All posts by z3u9t.icu

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have waxed lyrical over forward Connor Wickham after footage emerged of the 27-year-old playing for the club’s Under-23 side.

Wickham, who joined the Eagles in 2015 from Sunderland, was making his first Premier League 2 appearance of the 2020/21 season.

The striker has been out through injury, with numerous issues having a major impact on his Palace career. He’s made just 50 appearances for the club in all competitions since his £9m switch to Selhurst Park, scoring 11 times.

Wickham’s moment of magic

Wickham produced a brilliant piece of skill during the 2-1 defeat to Sunderland on Tuesday, which caught the eyes of multiple Palace supporters.

The Englishman controlled a goal kick on his chest in his own half, muscled off a defender before hitting an inch-perfect curved pass on the half volley into the path of a teammate out on the right flank.

Palace fans react

Eagles fan @samuelpjordan shared the clip on Twitter on Tuesday evening, with the club following suit on their official account a few hours later.

This is what these supporters had to say, with one describing the clip as ‘ridiculous’.

“That is naughty”

Credit: @SelhurstCPFC

“This is actually ridiculous”

Credit: @HunterCPFC

“That’s enough for Parish to give him a one year extension”

Credit: @ZacCPFC

“I’m telling you now Connor Wickham would have been our all time top goalscorer without injuries”

Credit: @conread_

“Extension incoming”

Credit: @cam_cpfc

“A fully fit Connor Wickham over Benteke all day. Don’t @ me. #CPFC”

Credit: @Wheddsta

In other news: Palace fans flock to transfer update on £55k-a-week star, find out more here. 

Newcastle are ‘keen to retain’ defender Federico Fernandez, whose contract expires this summer, according to The Athletic correspondent Chris Waugh.

Fernandez agreed a one-year extension to his deal back in March 2020, ensuring he would remain at the club for the Premier League’s restart.

Fernandez a valuable member of the Newcastle squad

The Argentine centre-back moved to St James’ Park from Swansea for a fee of £6m in 2018 and has gone on to rack up 74 appearances for the Magpies. The 32-year-old has also captained the Magpies on five occasions.

He was a regular during the first half of the current season, missing only one game due to pandemic protocols.

A thigh muscle strain kept him out of action from mid-January until the beginning of March, but he has returned to the bench for Newcastle’s last three Premier League fixtures.

Fernandez has averaged 1.5 tackles, 5.6 clearances and 1.9 successful aerial duels per 90 minutes this season (via WhoScored). His clearances average is better than anyone else in Steve Bruce’s squad, with Jamaal Lascelles a distant second on 4.4 (via WhoScored).

Will Fernandez accept a pay cut like Gayle?

According to Spotrac, he’s currently earning just over £47,000 a week on Tyneside, which makes him the club’s fifth-highest earner.

He may be expected to accept reduced terms in the manner of team-mate Dwight Gayle, who has already agreed a contract extension (via The Athletic).

Elsewhere, Waugh reported that Andy Carroll’s Newcastle stay could be prolonged despite scoring only one goal in the past two seasons.

Transfer Tavern verdict

On balance, it makes sense to retain an experienced Premier League defender in Fernandez rather than letting him walk away for free.

Newcastle don’t want to be spending what Waugh describes as a ‘limited budget’ on filling out their squad. They’ll focus what they have on the outstanding problem areas.

In other news, players have reportedly been left raging at one of their team-mates for his recent comments.

Former Premier League side Sheffield Wednesday could be relegated to League One this evening.

The Owls host Blackburn Rovers at Hillsborough Stadium tonight knowing that a defeat plus a win for relegation rivals Derby County would see their fate sealed.

In the absence of manager Darren Moore, assistant coach Jamie Smith will once again lead the side out and he will want to see a reaction after the south Yorkshiremen were held by ten-man Bristol City at the weekend.

But what sort of XI could we see selected? Here’s our prediction along with the latest news from the Wednesday camp…

There could be as many as three changes from the weekend.

