All posts by z3u9t.icu

Glasgow Rangers have had their problems with the SPFL in recent weeks and months.

It all started following the resolution proposal, after Dundee’s vote was first not registered, then changed. The Gers, who were adamant that the season should be finished on the pitch, accused the governing body of corruption, and then put together a 200-page dossier in an attempt to prove as much. They even pushed for an independent enquiry into the authority. That was eventually quashed, but the Ibrox outfit had already made their point.

They are not the only side who have been questioning the SPFL, though – Hearts and Partick Thistle are currently in court to contest their premature relegation to the Championship and League One respectively. On Thursday, the second day of the proceedings, the court was told that the public must hear about the governing body’s conduct and the Dundee vote during the case.

That has attracted the attention of the Gers supporters, and they have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts. You can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think!

Ex-Spur Alan Hutton insists “fans don’t understand” the important role Harry Winks plays at Tottenham Hotspur.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs defender believes supporters do not appreciate why Winks is in the side as his performances are usually understated.

Winks has started the past four Premier League games in a row and played a key part as Tottenham thumped Newcastle United 3-1 at St James’ Park. 

Hutton praised the Spurs academy product for his displays in recent weeks and believes fans expect too much from him.

He told assistant editor Russell Edge ““I think he gets, I wouldn’t say bad press but people don’t understand his qualities and what he’s good at, what he’s there for.

“He keeps the ball ticking, he keeps the ball moving, he never takes too many touches on the ball. I think probably what people want to see is him do more – as in more forward passes because he’s got the ability to pass, let’s see him do those type of passes.

“He’s not really there for that, he’s there to keep the team moving, keep it going and essentially give it to the players like Lo Celso, Begwijn, Son to go and do a little bit of magic.

“It’s a position where sometimes fans don’t understand – they look at it and think I want more from you – but he’s an integral part of the team.”

It is hard to argue with Hutton here, as Winks has featured in every game during the Lilywhites’ latest unbeaten run.

Spurs have suffered a mixed start since the Premier League restart, which raised questions over whether or not Jose Mourinho knows his best side, but they have begun to turn things around.

He was an unused substitute in the shock defeat at Sheffield United, but bounced back with two strong performances against Everton and Bournemouth.

While his style will never set the world alight, Winks is an efficient distributor who picks his passes to keep the ball moving.

He played the full 90 minutes against Newcastle, taking 74 touches, providing 5 long balls, and finishing the game with a staggering pass accuracy rating of 98% (via SofaScore).

Mourinho’s decision to start the 24-year-old has started to pay dividends, as it has allowed him to push Giovani Lo Celso further upfield.

With Winks involved, Lo Celso is playing in a more advanced position, which has given Kane and Son Heung-min the creativity they have been craving.

The Englishman has become the man supplying the supplier, although he does not get the credit he deserves for Spurs’ recent resurgence.

Tottenham fans, do you think Harry Winks deserves more credit? Let us know down below!

Everton haven’t had the best of seasons, but despite a poor campaign, they seem to be set up for a more successful year next time around.

The Toffees have one of the best managers in history at the helm with three-time Champions League winner Carlo Ancelotti tasked with guiding the Merseyside club back to the top half, but if he’s going to be successful he’ll need a few reinforcements.

Recent reports indicate that Ancelotti could be ready to reunite with one of his former players.

Watch Everton Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Serbian outlet Novosti are reporting that the Goodison Park outfit are interested in former Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic.

The 36-year-old is a free agent after his contract at Zenit expired at the end of the season, and it seems as though he could be on his way back to England.

Now, Nobody is going to claim that Ivanovic is still at the level he was when he was winning league titles and Champions League’s with Chelsea, but the 36-year-old has been there and done it all in England, and that type of experience will go a long way in the dressing room and on the pitch.

Everton lost Phil Jagielka last summer and Leighton Baines has just retired, so players with such a level of experience are no longer abundant in the dressing room.

The fact that Sheffield United are keen kept Jagielka on for another season due to his leadership abilities shows exactly what Everton lost when he left, and they could replace that with a 36-year-old Ivanovic who knows what it takes to play at the very highest level in this country.

Ivanovic may not be a bonafide starter week in, week out at his age, but his presence in the dressing room would be incredibly welcome.

Tottenham Hotspur have made some changes in regards to their goalkeepers at the club as Michel Vorm left the club, whilst former Premier League winner Joe Hart signed, and this has left many to speculate on the future of Paulo Gazzaniga.

According to The Telegraph, Fulham manager Scott Parker is keen on the goalkeeper and is preparing a move to sign the Argentinian.

Parker is willing to make Gazzaniga the number one goalkeeper at the newly promoted side ahead of Marek Rodak, and this could tempt him away from North London.

Since signing for Spurs from Southampton back in 2017, the 28 year-old has made 37 appearances, keeping ten clean sheets and conceding 43 goals, per Transfermarkt.

Mauricio Pochettino was the manager at the time of his arrival and he heaped praise on him in the past. Indeed, back in November 2017 he said of his compatriot: “I think it was fantastic. His debut at Wembley and I think he deserved a lot of praise. He was very calm. He made a few amazing saves. For me he was fantastic,” (Football.London).

