All posts by n8rngtd.top

After making his return from injury on Sunday night, it’s fair to say that Matty Cash didn’t enjoy the greatest of games in Aston Villa’s 2-0 defeat to Tottenham.

The former Nottingham Forest star had been out of action for Dean Smith’s side for several games due to injury, with veteran defender Ahmed Elmohamady coming in for him.

After being named as an unnamed substitute last time out against Newcastle, Cash was given the nod to make his first appearance in a Villa shirt since his injury, but things just didn’t go to plan.

As well as being involved in the controversial decision to award Harry Kane a penalty in the second half, the right-back just seemed to lose his composure as the game wore on, perhaps more to do with his match fitness levels more than anything else.

As per Sofascore, he lost possession a whopping 29 times on the night, by far the most of any player on the pitch, and a telling sign of how he just couldn’t get his normal game going – his season average has seen him concede possession 14.4 times per match in the Premier League.

As well as his wastefulness on the ball, Cash also attempted no dribbles, provided no key passes and delivered no crosses either – offensively, the full-back was just a complete non-entity and couldn’t link up with Bertrand Traore at all.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for the Birmingham Mail, Ashley Preece admitted: “Back in for his first start since tweaking his hamstring at Brighton. Cash started brightly and was aggressive in the challenge against the likes of Lucas and Reguilon.

“However, his performance dipped off significantly in the second half and it was Cash’s clumsy challenge which put this fixture to bed as his trailing leg caught Kane in the box for the penalty. His aggressive nature and willingness for the cause were both welcome but, like most, he wasn’t on his usual game.”

With Elmohamady set to turn 34 later this year, and reports already indicating that Smith is preparing to let him go, there’s a real lack of genuine quality and competition to challenge Cash at right-back either when he’s out injured, or if he’s in bad form.

It’s exactly why the Villa boss will be worried about Cash’s display against Spurs, and will simply be hoping that it was a minor blip in what has otherwise been an impressive debut campaign at Villa Park for the former Forest full-back.

Meanwhile, this Villa man was woeful against Spurs…

Rekeem Harper is surely running out of time to prove his worth to West Brom as his struggles continue this season.

The 20-year-old is currently on loan to Championship outfit Birmingham City, where things aren’t going to plan and given it’s a division that the Baggies seem destined for, this could spell serious trouble.

Indeed, only a miracle will see Sam Allardyce save Albion from the brink of an instant return to the second flight as they remain nine points adrift of safety with only 12 games left to play.

If they do go down, then you’d imagine that a talented academy graduate like Harper could really stake a claim in being part of the first-team set-up finally, but he’s yet to be convincing during a poor stint at the Blues this term.

The young Baggies starlet ranks amongst their three worst performers since arriving in January, recording an average rating of 6.28 as per WhoScored – only former Hawthorns man Jonathan Leko (6.24) and Adam Clayton (6.16) have been poorer.

Harper has only started nine matches for the Midlands outfit since the start of the 2019/20 campaign, so evidently, he had not been fancied by Slaven Bilic nor Sam Allardyce.

That’s despite all the praise he’s received in the past.

Tony Pulis once compared the defensive midfielder to Patrick Vieira, claiming he’s a “talent” with “a lot of potential,” while Darren Moore has previously lauded him “fearless” and “energetic.”

Even Bilic dubbed Harper a “powerhouse.”

In seven appearances for the St Andrew’s side, the 6 foot 2 colossus has only managed 0.9 tackles per game and has evidently struggled in his battles, as he has committed 1.4 fouls per game, via WhoScored.

The former sees him rank 13th for players that have started four or more games for Birmingham, which just isn’t good enough for that anchorman-like presence. Similarly, Celta Vigo loanee Okay Yokuslu has been utilised to good effect for the Baggies, averaging 1.3 tackles and only 1.3 fouls each game.

Again, 13 other current Albion players are doing better than that.

Clearly, Harper has it all to do if he’s to have much of a long-term future at the Hawthorns. It’s been one massive nightmare, having once been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Juventus via the Mirror in summer 2019, now his career at struggling West Brom could be in jeopardy.

If the £12.5k-per-week gem continues to struggle during this loan spell, then he won’t be earning a spot in the squad next season in the Championship, let alone if they achieve the unthinkable and remain in the top-flight.

