All posts by z3u9t.icu

Nigel Jemson insists that he fears for Nottingham Forest if they are relegated to League One this season.

The club have endured a horrific start to the season and have taken just four points from their opening eight games, prior to the appointment of Steve Cooper this week.

They came in a draw with Derby County, their fierce rivals, losing six of their other seven games under former manager Chris Hughton before they beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 away at the weekend.

Those defeats came against Coventry City, AFC Bournemouth, Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City, Cardiff City and, most recently, Middlesbrough, which convinced Forest to axe Hughton.

And Jemson is hopeful that is how things pan out, as he believes that the club could genuinely struggle if they are relegated, fearing owner Evangelos Marinakis could well look to leave at the first opportunity if the worst happens.

Indeed, he has drawn a comparison with Sunderland, who have languished in League One for some time.

He said: “Sunderland, it’s been very hard for them to get back to where they should be or where people think they should be and that’s certainly the Championship, at the bare minimum.

“I don’t want to think about Nottingham Forest being in League One because I fear for them if that happens. I fear for them in the fact that the owner, Marinakis, may not stay there long.”

Former Premier League striker Nigel Jemson believes there is some “friction” between Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane at Liverpool.

The pair have formed part of a fabled front three at Anfield, along with Roberto Firmino.

Salah has been with the club since 2017, when he joined from Roma, while Mane joined in 2016.

The pair have gone on to have unbelievable careers at Anfield; Salah has scored 126 goals in 205 games for the club, while Mane has netted 98 times in 220 games.

They both played key roles in Liverpool winning the Premier League last season, but Jemson believes that each player wants to be the key man on Merseyside under Jurgen Klopp.

Both remain vital members of Liverpool’s squad, and they both have a goal to their name already this season; Salah scored against Norwich City, while Mane netted against Burnley as the Reds won each game.

Jemson, who is a Liverpool fan, told Football FanCast exclusively: “Salah is bang on form again.

“If Mane and Salah play together, because sometimes you look at them and there’s a bit of friction there, I think, because he wants to be the main man, but if they can play together as a partnership, they’re as good as anybody in the Premier League.”

After bringing him to the club back in the summer of 2015, then Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood made it clear just how “delighted” he was at getting a deal done for Jordan Veretout.

He said: “He has played over 140 games in Ligue 1 and is a really exciting young player. I know Veretout is very highly rated over in France, so we are delighted to get this deal over the line.”

But a year later however, and things hadn’t turned out the way either the player or the club would have wanted at Villa Park, with the team going through a roller-coaster period of managerial changes and relegation from the Premier League as well.

In the end, the Frenchman was shipped out on loan, before eventually sealing a more permanent exit away from the club when he joined Serie A outfit Fiorentina for around £6m in 2017.

Since then, he has been nothing short of incredible, enjoying an impressive rise which is now seeing him shine for one of Italian football’s biggest clubs in AS Roma – the kind of upturn in form that surely has Villa fans wondering ‘what if?’.

Last season saw him develop into an elite goal-scoring midfielder, netting ten times in 29 games in the Serie A alone, including a match-saving brace against Juventus in a 2-2 draw.

This campaign has seen him start off in a similar fashion, bagging three goals in just two league games – a couple of those came in a win against his former club Fiorentina.

It’s no surprise, then, that his market value has shot up considerably, with Transfermarkt now rating him at £29.7m – almost five times the amount for which Villa actually sold him.

While things didn’t quite work out at Villa Park, there were some behind the scenes who did see his potential, with caretaker manager Kevin McDonald, in particular, saying: “Jordan is a wonderful passer of the ball. He will get better. And he is looking to impose himself in training games. Now he has to do that over a period of time. If he does that, he will be a very, very good player.

“Glenn Hoddle didn’t have to run up and down the pitch. But he was the most wonderful passer this country had in a long, long time. It’s not about being a holding midfielder or an attacking midfielder – Jordan needs to be a midfielder who gets on the ball more than anybody else in the team.”

Niggling injuries didn’t help his cause, but the 28-year-old didn’t even take to the pitch for any of Villa’s last seven Premier League games of the 2015/2016 season, not even making the matchday squad in four of them.

