All posts by n8rngtd.top

Lots of Everton fans have been reacting to some news which has emerged on the future of Rafael Benitez.

As per The Daily Mirror, Bill Kenwright has now called an emergency board meeting, with the Spaniard’s future high on the agenda.

Benitez is under pressure after the Toffees lost 4-1 to bitter rivals Liverpool at Goodison Park on Wednesday, making it eight games in the Premier League without tasting victory.

There is reportedly now a ‘growing concern’ among the board about the direction in which the club is going, and Marcel Brands has flown back in from the Netherlands, where he had been with family.

Farhad Moshiri is also due to travel back from the United States this weekend to meet with board members, all with the aim of coming to a decision over Benitez’s future.

Everton fans on Benitez news

These Everton supporters gave their reactions to the news as it was shared on Twitter, with some wanting Kenwright to go as well as Benitez:

“Come on”

Credit: @jonesyefcSFC

“Ironic”

Credit: @LouisJF99

“Can he sack himself as well?”

Credit: @johnozzer

“Good. Worrying that these protests seem to absolve the current past-it manager at the club. He is as much of the problem as others at the club.”

Credit: @MurphyRichie

“Kenwright is the issue”

Credit: @Monolini

“Kenwright is the main problem with regards the direction of the club, not Rafa!”

Credit: @AndyMarrs

In other news, find out what early team news before the Arsenal match has left these Everton fans fuming

Giovanni van Bronckhorst managed to secure his third league win in a row as Rangers manager with the Ibrox side securing a recent 3-0 win on Saturday.

One player that impressed in this latest victory over Dundee FC was left-back Borna Barisic who managed to earn himself an overall match rating of 8/10, leaving just Joe Aribo and Alfredo Morelos having higher ratings on the day according to SofaScore.

With this in mind, it seems as though the club have been handed a major boost over Barisic and his future at Ibrox.

What’s the news?

According to the Daily Star (via Daily Record), Barisic has reportedly shunned the opportunity of a move to Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa and that he has told insiders he wants to remain at Ibrox for the foreseeable future.

Since joining Rangers back in the 2018 summer transfer window from Croatian club NK Osijek in a deal worth a reported fee of around £2.2m, the defender has gone on to make a total of 130 appearances across all competitions in which he has managed to score seven goals and provide 34 assists along the way, which is mightily impressive for a full-back.

This season has seen the 29-year-old, who is currently valued at £5.4m according to Transfermarkt, make 18 appearances across all competitions, with nine coming in the SPFL.

In those nine league games, Barisic has managed to rack up an average of 3.1 clearances per game and 1.7 tackles per game with 61% of duels won, highlighting his defensive capabilities.

The defender, who former Rangers boss Gerrard revealed is a “highly respected” member of the dressing room, has also shown how capable he is further forward up the pitch this season as well by making two key passes per game in the league.

His overall performances in the SPFL this season have earned Barisic a season rating of 7.26/10, making him Rangers’ third-highest rated player according to WhoScored.

Taking all of this into account van Bronckhorst should be delighted that Barisic apparently has no intention of reuniting with his former manager at Villa and wants to stay at Rangers.

This should also please a lot of Rangers fans too and put to bed any concerns they may have that Barisic could be tempted with a move to the Premier League. Keeping him at Ibrox is undeniably a huge boost.

In other news: GVB heading for big Rangers mistake over £27k-p/w beast with “incredible leadership” – opinion

A number of Liverpool supporters are over the moon after Roberto Firmino returned to training on Thursday, following a lengthy injury absence.

The Reds are back in Premier League action on Saturday afternoon, with Jurgen Klopp’s side hosting Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa.

It is sure to be an emotional occasion on Anfield but Liverpool must focus on the job in hand and pick up another three points in the title race.

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Klopp’s injury woes have eased significantly in recent weeks, and on Thursday, he was further boosted by Firmino returning to training, as confirmed by the club’s official Twitter account.

The Brazilian hasn’t played since the 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid in early November because of a hamstring issue.

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Liverpool fans delighted with Firmino return

It is undoubted good news for Liverpool – the Brazilian has racked up an impressive 163 goals plus assists in 303 showings for the Reds – and these fans took to Twitter to express their delight at the update.

