All posts by z3u9t.icu

And now it’s official and confirmed by both sides involved – El Clasico won’t be played next weekend, but instead we will get the clash of the titans closer to Christmas.

Real Madrid and Barcelona would both like it to be on 18 December, says their statement, but even though we know for sure the clash is being moved, the date is yet to be confirmed by the league.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, many Real Madrid fans are fuming about the potential new date because it makes Los Blancos’ schedule that much worse.

If El Clasico was to be played a week before Christmas day, that would mean the Galacticos would have it sandwiched between Valencia and Athletic Club, two really tricky opponents.

For that reason, some of the fans seem to believe Real Madrid shot their own foot with this deal that they appear to have negotiated with the Blaugrana.

Many were fuming at the upper hierarchy for agreeing on such a thing, and even stated the club is run by clowns.

You can see some of their reactions and comments down in the tweets below.

Check them out…

Three days after the first-team registered their third Premier League defeat in a row, the Everton U21s impressed once again in a convincing victory over Burton Albion in the EFL Trophy.Goals from Ellis Simms and Antony Evans ensured the win in the group stage match, giving the young Toffees their second win in the competition after they beat Mansfield Town earlier in the campaign.

David Unsworth’s side are still unbeaten this season, and after registering a draw against Manchester City on Friday and now beating a team 14th in League One, it seems some fans are calling for the youngsters to step up to the first-team in the wake of the poor form.

The senior squad sits 15th, having scored just six goals in eight Premier League games, with the 3-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers the only time Marco Silva’s men have scored more than once in a league game.

Fans are also buzzing over the form of Simms after the 18-year-old bagged an almighty 32 goals in 21 appearances last campaign, now adding another to his collection.

Here’s a look at what Everton supporters said on Twitter after the win over the third-tier side…

Some Southampton fans have taken to Twitter to react after The Daily Echo reported that Ross Wilson – Director of Football Operations at St Mary’s – is ‘expected’ to join Rangers.Adam Leitch writes that the Saints are now gearing up for the hunt to find a new football chief, with Wilson expected to team up with the Scottish giants.

Leitch continues, writing that the Gers are so keen to appoint Wilson that Steven Gerrard himself has been enlisted to try and persuade the Southampton man to make the move to Ibrox.

Wilson has been responsible for a number of poor – and expensive – signings during his time in the hotseat.

He oversaw a club-record £19m move for Guido Carrillo – a man who we outlined as one of the club’s worst signings in many years – while he was also responsible for the £15m capture of Wesley Hoedt, who failed to live up to expectations.

Let’s see how the Southampton fans on Twitter reacted to the news…

Scotland play their second do-or-die game in the space of a week. After an abject performance in the 2-1 defeat to Russia on Friday, Steve Clarke is looking to make changes, according to The Sun. The story circulating is that it will be the midfield and attack where he makes the most changes.

With Scotland facing the FIFA number one ranked team, Belgium, it doesn’t come much harder. Their respective starts to the qualifying campaign couldn’t be more different with Belgium sitting on top of the group with maximum points and Scotland nine points behind in fourth on just six points from the opening five games.

A key area in which Clarke will freshen up will be midfield. So who are the men Clarke is looking to bring in?

Clarke is rumoured to be making four changes to his offensive players with Ryan Christie, Kenny McLean, Robert Snodgrass and Matt Phillips all set to start. The players likely to drop out, according to The Sun, will be James Forrest, Callum McGregor, John McGinn and Oli McBurnie.

In such an important game, it would be a bold move for Clarke to drop, arguably, three of his best players. Forrest, McGregor and McGinn are regular starters for Scotland when fit. Bringing in Christie to play with his Celtic team-mates makes perfect sense given their start to the season and his own prolific form. Christie has eight goals and five assists in thirteen appearances, numbers that dictate a starting place for a Scotland team that is struggling.

Playing McGregor in a deeper role with John McGinn in a double pivot would give the Scotland defence greater and much needed protection. McGinn and McGregor are key players with their clubs, Kenny McLean has just 111 minutes of league action this season.