When you see the way he is shining now, though, there must surely be a sense of regret that they couldn’t keep hold of Veretout or ever get to see the best of him at Villa Park.

Given Dean Smith tried to sign a new central midfielder this summer in Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, had Villa not cashed in on Veretout, they may well have had that part of their squad addressed.

Meanwhile, fresh details have emerged on this Aston Villa swoop…

Sheffield United have been dealt a major blow in their bid to keep George Baldock at Bramall Lane this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the Daily Mail, who claim that Olympiakos and Burnley have joined Celtic in the race for the right-back in the summer transfer window.

It is claimed that the Scottish side are keen to take the 28-year-old on a temporary basis, however, Slavisa Jokanovic would not be open to anything other than sanctioning the permanent sale of the defender this summer, with it being reported that the Blades’ are demanding a fee of around £8m in order to part with Baldock.

However, the report finishes by stating that, following the latest interest in his services, the future of the right-back appears rather uncertain heading into the final weeks of the summer market.

Jokanovic will be fuming

With it looking as if Celtic’s pursuit of Baldock had hit something of a dead-end, and subsequently Sheffield United’s chances of retaining the services of the defender for their 2021/22 Championship campaign increasing, the new interest from Olympiakos and Burnley is sure to have left the 52-year-old manager fuming.

Despite a disappointing season last time out, Baldock nevertheless proved the previous year that he is an extremely important player within the United team.

Indeed, over his 38 Premier League appearances back in 2019/20, the £4.5m-rated right-back made an average of 0.9 interceptions, 1.6 tackles, 1.8 clearances and won 4.9 duels per game.

He also impressed in an attacking capacity, scoring two goals, registering three assists and creating two big chances for his teammates, as well as making an average of 0.6 key passes per match.

These metrics saw the man Garth Crooks dubbed a “superb” player earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.83, ranking him as the Baldes’ joint 11th-best performer in the top flight of English football that season.

As such, it would very much seem as if the £26k-per-week Baldock remaining at Bramall Lane beyond the transfer deadline at the end of the month would indeed significantly improve the club’s chances of going on to secure an immediate return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, while his sale could well see the wheels fall off United’s promotion push before it has even really begun.

In other news: Sheff Utd dealt potential blow over “unreal” 7.5k-p/w ace, Jokanovic will be gutted

Many Liverpool fans have been left fuming as a transfer update emerged on Nabil Fekir.

As per a report from earlier on in the week by El Gol Digital, which has since been shared by LFC Transfer Room on their Twitter page, the Anfield faithful are ‘best positioned’ ahead of both Everton and Arsenal to sign the Real Betis ace in the summer window, and he could be sold for a fee in the region of €40m (£34.3m).

Fekir was close to signing for Jurgen Klopp’s team back in 2018 as a potential replacement for Philippe Coutinho, but after a dragged-out transfer saga a deal never materialised.

It seems as if several Reds supporters do not want a repeat of what happened then, and even so, Fekir, a central attacking midfield player by trade, would not really fit into Klopp’s preferred 4-3-3 formation.

Liverpool fans on Fekir transfer update

These Kopites fumed as the transfer update was shared on Twitter, with one LFC supporter even going as far as to claim that it was a ‘joke’:

“Are you having a laugh?”

Credit: @61Zaqir

“OK that’s it. I’m tuning out of LFC transfer Twitter until the first day of the new season. Nabil Fekir”

Credit: @Byrnish1981

“Out of all the rumours, this is by far the worst.”

Credit: @vdm1_

“Tell me this is a joke..am I in a time warp?…. YNWA”

Credit: @RedStew08

“Well and truly silly season.”

Credit: @keswickbro

“Nah he’s been trash gimme Coutinho”

Credit: @LfcBackupLa

In other news, find out what transfer update has Reds buzzing here!

West Bromwich Albion have been handed a potential boost to their chances of bringing Liam Delap to The Hawthorns this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by John Percy, with The Telegraph journalist revealing on Twitter that the chances of Stoke City securing the signing of the Manchester City centre-forward on a season-long loan deal are less than 50/50.

