All posts by n8rngtd.top

Glasgow Rangers fans are delighted after Steven Davis equalled Peter Shilton’s British record for the most international appearances.

On Thursday, Davis was in action for Northern Ireland against Italy. While the Azzurri prevailed 2-0, it was still a special night for the Gers midfielder – he picked up his 125th cap for his country, which saw him equal goalkeeper Shilton’s England haul (via BBC).

This is just the latest impressive achievement for the former Southampton man. He has been an important part of Steven Gerrard’s Rangers squad this season, making 41 appearances in all competitions (Transfermarkt) as the Ibrox outfit have strolled to the Premiership title. Such was the level of his displays, he even signed a new one-year deal recently despite being 36 years of age.

Upon his latest outing for Northern Ireland, Rangers’ official Twitter account congratulated Davis. The fans then took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on the legend and shower him in praise.

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

“An outstanding achievement from Steven Davis”

Credit: @alegil2101

“Hero”

Credit: @Clarkie8

“#UlsterPirlo”

Credit: @robertmcnaught

“Wonderful . Legend”

Credit: @doxterisation

“He’s the goat”

Credit: @Declan_1872_

“He’s utter class. Model pro and unbelievably talented. Glad he’s ours, then and now.”

Credit: @delinquentrich

In other news, Rangers fans react to this injury update.

Gabby Agbonlahor has urged Aston Villa to move for Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli after his asking price was slashed by £20m.

According to Football Insider, Spurs chief Daniel Levy will look to engineer a £25m move away for the 24-year-old, despite valuing him at £45m last summer.

Alli, whose contract in north London runs until 2024, has made just two Premier League starts under Jose Mourinho this season.

It seems as if a move away in the upcoming transfer window is a real possibility, and talking to Football Insider, cited by Birmingham Live, Agbonlahor urged Villa to make a £25m move, describing him as a ‘perfect’ addition.

The ex-Villa man did have his doubts over whether or not Levy would do business at £25m, though.

“I just don’t see Spurs letting him go for that amount of money, to be honest.

“He’s still young. Daniel Levy [the Spurs chairman] will want more than that.

“If that was the fee, I’d definitely expect Aston Villa to go for him. I think he’d be perfect for Aston Villa in that number 10 role.

“But I don’t see it being that fee. This is Daniel Levy we’re talking about.”

Villa fans react

@AVFC_News shared Agbonlahor’s comments on social media through Birmingham Live’s story.

As to be expected, it didn’t take long for several fans to have their say on a potential move for Alli, with many both for and against a possible swoop. One supporter even described the Englishman as ‘toxic’.

“I’d hope we pay whatever it takes to land him, think it would be more realistic price of £35million to £40million imo, Alli Jack Ollie and McGinn linking up would be great”

Credit: @UTViIIa

“Don’t want him anywhere near my club”

Credit: @stev26656

“noooooo”

Credit: @jimmy04421622

“I’ve said this for ages be great for villa..”

Credit: @villawayne197

“If you’ve seen the Spurs documentary you will know that Ali can be quite toxic and passionate about it. Which I get kind of but I wouldn’t want someone like that in my dressing room if I was a player”

Credit: @starblind1988

“100% you dont become a bad player over night get him to villa and show him the love and watch how he will perform”

Credit: @SteveHa39407869

In other news: Many AVFC fans fume as price emerges for summer target, find out more here.

Mark Douglas has dropped an inside claim from sources from the potential takeover of Newcastle United regarding Mike Ashley.

Writing in his latest piece for The Chronicle, the journalist has claimed that takeover sources have indicated that there would have to be a readiness from the chief executive of Sports Direct to lower his original asking price, or at least structure a deal, in a way which takes into account the big financial hit the club would take if they were to find themselves relegated from the Premier League at the end of this season.

The Tynesiders are now under serious threat of going down after an embarrassing 3-0 loss at the hands of relegation rivals Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday night, meaning that they currently sit a mere two points outside of the drop zone in the league table after 29 games played (BBC Sport).