Moore and Smith have a big decision to make in attack as the Owls looked toothless against the Robins despite having a player advantage, so we’re banking on a recall for Jordan Rhodes after he was axed for Saturday.

He’ll replace Callum Paterson upfront, with Josh Windass keeping his place just in behind and he could be joined by Andre Green, who is pushing for a start after an impressive cameo from the bench and a recent goal for the U23s.

The 22-year-old dynamo comes in for Kadeem Harris.

Out wide, both wing-backs Adam Reach and Liam Palmer should remain as they have done throughout the last few weeks, whilst Sam Hutchinson could move back into midfield, having been utilised at centre-back for the past two matches.

He’ll join skipper Barry Bannan in the engine room, with Osaze Urhoghide likely to return in a three-man defence after being snubbed in successive games for the first time since his opening league game of the season against Preston at the end of January.

Saturday’s goalscorer Julian Borner and vice-captain Tom Lees should partner the 20-year-old gem in front of veteran shot-stopper Keiren Westwood.

AND in other news, Worrying update emerges on £20k-p/w Sheffield Wednesday “leader”, Moore will be gutted…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Southampton striker Kevin Phillips has described Danny Ings’ recent injury as a “huge blow” for the Saints.

Despite an injury-hit campaign, Ings is Southampton’s top goalscorer this campaign, but suffered another major setback at Sheffield United last weekend.

Just 13 minutes into Saints’ win at Bramall Lane, the England frontman sustained a muscle problem and is now facing around four weeks on the sidelines.

Ings missed almost the whole of November following a knee injury and also spent the best-part of January out injured.

It means that the former Liverpool striker won’t be available for Southampton’s crucial Premier League meeting with Brighton on Sunday and is expected to miss their FA Cup quarter-final with Bournemouth the following week and home game with Burnley at the beginning of April.

Since Ings’ injury, Che Adams has stepped up to the plate by scoring Saints’ second against the Blades before netting a consolation in their defeat at Man City.

But despite Adams’ impressive form, Phillips was in no mood to underplay the loss of Ings. He told Football FanCast:

“Losing Danny Ings for a few weeks is a huge blow for Southampton”.

Whilst it’s obviously a considerable blow for Southampton, beating Sheffield United was a massive result for them, especially following Fulham’s surprise victory at Anfield later in the day.

Saints head into the weekend just seven points above the relegation-zone, but with Fulham hosting Manchester City, beating Brighton on Sunday will surely but secure Southampton’s Premier League status.

Steve Bruce must recall Christian Atsu, with Newcastle United forced to turn back to one outcast when the St. James’ Park outfit resubmit their 25-man Premier League squad.

According to The Shields Gazette, the Magpies will be forced to offer one of Atsu, Henri Saivet or Achraf Lazaar a mid-season reprieve, or call up a player from the Under 23s, when they issue their readjusted teamsheet for the remainder of the term.

The trio found themselves omitted from the list when Bruce submitted his original squad for the 2020/21 campaign, but Bruce is now left in the potentially embarrassing position of returning to their services following the exit of DeAndre Yedlin to Galatasaray on Deadline Day.

Premier League clubs must name a full 25-man squad for the second half of the season and while United signed Joe Willock on loan from Arsenal, the 21-year-old will not fill the place vacated by Yedlin due to his age.

Newcastle are claimed to have left the spot vacant for the potential signing of Hamza Choudhury, though saw his proposed loan move from Leicester City collapse, despite having terms agreed and the midfielder being keen on a temporary switch to Tyneside.

Bruce is now expected to decide between Atsu, Saivet and Lazaar for the Toon’s remaining spot, despite deeming the trio all surplus to requirements last summer ahead of becoming free agents at the end of the current term.

Clubs have to issue their readjusted squads ahead of the next round of fixtures, starting this weekend when Aston Villa host Arsenal for the 12:30 kick-off on Saturday lunchtime.

Atsu and Saivet are noted to have recently been reintroduced to first-team training sessions having previously been told to work away from the senior group, while Lazaar remained at St. James’ Park after failing to see his contract terminated to secure a return to Italy last month.

