Tag Futebol

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou oversaw the 50th Scottish Premiership victory of his tenure as his side ran out comfortable 2-0 winners away to Dundee United on Sunday evening, with the Parkhead giants restoring their handsome, nine-point advantage at the summit.

Having enjoyed a rare week of rest following the 5-0 thrashing of Greenock Morton last Saturday, the Scottish champions were in rampant mood at Tannadice yet couldn’t make an early breakthrough, with Kyogo Furuhashi notably firing high and wide inside 30 seconds.

A frantic climax to the first half then saw an Aaron Mooy effort cleared off the line by Craig Sibbald after Reo Hatate’s initial chip had struck the woodwork, while the visitors were then awarded a penalty on the stroke of half-time, only for the decision to be swiftly reversed following a VAR check.

With Liam Fox’s men somewhat hanging on heading in at the break, the Hoops then struck a deserved, albeit bizarre opener just minutes after the restart, with Jota nodding in at the back post following a looping cross from Aaron Mooy.

The latter man then all but sealed the win just minutes later after cooly converting from the penalty spot, with teammate Jota having seen his dinked pass strike the hand of Kieran Freeman inside the area.

That proved the end of the drama, in truth, as Postecoglou rang the changes ahead of Wednesday’s meeting with Livingston, with that late shake-up notably seeing recent arrival Oh Hyeon-gyu make his first appearance for the club in the closing stages.

Following what was a third win of the season for the away side against the Tangerines, much of the talk will rightly be centred around the goalscoring duo of Mooy and Jota, although there was arguably another unsung performer on the day in the form of Alistair Johnston.

The Canada international – who only officially joined the club at the start of the month – has made a smooth transition to life in Scotland thus far, having swiftly and impressively filled the void of the departed Josip Juranovic at right-back.

Having been afforded a consistent run in the side in recent weeks as a result of the injury woes of Anthony Ralston, the 24-year-old has more than taken his chance of late, with his £3.5m capture already looking like an astute piece of business for the Celtic Park hierarchy.

The former CF Montreal man was particularly impressive in his full-back berth against Dundee, having notably enjoyed an impressive 90% pass accuracy rate from his 120 touches, while also laying on two key passes as a marker of his creative prowess.

Not just an asset offensively, however, the tough-tackling titan also proved his worth at the other end of the pitch as he won two of his four ground duels and three of his six aerial duels, while his overall match rating of 7.6, as per Sofascore, was bettered only by the two goalscorers on the day.

Glasgow Live’s Alan Galindo was also full of praise for Johnston in his post-match player ratings, stating that the Vancouver-born ace has ‘started [his] Celtic career really well. Early marker laid down to be the main man after Josip Juranovic departure.’

The versatile defender – who can also feature at centre-back – may not have been the standout name at Tannadice, yet he certainly proved his worth yet again to his new club.

West Ham United have reportedly made an offer to sign Aston Villa striker, Danny Ings, as manager David Moyes seeks to spark a turnaround in fortunes at the London Stadium.

What’s the word?

According to The Telegraph, the Hammers are said to have lodged a bid for the 30-year-old ahead of a potential January switch, with the Englishman – who arrived on a £25m deal 18 months ago – reportedly valued at around £15m by the Midlands outfit.

The report suggests that while the Villans had not intended to part ways with the former Southampton man this month, there is an acceptance that a sale could well help to provide funds for further additions for new boss Unai Emery.

As for the Irons, the piece also adds that Moyes is believed to be a keen admirer of the three-cap marksman, with the Scotsman having reportedly attempted to sign the player back in 2015 during his time in charge at La Liga side, Real Sociedad.

Boldly ditch Antonio

A new attacking recruit appears something of a necessity for the east London outfit if they are to stave off the drop, with marquee summer signing, Gianluca Scamacca, having scored only three Premier League goals to date.

With it still early days in the Italy international’s time in England, however, it could well be another man who proves to be the major casualty of Ings’ arrival, with long-serving ace Michail Antonio potentially facing the axe.