Is potential Newcastle takeover off if relegated?

One would seriously have to question whether the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) would consider coming back onto the table if Newcastle found themselves in the Championship.

The Magpies would certainly become a less attractive project in that scenario, and there is a question mark left on how much money Ashley would be willing to sell them for.

Nonetheless, Newcastle will now be prioritising staying up and then deal with any further takeover talk at the end of the season.

In other news, find out what big claim has been dropped on Rafa Benitez and the takeover consortium!

Many Manchester United fans were left to slam the display of Dan James despite their 1-0 win in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team had it all to do in the second leg after only managing a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in the first, but Paul Pogba came up trumps just a couple of minutes after coming on for Marcus Rashford to give his side the win and thus put them safely through into the quarter-final stage.

However, although there were some very good performances in a Red Devils shirt, James flattered to deceive several MUFC supporters.

The former Swansea City man lost out on six of his duels and also failed to record a single shot on target or long ball, while losing possession on no fewer than on 14 separate occasions, the third-most out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch (Sofascore).

Manchester United fan reaction to James display

These Man Utd fans slammed his performance on Twitter, with one supporter even going as far as to compare the Wales international to a ‘Sunday league’ player:

“Man, Dan James made me bald last night. Pulled out a lot of my hair after every stupid decision he made, or pass he didn’t make. #MUFC”

Credit: @OnFaaya

“Daniel James, not United quality! #mufc”

Credit: @ThorsethFillip

“Pogba class when he came on, Fred brilliant 2nd half. Bruno and Dan James awful. But job done, that’s the main thing, and probably just knocked out the best side left in this comp. #MUFC”

Credit: @dink2k5

“Dan James must be bribing someone. How is he playing? #MUFC”

Credit: @Jamewalte

“What is Dan James and what is it’s purpose? #MUFC”

Credit: @lsr1988

“James and Fred are definitely Sunday league players – they don’t appreciate the shirt, the club and @ManUtd. They are both lucky to be playing for #MUFC. Pogba showed he is class! Still poor game management from Ole. Ole is right Cup can cover the cracks.”

Credit: @Sauba_Oumesh

In other news, find out which Premier League ace United are interested in signing here!

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood is unsure over what role Ollie Watkins could have with England.

Watkins, who joined Harewood’s old side from Brentford last summer, has had a season to remember at Villa Park. The 25-year-old has already reached double figures for the campaign and there are now calls for him to be included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the European Championships this summer.

Another former Villa forward, Gabby Agbonlahor, is one of those eager to see a call-up for £27m-rated Watkins. Harewood, however, is not too sure.

When asked if he could see Southgate turning to Watkins, Harewood told FFC:

“I wouldn’t rule it out. But with the calibre of strikers that we have now, I can’t see him being ahead of majority of them that can play up there because you’ve [also] got the likes of Sterling and players like that can play up front now.”

Indeed, England have some good options in attack, with Southgate really spoilt for choice in the No.9 department.

As well as Sterling, who has been used down the middle at times by club manager Pep Guardiola, Southgate also has the likes of Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Southampton’s Danny Ings to call upon.

Then there is, of course, England captain and Tottenham’s leading centre-forward Harry Kane, who will no doubt be the Three Lions’ first-choice striker at Euro 2020.

When you consider all of that, the tournament may just come a bit too soon for Watkins.

Southampton failed to find the back of the net for the fourth time in their last seven Premier League fixtures with a 1-0 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park on Monday night.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side rarely looked like scoring against the Toffees until the final moments and they could only muster one shot on target in the 90 minutes.

One key factor behind the Saints’ woeful recent form has been the lack of goals from Che Adams, who has now failed to score since the 3-0 win against Sheffield United in December.