“LET’S GO BOBBY”

Credit: @theKop1952

“Bobby’s back. No stopping us now”

Credit: @starwart1

“YESSSSSS”

Credit: @dededekko

“I love this from LFC. Out of nowhere, Bobby is back. We are cooking well. Love this”

Credit: @jmarah_arnold1

“Look who’s back”

Credit: @esebit

“This is the best news I’ve heard in a while!”

Credit: @Brayden_W11

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to a Reds transfer claim. Read more here.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United target Seko Fofana, regarding RC Lens’ valuation of his services…

What’s the talk?

According to French outlet Jeunes Footeux, the Ligue 1 outfit are looking for a fee in the region of £25m (€30m) for the midfielder.

The Magpies are reportedly keen on a deal for the former Manchester City youth player as Eddie Howe looks to bolster his squad in January.

Forget Willock

Newcastle reportedly paid £25m to bring Joe Willock to the club on a permanent deal in the summer after his initial loan spell at St. James’ Park. He has been able to live up to his price tag, as of yet, however, as he has struggled on the pitch this season.

The former Arsenal man has averaged a dismal WhoScored rating of 6.47 in the Premier League, failing to produce a single goal or assist in 14 matches. He is averaging 1.1 dribbles and 0.7 key passes per game, showing that he is not making a huge impact with the ball at his feet for the Magpies.

Fofana, meanwhile, has been in sensational form for Lens in Ligue 1 and is showing that he has quality in possession for his side. He is averaging 2.2 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per game across 18 matches, which means that he has completed 40 dribbles and 22 key passes in Ligue 1.

With that in mind, it’s hardly a surprise he’s been dubbed a “phenom” by journalist Zach Lowy and “unbelievable” by author Tom Scholes for his displays in 2021/22.

The Ivorian has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.13 to illustrate how consistent he has been throughout the season so far. He is performing to a high level and providing quality on a regular basis in the final third, with five goals to go along with his dribbling and creativity.

Fofana once claimed that he is inspired by ex-Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure, saying: “He inspired me a lot. When we went on tour, we spoke about everything and nothing. I had some times that I will never forget. And on the pitch, he was a role model for me, with his long runs forward, his assists, his goals. He was able to do almost everything, he was complete.”

PIF must now splash the £25m Lens want in January in order to complete a deal for the 6 foot 1 colossus. If he is able to translate his form for Lens over to Newcastle then he could be a sizable upgrade on Willock and offer them the threat in possession from midfield that Howe’s team is currently lacking.

AND in other news, Possession lost 110x: Howe must brutally axe “fantastic” NUFC dud with 66% pass rate…

Goalkeeper Liam Kelly has been tipped to potentially make a move to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Rangers side in the future…

What’s the talk?

Livingston boss David Martindale is convinced that the shot-stopper would be able to compete whilst playing with the Gers or at Celtic.

He told The Daily Record:

“Could he go on and play for Celtic or Rangers? I do believe he could.

“I’m glad to see Liam playing every week, I’m gutted it’s not at Livingston.”

Key problem

Allan McGregor is out of contract at the end of the season and this leaves Gio van Bronckhorst in a difficult position in January. Does he sign someone to replace him now or wait until the summer to fix the issue?

The veteran Scotsman will be 40 next month and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be willing to play for another season. If he opts to hang up the gloves in 2022 then it would leave the Gers without a first-choice between the sticks, with back-up Jon McLaughlin also out of contract at the same time.

In Kelly, they could find their new number one for the foreseeable future and solve this big problem months before it becomes even more worrying. The 25-year-old, who started his career at Ibrox, has an impressive 76.9% save percentage in the Premiership this season, compared to McGregor’s 74.2%.

Graham Alexander also praised the “fantastic” goalkeeper earlier this year, saying: “He’s a great leader on and off the pitch, he’s brilliant on the training pitch, the will-to-win I want is epitomised by Liam in how he approaches the game.”

This shows that he has the quality to perform well by Premiership standards, which is why Rangers must take Martindale’s advice and swoop for Kelly in January.

At his young age, for a goalkeeper, he could take over from McGregor in the summer and spend the next decade as the club’s first-choice if he plays his cards right. He has plenty of time left ahead of him and his form for Motherwell this season shows that he is on the right track, which is why he could be an ideal target for van Bronckhorst.

