for concern, though, but much of the fault should lie with the players rather than the manager – none more so than this trio, who’ll all need to quickly buck up their ideas ahead of a telling summer transfer window…

Eric Dier

Current Value: €30m (£25m), via CIES

A lot of Spurs’ problems have been lingering ever since Mourinho first took over from Mauricio Pochettino in December 2019.

Indeed, the Lilywhites had the second-worst defensive record of any top seven team last term. Yet, the only solution offered to the ‘Special One’ was an inexperienced option in Joe Rodon from Championship side Swansea City.

Part of that leaky defence was Eric Dier, so it’s no surprise to see the same issues crop up as he’s still one of Mourinho’s trusted generals.

The 27-year-old midfielder-turned-defender has started 21 matches in the Premier League this term, including four of their last five top-flight defeats. In fact, their last win (against West Brom) saw the England international named on the bench – go figure.

Dier’s main concern is his positioning as he’s often either left for dead, caught napping or not marking his opposite number, thus leading to numerous mistakes and silly goals to concede.

The 6 foot 2 star gave away a clumsy penalty against Chelsea and was completely out of position for one of West Ham’s goals at the weekend in just two of many examples this season alone.

Former Spurs midfielder, now talkSPORT pundit, urged the club to get rid of him this week and whilst that seems unlikely given Mourinho’s faith in him, his role – in the long run – is by no means certain.

It’s thought that Mourinho would like a ‘transformative’ centre-back signing to change their fortunes, and they’ve been linked to plenty ahead of the summer window, including Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar.

Dier must sort out his form before then, otherwise, it is he who is most at risk of losing his place next campaign.

Matt Doherty

Current Value: €40m (£35m), via CIES

Another defender who should be feeling Mourinho’s wrath in the coming months is summer arrival, Matt Doherty.

Upon joining the north London outfit, the Spurs boss revealed his delight in securing the former Wolves man for just £15m, but he’s been anything but a hit thus far.

The Irishman has practically been usurped by the often calamitous Serge Aurier, the very player he was brought in to succeed – or to at least arrest the right-sided problems.

Instead, he’s started only nine Premier League matches, and in the absence of the Ivorian, young academy hopeful Japhet Tanganga has often been preferred.

And now, according to ESPN senior writer James Olley, the 29-year-old’s future is rather uncertain as Mourinho has doubts over his ability to be a success in N17.

This hardly comes as a surprise as his role at Molineux was vastly different from what is required under the Portuguese – going from a back five as a wing-back to a flat back-four with more defensive duties was never going to be easy.

As David Connolly told RTE, “I don’t think he’s suited there [at Spurs].”

Dele Alli

Current Value: €30m (£25m), via CIES

Last season it was Tanguy Ndombele. This season it is Dele Alli.

The 24-year-old, who is out of England reckoning ahead of the Euros, has barely featured for Mourinho this term and very nearly swapped London for Paris when his former boss came calling.

Although, chairman Daniel Levy appeared to be vehemently against selling the attacking midfielder.

Indeed, Alli has been restricted to 632 minutes in all competitions and only one start in the Premier League, via Transfermarkt.

His recent cameo appearances from the bench against City and West Ham have done little to warrant a start in the squad despite wide duo Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura fulfilling a no.10 role.

Neither match saw Alli grade above a 6.18 rating as per WhoScored, managing just one tackle and one key pass in 39 minutes of action – that’s hardly going to see Mourinho perform a U-turn on him anytime soon.

If he’s not going to make the desired and much-needed impact in the coming months, then Spurs ought to reconsider PSG’s approach should they still be keen, of course.

All in all, these three Spurs stars must find some form quickly, otherwise their positions and even in some cases, their futures, are in serious jeopardy – especially if Mourinho remains at the helm.

It’s also been claimed that Mourinho will not face the sack this season, so he’s surely likely to remain going into 2021/22.

AND in other news, Levy can kill two birds with one stone in Spurs swoop for “insane” £40m-rated colossus…

Southampton moved up into third place after a 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates on Wednesday night, but they will perhaps consider themselves unlucky not to pick up all three points.

One man who arguably disappointed for the Saints was captain James Ward-Prowse. The England midfielder was unable to make the most of his numerous corners during the game, whilst his passing was not as reliable as usual.

As per SofaScore, the 26-year-old lost possession on 20 times during the 90 minutes, which was the worst of any Southampton player who started the game.