Recent fixtures have seen Hasenhuttl utilise Nathan Redmond as a striker alongside Danny Ings, but the injury to Oriol Romeu meant that Stuart Armstrong moved from the wing into central-midfield, with Redmond starting in his usual position at Goodison Park.

This left a gap up front for Adams to partner Ings, but the duo showed no signs of the partnership that worked so well earlier in the season, with the former Birmingham City man anonymous throughout the game.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old would earn a disappointing 6.4 match rating for his display, with only Moussa Djenepo and Nathan Redmond earning lower (both 6.3/10) of any player who started the game.

During his time on the pitch, Adams, who joined Southampton from Birmingham in a £15 million deal in the summer of 2019, would complete just 8/17 of his passes, resulting in a shocking 47% pass accuracy.

This was the fewest amount of passes played by any player who started the game, whilst it was also significantly lower than the 17.8 passes per game and the 69.8% pass accuracy he has averaged this season in the top-flight.

Despite having just 29 touches of the ball, Adams still managed to give the ball away 15 times, whilst he also failed to have a single shot on target, which emphasises that on the rare occasions here he did have the ball at his feet, he was extremely wasteful with it.

Everton’s centre-back pairing of Ben Godfrey and Michael Keane enjoyed a relatively stress-free game, as they both picked up solid match ratings, and were rarely troubled by Adams, who was only able to win four of his 17 total duels during the game, suggesting that he was simply outclassed by Carlo Ancelotti’s defenders at Goodison Park.

Therefore, it seems fair to suggest that Adams was completely anonymous in the defeat against Everton and that he let Hasenhuttl down when the Austrian manager needed him to deliver.

And, in other news… Saints handed big boost with £13.5m-rated gem who can put relegation fears to bed

David Sullivan must strive to beat Manchester United and Hertha Berlin to hire Eintracht Frankfurt’s Fredi Bobic as West Ham’s new Director of Football.

What’s the word?

According to Sport BILD, via Sport Witness, the Irons and Red Devils have shortlisted Bobic as an option to be their new Sporting Director after the Eintracht chief announced that he intends to leave Frankfurt at the end of the season.

The 49-year-old has decided to step down from his role at the Deutsche Bank Park two years early, having remained at the club for the 2020/21 campaign to help Die Adler manage through the situation caused by the pandemic after first expressing intentions to leave last summer.

Eintracht had sought to change the former Borussia Dortmund and VfB Stuttgart striker’s mind with the offer of a more lucrative contract, but they are now resigned to losing him.

Bobic believes his time at Frankfurt has reached its end and will now possibly take on a new challenge with Hertha BSC, a club he supports and enjoys a good working relationship with CEO Carsten Schmidt.

West Ham, Manchester United and RB Leipzig are also interested in hiring the 2001/02 Bundesliga champion, as they look to appoint a new Director of Football to fill the currently vacant roles at the London Stadium and Old Trafford.

Frankfurt are noted to have been irritated, both privately and publicly, by the manner at which Bobic announced his departure, and are expected to hold out for compensation in the region of €5m (£4.5m) should any side look to hire the former Germany international.

Bobic is to stand before the Eintracht leadership at a crunch board meeting on March 10th to discuss his exit and actions, at which poin,t Die Adler will decide how best to handle his situation with the club chief believed to be keen on finalising a deal to join Hertha.

Should West Ham hire Bobic?

While £4.5m may seem like a lot of money to pay for the release of Bobic from his Eintracht Frankfurt contract, Sullivan should not baulk at the fee as the German has established a phenomenal record for discovering top talents at bargain fees in the Bundesliga.

Bobic is a hot commodity in Europe for the success Eintracht have built on the pitch during his four-and-a-half-years at the Deutsche Bank Park, having gone from a side that narrowly avoided relegation to one eying regular Champions League football.

He has also rejected offers to take up a Director of Football role at VfL Wolfsburg, RB Leipzig and AC Milan in recent years, and was even once suggested to be in the running to replace Christian Seifert at the head of the German Football League (DFL).

