All posts by n8rngtd.top

Many Aston Villa fans have been talking about a tweet from Gregg Evans that recently emerged on social media.

Evans recently tweeted out an article about the club’s recent form. The tweet stated that the club’s squad will look more complete when the signing of Morgan Sanson is complete. It also talked about why Villa should sign a striker this month, saying that Ollie Watkins is the only striker in the Premier League who has played every minute of every game.

But the Englishman will need to rest at some point in the campaign and because of that, Villa may need to sign another striker in the ongoing January transfer window.

Evans’ article for the Athletic states that owners Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens will continue to back head coach Dean Smith in the market whenever the need arises. Adding another striker could mean that Villa could have the ‘perfect’ January window and it would allow them the chance to finish as high as possible.

It also states that Villa are in a better financial position than other clubs this month but despite that, January is a tough market to do business in. It also talked about the fact that having another striker wouldn’t hurt them.

Evans’ tweet caught the attention of many Villa fans, who gave their opinion about what the article said.

What did Villa fans make of Gregg Evans’ tweet?

“Think it will be a massively missed opportunity if we don’t sign another Striker to help Watkins. A loan would work and less risky.”

Credit: @chris_dolan

“I know he’s young but we should start thinking about integrating Barry into the first team squad a little.”

Credit: @_porsalin

“Does seem silly to only go with 1 recognised striker, if Watkins gets injured then the whole thing potentially falls apart due to his work rate and ability to occupy the whole back 4 on his own. We seen last season what an injury to your only striker can do.”

Credit: @VillaWayne

“I’d be surprised if we sign a striker. Traore would play up top if anything happened to Ollie with EG or Trez on the wing. Who, of real quality, would come to us knowing they would be just the back up? No time to panic. Address this in the summer. Re Barry, trust the coaches.”

Credit: @BrumRadioPete

“A striker addition with a loan to buy option would make sense for us to help Ollie take a breather and rest and rotate a bit, if ever he gets injured our European football adventure may end.”

Credit: @UTViIIa
“Another striker is essential Gregg, Loan out Davis and have Barry around the first team … Watkins over Christmas was shattered.”
Credit: @Naathan_lowe

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has issued an update about an Aston Villa target – read more here.

Opening up over his contract situation at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest midfielder Samba Sow has declared he is keen to stay – prompting Forest fans to go wild and beg the club to secure a new deal for the injury-prone star. 

Sow, who has started just a third of the club’s Championship encounters this season, often succumbing to fitness issues, is still a favourite among these Forest supporters – and when presented with his candid quotes over a new deal, these supporters seemed keen for the club to extend his stay in Nottingham.

Some supporters claimed it would be ‘perfect’ for the club, and despite his mixed injury record, Sow has proven reliable during the times he has been available to feature.

Averaging more tackles per 90 than the likes of Cyrus Christie and Ryan Yates (WhoScored), Sow could prove to be a formidable option when called upon – with these Forest fans appearing desperate to see a new offer for the Malian.

Find some of their verdicts down below.

Forest fans beg for Sow new deal

“Love to see our win percentage when Sow starts compared to when he doesn’t. Massive player for us IMO when he’s up to speed we win our midfield battles. Needs managing though injuries etc….”

Credit: @champ81gb 

“Would be mad not to extend a player of his quality even with a mixed injury record. Just look at our record when he plays.”

Credit: @NickBrookz

“100%. When he’s fit, our midfield is totally different level. I can get past the standard yellow card with the impact he has on the team.”

Credit: @CallumChivers91

“Pay as you play would be perfect that was he keeps his fitness up when he can”

Credit: @ben_smithynffc

“All this nonsense in the comments about injuries and his fitness. Have you not seen our record with and without Samba Sow? Arguably one of our most important players, definitely deserves another 1-2 year contract #nffc”

Credit: @fox_alfie 

“Yes. Absolutely. 1 year with an option for a second. I don’t care how injury prone he is. Every single time he’s on the pitch we look a better team and I feel a million times more confident of getting something out the game. We have missed him when he hasn’t played.”

Credit: @NFFC_Harvey 

In other news: Many Forest supporters fumed at this ‘awful’ ace, find out more here.

Liverpool squandered their chances of going top of the Premier League table after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham this evening.

The reigning champions looked hugely off their game at Craven Cottage and as a result, they conceded after just 25 minutes of play.

Bobby Reid punished Jurgen Klopp’s sloppy defence with a curling effort that left Alisson stunned.

Even after some tactical changes, Liverpool only got themselves back into the game through a late penalty. Mohamed Salah slotted away the spot-kick in the 79th minute but didn’t look like they would penetrate Fulham’s defence any more than this.