Previous reports have claimed that a number of Championship sides, including West Brom, have been keeping a close eye on the situation of the 18-year-old ahead of a potential move, although it appeared as if Stoke were leading the race for the England under-19 international.

However, following Percy’s latest update, it would seem as if the door is still open for an Albion swoop this summer, with the journalist’s tweet reading: “Talks have been held with Man City over a loan move for Liam Delap – said to be less than 50/50 at this stage.”

Ismael must act

It has been no secret that Valerien Ismael is looking to strengthen at centre-forward this summer, and considering the sheer amount of potential Delap seems to possess and that an opportunity to land the Manchester City youngster appears to have presented itself, the Frenchman simply must act.

Indeed, over his 20 Premier League 2 appearances for City’s under-23 side last season, the £900k-rated talent scored a whopping 24 goals and registered five assists – with his performances playing a key role in his team winning the Premier League 2 title, as well as him landing the league’s Player of the Year award.

The £5k-per-week man, who Jacek Kulig dubbed a “phenomenal” player, also scored two goals in the FA Youth Cup, as well as bagging three goals and one assist in the EFL Trophy, taking his haul to 30 goals and six assists in all competitions last term.

As such, while the Championship is undoubtedly a step up from youth football, considering just impressive Delap has been for City’s under-23s, we would not bet against him continuing his fine form should he indeed secure a loan move to a second-tier club this summer – be that West Brom or another interested party.

With doubts emerging over him moving to Stoke, this could be the Baggies’ opportunity to pounce.

In other news: West Brom agree deal for £20k-p/w “leader” which will leave Ismael over the moon

With the League One games already coming thick and fast, Sunderland manager Lee Johnson faces a number of tough calls ahead of the Black Cats’ clash with Burton Albion on Tuesday night in order to keep his squad as fresh as possible while also maintaining the Mackems’ 100% start to the season.

Indeed, in recent comments, the 40-year-old acknowledged the need for rotation in the Burton game, suggesting that 35-year-old Aiden McGeady could be due a rest.

As cited by Chronicle Live, Johnson said: “You just try and pick the best team to win the game, and it is obviously going to be a very different game [to the MK Dons fixture].

“I’ve got to assess the run of games we’ve had and have, and I’ve got to assess the sharpness of all the lads.

“I still think McGeady, for example, has a bit to do in terms of the catch up he’s been playing. We’ll find the balance.”

As such, with the veteran left-winger looking set to sit out the trip to the Pirelli Stadium on Tuesday, there would appear to be an obvious replacement who is quite literally waiting on the wings to start in place of the Republic of Ireland international – Alex Pritchard.

Game-changer

Having joined the club on a free transfer earlier this summer, Pritchard is yet to feature from the off in League One for the Black Cats, but the 28-year-old has nevertheless proven that he is more than worthy of a start against Burton.

Indeed, after being given a 29-minute cameo in the Black Cats’ 2-1 victory against MK Dons last weekend, the £2.25m-rated man touched the ball 17 times, as well as winning three tackles and three duels – metrics which saw the forward earn a SofaScore match rating of 7.10, the joint fourth-best of any Sunderland player in the fixture.

Prior to this performance, the former England under-21 international also highly impressed in his first Sunderland start in the Carabao Cup win over Port Vale, registering one assist, creating one big chance and making two key passes over his 65 minutes on the pitch, earning a SofaScore match rating of 7.00.

As such, it would very much appear as if the man who Mark Cooper once dubbed an “immense” player has already shown he is something of a game-changer for Sunderland, a trait which could well be hugely valuable for Johnson against an impressive Burton side who have also won both of their opening games of the League One season.

If the Mackems manager is indeed planning on resting McGeady for tonight’s fixture, it would appear most advisable for him to start Pritchard in the 35-year-old’s place.

In other news: SAFC dealt blow over “fantastic” £14k-p/w gem ahead of Burton, Johnson will be gutted

Glasgow Rangers fans are delighted after the club finally revealed Fashion Sakala has arrived at Ibrox and is ready to get going.