But Atsu is the only answer to Newcastle’s crucial decision, as the Ghanaian forward should be able to offer far more than either of Saivet or Lazaar and will surely have felt hard done by to have missed out on a place last summer.

Atsu entered the off-season on the back of his most creative Premier League campaign in black and white, having contributed three assists, despite playing just 739 minutes all term. Only Allan Saint-Maximin (4) and Andy Carroll (4) created more goals for the Toon in 2019/20.

The Magpies have continued to be starved of creativity this season, with Callum Wilson not only the top-scorer with 10 goals but also the lead assist maker with five – Joelinton (2) is the sole additional Newcastle player to have created more than one in the top-flight.

With Willock also joining Matty Longstaff, Sean Longstaff, Jonjo Shelvey, Isaac Hayden and Jeff Hendrick on Deadline Day, the engine room is packed to the rafters already without the potential addition of Saivet.

Saivet has never achieved anything of worth for United, either, with the 30-year-old having made the last of his mere eight first-team appearances in January 2018. The same goes for Lazaar, who has made just 10 outings for the club after being overlooked heavily since joining from Palermo for £2m in 2016.

Atsu may not feature much between now and the end of the season if the £3.5m-rated winger is chosen to make up the numbers, given Bruce’s stance in the summer. But he is sure to be a more worthwhile addition than Saivet, Lazaar or an unproven youngster in a potential relegation fight.

AND in other news, Newcastle United faced late enquiries over a £15m deal to sell a Steve Bruce outcast…

Liverpool will be aiming to earn back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time in over a month when they host Chelsea on Thursday.

The Reds managed to edge past Sheffield United last time out at Bramall Lane courtesy of a strike from youngster Curtis Jones and an own-goal from Blades’ defender Kean Bryan.

How could Klopp line up his team for the visit of the Londoners?

We are expecting three changes to the Liverpool starting XI on Thursday, with the Reds welcoming back a few key injury returnees.

One of the most glaring changes will be in goal where Alisson will come back in to replace Adrian.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson and Ozan Kabak are all expected to line-up in defence once again.

However, one change in the back-line could be the inclusion of the fit-again Fabinho after the Brazilian returned to training. He is likely to be reintroduced in the place of Nat Phillips.

One final change could be seen in midfield. Curtis Jones is almost sure to start again after netting at Bramall Lane, whilst Georginio Wijnaldum is also likely to play from the off.

However, Klopp could consider dropping summer signing Thiago to the bench. The Spaniard has started the last ten Premier League games, failing to register a goal or an assist.

He might be replaced by fellow midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who deserves a chance to prove himself once again.

Moving into attack and the familiar trio of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are all set to start once again, despite Diogo Jota’s return to training.

AND in other news, Mo Salah signing for Real Madrid makes a lot of sense for Liverpool…

David Sullivan should strive to seal a deal for Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos this summer as West Ham United will be on alert to his potential availability.

That’s the view of former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who has told Football Insider that the London Stadium hierarchy will have their eyes on Morelos ahead of the next transfer window.

The Hammers are expected to be active in the off-season looking to improve David Moyes’ offensive options, after he opted against using the £20m raised from Sebastien Haller’s exit to sign a replacement that he “wasn’t sure about” in the winter.

Morelos revealed to Colombian network Caracol Radio last weekend that one of his “big dreams” is to make a move to the Premier League one day, having been tracked by clubs such as Liverpool previously.

Morelos has been in great form north of the border this season with 15 goals in 36 games across all competitions, including 10 in 24 Premiership outings as Rangers clinched the title.

Seven of the 24-year-old’s strikes and eight of his 12 assists for the term have even come in 11 fixtures since the turn of the year, as he took his performances to another level.

Robinson expects his efforts will have Premier League suitors on alert, and that only the offer of a lucrative pay rise will keep the £33,000-per-week forward at Ibrox.

“It is not a secret – Premier League clubs have been looking at him and I think West Ham will be keeping an eye on him,” Robinson claimed. “It is a move that Morelos will have to weigh up. If Rangers financially reward him and offer him Premier League level wages, then he may stay.

