All posts by z3u9t.icu

[ad_pod ]According to the chief football writer for The Guardian/Observer, Daniel Taylor, on his official Twitter account, Nottingham Forest are on the verge of signing Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Leo Bonatini on loan until the end of the season.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Daniel Taylor says that the Championship play-off hopefuls have beaten off competition from a number of other clubs to bring the 24-year-old to The City Ground on a temporary basis for the remainder of the campaign.

Despite playing a key role in Wolves’ promotion to the Premier League last season, the Brazilian has found first-team opportunities hard to come by this term following the arrival of Raul Jimenez at Molineux during the summer transfer window.

As per Transfermarkt, the attacker has only played 128 minutes of Premier League football across seven appearances, with the majority of his game time coming in the Carabao Cup.

Would he be a good signing for Forest?

He certainly could be, yes.

The Reds’ only real striker options right now are Lewis Grabban and Daryl Murphy, and it is no surprise if Martin O’Neill wants some more competition for places in that area if the east Midlands outfit are to secure the top-six finish they undoubtedly want come what May.

The centre-forward netted 12 times in 43 Championship appearances for Nuno Santo’s men during their promotion-winning campaign, as per Transfermarkt, although the last of those actually came in December 2017.

That could be a slight concern, but there is no doubt that he can rebuild his confidence at The City Ground if given regular minutes, and it is yet more proof that owner Evangelos Marinakis isn’t messing about in his bid to take Forest to the Premier League.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

Burnley were hardly the most active team in the January transfer window, but one big transfer story did take place at Turf Moor on deadline day.

That was the signing of England legend Peter Crouch, who moved the other way in a deal which saw Sam Vokes sign for Stoke City in what was seen as one of the most bizarre transfers in the whole window.

However, we here in the Tavern feel like Sean Dyche might well have pulled off something of a masterstroke, and the addition of Crouch might well be something which is a massive benefit to the Clarets in the long-term.

Crouch, now 38, is hardly going to set the world alight during his time in Lancashire, but over a number of years, the former England man could well be a massive bonus for the club in terms of his coaching and experience, not to mention the overall feel-good factor which seems to follow Crouch around wherever he goes.

The big striker will get minutes under Dyche as Burnley scrap to avoid being dragged into a relegation dogfight, and his height, experience, and nouse in and around the 18 yard box might well prove crucial.

Something had to change for Burnley, and while many won’t have seen Crouch as the change what was necessarily needed, it might well turn out to be a genius move by Dyche.

Burnley fans, would you agree, or is Crouch a pointless addition? Let us know your thoughts!

[ad_pod ]

Raul Jimenez’s debut season in England has attracted a lot of attention after a number of excellent performances from the Mexican international.

The centre-forward arrived on a loan deal from Portuguese side Benfica back in the summer, and has since gone on to notch nine goals and record five assists in his 26 Premier League appearances. Whilst those numbers are decent, they aren’t up there with the league’s best, although the 27-year-old offers so much more than just finding the back of the net.

Wolves’ number nine uses his 6′ 2″ frame to great effect, winning the majority of his aerial duels and making clever, consistent runs into the channels to open up room for Diogo Jota to have a shot on goal.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

His first touch is also exemplary, and he is proving to have all the attributes to shine as a lone striker in this division.

Against Newcastle on Monday night, last season’s Championship winners looked fairly lost and struggled to play their usually effective game against the Magpies, with Jimenez also finding it difficult against Rafa Benitez’s defensively rigid side.

On a night where only a very late Martin Dubravka error helped Wolves get a point, the 27-year-old appeared to be the only man trying to make something happen in front of goal for Nuno Espirito Santo’s men.

He had six shots, more than any of his teammates, but unfortunately for him and Wolves, only one of those was on target as he appeared to leave his shooting boots at home.

Whilst it wasn’t working for the Mexican up top, he showcased the many sides to his game with a number of attacking involvements that prove he is the focal point for Nuno. Jimenez embarked on five successful dribbles, and made an impressive three key passes – he was also fouled twice as Newcastle worked hard to nullify his impact going forward.