One player who was particularly disappointing tonight was Sadio Mane. The fiery winger who usually causes huge problems for the opposition was kept quiet far too easily by the Cottagers’ defence.

Mane let Klopp down vs Fulham

In what looked to be an easy win for Liverpool on paper turned out to be a very difficult fixture. The Reds couldn’t capitalise on Fulham’s poor form and still trail to Spurs who are top of the table.

Klopp’s entire front three were almost anonymous, aside from Salah’s penalty deep into the second half.

Mane was especially quiet, despite playing the full 90 minutes at the Cottage.

According to Sofascore, the clinical winger failed to register a single shot on target and he lost possession 14 times. He also missed a huge chance to find the back of the net and he made even fewer passes (17) than goalkeeper Alisson (24).

The £100,000 per week attacker was hugely off his game and will be furious with himself for putting in such a disappointing shift, so much so that he badly let his manager down.

He can only reflect on his errors and look to rectify them on Wednesday when the clash of the title contenders goes down.

Liverpool will play host to Spurs in what promises to be a very entertaining match, but it will be a must-win for Klopp and his men, who are desperate to retain their first-ever Premier League title.

In other news, Liverpool handed transfer blow with RB Leipzig’s Dominik Szoboszlai…

The day Pablo Hernandez calls time on his long and illustrious career, Leeds United fans will no doubt be in mourning.

The Spanish wizard has been an absolute revelation since joining from Swansea, making well over 150 appearances for the club and scoring 36 goals and providing 41 assists in total.

But with him turning 36 in April, Victor Orta will have to be on the look-out for a potential long-term successor to the veteran, and he could do a lot worse than bringing in Celtic’s Ryan Christie.

According to reports, there is considerable interest in the Scotland international, and that with him currently being unwilling to sign a contract extension at Parkhead, he could be on the move, with Leeds one of the clubs keeping a close eye on his situation.

Able to play anywhere across midfield, but perhaps at his most destructive when in the middle of the pitch, Christie has been an absolute machine when it’s come to driving Celtic’s attacks.

This season alone has seen him already reach double figures in terms of assists with 11, including setting up a goal each in both of Celtic’s Europa League clashes against Serie A giants Milan.

And when you compare his influence in game with Hernandez, Christie goes clear. As per Sofascore, the latter has averaged an impressive 2.4 shots, 2.6 key passes, and 1.9 dribbles per game this season, whilst Leeds’ resident magician has managed just 0.8 shots, 0.6 key passes and 0.4 dribbles.

That’s not to mention the fact Christie is the kind of hard-working team player who Bielsa would surely love to build his team around – he’s averaging close to two tackles per match in the Scottish Premiership.

Bringing Christie in would go a long way to completing Bielsa’s dream Leeds team as he looks to establish the Whites as a Premier League force.

Meanwhile, Leeds could Bielsa’s dream signing in this “unplayable” £40m star.

Speaking exclusively to FootballFanCast, former Aston Villa ace Marlon Harewood has insisted he hasn’t been surprised by the form of summer signing Ollie Watkins.

The 24-year-old arrived from Championship side Brentford to reunite with Dean Smith at Villa Park, and has hit the ground running at his new club, bagging eight goals in just 11 games – that of course includes his memorable hat-trick in the 7-2 thrashing of Liverpool.

Now, Harewood has given his thoughts on the club’s new centre-forward, saying: “I’m not surprised. He’s a top-class player in the striker situation, and it’s good to see him doing what he’s doing. Obviously, the players around him they’ll want to do well as well. It compliments him in positions where he’s going to score goals.”

Watkins’ arrival and good form has been a welcome shot in the arm for Villa this season, with Smith’s side managing just 41 goals in 38 games last season in the Premier League.

Their campaign wasn’t helped by the fact Wesley suffered a knee injury at the start of the year and is only just working his way back up to full fitness, so having the man from Brentford just click as a new player straight away has been music to the ears of Smith.

Whether he can keep up his consistency over the course of his first season in the Premier League remains to be seen, but all the early signs point to him doing exactly that.

He’s come up with some big goals against the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, and with Villa flying high and even seemingly up for a potential challenge for a European spot, Watkins could hold the key.

Glasgow Rangers have uncovered a hidden gem in centre-back Connor Goldson, if recent reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

Rangers extended their unbeaten run to a with a 1-0 win over Lech Poznan in the Europa League in midweek. That means that heading into their clash against Kilmarnock, the Gers had recorded five clean sheets in a row, as they last conceded a goal against Galatasaray in the Europa League qualifying rounds.

As the old adage goes, a strong defence is the best offence, and Gerrard is blessed with some of the best options available at the back, as Connor Goldson and club captain James Tavernier have both been in fine form in recent weeks.