Now, with Bobic feeling like he is at the end of the road in Frankfurt, Sullivan should be doing all he can to tempt the transfer wizard to try his hand in the Premier League and hope to see players of the same calibre work wonders for West Ham.

Bobic has been at the Eintracht helm while Ante Rebic, Luka Jovic, Filip Kostic and Andre Silva all agreed to join Die Adler.

Rebic joined Frankfurt from Fiorentina for just €2m (£1.5m) in 2018 and provided 25 goals plus 12 assists in 100 games before leaving Germany for AC Milan in a €32m (£27.5m) deal in 2020.

Jovic left Die Adler in 2019 by sealing a €60m (£52.5m) move to Real Madrid, netting the Bundesliga outfit £42m in profit after the forward – who Kostic describes as “unbelievable” – struck 27 goals and provided seven assists in 48 games across all competitions.

The Serbian was replaced by Silva, who moved to the Deutsche Bank Park from AC for just €9m (£8m), and has since attracted a €30m (£26m) valuation amid interest from West Ham and Atletico Madrid after hitting 16 goals in 38 games this season.

West Ham would surely love to have the man responsible for those deals in charge of their transfer activity, making Bobic a dream hire if Sullivan does whatever it takes to get him.

AND in other news, West Ham have been dealt a huge blow with a David Moyes favourite ruled out until mid-April…

After seeing him go down with an injury against Leicester, Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa was understandably concerned about summer signing Rodrigo.

Speaking after the game, the Argentine said: “Rodrigo fell and his legs separated and caused an elongation more than usual and this caused the injury.

“I saw a picture of the position both of his feet ended up in and the difference between them was different to what we would expect.”

Now, The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered an update on Rodrigo’s injury status, saying that he is “out for longer yet” on his official Twitter account.

The news surely comes as a major blow to Bielsa, who has deployed the Spaniard in that attacking role of trying to support Patrick Bamford, with nobody else in this current Leeds squad able to offer what he does in terms of his pace and movement.

Pablo Hernandez may be seen as someone who could potentially come in and offer that extra bit of creativity, but Hay relayed some news from Bielsa’s press conference that Leeds’ little magician is out once again.

Whilst the £22.5m-rated Rodrigo hasn’t exactly set Elland Road alight with his performances – he’s scored just three goals all season – he has shown flashes of his ability, not least against Arsenal earlier in the campaign.

Speaking after his impressive performance against the Gunners, former Leeds man Noel Whelan said: “He’s always looking for it, he’s never ever standing still, he’s always on the move and that’s what I like about him. He can’t be marked, he’s always looking for a space – very much the next Pablo Hernandez.

“He’s always brave and wants the ball in tight situations. We saw how dangerous he was when he came on. He is a player that looks like he can make things happen. He’s very intelligent, he brings other people into play and makes space for them.”

Rodrigo’s absence over the past couple of games has seen Mateusz Klich’s return to the starting line-up, but it still doesn’t make up for the fact that Leeds will continue to miss a player who ranks third for shots per game, fifth for key passes and sixth for dribbles per match among the entire squad.

His influence is there for all to see even without him catching the eye with either goals or assists.

Bielsa will be concerned that Rodrigo doesn’t look like he’ll be returning anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign Kalvin Phillips’ perfect midfield partner in this starlet…

Steve Bruce can discover the new Michael Carrick by urging Mike Ashley to see that Newcastle United sign Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock on loan.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, the Toon are pushing through efforts to convince Mikel Arteta to sanction a half-season deal for Willock to see out the remainder of the term at St. James’ Park.

The 21-year-old has spent the first part of the campaign used as a substitute at the Emirates Stadium, but the Gunners have reservations over the Magpies’ interest due to discussions to allow Ainsley Maitland-Niles to join either West Brom or Southampton on loan.