TalkSPORT reporter Alex Crook only recently revealed that West Ham would be ‘open to offers’ for the 32-year-old if they could secure a replacement before the deadline, amid interest from fellow strugglers Everton.

The Jamaican international – who only has 18 months remaining on his existing deal – is the club’s highest scorer in Premier League history with 58 goals since his arrival from Nottingham Forest in 2015, although the ageing speedster has only netted twice in the top-flight this term.

His potential replacement, Ings, has enjoyed a far more respectable campaign thus far with six goals from his 18 league outings – only eight of which have come from the start – with his tally of seven goals across all fronts this term making him Villa’s highest scorer.

A player who has been lauded as something of a “goal machine” in the recent past by journalist Joe Prince-Wright, the £120k-per-week hotshot previously enjoyed a prolific stint at St Mary’s with an impressive return of 46 goals in just 100 games.

As such, although it could well be something of a heartbreaker to move on a player who has given so much to the club for so long in the form of Antonio, bringing in a clinical presence such as Ings could well be what is needed in the battle for survival.

If the importance of a fresh face wasn’t painstakingly evident before Liverpool’s recent Premier League encounter at Brentford, it is now following a wayward, blundering 3-1 defeat to hamper their top-four aspirations.

Liverpool are no longer the fluid, formidable force that they once were, and reinforcements to the midfield are paramount if manager Jurgen Klopp wishes to maintain the club’s stature as one of the globe’s most eminent outfits since his arrival as head coach in 2015, from a footballing standpoint.

And according to i News, entertaining Italian outfit Atalanta might hold the missing piece of the puzzle to catapult the Reds back into title contention over the next several years, with marauding midfielder Teun Koopmeiners touted as a possible signing.

Although, according to Tuttomercatoweb, I Nerazzurri are reluctant to part with their coveted engine in the middle barring a bid that is too irresistible to turn down, and given the current state of the market and the Reds’ recent £35m purchase of Cody Gakpo, the cards might be dealt against Klopp in this instance.

“Elite” duo

The issue with Liverpool’s midfield is not the calibre of the players at Klopp’s disposal; Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho thread the bulk of the central department, but rather the reliability and fluidity within their manager’s system.

As per Sofascore, the £44m-rated Koopmeiners has recorded an average rating in the Italian Serie A of 7.13 – bettered only by Thiago in Liverpool’s squad – and would bring an air of ubiquity to Anfield, slotting into the triad of central options and unifying the collective spirit, capable of contributing toward devastating attacks and chipping in with defensive might when required – as evidenced by his 1.5 tackles and 1.4 clearances per match.

Also averaging 1.8 shots and 1.7 key passes per outing, he would offer a hardened layer to the attacking edge.

His all-encompassing work would veritably bounce off Gakpo, who is set to make his debut for the club against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

Gakpo recently netted three goals at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with the Netherlands, carrying his emphatic club form to international endeavours; for PSV Eindhoven this season, before his transfer to Liverpool, Gakpo netted 13 goals and assisted 17 more from only 24 appearances.

With Koopmeiners’ offensive statistics, four goals and two assists from 15 starts, impressive for such an industrious midfield presence, he could certainly fortify the central ranks while concurrently providing firepower from the middle – something Liverpool have been lacking, with Harvey Elliott the only centre-midfielder to score more than one goal this season.

With Gakpo’s arrival leaving a tantalising lingering sense of optimism regarding the Kop faithful, the skill sets of the “orchestrator” Koopmeiners – as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – and his forward-thinking compatriot could entwine like vines, spreading their grip and opening the door for several shiny new dimensions, forging an “elite” partnership and spearheading the Liverpool charge towards prominence once again.

Two journalists bemoaned James Tomkins’ soft red card that he picked up in Crystal Palace’s 3-0 defeat at home to Fulham in the Premier League this afternoon.

The Lowdown: Palace beaten by Fulham

The Eagles returned to league action for the first time since the middle of November, with the World Cup halting the domestic top-flight season for six weeks.