It’s now or never for the 20-year-old.

These upcoming months could be rather telling – is he the next Nathan Ferguson? or merely another Leko? Only time will tell.

AND in other news, Allardyce must offload £20k-p/w West Brom gem this summer, Sawyers once dubbed him “unbelievable”…

Marcel Brands should urge Carlo Ancelotti to tread cautiously amid rumoured plans to hand Joshua King a long-term contract at Everton.

What’s the word?

According to Football Insider, the Toffees will look to retain King beyond the initial six-month deal penned upon his arrival as a latch-ditch signing on Deadline Day last month.

Everton are claimed to have paid AFC Bournemouth £2m to take over the final stretch of his £45,000-per-week contract, as the Cherries sought to secure a nominal fee for a player who would otherwise have been a free agent in the summer.

King’s long-term future remains in doubt having only joined the Blues on a short-term deal, though the Merseyside outfit have long been claimed to have an option to retain the Norway international.

Retaining King could see Everton’s deal with Bournemouth rise to as much as £5m, and that is under consideration as he’s been impressing coaches – including Ancelotti – at Finch Farm.

King is yet to start a fixture or score for Everton, but has made five substitute outings and has featured for a total of 67 minutes over his Premier League appearances to date.

Should Everton retain King?

Having Ancelotti’s backing after leaving a favourable impression on the Italian tactician and his coaching staff will go a long way toward King securing a long-term future at Everton.

Ancelotti stated upon the forward’s arrival that he hoped the Blues would keep the 29-year-old beyond the end of the season, but noted that his time at Goodison Park was effectively a loan deal and a chance to impress after Cenk Tosun joined Besiktas in a temporary switch.

King, too, voiced hope of a long life in royal blue having enjoyed his first few weeks on Merseyside, even though chances to feature have been thin and far between.

“This squad and club are reaching and climbing and building something,” he said last month. “I am eager to prove myself and to try to give the boss a reason to pick me.

“I am focusing on working hard and trying to reach my top form as quickly as possible. Then we will see what happens in the summer. I am loving it and, of course, would love to stay but it has to be right for the club and for me.”

But as chances to feature have been so infrequent thus far, even while Ancelotti was without Everton’s top-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin due to a hamstring injury, Brands should urge caution and not rush into tying King down with a long-term deal so soon.

The £10m-rated dynamo, who former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe lauded as the “complete package”, is yet to prove himself on the pitch, and it is there – rather than in training – where King must show that he deserves a long-term contract.

Currently, he is yet to bring much to the table when on the field and he needs to prove why he deserves to be retained by netting goals and/or providing assists in the coming months.

AND in other news, Everton are tracking a prolific 15-goal winger backed to reach another level…

Journalist Alan Nixon has recently issued an update about Rangers’ interest in Preston North End’s Ben Davies.

While Football Insider had recently stated that Rangers had made a ‘significant’ offer to sign Davies on a pre-contract basis in the summer, Nixon has claimed the complete opposite about the Preston defender and his links with a move to Ibrox.

Rangers yet to make Davies offer

Alan Nixon tweeted about Rangers’ interest in Davies when a fan asked him about the player’s situation. He revealed “there’s no Rangers pre contract offer for Davies”, despite claims from Football Insider that an offer has been made.

It has also been stated that Rangers are competing with their Old Firm rivals and English clubs for Davies’ signature.

Davies has made 16 Championship appearances for Preston this season, coming up with one assist so far. All of his appearances have come from the centre-back position this season (as per Transfermarkt).

The 25-year-old is currently valued at £2.16m by Transfermarkt and he has been described as a player who is comfortable on the ball and confident in the air.

Davies could be a good signing for Rangers

With Nikola Katic injured and George Edmundson seemingly on the way out, Steven Gerrard only has three centre-back options in the team – Leon Balogun, Filip Helander and Conor Goldson.

Davies would add depth and ability to that position and his versatility – he can play either centre-back role or at left-back – would also be an extra reason why the Ibrox side would benefit from signing him.

In other news, Rangers are eyeing another Championship star – read more here.

Lots of Everton fans have been reacting to an injury update from Alan Myers about Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

As per a tweet from the sports news editor, the former Sheffield United ace is set to undergo a scan to determine the extent of the injury to his hamstring that he picked up in the 5-4 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup on Wednesday night.