He has never held the number one spot though, and if he has been drafted in to play, it is normally due to a Hugo Lloris injury, and therefore it might be good for the player to leave Tottenham.

Jose Mourinho clearly made a statement when he signed Joe Hart which showed that he felt he needed better cover for Lloris, and if Spurs can get some money for Gazzaniga, then a transfer to Fulham might be best for all involved – he is currently valued at £2.52m

If Mourinho does need a third goalkeeper, then a player from the academy could be an easy option here as it is very unlikely a third goalkeeper will be called upon to play and with the former Saints goalkeeper nearing his 30’s, he probably will want to be playing consistently and Fulham are offering him that at a high level.

Spurs fans, what are your thoughts on this news? Comment below!

Former Sunderland player Kevin Phillips has claimed that Aiden McGeady is the best player in League and called on Celtic to sign the winger.

With the new League One season underway as the Black Cats drew with Bristol Rovers at the weekend, McGeady has been training with the club’s under-23 side and was left out of Phil Parkinson’s EFL squad.

The 92-cap Republic of Ireland international is back at the club following his loan spell with Charlton Athletic last term, returning to the Stadium of Light this summer with one-year remaining on his current deal.

The £653,000-valued winger’s future is now very much a talking point with McGeady revealing on The Go Radio Football Show on Go Radio (5pm, September 7, 2020), as transcribed by The Scottish Sun, that he would welcome a move to Celtic, where he began his professional career.

Phillips, who discusses various Sunderland talking points via Football Insider, has now given his thoughts on the winger’s future. He said:

“When Aiden McGeady is on top of his game he is by far the best player in the league.

“It is just whether he can be that influence on the pitch and off it. There has been talk of him perhaps digging a few people out in the dressing room and you do not want a bad egg in the dressing room.

“I am not sure if Celtic would take him back. I think Neil Lennon is looking at other options. For the player, to go back there would probably be a dream for him.”

During his time at Sunderland, McGeady has featured in 98 games, scoring 27 goals and supplying 13 assists in the process for his teammates.

Phillips’ comments may strike a chord with many Sunderland fans and you have to wonder just why Parkinson has such a problem with handing McGeady a chance in the first team.

A move away from Wearside does look likely, though, and it seems that the sooner the better for the ostracised winger.

Do you think McGeady should be given a chance to play for Sunderland this term? Let us know in the comments section below…

Newcastle United have been dealt a potential blow in their pursuit of Liverpool ace Rhian Brewster following comments made by Swansea City boss Steve Cooper.

Speaking in his press conference (via Wales Online), the Swans coach claimed:

“If Rhian was available then of course we’d be in the mix but I don’t think that’s the case at the moment.”

Indeed, if Brewster is not available for a transfer or loan as Cooper has claimed, then this is potentially a blow to the Tyneside club given that they are reportedly one of six Premier League teams to have enquired about his availability in the summer transfer window, along with Aston Villa, Brighton and Hove Albion, Burnley, Crystal Palace and newly-promoted Fulham under manager Scott Parker.

As well as these sides, AFC Bournemouth, Norwich City and Watford, who were all relegated from the top flight to the EFL Championship in the 2019/20 term, are also apparently interested in his services for the new 2020/21 season.

Indeed, Brewster has no shortage of admirers and it is not hard to see why. The striker impressed while on loan with Cooper at Swansea in the last campaign, in where he scored 11 goals in 22 matches, including one in the Championship play-offs, as per Transfermarkt.

Having proved himself in England’s second division, perhaps it is now time for the 20-year old to make the step up the EPL, especially given that he may not get much game-time at Anfield with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane currently occupying the forward roles under Jurgen Klopp.

Thus, Brewster may have been a smart signing for Steve Bruce’s side, but it now looks as if all hopes of the Englishman moving to St. James’ Park have withered away.

Geordies, would Brewster be a good signing? Comment below!

Chelsea will hope that their 6-0 win over Barnsley will be enough of a boost to put them back into winning ways in the Premier League.

Frank Lampard has not held back in this transfer window in terms of splashing the cash, and his new recruits could bring him the success for which he is striving. However, reigning champions Liverpool have already put daylight between potentially one of their biggest challengers this campaign.

Chelsea’s loss to the Reds has set them back early on, but they will be hoping to rectify this with a convincing win over West Brom tomorrow evening.

One man who could be among Lampard’s key players is Timo Werner, who joined the Blues for £45m back in June. He has already opened up his Chelsea goal contributions record by bagging an assist in their opening league match against Brighton.

However, the 24-year-old was left out of the squad that ran riot against Barnsley in midweek. Tammy Abraham started in his absence and wasted no time in showcasing his prolific ability by assisting two goals and scoring one of his own.

Olivier Giroud also came on and contributed with a goal, potentially causing Lampard a dilemma over his attacking options (via Sofascore).

Werner’s outstanding return from last season of 34 goals in 45 appearances doesn’t give him a free pass into the starting lineup. With Giroud and Abraham clearly fighting for contention, the Germany international must do the same.