There is also a sound argument for replacing Ryan Fraser with Robert Snodgrass. Not only is this Scotland team bereft of experience, which Snodgrass has, but it is also short of goals. Fraser has yet to show he is capable of reproducing his Bournemouth form for Scotland with just one goal in ten games. Snodgrass with seven goals in twenty-six games would also give a better balance as a natural left-sided player.

Playing the lone striker role for Scotland has never been an easy task and McBurnie was slated in some quarters for his part in Scotland’s defeat against Russia, especially by BBC pundit Michael Stewart. He is inexperienced at international level but his club form, with a goal almost every two games over the last two seasons demonstrates he is worth persevering with. On this occasion though the more physical Matt Phillips could be the man to turn to. McBurnie, despite his height, is a finesse player and needs support around him. Phillips will run channels, bully defenders and look to win cheap possession high up the park. Possession may be hard to come by against such a good team.

It remains to be seen how true the rumours are about Clarke’s team selection in such an important fixture. By dropping key players he may be seen as giving up on the group qualification. With the likely opponents of Scotland’s Nations League play-off being against Bulgaria, he may see that as the real “do-or-die” fixture. Clarke should play his strongest team and bring in Christie and Snodgrass to add much needed firepower to the Scotland attack.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Real Madrid fans ended up going through some genuine drama this weekend when Levante were welcomed to Santiago Bernabeu.

Los Blancos did take all three points in the end but Zinedine Zidane’s decision to give Casemiro and Sergio Ramos their rest almost cost them the game on Saturday.

On the chalkboard

The clash couldn’t have started better for Real.

By the time the teams were sent to the locker room for half-time, the Galacticos were already 3-0 up and seemingly with another impressive victory in the bag. But Levante had other ideas.

In the second half, it was all about the guests and their efforts to claw their way back into the game, fighting to salvage a nigh-on miraculous point.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Even though they somehow managed to reduce the gap to 3-2, they just couldn’t muster enough strength for one final push and one final goal to get the draw on the night. Still, they were close and Real completely crumbled defensively in that second half.

And taking into consideration that Zidane decided to rest Casemiro and Ramos by taking them off early, it really isn’t that big of a surprise.

A risk worth taking?

Both Casemiro and Ramos were subbed off on the hour mark as Zidane didn’t want to risk them sustaining an injury. On paper, that’s fair enough.

It’s something the Frenchman acknowledged in his post-match press conference and looking at the players who are already sidelined for Real Madrid, it really didn’t seem worth the risk. But on the other hand, that single decision almost cost them the entire game.

Of course, the Galacticos conceded one goal before the duo were taken off but the remainder of the second half was extremely difficult for them as a whole. Five of Levante’s eight shots came after the substitution and resulted in one additional goal.

This becomes more visible when we take into account their contribution to the team prior to them leaving the pitch. Casemiro tallied two tackles, one interception and three clearances while Ramos had one tackle, one interception and two clearances.

Quite clearly, both were doing their part in the defensive phase of the game.

The decision to take them off weakened the XI significantly and even though Zidane was just playing it safe, it was still a substitution that almost lost them the three points on Saturday.

That they got over the line was more by luck than judgement.

[ad_pod ]

Southampton will be hoping to make some valuable late improvements to their team whilst they still can with the window being open.

Ralph Hasenhuttl will be very proud with how his players have conducted themselves in recent weeks as Southampton are now moving on up the Premier League table.

There are still plenty of games to go, mind, so Southampton cannot afford to get carried away as they continue their battle to reach the holy 40-point mark.

With the depth of quality Hasenhuttl has available to him, the Austrian coach will be confident of securing Premier League football next season but in the top flight, things never turn out to be that easy.

He needs to make some signings in the little time left but an efficient dealing would be the purchase of Rangers captain James Tavernier.

Tavernier, (who is valued at £1.8 million on Transfermarkt) has the experience and ability to be a big help to Southampton in their bid to avoid relegation this season.

The Rangers captain undoubtedly boasts brilliant leadership qualities, with top-notch commitment and desire to give everything he possibly can.

After leaving England around four years ago, James Tavernier could return with a completely different attitude and readiness to play, having been so vital for Rangers all this time since.

This season alone, the 28-year-old has nine goals and 14 assists all coming from the right-back position, which is incredible really.