The update has left several members of the Goodison Park faithful biting off their fingernails given just how important he is to the Merseyside club.

The England international has scored no fewer than 18 goals and made a further four assists in just 25 games in all competitions in total so far in the 2020/21 term (Transfermarkt), and was highly influential again against Spurs as his goal got Carlo Ancelotti’s side back into the tie. He scored a goal, grabbed an assist and won a penalty for the Blues before he hobbled off.

Everton fan reaction to Calvert-Lewin injury update

These Toffees reacted to the injury update on the 23-year-old on Twitter, with one Blue even going as far as to call it ‘worrying’:

“That’s not great news. If he’s having a scan then he’s definitely out for a few weeks minimum. If it was minor then he’d be feeling better today anyway, but obviously it’s more than that. Gutted.”

Credit: @Geof17773624

“Keep us updated when you hear anything on this! Worrying…”

Credit: @comradecoxy

“Sounds bad”

Credit: @_Aadil_23

“That doesn’t sound good”

Credit: @Barlow281

“Not looking good then”

Credit: @Harrys1878nsno

“Every year we have to go through a season with injuries to key players at key times. Just once, I would love to see us get through with a full compliment of players”

Credit: @andyjsb

In other news, find out whose FA Cup display was blasted by EFC supporters here!

David Sullivan would be heading for disaster by signing Marcus Edwards amid claims West Ham United are a likely destination for the Vitoria Guimaraes winger.

What’s the word?

According to O Jogo (5/1, p. 19), the Irons are lining up an £18m bid to bring Edwards back to the Premier League just one-and-a-half-years on from leaving Tottenham Hotspur.

The London Stadium is considered a likely destination for the Spurs product, after seemingly fending off firm interest from a host of clubs in England and Portugal including London rivals Fulham and Crystal Palace plus Southampton.

Edwards quit Tottenham in 2019 due to a lack of playing time in north London, though accepted that his struggles to breakthrough also stemmed from a poor attitude in his youth.

He played just 15 minutes of first-team football altogether outside of loan spells with Norwich City and SBV Excelsior Rotterdam before moving to Portugal, where he has scored 10 goals and provided 11 assists in 50 games across all competitions to date.

Spurs would be due 50 per cent of any fee paid to Vitoria for Edwards after insisting on a sell-on clause to be included in their deal for the midfielder, who is considered to be among the most gifted dribblers to emerge from the north London side’s academy in recent years.

Anderson 2.0

Edwards enjoyed a tremendous debut season with Vitoria Guimaraes last term to net nine goals and pen nine assists, but has struggled to reach the same heights this term with a sole strike and two further assists added to the London-born 22-year-old’s account.

Rarely has Edwards offered a gifted touch in the final third to provide goals or assists during Liga NOS fixtures this season, with the former England U20 international recording just 0.5 key balls and 0.9 shots a game beside 0.1 accurate crosses, per SofaScore.

He additionally averages a mere 10.4 accurate passes and loses possession 11.0 times a game in the Portuguese top-flight, but uses his effectiveness on the ground to make 2.3 successful dribbles and win all 4.5 of his duels.

Mauricio Pochettino lauded Edwards for his potential whilst in charge of Tottenham, believing the diminutive 5 ft 6 attacker with lightning-quick feet reminded him of FC Barcelona great Lionel Messi.

“The qualities – it’s only looks, his body and the way that he plays – remember a little bit from the beginning of Messi,” Pochettino said, via quotes by Sky Sports. “He is a very good prospect and potentially he can be a top player, but we need to be patient and tell him that he has a lot of talent, enough talent to be a top player, a great player.”

That potential is still yet to truly unfold and Sullivan would instead be handing David Moyes a new Felipe Anderson, who may be recalled from a failed loan spell with FC Porto in order to protect his market value ahead of a sale in the summer.

AND in other news, David Moyes has dodged a huge bullet as West Ham dealt blow in bid to sign an 11-goal target.

David Sullivan can land David Moyes an ideal January signing amid reports West Ham United could look to sign Chelsea’s out-of-favour hitman Olivier Giroud this winter.

What’s the word?

According to Claret & Hugh, Giroud is keen to secure a move away from Stamford Bridge during the upcoming transfer market, having seen his spot in the French national side come under threat after playing just 33 minutes in the Premier League this season.