The Gers’ capture of Sakala was their first new arrival of the summer transfer window, with them since signing John Lundstram as well. The 24-year-old forward netted 16 goals and provided five assists in 34 games last term during an impressive campaign for Oostende (Transfermarkt), and Steven Gerrard and co will be hoping he can reproduce that form for them as well.

Given he had some passport and covid-19 quarantine issues to deal with, £3.6m-valued Sakala (Transfermarkt) has not yet been introduced officially at Ibrox. Until Thursday, that is, with the Gers sharing a video of the Zambia international taking his first tour of the Gers’ home ground.

The clip was shared on Twitter by the Gers’ official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from the supporters. They took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Sakala update below

“Announce 56”

Credit: @_Sambrook

“This boys gonna take ma heart a can already tell”

Credit: @gregmcarthur

“I love the wee man already”

Credit: @1love1muz

“This makes my soul very happy, cheers mr Rangers”

Credit: @G3oRfc

“Brilliant, can you spoil us today and announce Connor Goldsons new contract now? We can wait till tomorrow for Veerman.”

Credit: @FacelessRanger

“Heeeeez Arrrrrrrivd”

Credit: @lavery1980

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this Club 1872 news.

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting positively to the news that Caoimhin Kelleher has signed a new contract with the Reds.

The young Irishman enjoyed an impressive season, filling in for Alisson on occasions and leapfrogging Adrian to become Liverpool’s second-choice goalkeeper.

Kelleher made two starts apiece in the Premier League and Champions League in 2020/21, looking a confident figure between the sticks.

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The Liverpool ‘keeper has been rewarded for his efforts, signing a new long-term deal on Thursday that will keep him at the club for the foreseeable future.

The news was also confirmed by The Athletic‘s James Pearce on Twitter, on a positive day for Kelleher, whose career continues to go from strength to strength.

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Liverpool fans happy as Kelleher extends Reds stay

These Liverpool fans took to Twitter to provide their thoughts on the news, with plenty of positivity in the air.

“Brilliant keeper, never flustered. Deserved contract”

Credit: @Desiproblems71

“Good vibes”

Credit: @KwekuDankyi

“Boss news. I was proper impressed with him last year when stepping in for Alisson (as I’m sure we all were!) The progression he made is clear for all to see. Very calm and measured and boss with his feet. I’m hoping he gets a lot of opportunities in the cups”

Credit: @Mick_Moran_

“Great news”

Credit: @tripletreefarm

“Yes yes yes yes”

Credit: @muhammed_o99

“Well deserved”

Credit: @TheHendoEffect

In other news, some Liverpool don’t want the Reds to sign one international player they have been linked with. Find out who it is here.

According to a report by La Lazio Siamo Noi, West Ham United midfielder Felipe Anderson is now ‘pushing’ for a return to Lazio this summer and has made that clear to his agents.

The Lowdown: West Ham exodus?

West Ham may have to offload some deadwood if they wish to be active in the transfer market this summer, with the futures of Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson particularly up in the air.

The Ukrainian is still West Ham’s highest earner on a reported £115,000-per-week (spotrac) while Anderson endured a torrid spell at FC Porto over 2020/2021 – starting just one Liga NOS game all season (WhoScored).

The Latest: Anderson now ‘pushing’ for Lazio return…

As per this report, the Brazilian is now ‘pushing’ for a West Ham exit and return to Lazio this summer.

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The 28-year-old has made that clear to his agents whilst also giving them the task of mediating a price compromise between both the Irons and Lazio.

If a deal is going to be agreed between both parties, there is still work to be done, with the Italian capital side apparently unwilling to go over €5 million (£4.2m) plus bonuses for his signature.

The Verdict: Offload…

We believe it is in everyone’s best interest for the winger to find a new club this summer and West Ham could certainly use the money to bolster their own transfer kitty.

However, for just £4.2m plus bonuses, the Irons are right to hold off an any agreement until Lazio potentially come back with a better offer.

If club president Claudio Lotito is truly unwilling to go over that amount then Anderson’s representatives may have a hard time mediating an agreement.

In other news: ‘I’m excited’…West Ham fans rave as club confirm ‘brilliant news’…find out more here.