Of course, it must be stressed that there are no official rumours linking Rangers with a move for Kelly, but the club need to be in the market for one, given McGregor’s contractual situation, and he appears to be someone who suits what they need.

AND in other news, “I’m sure”: Reporter drops exciting Rangers transfer claim that’ll leave fans buzzing…

A journalist has revealed the latest on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Aaron Ramsey in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Ramsey pursuit

The possibility of the Wales international moving to St James’ Park this month is certainly not going away any time soon.

Tuttosport reported last month (via Sport Witness) that the Magpies are the ‘most likely’ to sign the Juventus ace, while the same news outlet claimed last week that the Bianconeri are ‘ready to agree’ a loan deal with the Tyneside club, with the situation being a ‘work in progress’.

The Latest: Ramsey update

As per journalist Jonathan Shrager, there are currently no talks between the Magpies and Ramsey’s representatives with regards to a potential transfer this month, although it has not been ruled out.

He tweeted: “I am told that there are currently no conversations between Newcastle United and Aaron Ramsey’s representatives regarding a possible January transfer.”

The Verdict: Get it done

We are only two days into the transfer window, but Newcastle need to bring in players fast in order to give them the best possible chance of staying up.

One man who would likely help with that immensely is Ramsey, given his past experience in the Premier League and his ‘world-class’ ability, as cited by his Wales international team-mate Joe Allen.

The 31-year-old would also thrive under Eddie Howe’s system – Ian Rush claimed that the Magpies manager ‘would love’ Ramsey in his side and would ‘fit his style down to a tee’ (The Chronicle).

He is a transfer target who could potentially go under the radar as a smart piece of business from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consortium, should they be able to get a deal over the line.

In other news, NUFC have now made an offer for this player

Many Everton fans have been left buzzing over some transfer news on Ronald Araujo.

As per The Athletic, the Goodison Park faithful would be ‘very happy’ to offer the central defender better terms next summer than he is currently getting at FC Barcelona.

Given their financial problems, having just sent Philippe Coutinho out on loan to Aston Villa, there could be a deal to be done for Araujo, who has been described as ‘spectacular’ player by manager Xavi, and ‘has everything’ that a centre-back needs according to teammate Gerard Pique, despite being just 22 years of age.

Nonetheless, he would certainly elevate the quality in the Merseyside club’s backline, and so it is no surprise to see so many Toffees excited by the potential move, especially considering many fans are urging one defender to leave in Mason Holgate, perhaps making space for a new addition.

Everton fans on Araujo transfer news

These Blues were left buzzing as the transfer news on Araujo was shared on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far as to claim that it is ‘massive’:

“Would be a great signing, could do with him this month. Is this another Brands pick we want in future….”

Credit: @AidyDews

“A man can dream”

Credit: @YerayMachin

“Now we’re talking”

Credit: @hmcglash

“Omg imagine”

Credit: @BobbyW1878

“Massive if it happens”

Credit: @Georgie_Redman

“Yessss please”

Credit: @timmy__leyin

In other news, find out what club update has Evertonians fuming here!

With a loan deal for Philippe Coutinho now agreed, Aston Villa now have the opportunity to focus on signing other players who Steven Gerrard feels would improve his squad.

One player to whom the club could turn their attention and realistically get through the door before the end of the month is Liverpool defender Nathaniel Phillips.

In a recent article from The Athletic by James Pearce, it was claimed that the 24-year-old “is attracting plenty of interest from both Premier League and Serie A clubs”.

The report also claimed that the Merseysiders have already rejected a bid of £7m from an unnamed top-flight club for him, with Liverpool having set their asking price set at £15m.

Additionally, the report named Villa as one of the Premier League sides who are in the market for a centre-back this month, so there’s every possibility that the Midlands club could launch a move for Phillips in the coming weeks if they feel he could improve their squad.

Taking into account how Villa have said goodbye to Axel Tuanzebe after his loan spell at Villa Park was cut short this week, there certainly is room for a new centre-back such as Phillips, who is currently valued at £7.2m by Transfermarkt, to come in and try and secure a place in Gerrard’s team.