Southampton could only dream of their attackers having that much of an impact, let alone one of their defensive players.

With Cedric on his way out – leaving Yan Valery as the only out-and-out right-back – a move for James Tavernier makes perfect sense for Southampton.

Do you agree… Let us know!

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…

Real Madrid have once again spent big money in the transfer window with nearly £300m thrown at a number of new signings. But despite some exciting names joining the squad, their issues at the back remain unsolved.

On the chalkboard

By this point and after only one pre-season tour and three games played in the new 2019/20 La Liga season, it’s becoming pretty obvious: Real Madrid are leaking goals. During the summer when they were gearing up for the new campaign, Los Blancos played five games and conceded an incredible 16 goals, almost equalling their worst-ever tally from 1980 when they let 17 strikes rattle their net.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

When we crunch the numbers a bit more we get a rather worrying figure of 3.2 goals conceded per game, which is far too many for a club of Real Madrid’s pedigree and stature, not to mention their aspirations.

And the problems were not fixed at the beginning of 2019/20 either. In the first three games they played, the Galacticos conceded four goals, which is only two fewer than they’ve scored in the process. Clearly, there’s a glaring flaw in that squad: their defence.

Out with the old, in with the new

If Zinedine Zidane was looking for culprits for this crime, which he should be doing, he wouldn’t have to look much further than his own backline. All four of Marcelo, Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane and Dani Carvajal have seen some better days. Ferland Mendy’s performance against Villarreal immediately showed how big of a difference it makes to have a good defender in the squad, but it was actually the centre-backs that have been questioned as of late.

Both Varane and Ramos have averaged only 1.3 tackles per game in La Liga so far this season and the Frenchman has only one interception per game while the Spaniard sits at 1.3. It’s safe to say that they haven’t really set the world alight with their performances and Zidane should be looking to bring more competition into the ranks.

Eder Militao is the only new centre-back who joined the squad but he’s yet to make his official debut in the competition, which might suggest Zidane is sticking with more familiar faces for now. And looking at the stats and Madrid’s leakiness in the back, that might not be the best of ideas.

Real have played a total of 21 games since Zidane’s return and in that period they’ve won eight, drawn six and lost seven games. Their goal difference is rather bad as well: 36 scored and 35 conceded with just five clean sheets.

Something has to change fast and it would be wise of Zidane to forget all about Neymar, who seems to be back on the table, and look for some new defenders instead.

[ad_pod ]

A journalist has revealed that Newcastle United are now in talks to sign Ludovic Blas in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Standout season

The 24-year-old is enjoying a standout season at Nantes at the moment, scoring seven goals and supplying one assist in 19 games in Ligue 1 from midfield and currently ranking as the club’s fourth-best player (WhoScored).

He is averaging more shots and dribbles per match than any of his teammates, and he could be one for France national team coach Didier Deschamps to consider ahead of the World Cup in Qatar next winter.

The Latest: Newcastle talks

As per The Daily Star journalist Jacque Talbot on Friday evening, Newcastle and Watford are both in talks to sign Blas this month, while there is also interest in the player from Lille and from abroad. He revealed on Twitter:

“Understand Newcastle and Watford are in discussions to sign Ligue 1 star Ludovic Blas.

“The 24-year-old is talking to the Premier League relegation rivals who are set to play tomorrow, while there is also interest from Lille and in the Bundesliga.”

Of course, the two English clubs vying for Blas played out a 1-1 draw in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, so talks may now intensify in the coming days.

Intriguingly, the Nantes maestro is represented by the same agency as Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood, both of whom have signed for the Magpies since the start of the month.

The Verdict: Get it done

Newcastle are severely lacking in goals from the middle of the park, and Blas could certainly provide that given his record this season.

Nantes teammate and former Liverpool player Pedro Chirivella has previously described the 24-year-old as a ‘pure talent’, as well as an ‘incredible’ and ‘spectacular’ player. The Spaniard has even compared him to former Anfield teammates Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho (So Foot), which is very high praise indeed.

At 24 years of age, Blas still has such a high ceiling, and he could provide that extra bit of quality that the Tynesiders need in order to avoid relegation to the Championship.