Speaking in the pre-match press conference, as quoted by Sports Mole, the Rangers boss said: “I think Connor is someone, with the heart issue he had earlier in his career, that is desperate to make up for lost time in terms of playing. He doesn’t like to be offloaded or rested.

“But I am certainly more confident that if I wanted to do that now that we have the players that could cope.

“I am really happy with Connor, he is in a fantastic place physically and mentally at the moment.

“He is becoming a leader, his communication is better. I don’t see any reason, right now, to drop him or rest him or offload him because he is in such a good place.”

Bargain buy?

Tavernier has scored five goals and supplied five assists in 12 games in the Scottish Premiership this season so far. It’s easy to see why he has been linked with a move to the Premier League, as he has attracted attention from several English sides in the past year or so. West Ham were also keen to sign him in the summer.

Rangers signed Goldson from Brighton on a four-year deal for a fee in the region of £3m, via Sky Sports. He admitted Gerrard played a big part in his decision to switch the South Coast for Scotland. Since then, it’s fair to say that the 27-year-old has turned out to be an an absolute bargain buy.

Per SofaScore, the marauding centre-back has bagged two goals in the Scottish top flight this season, whilst he has made 1.1 tackles, 1 interception and 2.9 clearances per game, as well as keeping 10 clean sheets. Most importantly, he has not made a single error that has led to a goal, and a look at his heatmap reveals he mostly takes up position in his own half, although there a hotspot in the opposite box, which just goes to show that he is a useful attacking threat as well.

Goldson was recently described as an “outstanding” player by Tavernier, who never doubted his teammate would convince the critics after a difficult start to life at Ibrox. By all accounts, he seems to have turned a corner in his career, so, he is surely the perfect candidate to take the mantle from Tavernier if he leaves the club in the near future.

Whilst Gerrard has insisted the skipper is not for sale, it’s surely only a matter of time before the Gers receive an offer for their captain that is simply too good to ignore.

The Light Blues arguably have talent in abundance, but having a reliable centre-back is such a useful asset for any side. As the stats show, Goldson is both comfortable in attack and at the back, so we have to admit, we would love to see him wear the captain’s armband some time soon.

AND in other news, Bassey and Morelos start, no Kemar Roofe: Predicted Rangers XI vs Kilmarnock…

Tottenham Hotspur are lining up a move for Braga striker Paulinho, according to 90min.

Jose Mourinho’s side are in the market for a new striker in the summer as they look to provide support to Harry Kane.

Mourinho admitted earlier this week that he hopes to sign a forward before the transfer deadline in October.

And it appears that Paulinho has been targeted as a possible acquisition.

90min reports that the forward, who scored 25 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions last season, would cost less than £30m and is viewed as an attainable target.

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Wolves were previously linked with a move for Paulinho but opted against it, instead signing Fabio Silva from Porto.

And that may have opened the door for Spurs to swoop as they look to finally bolster their forward line.

Spurs had opted against bids for both Callum Wilson and Ollie Watkins, the report states, and they instead joined Newcastle and Aston Villa respectively.

A bid could be forthcoming for Paulinho, though, especially after Mourinho addressed the situation in public earlier this week.

New blood is needed; the wait cannot go on.

Tottenham Hotspur still haven’t resolved their striker problems this summer and with the season just a few days away, it’s set to rumble on towards the end of the transfer window. However, there could be light ahead…

What’s the word?

According to Football.London reporter Alasdair Gold, one of the forwards Spurs are taking a look at is RB Salzburg talisman Patson Daka but he’s also being monitored by several other teams across Europe.

Last month, The Sun linked Premier League rivals Manchester United to the 21-year-old goalscoring sensation and claimed that it’ll take a bid in excess of £20m to see him leave the Austrian outfit.

He’d be the second player of Tanzanian descent to join the English top-flight after Aston Villa striker Mbwana Samatta.

The next Haaland?

After playing with and then succeeding Erling Haaland at Salzburg, many comparisons have been made between the two and it’s easy to see why given his impressive goal record.

He netted four times earlier this week to kickstart the season but that merely adds a few onto his 27 strikes last term. He also provided 12 assists and occasionally played on the right-wing.

His old teammate, who is now ripping it up for Dortmund, is very much still an inspiration for Daka and no doubt the likes of Naby Keita, Sadio Mane and Takumi Minamino are too.

The striker’s former coach at Zambian outfit Power Dynamos Dan Kabwe goes as far as comparing him to PL great Thierry Henry, claiming “he is an intelligent boy and full of talent.”

Irrespective of his qualities, Salzburg is known for their hotbed of producing young stars with many mentioned above. It’s about time Daniel Levy made an investment like this, something that he’s maybe not really done before in north London.