It proved to be a bitterly disappointing afternoon for Patrick Vieira’s men, though, with Bobby Decordova-Reid, Tim Ream and Aleksandar Mitrovic all scoring for the visitors, while both Tyrick Mitchell and James Tomkins received red cards for the home side.

The result leaves Palace 11th in the Premier League table ahead of their trip to Bournemouth on New Year’s Eve.

The Latest: Journalists bemoan Tomkins red

Taking to Twitter, The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam bemoaned Tomkins’ second-half dismissal, with the incident looking harsh after a clash with Mitrovic. He tweeted:

“Another red card for Palace. James Tomkins sent off for two yellows. Oh dear.”

Meanwhile, The Guardian’s Ed Aarons also voiced his disapproving thoughts on the matter on Twitter, lamenting:

“Tomkins shown second yellow card. Big blunder from ref as he didnt even touch Mitrovic!”

[freshpress-quiz id=“398344″]

The Verdict: Ridiculous decision

Although Palace deserved nothing from their performance against Fulham, the decision to send off Tomkins effectively ended any hope of them getting anything from the game.

It was a ludicrous call from referee Andrew Madley, with almost no contact made with Mitrovic, whose playacting played a huge role in the Eagles defender being given his marching orders.

The fact that VAR couldn’t intervene because it was a second yellow card is all the more infuriating, with the Premier League surely having to look into changing the rule to prevent ludicrous incidents such as these.

[freshpress-poll id=“396968”]

Signing a player purely based on their performances at a major tournament might not be a great idea for Leeds United and Victor Orta.

However, in the case of Gonzalo Plata, an exception has to be made.

A number of clubs, including Newcastle United, are thought to be interested in the Ecuador international with Leeds, AC Milan and Roma having looked at acquiring him in the past.

That suggests there is likely to be fierce competition for the 22-year-old when the January transfer window opens and his World Cup form would suggest a hefty fee may be required.

The Real Valladolid forward is valued at just £13m at the moment but the Spanish side might be able to bump up his price tag following what has been an impressive tournament for Plata so far.

The winger is yet to score or assist at the World Cup yet but he has seriously caught the eye and was unfortunate not to find the net in his nation’s impressive 1-1 draw with the Netherlands on Friday evening, rattling the crossbar from a rasping effort inside the box.

During that performance, Plata was a real live wire as he attempted four dribbles, four crosses, competed in nine ground duels and supplied one key pass.

The Ecuadorian talent is raw but he is incredibly exciting and once everything comes together, there is a sense his numbers will increase significantly.

This season he is yet to score in La Liga but does have two assists to his name. That adds to his tally of six goals and five assists in the second tier of Spanish football last term as he helped his club to seal promotion.

Clearly a talent with a big future, he has been described as a “true trickster” by Adrian Blanco in the opening week of the World Cup.

However, it is his ability to “pick a pass” – in the words of journalist Ben Jacobs – that should excite those back at Elland Road. Indeed, if Leeds can secure a deal for the young attacker, he could well be their next Pablo Hernandez.

Not since the Spaniard departed has the club’s management had a player who can unlock the opposition with as much regularity.

Hernandez was a cult hero for Leeds as he played a seismic role in their eventual promotion to the Premier League.

During his time in Yorkshire, the now 37-year-old scored 36 times and assisted 41 goals in 175 outings.

Like Plata, the former Swansea man was capable of playing on the flanks during his younger days in the game and possessed a similarly dazzling nature with the ball at his feet.

What the Ecuadorian can do is often mesmerising with his captivating nature having the ability to get fans off their seats, a feeling Hernandez was all too familiar with under Marcelo Bielsa.

During his best campaign at Leeds – 2018/19 – Hernandez registered a combined haul of 24 goal involvements – with his three key passes and 1.1 dribbles per game a rather insane amount.

Plata’s 1.1 key passes a match in the 2022/23 season may be someway short at this stage of his career, but his 1.8 dribbles on average prove there are similarities in the way the duo play.

Any comparison to the Spaniard is likely to get pulses racing in Leeds, with the idea of signing this World Cup star surely a mouth-watering one.

West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice will leave the east London club next summer, according to journalist Matt Law. 