Frank Lampard added German internationals Timo Werner and Kai Havertz to the fold in south west London this summer, resulting in Giroud falling further down the pecking order and only being given game time from the bench in three top-flight fixtures to date.

Giroud has featured from the start in just one of the Blues’ Carabao Cup ties, as well, while earning his 27 minutes of Champions League action as a late substitute on Matchday 3 at home to Stade Rennais once the tie had already been settled by a Werner brace.

Should Giroud decide he must leave Chelsea to secure his spot on the plane to next summer’s postponed UEFA European Championships, his decision is expected to alert key officials at the London Stadium given West Ham’s prior interest in the forward.

The Irons strived to land the 34-year-old in 2017 amid doubt over his future with Arsenal, and were again touted as a potential suitor this summer with Chelsea open to offers worth just £7million.

Arsene Wenger noted at the time of Giroud’s Arsenal exit that he quit the Gunners through his determination to play for France in the 2018 World Cup, which could now result in history repeating itself for Chelsea.

“Olivier wanted more playing time – and wants as well to go to the World Cup,” Wenger said, via quotes by the Independent. “That is why I opened the door. But he was massively popular here.”

An idyllic January hitman

Sullivan reviving West Ham’s prior interest in Giroud could see the Hammers co-owner land Moyes an idyllic hitman this January, as the Frenchman has consistently thrived when given a chance – as evident by his eight Premier League goals last season each coming in the final 12 matches after struggling to earn game time until February.

Wenger lauded Giroud’s ability to always be ready whilst the Frenchman was with Arsenal, noting in 2016 via The Guardian: “I have a big respect for him. When you are a football player, you have to be always ready, that’s part of the job.

“When you’re selected, it’s fantastic. When you’re not selected, you have to be ready and the players that are always ready, when they get that chance, they are there and the players that feel sorry for themselves, they give you one more reason to justify why you didn’t select them, and the fighters are always ready.”

Giroud’s fighter-instinct and a knack for scoring could easily see the veteran forward be an idyllic January addition for Moyes, having struck home 86 goals in his Premier League career, been touted as one of the all-time great super-subs and been praised for his awareness to latch on to crosses.

West Ham are among the top-flight’s most-productive outfits in terms of crosses this season, having averaged 22 a game – only Fulham (23) are delivering a higher number into the box, per WhoScored.

The Irons are also registering 57 long balls a match and rank second for shots taken inside the six-yard box with 14% of their total efforts, two aspects were Giroud thrives.

AND in other news, West Ham have been given the ideal chance to sign a “phenomenal” £20m David Moyes target.

Sunderland must green light a January loan for Under 23s prospect Josh Hawkes after Phil Parkinson lauded the impact temporary moves had for Elliot Embleton and Jack Diamond.

What’s the word?

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s League One clash with MK Dons, via quotes by the Chronicle, Parkinson claimed Embleton and Diamond are now reaping the rewards of their moves away from the Stadium of Light as they begin establishing themselves in the first-team fold.

Diamond joined Harrogate Town on loan for the 2019/20 season and helped the club clinch promotion from the National League to League Two, netting three times in 27 regular season outings before striking once in the Play-Off Final.

The 20-year-old has struggled to earn senior minutes since his Sunderland return, with just one of his appearances coming in League One, but was among the raft of changes who started Tuesday’s EFL Trophy clash with Fleetwood Town.

Embleton, too, featured from the off at Highbury, where the Durham-born midfielder earned just his second senior outing of the campaign after battling with injuries that have kept him out for extended periods over the past year.

Parkinson believes that Diamond’s time at Harrogate and Embleton’s with Grimsby Town during the 18/19 season have helped the pair in their development, noting: “The loan spells they had have really benefited them.

“I spoke to Embo the other day and I was saying to him that when he was on loan at Grimsby, he learnt things that it is hard to teach players on the training pitch – how to handle different types of games, different pressures within games.

“And it was the same for Jack, who went on to be part of a promotion campaign with Harrogate which saw them get out of a tough division.

“The development of those two players has been really enhanced by those loan moves.”

Hawkes must leave

Having lauded the impact of loan moves for Embleton and Diamond, Parkinson must now consider a similar option for Hawkes after frequently overlooking the 21-year-old since his summer arrival from Hartlepool United.