He’ll offer Jose Mourinho something different too – speed, agility and versatility. Play him as Harry Kane’s backup or even as his partner. £20m would be a very shrewd long-term investment.

AND in other news, “sensational” colossus can become Spurs’ new Fernando Llorente…

Key Information about Field Mill

Field Mill, currently known as One Call Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the oldest ground in the Football League with origins tracing back to the 1850’s.

The stadium first hosted football in 1961, and it has been the home of Mansfield Town since 1919. Field Mill’s full capacity stands at 10,000; however, it currently only holds just over 9,000 due to safety restrictions.

The famous Nottinghamshire located stadium comprises four notable stands; the Ian Greaves Stand, Queen Lane End, Bishop Street Stand, and the North Stand.

A history of Field Mill

The name “Field Mill” originates from the name of a large water-powered textile-mill which was located across the road from the ground. The field was initially used for recreational purposes by the employees of Greenhalgh & Sons Works, and one of the sons was Harwood Greenhalgh – a Mansfield-born footballer who played for Notts County and historically represented England in the first-ever international football match.

In 1894, the team representing the cotton-doubling business, merged with Mansfield Town (no relation to current club) to form Mansfield FC, and Field Mill became their permanent home ground.

Between 1912-16, Field Mill was used by Mansfield Mechanics FC, and it was not until the start of the 1919-20 season that Mansfield Town as we know them today, began playing their matches at Field Mill. For the first two years of tenancy, the ground was shared with cricket clubs.

The first-ever grandstand at Field Mill was erected in 1922 along the west side of the ground, and seven years later, a covered stand was built on the Bishop Street side. The following year, the first terracing was built from railway sleepers, and this latest an impressive 20 years before redevelopment.

Mansfield Town were slightly late to install floodlights at Field Mill, as they were erected in late 1961 ahead of a Football League Cup tie against Cardiff City. The redeveloped all-seater stadium was officially opened by John Prescott in the summer of 2001, after initial plans to relocate to a new all-seater stadium were scrapped. Field Mill was purchased by Mansfield Town’s owner John Radford in 2012.

The Ian Greaves Stand, formerly known as the West Stand, is the largest in the ground with both upper and lower tiers as well as executive seating. The stand has a capacity of 5,417 which is over half the total capacity of Field Mill. Quarry Lane end is located behind the South goal, housing just under 2,000 home fans. The North stand is located behind the opposite goals and is now known as the away stand after swapping with Bishop Street Stand due to safety concerns.

Tickets to Watch Mansfield Town at Field Mill

Adult matchday tickets are priced at £22, seniors at £18, young adults at £16, juniors at £12, and under-6s go free – This is based on the Ian Greaves Stand. Adult season tickets cost £375 which works out to be £16.30 per game.

Related Links

Ticket prices – https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/matchday-ticket-prices/

Season tickets – https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/season-tickets/

According to Football.London journalist Alasdair Gold, Ryan Sessegnon could make a breakthrough into the first-team at Tottenham before the end of this season.

What did he say?

The England youth international has had a rocky start to his career at Spurs, with various injury problems restricting him to just 12 appearances across all competitions – in total, he has only played 341 minutes of Premier League football.

Whilst Sessegnon has been a peripheral figure this season, Gold has insisted that Lilywhites boss Jose Mourinho remains a big fan of the former Fulham ace, and that should their chances of finishing in the top five go, he could be one of the main beneficiaries.

He said: “Mourinho likes him and wanted him at United. For now it’s about building him up & working on his defensive skills. Mourinho told me he sees him as a terrific future left-back, with similar traits to Ashley Cole, but he’s not ready yet. It’s telling that he looks to have bulked up during lockdown which will aid his development. I’d be surprised if he’s loaned out a year after being bought for £30m.

“Same with (Oliver) Skipp, I think if top 5 chances go then you’ll see a lot of the younger players given chances to stake their claim for a more regular spot. He’s had a tough season with injury and he’s still got a lot of work to do. He’s got such a high ceiling though.”

Opportunity

After drawing against Manchester United and beating West Ham, Spurs are firmly in the race for Champions League football next season. With Manchester City’s place in the competition under threat, a fifth-placed finish may well be enough this season, and currently, Mourinho’s side lie just four points behind that spot.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

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If the Lilywhites somehow collapse over these coming games, then Sessegnon may well be given the chance to shine towards the last couple of weeks of the campaign. But with there being so much to play for, it’s difficult to see how Mourinho would be confident enough in throwing a young starlet who has barely played into the deep end.

Sessegnon’s time is likely to come next season rather than this as Gold suggests.