The Lowdown: Rice linked with West Ham exit

The England international has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium in the past, with a report last April claiming that he had turned down a third offer from West Ham to sign a new deal and is instead looking to leave the club.

At the moment, the 23-year-old is focused on international duties as he has played every minute of action for England in the World Cup ahead of tonight’s concluding group match against Wales.

However, it appears as though some behind-the-scenes details have emerged regarding what the future could hold for the £60k-per-week Hammers star.

The Latest: Rice to leave West Ham in 2023?

Speaking on a recent episode of the London Is Blue podcast (via TEAMtalk), Matt Law made an emphatic claim about Rice’s medium-term future.

He said: “Rice, he will definitely, definitely leave West Ham at the end of this season. I’m 100% confident on that. West Ham are preparing to sell Declan Rice. I think it’ll be about £70m.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-latest-news-5/” title=”West Ham latest news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”] 

The Verdict: Disappointment for West Ham

As the only West Ham player to feature for every minute of Premier League action this season, it’s safe to say that the midfielder – who has been labelled an “unbelievable talent” in the past by 90min journalist Toby Cudworth – is a crucial member of David Moyes’ squad.

With more progressive passes (61) made than any other Irons player, along with the second-highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (60) at the club, it’s clear to see what Rice gives to the team and what they could be losing if they do sell him next summer.

Taking all that into account, it would definitely be disappointing for West Ham to see their midfield star leaving the club in 2023.

However, if they do cash in on him for the price that Law mentioned, they would need to use that money to bring in someone who could be a suitable replacement for him and what he offers on the pitch.

Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus will be confident of making Brazil’s World Cup squad for the upcoming tournament in Qatar, especially considering his excellent form since joining from Manchester City in the summer.

With five goals and five assists in 12 Premier League matches, Jesus is hitting form at precisely the right time and could join a plethora of riches in the team, with the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Jr, Raphinha, and Richarlison all looking like making Tite’s squad.

However, the 61-year-old must call up Gabriel Martinelli for the World Cup as he could be a wonderful option to utilise in Qatar.

Martinelli must go to Qatar

Despite only making his international debut in March this year and winning just two more caps since, Martinelli has been outstanding for Mikel Arteta’s side so far this season, especially in the Premier League.

With seven goal contributions in 12 matches, his attacking skills have been on regular display. The Brazilian also averages 1.8 key passes per match and has created a further four big chances.

By averaging 2.1 successful dribbles per match, his ability to go past defenders could be useful for Brazil, especially if they come up against stubborn opposition.

Martinelli knows what it takes to win a tournament with Brazil, having won an Olympic gold medal at Tokyo 2020 and this winning mentality could also stand him in good stead, with the national side aiming to win the World Cup for the first time in 20 years.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp described the £90k-per-week winger as the “talent of the century” earlier this year, and while this may be a tad over the top or a little premature, there is no doubt he has the ability to shine at a global international tournament.

With just 26 players picked for the final squad, it will be extremely tight whether or not he sneaks into the final roster, especially as he faces competition from the likes of Gabriel Barbosa and Matheus Cunha. It could well be a nervy wait for the talented winger.

Brazil won’t just be targeting success at Qatar, they are constantly looking to the future and if Martinelli is chosen this year, it could give him the experience to become part of the Seleção for the next decade.

After a difficult spell at Manchester United, Wilfried Zaha returned to Crystal Palace and has established himself as a club legend but he has faced his fair share of criticism.

The Ivory Coast international began his career at Selhurst Park, hitting 18 goals and providing 28 assists in his first spell with the Eagles, ahead of his £15m move to Manchester United in January 2013.

However, the winger was afforded very few opportunities during his time at Old Trafford, making just four appearances for the senior side, before he returned to Crystal Palace on loan for the 2014/15 season, making his return permanent in February 2015 for just £6m.

Zaha has been a consistent performer in Palace’s side ever since and has remained at Selhurst Park despite reports linking him away in nearly every transfer window.