Whilst the midfielder was heavily involved, having 116 touches of the ball, he failed to make a single key pass, when Ralph Hasenhuttl was perhaps relying on him to be a creative spark for the South Coast club, as they struggled to break down the ten-man Arsenal team in the second half.

Ward-Prowse was able to complete 83 of his 91 passes during the game, resulting in an accuracy rate of 91%. He was wasteful when he had the ball in promising positions.

The Southampton man, who earns £45k per week with the club, is usually reliable with his crossing, but of the 12 he attempted at the Emirates, only two were accurate.

He also won just three out of eight of his duels during the game, suggesting that he was second best to the Arsenal players on several occasions during the game.

Teammate Jan Bednarek suggested earlier this month that Ward-Prowse has “the best delivery in the league”, but he was unable to showcase that on Wednesday night, which will be frustrating for the South Coast club who arguably deserved to win the game.

Therefore, it can definitely be argued that Hasenhuttl won’t be too happy with his captain’s performance against the Gunners, and he will need him to be much better when his side take on Manchester City at St Mary’s on Saturday if the Saints are going to take all three points from that game.

And, in other news… Southampton handed huge transfer boost in pursuit of winger likened to Lionel Messi

Adama Traore has very quickly become one of the most menacing players in English football.

The Wolves winger is a frightening bustling ball of energy. Once he gets going, he embodies a roadrunner. His relentless pace is a sight to behold, both with and without the ball.

Therefore, it’s rather surprising to hear that he hasn’t scored in the Premier League for over a year. In 2019/20, he discovered the best form of his career at the highest level. The Spaniard scored four times, but what was most impressive was his nine assists in the Premier League.

The rapid wide man embodies an old fashioned flanker. He beats his man and then sticks in the cross. There is no nonsense to his play, merely a struggle to sometimes find an end product.

Though, that hasn’t done enough to deter potential suitors. Traore isn’t short of them and given his qualities, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him leave Wolves in the coming years. His natural speed is supremely rare and to quote Michael Owen, he “can scare any team.”

In short, that’s why many teams, including Leeds United want to sign the £43k-per-week earner.

Traore, of course, previously worked with Victor Orta at Middlesbrough and it would appear that the director of football is keen on a reunion.

After Leeds signed Raphinha last summer, splashing out on another wide player might not make much sense, especially at the quoted £40m. However, opportunities to sign a player with Traore’s qualities come about very rarely.

What former Leeds player could he embody by arriving at the club? Cast your minds back 11 years and the dazzling feet of a certain Max Gradel may emerge in your memory.

The Ivorian had many of the same qualities as Traore, using incredible physical attributes to score 25 goals in 82 outings for Leeds.

Gradel hasn’t had the traditional career and after rejecting Arsenal as a teenager, made his way to Elland Road via Leicester and Bournemouth. His mesmeric penetration stood to attention immediately as a young player.

Writing for The Athletic, Leeds guru Phil Hay previously outlined Gradel’s greatest attributes, labelling one of the qualities we associate with Traore: “Gradel had the benefit of his core strengths: pace, creativity, good finishing and the ability to beat a man,” he wrote.

When he first arrived at Leeds, the player himself said: “I was direct, I could dribble and I could go past people. I could score goals and create goals. That was my job and I didn’t try to be clever. Don’t try to be the guy who does all the tricks and tries to look good. Just do what you’re good at or get out of the team. I went with that attitude and it worked for me.”

In many senses, this is exactly what Traore has worked out he needs to be. His end product was questionable prior to last season but he simplified his game, didn’t try to be too clever and consequently helped himself to 13 Premier League goal involvements last term.

Gradel, now 33, ultimately departed for Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1, but he left behind a glaring hole in terms of speed.

Traore, however, could help bring that attribute back to Elland Road. That’s precisely why they must sign him.

AND in other news, Bye-bye Casilla: Leeds must swoop for “outstanding” 26 y/o, he could be game-changing…

Following the injury to Nathan Redmond in Southampton 1-1 draw against Wolves on Monday night, it looks as if Moussa Djenepo is set for an extended period in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s starting squad and he must make the most of this opportunity.

The winger, who joined from Standard Liege in a deal that could be worth £15 million last summer, has made 27 appearances for the Saints thus far, in which he has contributed just three goals and two assists (per Transfermarkt).