“Do you want to play in the Premier League with West Ham, or do you want to win more trophies at Rangers? Steven Gerrard is building something special there and I think it is going to be a really exciting club to be a part of over the next few years.”

If West Ham’s talent spotters have cast a view towards Rangers in recent months, they will no doubt have been impressed by Morelos’ efforts under Gerrard that have helped fire the Glasgow giants into the Last 16 of the Europa League.

Morelos registered six assists over the two Round of 32 legs with Royal Antwerp last month, while scoring once as the Gers won 9-5 on aggregate and currently sit level at 1-1 with Slavia Prague for a place in the quarter-finals.

His goals have not been the defining factor in Rangers’ successful Premiership title quest, with James Tavernier (11) and Kemar Roofe (10) writing their names on the scoresheet as often as the 24-year-old (10).

But that’s not to say he would not make a decisive difference at the London Stadium, where Moyes could reap the rewards of Gerrard polishing the edges of a rough diamond previously plagued by disciplinary issues and a habit of earning red cards.

Morelos has racked up 43 yellow cards, four second bookings and three straight reds in 174 games for Rangers, but has only been cautioned seven times this term and is yet to be given his marching orders in any competition.

Gerrard still expects the forward to reach another level with his performances on the pitch, too, even though he already gives more than just goals.

“When you are talking about a talent like Alfredo, people automatically just judge him on goals. But as his manager who works with him every day, I think he has evolved in the time he has been here,” Gerrard said, via quotes by The Glasgow Times.

“We have tried to support him and guide him, because people forget how old he was when he arrived and how old he is now. He is still at a stage in his career where he can get better, physically, mentally, tactically and technically.

“There are still big compartments of his game that he can improve. That’s the exciting thing. But there is no doubt he has evolved. He has improved his link-up play, improved tactically without the ball in terms of what the team needs and demands from him.”

West Ham’s actual interest in Morelos remains to be seen, but Sullivan could do far worse than looking to raid Rangers now that the 10-cap Colombian has won a Premiership title.

AND in other news, West Ham face a £51.5m asking price to sign a dynamic star who grew up learning from Frank Lampard…

Many Crystal Palace fans are reacting to a tweet from respected journalist Fabrizio Romano in which he discusses the likelihood of Jean-Philippe Mateta signing for the club.

Following a lot of talk about the Bundesliga forward being close to signing for the Eagles, Romano all but confirmed the rumours were true. He tweeted: ‘Jean-Philippe Mateta joins Crystal Palace on loan until 2022 with obligation to buy [around €17m] as per @domfifield, confirmed. He turned down two bids from Italian clubs and will sign for #CPFC tomorrow – medicals pending. Here-we-go soon.’

The Frenchman is 23 years-old and has been in great form this season with Mainz (WhoScored). He has played 18 times in all competitions and picked up 11 goals and one assist, with seven of these goals coming in the Bundesliga. The £13.5m-valued striker also has featured for the France U21 side in the past (Transfermarkt), scoring three goals in nine appearances. Many fans are buzzing over the news, with one calling the possible transfer ‘exciting’.

It is understandable to see why the fan base are getting excited. Strikers Christian Benteke, Jordan Ayew, and Michy Batshuayi have only scored four goals between them this season (WhoScored), so some fresh blood could be exactly what the club need to strengthen the attack and help push the Eagles up the table.

Here is how Palace fans reacted to the Romano tweet:

“Exciting singing for us #CPFC”

Credit: @palacedann

“FAB IS BACKKKK”

Credit: @DrizzyCPFC

“Well that was quick”

Credit: @EBERZEE

“If this man said my twin brother wasn’t my real brother, I’d believe him. Get excited. One step away from here-we-go territory…”

Credit: @acjonesy1

“Here we gooooo”

Credit: @BaileyCPFC_

“Woah this is actually a very exciting signing for us”

Credit: @ChristianEagleO

In other news, many Crystal Palace fans slated one player who lost possession 22 times over his performance versus Manchester City.