It was just one of those days for the newly-promoted side, and even then, they still managed to record a point which proves just how well they are doing at the moment; a lot of their good work can be put down to Jimenez and his relentless attacking play.

Unai Emery had a much quieter window in January than he did in the summer.

Emery was limited to just loan signings for Arsenal last month and Denis Suarez was the only incoming in that respect.

On the outgoing front, it was rather quiet too. Just Emiliano Martinez left on loan to Reading, with Emery clearly keen to take more of a look at some of his current players.

With that being said, here are two players who must surely be disappointed to not move on in the window…

Mesut Ozil

There were not any concrete rumours surrounding Ozil over January, despite only playing twice in all competitions in that month.

The situation from the outside seems rather confusing as other options are often preferred to the German, then the next game he can be captain, using the wins against Chelsea and Cardiff City as examples.

If he fails to get much game time between now and the end of the season, he must surely be disappointed to not move on in January.

Eddie Nketiah

This is more so from a loan perspective. Nketiah has now made five first-team appearances this season for Arsenal and, despite not scoring, he has looked bright and made troublesome runs in his opportunities.

The 19-year-old has now been on the bench on a dozen occasions now in the Premier League, amounting just one minute of League football in that time.

If the promising youngster does not make many more appearances before the end of the season, he could be frustrated that a loan opportunity did not arise in January.

[ad_pod ]

Following last week’s Special Episode with former Watford and Brentford goalkeeper Richard Lee, the Fixture In Focus Podcast returns to Premier League matters for the latest instalment.

James Jones returns to the host’s chair while the usual #FIFpod suspects Chris McMullan and Christy Malyan – guilty as charged – join him in the studio, quickly running the rule over Manchester United’s 2-0 win over Chelsea in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup on Monday night before delving into all matters Northwest Derby.

Indeed, title-chasing Liverpool head to Old Trafford this weekend, knowing the clash with their bitter, historic rivals could well have a decisive impact in the race for the English crown. Helping the Fixture In Focus team on all matters Reds is Owen Maers from Anfield Edition, who joined Christy for an exclusive chat.

This week’s agenda includes whether Chelsea’s boardroom culture is to blame for the fans turning on Maurizio Sarri too quickly, explaining Alexis Sanchez’s incredible downturn in form over the last 18 months and whether criticism of Sadio Mane after Liverpool’s draw with Bayern Munich has got out of hand.

If you love what we do and don’t want to miss another episode, don’t forget to subscribe on your preferred podcast platform by clicking here.

//fixtureinfocus.podiant.co/e/3718219dc26330/embed/

[ad_pod ]

Spurs travel north for their battle with Burnley at Turf Moor, buffed by the news that Harry Kane is back and ready for action having recovered from his recurring ankle injury.

Fortunately for the Lilywhites, they have hardly missed the England captain’s absence due to the electric form of Heung-min Son who, should Mauricio Pochettino do the maths ahead of a busy run of fixtures, should be dropped for the Clarets clash.

On the chalkboard

Spurs have proved in the last month that they aren’t the one man team many football fans label them as being – instead, the likes of the aforementioned Son and even Fernando Llorente have stepped up to the plate and delivered the vital goals that have kept the north London outfit in the title race.

Kane’s immediate recall for this weekend’s clash would surely be a no brainer for many Spurs fans and, while it may be a risk to thrust the only-just-recovered number 9 back in against one of the Premier League’s most physical sides, Pochettino must think about what his team needs and when, in a period where they have three games in seven days.

Why, then, should Son, who has scored in three consecutive games, be dropped against Burnley instead?

Kane loves scoring against Burnley

The 25-year-old has chalked up five goals and an assist in seven games against the Clarets and will be keen to add to that stellar record in their next meeting.