After injuries disrupted his debut season, the Mali international has enjoyed a run of games in the Southampton side so far this campaign, having made six appearances in the Premier League thus far, in which he has managed one goal and no assists, averaging a 6.74 rating (per WhoScored).

Despite his arguably indifferent form, he looks set to keep his place in the Saints’ starting 11 for however long Redmond is sidelined.

The 22-year-old hasn’t really ever had an extended run in Hasenhuttl’s side and perhaps with the added pressure of now being the most senior left-winger available in the Austrian manager’s squad, the £55k-per-week ace will start to perform more regularly in the top-flight.

Whilst Southampton fans have been treated to glimpses of his obvious ability, perhaps most memorably when he scored a superb solo goal in the Saints’ 1-0 win against Sheffield United last season, he needs to start adding more goal contributions to his game.

The South Coast club are in excellent form at the moment but they are missing Danny Ings as well as Redmond, so Djenepo must step up with his share of goals, or you would imagine that their form could tail off.

It seems as if his teammate Redmond has a lot of faith in him to step up as his replacement, as last year he was full of praise for the Malian, saying:

“He is a super-talented boy who is so open-minded and eager to learn every single day. He gets on well with everybody and has fitted in so well. I think that’s allowed to be free and almost naïve when he gets the ball because he wants to go and show people what he’s got which helps us out as a team.” (per Daily Echo)

Considering Djenepo grabbed 11 goals and six assists in his last season with Standard Liege, he can clearly be an attacking force and with the pressure now on the 22-year-old winger to perform, perhaps we will start to see him score more goals in the Premier League.

AND in other news, Saints made an awful error over “special” defender who was released at just 17…

Manchester City picked up a 3-0 win against Marseille in the Champions League on Wednesday night and whilst it might be the City attackers who pick up the plaudits, the performance of Fernandinho should not go unnoticed.

Goals from Ferran Torres, Sergio Aguero and and own goal from Alvaro Gonzalez sealed a comfortable win for Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad in what was their final group stage game of the 2020/21 Champions League campaign.

As the game was something of a dead rubber for the Citizens, as they had already secured top spot in Group C, it was no surprise to see 35-year-old Fernandinho handed a rare start by Guardiola.

The Brazilian, who has now made 324 appearances for Manchester City in his career, showed no signs of his age in the win, as he produced a superb display.

As per SofaScore, the defensive midfielder picked up a strong 7.4 rating for his display against Andre Villas-Boas’ side, which was only bettered by Aymeric Laporte, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden.

Fernandinho enjoyed 107 touches of the ball during the 90 minutes, demonstrating the key influence he can still have in this Manchester City side, and he was also extremely effective with his passing, with 87/95 of his attempted passes finding a City teammate.

The experienced midfielder only lost possession on nine occasions during the game, whilst five out of six of his long balls were accurate, emphasising that the quality of his passing shows no signs of dropping.

He also showed his class by making three tackles, whilst he was dribbled past on just two occasions, suggesting that despite his age, he still has the quality to play in this Manchester City side.

Unfortunately for fans, with Fernandinho’s contract set to expire at the end of the season, they may not have much longer watching the Brazilian in a City shirt, however, this display emphasises that he can still perform at the highest level when relied upon by Guardiola.

And, in other news… Garcia heir apparent: Guardiola must promote “exceptional” teenager to his first-team

Jose Mourinho has an illustrious record when it comes to the Europa League, winning the competition twice and he signalled his intentions to complete a hat-trick as his Tottenham Hotspur side tasted victory in their Group J opener.

The north London outfit thrashed Austrian minnows LASK Linz 3-0 at home on Thursday evening.

Lucas Moura and substitute Heung-min Son bagged either side of an own goal as Spurs were fully in control on the night.

There were many encouraging performances across the pitch, ranging from Carlos Vinicius’ debut upfront to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg putting in a warrior-like display that had his manager comparing him to Zinedine Zidane.

Although one Spurs star failed to inspire despite Mourinho putting faith in him to start the game.

The 24-year-old was dropped for their game against Manchester United and only featured off the bench for the 3-3 draw with West Ham, so he should have taken this opportunity with both hands.

Winks, who is valued at €40m (£36m) by CIES Football Observatory, was rather lightweight in the heart of midfield as he was truly outshone by the man next to him, the Danish summer arrival.