Leeds United rising star Alfie McCalmont is making a name for himself whilst on loan with Oldham Athletic. The 20-year-old left the club’s reserve team to join the Latics in September and he will play out a season-long loan spell.

In eight matches across League Two and the EFL Trophy, McCalmont has bagged himself three goals and one assist (via Transfermarkt). He found the back of the net in his most recent appearance against Cambridge United, which contributed to an important three points for Oldham thanks to a 2-1 win.

Noel Whelan recently lauded the youngster for his quick start to life on loan. The pundit told Football Insider: “He is a player that is immensely talented and he will do very well for Oldham. The way he plays the game is very intelligent.”

A chance to impress Bielsa

Despite his best efforts, McCalmont has failed to break into Leeds’ senior team over the years. Not only has his move to Oldham showcased his ability in first team football, but he has been operating in a new position as of late.

His performance against Bradford which saw him score a brace came after Harry Kewell opted to play him as a box-to-box midfielder rather than a more defensive one. The manager’s gamble paid off and McCalmont made easy work of gliding into the box and finding the back of the net.

At the moment, Marcelo Bielsa is thin on creative midfielders. Behind top scorer Patrick Bamford (8) is Mateusz Klich with two goals to his name this season (via BBC Sport). He is tied with Helder Costa, despite the latter being a more attacking player.

For Klich to have the same amount of goals as a winger speaks volumes and it’s not a good look for Bielsa. The manager needs to find more creativity within his team or he risks hitting a big slump in the Premier League.

The return of McCalmont could be a huge blessing for Leeds next season if they survive their first term back in England’s top flight. If he continues to impress with the Latics, he will be impossible to ignore. He could partner and perhaps eventually even usurp Klich within Bielsa’s squad.

In other news, Robin Koch injury hands Diego Llorente a golden opportunity…

Manchester United moved to third in the table after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side put Leeds United to the sword at Old Trafford.

Scott McTominay opened the floodgates in the first half with a long-range effort, and the midfielder got his second just a few moments later, with Bruno Fernandes and Victor Lindelof adding the extras, before Marcelo Bielsa’s side pulled one back with a header from Liam Cooper shortly before the break.

But United extended their lead almost immediately after Daniel James got himself on the scoresheet before a customary penalty from Fernandes made it 6-1 after Pascal Struijk fouled Anthony Martial in the box.

However, there was still time for late drama after Stuart Dallas scored from long-range, but the Red Devils weren’t to be denied the spoils.

Fernandes was in scintillating form, McTominay was magnificent, but Martial defied his critics with a man of the match-worthy performance.

As any regular reader of this column will no doubt be aware, we can count ourselves among that number, but it’s hard to deny the fact that the Frenchman looked back to his very best against Leeds.

Per SofaScore, Martial received a high rating of 9.1 out of ten for his efforts – only McTominay was awarded a higher score – he took one shot on target, three shots off target, completed seven of his eight dribble attempts successfully, created three big chances, and contributed to two goals, while he won a penalty, was fouled once and made one clearance as well.

The France international took more touches of the ball than Fernandes (55) and clearly made the possession count, providing 25 out of 31 passes (81%), showing no hesitation in dropping deep into his own half to pick up the ball and bring others into play.

The Manchester Evening News were effusive in their praise for the 25-year-old, giving Martial a grade of 8/10 and claiming he ‘won the penalty in his best performance of the season by a distance’, whilst The Daily Express were equally glowing in their assessment, insisting he was ‘a constant threat upfront with his clever movement, pace and link-up play.’

It’s safe to say the French versatile forward was an influential presence as he provided two assists for the first two goals, despite not scoring himself as he blazed a shot over the bar.

There’s no doubt Solskjaer will have been secretly delighted with his sublime display, having launched a passionate defence of the £82m-rated (€90m) misfiring forward after his miss in the 3-1 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League ultimately proved costly as they were eventually dumped out of the competition by RB Leipzig.

Forget McTominay, it was Martial who stole the show at Old Trafford.

AND in other news, Lightweight: Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw badly let Solskjaer down vs Leeds…