If Werner is selected as part of the starting XI, he will be hungry to find the back of the net – not just to help his side win three points, but to show Lampard that he is the man for the job this season.

The striker will not want to spend many matches on the bench and so he must prove to the manager why he is currently regarded as one of the best attackers out there.

What do you think the West Brom vs Chelsea score will be? Let us know your predictions in the comments below!

Liverpool have been handed a huge boost to their ranks as they look ahead to the Merseyside derby next weekend. Thiago Alcantara is no longer self-isolating after recently being tested positive for Covid-19 (via Liverpool ECHO).

The midfielder has made just one appearance for his new side since he joined last month. His return will be very well received by the fans who have been eager to see him in action since he made his debut against Chelsea. It’s come at the perfect time too, as Jurgen Klopp’s men will be looking to amends for their humiliating 7-2 thrashing against Aston Villa.

After tallying an impressive 31 goals and 37 assists during his time with Bayern Munich, he could be the driving force in the Liverpool’s midfield to catch an in form Everton off-guard. As it stands, the Blues are ahead by three points having started the season perfectly. They currently top the Premier League table and would love nothing more than to extend their lead with a win over their Merseyside rivals.

With Sadio Mane out of action and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain injured, Liverpool need as much creativity as they can get to grab goals at Goodison Park. Everton have scored 12 goals so far, averaging three per game. The Reds will need to be in their top attacking form to get themselves on the front foot – Thiago could be the answer to this.

With the Spaniard’s driving force in midfield protected by Fabinho just behind, Liverpool will have a much better chance of snatching a result from their neighbours on Saturday.

In other news, Michael Edwards could have clever plan up his sleeve for Harry Wilson…

Having left Newcastle in the summer of 2016, it’s fair to say Georginio Wijnaldum has enjoyed a successful career at Liverpool.

The Netherlands international completed a £25m move to Anfield, signing a five-year contract with the Reds. And under Jurgen Klopp’s guidance, Wijnaldum has been one of the players to benefit the most, with the Merseyside club showing their dominance both on the domestic and European stages.

The 29-year-old first arrived on English shores following a move from PSV a year earlier, with then Newcastle boss Steve McClaren waxing lyrical about the midfielder’s signing. He said: “The signing is a real statement for the club. It is a big transfer for a very good player and I am delighted to have Gini here. He is the right age and the right fit for Newcastle.”

And in his time on Tyneside, the Dutchman showed what a quality player he is, bringing a real goal-scorer’s instinct for someone who played in central midfield.

In just the 40 games that he ended up playing for the club, he scored 11 times and provided a further five assists too as he tried his utmost to stop them from getting relegated. Magpies fans will no doubt have very fond memories of how he struck four goals in a 6-2 thrashing of Norwich, or how he got a brace on the final day of the season as Newcastle said goodbye to the Premier League with a 5-1 thumping of Tottenham.

Despite it being McClaren who brought him to Newcastle, Rafa Benitez was also a massive fan of the midfielder. He said: “When you have players with international experience, players that can make the difference, you want to see them winning the games. When you see him in training, you can see he has so much quality that he can be the difference and we will support him to do that.”

With four trophies now under his belt at Liverpool, including the two big ones in the Champions League and Premier League, there’s no questioning that Wijnaldum has soared since making an early exit from St James’ Park.

And in other news, Newcastle have just secured their best piece of business in 2020.

Newcastle could have landed a far better player than Ryan Fraser had they gone for Eberechi Eze in the summer.

What was the story?

The former QPR starlet was the subject of intense transfer speculation over the course of the summer window, with numerous Premier League sides said to have been interested in his services.

Sky Sports claimed that along with Newcastle, the likes of Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace were all in the race to sign the England youth international, but in the end, it was the Eagles who got him.

It was revealed that Roy Hodgson’s side shelled out a total fee in the region of £20m to lure him across London, and whilst he may not have gotten off the mark in a Palace shirt just yet, he has shown enough in his time on the pitch that he would have been a real coup for the Magpies.

Better than Fraser

Whilst Fraser may prove to be incredible value for money given that Newcaste only signed him on a free transfer following his release from Bournemouth, Eze has all the potential to develop into a top-class player in this league.

Last season in the Championship, the 22-year-old bagged 14 goals and provided eight assists, and was one of the rare shining lights in a team that could only manage to finish in mid-table – Fraser’s best goal-scoring season in a league campaign has only seen him net him half that.

Former Newcastle striker Les Ferdinand, who’s now QPR’s director of football, waxed lyrical about the prodigy, claiming: “If you look at his footballing ability I could put him down as one of the best I have seen in terms of what I have been fortunate to play with in my career.

“When I see some of the things he does on a football and how comfortable he is on a football, I put him up there as one of the best I have seen. Whether he fulfils his potential to be one of the best I have worked with time will tell but in terms of his ability with the ball certainly he is one of the best I have seen.”

At only 22, Eze is several years younger than Fraser, and would have been the kind of exciting signing that would have had Newcastle fans off their seats. Instead, the Magpies took the more cheaper, and safer option, of the former Cherries man.