Meanwhile, Son is in desperate need of a rest having played 89 minutes or more in the last four Premier League games and the full 90 minutes against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. The clash with Burnley seems like the perfect time to give him a break.

Plus, Pochettino has plenty of other attacking midfielders to choose from so there is no need for Son to be restored in his left-wing role so soon, and Llorente might be a better partner for Kane up front this game anyway – Sean Dyche’s side are adept at dealing with balls into the box and sit very deep so the Spaniard’s height may be more useful than Son’s pace.

Chelsea next up

A battle with the Blues is just around the corner – Wednesday, to be precise – and a different approach will be required for that game. Starting Kane in two games so close to each other after the striker has just returned from injury should not be considered by Pochettino, who would be better served bringing Son back in for the Blues clash.

There’s good news for fans of City, Liverpool, Spurs and United in the video below…

Maurizio Sarri’s side struggled to break down teams who sit deep so perhaps Spurs’ joy will come – like it did the last time the two London clubs met – on the counter, where 26-year-old Son’s pace will be crucial.

After all is Arsenal, where Pochettino will hopefully be able to unleash a fully recovered, fully rested Kane and field his strongest side against their bitter rivals. Leaving Son out this weekend might be an unthinkable decision to make but, considering how hectic the fixture schedule is in the next seven days, it would be an extremely smart decision for the Spurs boss to make.

[ad_pod ]

Aston Villa striker Scott Hogan was an unused substitute for loan side Sheffield United in their 0-0 draw with arch-rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Monday night, and Villa fans were quick to react on Twitter.

The 26-year-old joined the Blades on loan until the end of the season during the January transfer window following a difficult spell with the Midlands outfit, and even the fact that he was working under the manager who oversaw his best form at Brentford wasn’t enough to see him remain at Villa Park until May.

The Republic of Ireland international has hardly hit the ground running n Yorkshire either though, and his latest no-show means that he has still only played 90 minutes – all of which came against Reading – of Championship football for Chris Wilder’s men, failing to come off of the bench on every other occasion.

Aston Villa supporters took to social media to have their say on Hogan, and while one said: “Good to see Scott Hogan back to doing what he does best, watching from the bench”, another said: “Something ain’t right with that fella”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Who has been the Championship’s best player this season? The Pl>ymaker FC squad discuss in the video below…

[ad_pod ]

Manchester United fans have taken to Twitter to react after Arsenal’s official Twitter account appeared to mock their chant for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The Red Devils supporters’ chant for the Norwegian goes:

Who will be the next ‘Big 6’ manager to be sacked? The Pl>ymaker FC squad all seem to agree on one name. Find out who in the video below…

‘Ole’s at the wheel, tell me how good does it feel, we’ve got Sanchez and Pogba and Fred, Marcus Rashford he’s manc born and bred, duh du, du du du du du, duh du, du du du du du, the greatest of English football, we’ve won it all. ‘

It is a song that they hold dear to them, but following the Gunners’ 2-0 win over them at the Emirates on Sunday, the north London-based side’s Twitter account sent out a tweet twisting the lyrics so they suit Unai Emery, rather than Solskjaer.

Naturally, after watching their side fall to a first domestic defeat under the caretaker manager in a game where they still played quite well, the United fans were in no mood to take any digs from the Gunners.

Let’s see how they reacted to the jibe on Twitter…

[ad_pod ]

Nottingham Forest’s club-record signing Joao Carvalho looked as though he may have turned a corner following his goal against Hull City last weekend, but he came unstuck in the 3-1 defeat to an Aston Villa side led by Jack Grealish in midweek.

On the chalkboard

The 22-year-old Reds man appeared to be adapting to the rigours of English football well in the first-half of the season under Aitor Karanka, but the Spaniard’s successor Martin O’Neill clearly hasn’t been happy with something he has seen.

The Portuguese attack-minded midfielder had barely been seen on the pitch in the Championship before being named in the starting XI against the Villans in midweek, but he once again flattered to deceive.