Despite some strong form in the 2016/17 campaign, which saw him enjoy the best Premier League season of his career at the time with seven goals and 11 assists, Harry Redknapp was quick to criticise his performances after he was overlooked by England and pledged his allegiance to the Ivory Coast.

[freshpress-poll

He said: “Zaha’s delivery hasn’t been good enough. He’s got to do a lot more if he’s going to be a top player. Zaha has ended up being a big disappointment.”

Considering Zaha currently sits on 87 goals and 74 assists for Crystal Palace in 437 appearances, it is safe to say that Redknapp got it badly wrong about the winger.

The 29-year-old keeps on getting better and after enjoying the best goalscoring season of his career in the last campaign with 14 top-flight goals, Zaha looks on track to be Palace’s talisman again this season.

Indeed, the player who Thomas Frank claimed has “unbelievable” magic in his boots has scored four goals and has one assist to his name in the opening seven Premier League games.

While there are doubts about Zaha’s future at Selhurst Park, as his contract is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, there is no question that he will be remembered as a Crystal Palace legend and one of the best players outside of the top six, so it seems clear that Redknapp was far too quick to judge Zaha in 2017.

Sheffield Wednesday have added James Shan to Darren Moore’s backroom team at Hillsborough, reliable journalist Alex Miller has confirmed.

The Lowdown: Moore doing well overall

The Owls currently look like strong promotion hopefuls in League One, sitting third in the table and boasting the second-most valuable squad in the division as per Transfermarkt.

Moore may not be doing a perfect job but the positives appear to outweigh the negatives as he seeks to guide Wednesday back into the Championship.

Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Port Vale, a significant update has emerged regarding a new addition to his management team.

The Latest: Wednesday hire James Shan

Taking to Twitter, Miller confirmed that Shan has been added to Moore’s coaching setup, having worked with him during their shared time at West Bromwich Albion.

The journalist tweeted:

“A wee bombshell dropped by Darren Moore at the end of this afternoon’s pre-Port Vale presser. Wednesday have added James Shan to their backroom staff. DM worked with him previously at WBA.”

The Verdict: Keeping things fresh

It is always important to keep freshening things up in the coaching staff, ensuring things don’t grow stale and players don’t tire of hearing from the same individuals all the time.

It is something that Sir Alex Ferguson mastered during his time as Manchester United boss, changing his assistant manager numerous times, and it is good to see Moore making tweaks.

The fact that he and Shan have already worked together bodes well, suggesting that they know each other inside out, and it will hopefully aid the Owls’ promotion push, starting with today’s trip to Vale Park.

Crystal Palace are set to miss out on transfer target Ismaila Sarr, with the forward now expected to stay at Watford, according to The Sun journalist Tom Barclay.

The Lowdown: Villa move collapses

The Hornets suffered relegation from the Premier League last season, but with the 24-year-old being a standout performer in Rob Edwards’ side, he has been linked with a move back to the top flight.

Recent reports suggested that the winger had agreed a £25m move to Aston Villa, but that fell through due to difficulty in negotiations, with the Midlands club duly pulling out of the deal.

Fabrizio Romano later claimed that the Eagles had been alerted to the Senegal forward’s situation and could have a window of opportunity to pounce, but it now seems unlikely that they will.

The Latest: Sarr set to stay at Watford

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Barclay shared information that Sarr is likely to remain at Watford despite being the subject of widespread transfer interest.

He said of the 24-year-old: “I think Palace like him, but I was told from the Watford end the other day that there’s a strong possibility that Sarr will stay.”

The Verdict: Blow for Palace

Whilst Palace already have plenty of squad depth in the wide attacking areas with the likes of Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise, it will still be a blow for Vieira to miss out on Sarr.

The Hornets star, who was dubbed a ‘future legend’ by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored 25 times and provided 19 assists in 96 games for Watford (Transfermarkt), already boasting two goal contributions in four matches this season.

The Sarr deal is one that Palace should definitely look at pursuing again in a future transfer window, if he remains attainable, and try their absolute best to bring him to Selhurst Park, particularly if their current wingers fall victim to injury or are lured elsewhere.