Willock is thought to be at the top of Bruce’s shortlist heading into Deadline Day, but has also shown an interest in Leicester City’s Hamza Choudhury and Celtic’s Olivier Ntcham.

Willock is eager to play regular first-team football after starting only two of his seven Premier League appearances this term, while playing just 14 minutes in 2021 after being left an unused substitute of Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United.

The £14.5m-rated gem had been a regular of Arteta’s plans in the Europa League Group Stage, scoring three and assisting three goals in the UEFA contest, and featured for 66 minutes against Newcastle in the FA Cup third-round tie but played no part of their fourth round defeat to Southampton.

Should Newcastle sign Willock?

Bruce has been pushing for a new box-to-box midfielder to join Newcastle all winter, and will be loath to end Deadline Day without the Toon welcoming an energetic dynamo to St. James’ Park who he feels can bring a driving force to the engine room.

Willock could be just who Bruce is after, as long as Ashley and Managing Director Lee Charnley are able to convince Arteta to part with the 21-year-old he lauds for his “very special” qualities.

The England U21 international has shown in the Europa League this season, and in almost every season since making his senior Arsenal debut, that he can score and assist goals from midfield, but offers far more beyond just his end product.

Trevor Sinclair has likened Willock to former Manchester United midfielder and serial title-winner Michael Carrick for his ability on the ball, having been thrown into the deep end in north London but come out swimming at the other end.

“I think Joe Willock, at Arsenal, has done well and he could be another one for Euro 2021,” Sinclair told talkSPORT, via quotes by The Boot Room. “He’s been thrown in at the deep end, but he’s done well. He’s neat and tidy and good on the ball. He reminds me a bit of Michael Carrick.”

Not only has Willock been thrown in at the deep end, but also thrown in almost anywhere and everywhere for the Gunners. The 21-year-old has featured in the holding midfield role, as the box-to-box option, on the wing or in an attacking midfield capacity, showing how he can more than comfortably deliver Bruce what he is looking for.

He’s certainly not afraid to drive forward with the ball at his feet, too, with Willock recording 0.8 successful dribbles with a 44% success rate in the Europa League this term and providing 0.8 accurate crosses once at the top of the pitch, per SofaScore.

Only Jonjo Shelvey (1.15) and Miguel Almiron (0.89) push up the pitch with the ball at their feet in Premier League fixtures more often than Willock has in Europe this season, among Bruce’s current central midfield group. Shelvey is also the only one to offer a higher average number of crosses (0.92).

So, if Ashley and Charnley can convince Arsenal and Arteta to sanction a deal, Bruce would stand to sign an upgrade and one who could prove unquestionably to be the new Carrick with a regular run in the side.

AND in other news – Exclusive: Rob Lee slams “laughable” Newcastle and Steve Bruce decision…

According to Calcio Mercato, Juventus are after Tottenham winger Heung-min Son.

Ramsey for Son

The Old Lady are believed to be interested in taking the South Korea international to Italian – this reports says the 28-year-old would cost €90m (£78.6m).

The report adds that Juve could look to sell the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Douglas Costa and Federico Bernadeschi in a bid to raise some funds to sign Son.

Makes no sense

Along with Harry Kane, Son is Tottenham’s most important player. So far this campaign, he has 17 goals and 12 assists in all competitions, while he has 102 strikes in 263 games for the north London outfit since joining from Bayer Leverkusen (Transfermarkt). Last year, Jose Mourinho called him “precious” after a goal against Aston Villa secured a 3-2 win for Spurs (talkSPORT), while he also lauded him as a “special player” just last month.

Selling the South Korea international for whatever kind of money would surely be a backwards step for Spurs, especially if they harbour intentions of trying to win trophies and compete on the biggest European stage year-in and year-out.

Cashing in on your best players sends completely the wrong message, and it surely wouldn’t have Mourinho himself pleased either. The Lilywhites would be better off just turning down anything Juventus might have to offer.

In other news, Fabrizio Romano provides an update on this Spurs transfer target.