The former Benfica man would do well to look up to a player he faced on the night at The City Ground in Grealish, if he wants to be a success at Forest.

What does he need to do?

Grealish has been clearly targeted by Championship opponents so many times over the course of the previous 18 months that it’s been almost laughable, but he continues to get up and get on with things even when he is taken down illegally.

Can Forest get back to winning ways against lowly Ipswich? Matchday with Max gives us his view on their recent defeat to Villa in the video below…

He may not be of a big build, but the 23-year-old has clearly put in the work in the gym to ensure that he has ome upper body strength and isn’t easy to bundle off the ball, and that has undoubtedly helped him.

In the last few weeks especially you have seen how the Villa captain is grabbing matches by the scruff of the neck himself rather than relying on others to do so, and now Carvalho needs to replicate this.

He has the talent to match or even better Grealish at this level, and the fact that Matty Cash and Lewis Grabban weren’t on the pitch on Wednesday cannot be used as an excuse for his failures.

Bulking up a bit and being ready to mix it up with the opposition will ensure that, eventually, he will be a consistent success for Forest under O’Neill.

Ravel Morrison is a name that sticks in the mind of Manchester United fans, not because he turned out to be a quality player, but because he was one of the most disappointing cases of unfilled potential.

Breaking onto the scene alongside Paul Pogba, Ravel Morrison was considered to be a part of a golden crop of players – those who would rise out of the academy system to emulate, even in part, the success of the iconic Class of ’92.

However, in football, there are two key trials a fledging must face if they wish to be initiated into stardom, and Ravel Morrison failed in the most important.

Having joined Manchester United’s ranks aged eight, scouted from the illustrious Fletcher Moss Rangers, the same side who produced Marcus Rashford, signing a scholarship in 2009 shortly followed by a professional contract with the club in February 2010. Though, at 17-years-old, and within a week of fulfilling the dream, he found himself arrested by local police and later convicted for intimidating a knifepoint robbery witness, whom he seemingly believed was due to testify in the trial against his friends.

Shortly after Morrison found himself back in court, this time for a violent dispute with his girlfriend, in which he was accused and convicted of criminal damage and referred to Salford’s youth offending team.

Like the calm at the eye of the storm, all this mayhem occurred outside of his contrastingly beautiful performances on the pitch.

Indeed, the former United man strutted his stuff so capably alongside Jesse Lingard and Pogba on their journey to the FA Youth Cup final, drawing exciting similarities to club legend Paul Scholes – a man, ironically, known for his anonymity off the field.

Morrison helped himself to a goal in his side’s comeback against Chelsea overturning a 3-2 aggregate, before providing a brace in the final at Bramall Lane to help bring home the FA Youth Cup for the first time since 2003.

His success should have promised so much; like Giggs, Scholes and Beckham, the FA Youth Cup had proven to be the right of passage into the dizzying heights of Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams.

It proved to be anything but for Morrison.

The once highly thought of prospect watched his opportunities slowly dissipate into the squalor of obscurity, and with the time on his contract slowly running out, with scant chance of renewal, he parted ways with his boyhood club to join West Ham.

“Sadly, there are examples of players who have similar backgrounds to Giggs or Cristiano Ronaldo, who, despite enormous talent, just aren’t emotionally or mentally strong enough to overcome the hurts of their childhood and their inner demons. Ravel Morrison might be the saddest case,” Ferguson wrote in his 2015 book, Leading (via These Football Times).

“He possessed as much natural talent as any youngster we ever signed but kept getting into trouble. It was very painful to sell him … he could have been a fantastic player. But, over a period of years, the problems off the pitch continued to escalate and we had little option but to cut the cord.”

Now 26-years-old, Morrison has managed brief periods playing on loan for Birmingham, QPR, Cardiff, before moving to Lazio permanently, and though Italy proved to be just as fruitless, spending time on loan in Mexico for Atlas, his most recent move to Ostersund in Sweden could be the start of something new.