Also, with a recent poll ran by Football FanCast revealing that 67% of Villa fans think Tyrone Mings is a liability for the team after his performance in their recent 3-1 defeat against Chelsea – when he was at fault for Romelu Lukaku’s goal – this could pave the way for Gerrard to sign Phillips this month and create a solid centre-back partnership alongside Ezri Konsa, potentially fixing the issue of their leaky defence, with 30 goals conceded in 19 league games.

With just four appearances under his belt for Liverpool across all competitions so far this season, a potential move to Villa could be very appealing for Phillips, who has been labelled as a “monster” on the pitch by Jurgen Klopp. If he would be guaranteed regular game-time under Gerrard’s guidance, it would benefit Liverpool at the same time by reaping what they see as a suitable transfer fee for him.

With Villa also being linked with a move for fellow Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez, Phillips could be a much easier deal to secure given the Merseyside club’s reported willingness to sell him this month.

In other news – “What they’re looking at..”: Journalist drops Villa transfer claim, fans will be buzzing

West Ham United could be set to hand Darren Randolph a new contract at the London Stadium.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by Sami Mokbel, with the Daily Mail journalist revealing a post on Twitter that, following his link with a move to Aston Villa, David Moyes has no intention of sanctioning the departure of the 34-year-old this month, before going on to claim that the 58-year-old could even hand the Hammers third-choice shot-stopper a new deal in East London.

This comes following an earlier claim made by ExWHUemployee, with the club insider stating that West Ham are keen to move the goalkeeper on this winter – something that is largely down to the former Republic of Ireland international’s hefty weekly wage, which Moyes would rather spend on other areas of his squad.

However, in his tweet, Mokbel said: “Darren Randolph proposed move to Aston Villa unlikely to happen. David Moyes wants him to stay at West Ham and views him as a big part of the dressing room. Randolph could now be handed a new contract.”

Fans will be fuming

While Randolph is undoubtedly an extremely decent option as a third-choice goalkeeper, the fact remains that the goalkeeper is currently taking home a whopping £42k-per-week on his current deal, something that, considering his number of appearances this season, would indeed appear to be a waste of money – as ExWHUemployee suggests.

In the current campaign, the 34-year-old is yet to make a single appearance for the Hammers, with Lukasz Fabianski being Moyes’ first choice in the position, while Alphonse Areola has typically featured in both the Europa League and domestic cup competitions.

In fact, since the Irons resigned Randolph in a £4m deal two years ago this month, the ‘keeper has made a grand total of just nine appearances in all competitions, with only five of these outings coming in the Premier League.

Furthermore, in a recent poll ran on Football FanCast, the overwhelming majority of West Ham fans claimed that they would like to see the club allow Randolph to leave the London Stadium on a free transfer this month, as a result of the veteran shot-stopper’s lack of game time and hefty weekly wage.

As such, should the Irishman indeed be in line for a new deal in East London, as Mokbel suggests, it would undoubtedly leave fans of the Hammers fuming – and we have to say, we can understand why.

In other news: Sheth drops major WHU transfer update on “bombshell” signing, fans will be buzzing

Wolves and Tottenham are tracking Celtic defender Mitchel Frame, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The Lowdown: Frame profiled

Frame is just 15 years of age and is a left-back who features for Scotland at Under-16 level.

He is yet to pen professional terms with the Hoops and is highly thought of as one of the club’s next top prospects.

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Transfermarkt have him down as an Under-17 player for Celtic, but it appears as if he could be the latest teenager to depart Parkhead.

The Latest: O’Rourke’s tweet

O’Rourke took to Twitter on Monday evening and claimed that both Wolves and Tottenham are tracking Frame.

“Tottenham and Wolves are tracking highly-rated Celtic youngster star Mitchel Frame.”

Football Scotland believe both clubs, along with Crystal Palace, have offered the youngster a three-year professional deal.

The Verdict: Not ideal…

Celtic have lost a number of young starlets recently, and it seems as if Frame could be the next with three clubs keen and offering contracts.

Leo Hjelde is a prime example of a young defender to leave the Hoops without making a senior appearance to then go on to progress elsewhere.

He recently made his Premier League debut for Leeds, and although Frame is yet to turn 16, you’d expect he could be the next to depart Parkhead and breakthrough in the English top-flight, possibly with Wolves.

In other news: Ange now after another Irish addition who Lennon previously wanted.