He won just six of his 13 duels, committed three fouls, lost possession 11 times and failed to record a single key pass, shot or interception, as per SofaScore.

The Evening Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick graded the England maestro a 5/10, the lowest of any Spurs player, and said: “If there was a weak link for Spurs, it was Harry Winks, who endured a difficult evening in the midfield three. The England international set the tone for his performance with a desperate foul in the first minute and he looked a little off the pace throughout.”

With Giovani Lo Celso to come back into the fold and Tanguy Ndombele finding his feet at long last, Mourinho will have to make the cut-throat call to drop Winks indefinitely.

There’s no way he should be starting above either of those when fully fit, nor is he going to get a place over the industrious Hojbjerg, who has been everything Spurs have lacked for the best part of 18 months.

Even Moussa Sissoko looks a better option in the middle right now. He may be one of their own, but the young N17 graduate should have no place amongst the starting XI for the foreseeable future.

AND in other news, Dynamo who had 104 touches outshone Hojbjerg vs LASK…

Glasgow Rangers are gearing up to face Lech Poznan in the Europa League but Sunday’s trip to Kilmarnock FC will be playing on Steven Gerrard’s mind. Rangers have alternated wins and losses over their past three games against Kilmarnock, with new summer recruit Kemar Roofe breaking his duck in the 2-0 win over Killie at Ibrox back in August.

Alright, we get it, we’ve been really banging the drum for Jordan Jones in recent weeks, but that’s because we think the Gers are on to a winner with the 9-cap Northern Ireland international.

Better than Barker?

One of the best things about balancing both domestic and European competitions is that it gives Gerrard the chance to rotate his squad. At the moment, Ianis Hagi and Brandon Barker have both started in recent weeks, but it seems like Barker could be dropped anytime soon.

The Romania international has started every Europa League game this season, so it’s fair to say that his place in the side is pretty safe, although we expect him to start against Lech Poznan on Thursday night, so he could be rested for the weekend instead.

Instead, Gerrard will most likely have to choose between Barker or Jones, but snubbing Jones would be a bad move, as the former Kilmarnock man famously scored the winner against the Ibrox outfit in the 2-0 win at Rugby Park in 2019.

Once lauded as a “big-game player” by Michael O’Neill, the 26-year-old has scored one goal in four games so far, whilst he is averaging one shot per game, via SofaScore. By comparison, Barker has mustered fewer than one shot per game, as per SofaScore, whilst Jones has also received a slightly higher rating than his teammate this season.

The Gers could go nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table if they overcome Kilmarnock. Gerrard must give Jones, who earns wages worth £9,100-per-week, the chance to show what he can do, that’s for sure. First thing’s first, they will have to beat Lech Poznan before taking on Killie.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers must return for Sheffield United ace John Lundstram…

Leeds United must continue to bolster their defence if they are to mount a serious assault on the Premier League and a move for one of Victor Orta’s targets could help achieve that…

What’s the word?

According to the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, Swansea City centre-back Ben Cabango is thought to be on the list of potential targets this summer.

It’s claimed that the Whites are yet to make a firm approach for the 20-year-old, but he is someone their Spanish director of football admires greatly.

Although the Welshman has recently signed a contract extension through to 2023, so Cabango is not likely to come cheap.

Imposing presence

Cabango has just been called up to Ryan Giggs’ Wales squad for their fixtures in the Nations League and it’s no surprise to see that as well as learning of Orta’s interest given his form this term.

Per WhoScored, the 6 foot 2 colossus averaged 5.4 clearances, 1.2 interceptions and one tackle per game as well as winning 3 aerial duels and notching a passing success rate above 80%.

Only United skipper Liam Cooper won more in the air during their Championship-winning campaign.

However, little magician Pablo Hernandez managed to get the better of Cabango in the last meeting between the two sides. The veteran scored the winner back in July and recorded three successful dribbles, two shots and one key pass despite only playing the second half only, per SofaScore.

But that shouldn’t sway Leeds from making a move as the powerhouse has managed to maintain his place in the starting XI following his debut back in November.

Swans boss Steve Cooper lauded him after the match, saying: “He played really well with and without the ball, and he had a good round of applause from the lads in the dressing room.”

Cooper, Robin Koch and Cabango isn’t a bad trio to have at your disposal, especially after the blows to both Ben White and Gaetano Berardi.

AND in other news, Leeds could land their next Rio Ferdinand in PL outcast…