In other news, find out who else is now ‘keen’ on signing for NUFC

With no new players brought in during the winter aside from Willy Caballero who joined the club as a free agent in early December, Southampton have had a rather uneventful few weeks regarding any potential transfer business.

While the club did welcome a takeover from Sport Republic led by Serbian media mogul Dragan Solak, Ralph Hasenhuttl has not been given any new players to add to his squad.

Although, with only a few days left until the transfer window closes, it seems as though the south coast club could have a challenge on their hands to keep hold of one of their key players.

What’s the news?

According to journalist Jose Manuel Oliva (via Saints Extra) Newcastle United are negotiating with Southampton over a potential transfer for Mohammed Salisu and have apparently offered a similar to what they have tried to sign Sevilla defender Diego Carlos for, which is said to be in in the region of over £30m.

Southampton signed the defender back in the 2020 summer transfer window from Spanish club Real Valladolid in a deal worth a reported fee of £10.9m.

Since then, the 22-year-old, who is currently picking up a weekly wage of £39k-per-week according to Salary Sport, has gone on to make 38 appearances for the Saints across all competitions.

Ralph would be furious

This season has seen the Ghanian play more minutes in the Premier League than any other Southampton player, as well as managing to rack up an overall performance rating of 7/10 from WhoScored, making him their second-highest rated outfield player behind club captain James Ward-Prowse.

Labelled as a “nasty” player in the past in terms of his defensive action on the pitch by Hasenhuttl, Salisu’s latest appearance for Southampton saw the centre-back put in a colossal performance in their recent 1-1 draw against Manchester City where he made a total of 14 clearances, seven tackles and four interceptions.

This not only highlights how important Salisu has been for the team this season but also how unhappy Hasenhuttl would be to see him potentially leave the club halfway through the season to join another Premier League side, which would undoubtedly be a disaster for Solak, especially this late in the window.

Moving forward, with Newcastle journalist Luke Edwards recently claiming that the Magpies had made an approach to Southampton to sign Salisu but were told that “it’s not going to be possible” for them to sign him, this should put to bed any concerns there may have been from the fans or Hasenhuttl about the defender’s immediate future.

In other news: Big boost: Hasenhuttl drops promising 7-word Southampton update, fans surely pleased – opinion

Tottenham insider John Wenham believes the club could seal the signing of AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie in a number of days, Football Insider report.

The Lowdown: Talks at an advanced stage

Managing director at Spurs Fabio Paratici has been linked with a move for Kessie for a number of months now.

The Ivorian, capable of playing as a central or defensive midfielder, has just six months remaining on his AC Milan contract.

That means Tottenham will have the chance to seal pre-contract terms in the January transfer window, with The Daily Express reporting in recent days that talks are at an advanced stage.

Arsenal and Manchester United are also keen, but it’s believed Antonio Conte’s side are at the front of the queue for the 25-year-old’s signature.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Wenham’s comments

Spurs insider Wenham was talking to Football Insider in a story on Thursday evening regarding Kessie.

He feels that a move could be finalised in ‘days’, labelling Paratici as a ‘specialist’.

“The Franck Kessie stuff is still going on.

“The opportunity to get him on a pre-contract is coming up in a few days and I think that’s one to keep an eye on.

“I’ve mentioned before about Paratici’s links with Serie A and how he is a specialist at getting these deals done.

“That one would not surprise me. There are reportedly a lot of clubs interested in him.

“But now we have the pulling power of Antonio Conte, which could give us an edge.”

The Verdict: Brilliant…

Should Spurs land Kessie on a pre-contract agreement over the coming days, it could turn out to be an excellent piece of business both in the short and long term, with Paratici then able to look at immediate January additions.

Tottenham would be getting a £43.2m-rated midfielder seemingly in his prime for nothing, with Kessie bringing a wealth of international and European experience to north London.

There could also be a number of midfield departures at Spurs over the next few weeks, with Dele Alli and Giovani Lo Celso linked with exits. Should the pair move on, that would leave Conte with just four senior midfield options, so bringing in Kessie would help bolster the numbers in the middle of the pitch.

In other news: ‘I’m hearing’ – talkSPORT drop Spurs transfer update live on-air; Conte wants ‘world class’ ace.