Hawkes earned his first senior Sunderland outing during the midweek EFL Trophy clash with Fleetwood, and impressed at Highbury with two shots, two attempted dribbles, 36 touches, seven duels, one key pass, one tackle and three crosses while played at striker, per SofaScore.

The wide forward was signed with a view to playing in the U23s, but has proven already that he is a step above the youth grades and must strive to feature either in League One or Two once the winter market opens.

Hawkes struck 11 of his 13 Hartlepool goals in the National League having played 59 times in the division, so would not benefit in the same manner from a move into non-league football as Diamond, and Parkinson must realise that the winger’s potential needs an adequate stage now rather than later.

Sunderland were not the only side to have shown an interest in the attacker this summer, either, with reports Leeds, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Portuguese side Braga were also in contention.

The Black Cats emerging triumphant and landing Hawkes was ultimately seen as a big deal, with Kevin Phillips telling Football Insider: “It just shows you still, as much as they’re still in League One, Sunderland are a big club.

“It’s good news to hear that after two or three of their best young players left the club.”

AND in other news, Phil Parkinson must prioritise taking a chance on an “excellent” yet rarely-seen Sunderland gem.

Manchester United have entered the race to sign England international and Chelsea transfer target Ben Chilwell this summer.

The Mirror reported that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fancies his chances at convincing the Leicester full-back to opt for an Old Trafford move. This won’t be taken lightly by Chelsea, who are pulling out all the stops to make this deal happen after weeks of speculation.

The Blues have identified Chilwell as one of their main transfer targets in a bid to strengthen their defence ahead of next season.

Chelsea were strong in attack last season, scoring 69 league goals, but struggled to keep them out of their own net. Frank Lampard’s side finished with the worst record for goals conceded out of the top 10 in the Premier League, with a concession tally of 54 in the division (as per Transfermarkt).

Now potentially armed with a massive £300m budget, the Blues could finally be able to meet Leicester’s demands of £80m. The west Londoners are even looking to make room for Chilwell in the defence, with left-backs Emerson Palmieri and Marcos Alonso both linked with moves away from Stamford Bridge (via Sport Witness).

Manchester United currently have Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams operating on the left of defence but may be questioning those players’ abilities given their reported interest in Chilwell. Moving for a blockbuster signing like the Leicester man can only suggest that they plan to usurp the much-maligned Shaw and have Williams become the 23-year-old’s deputy.

Chelsea are going to have to find another gear in their pursuit to finalise this deal if they want to avoid missing out. All the pieces are in place to finally make an official move and Lampard cannot let a top four competitor snub him in signing a major transfer target.

Which club do you think will sign Ben Chilwell this summer? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

Former Portsmouth midfielder Michael Brown has looked ahead to the League One play-off tie with Oxford United, admitting that he has concerns.

With the League One season curtailed via a points-per-game system, Kenny Jackett’s side missed out on promotion to the Championship and will instead look to attempt to go up via the play-off route.

Set to face Oxford at the start of July over two legs, Jackett will be busy preparing his side after returning to training following the pandemic which has kept them out of action since March.

Touching on his former side’s season so far and play-off hopes, Brown has now revealed that he has concerns.

Speaking in an interview with his fellow EFL on Quest pundits as quoted by Hampshire LIVE, Brown said: “He started really slowly, didn’t he, Kenny Jackett? He had a difficult time with a bit of uncertainty with financial plans and backing going forward.

“I think one of the problems is Brett Pittman, I don’t think he has returned back to training. That’s a talking point in itself with Kenny Jackett and him not seeing eye-to-eye.

“I believe (Steve) Seddon, (Cameron) McGheehan and (Ross) McCrorie, all those loans have been extended, so that will be great news for the supporters.

“I think they have come strong and hopefully it is their year because the amount of uncertainty they have had.

“The only uncertainty going forward is the finances and the budget and if they do go to the next league, whether they can cope.”

Ross McCrorie, Steve Seddon, Cameron McGeehan and Sean Raggett are available for the play-offs with Jackett confirmed those extended deals last week.

Brown’s concerns will be met with a negative response from Portsmouth fans and it is quite strange that the former midfielder has come out just before the play-offs begin with those comments.

Portsmouth have as good a chance as any to gain promotion to the Championship and they must give their all to do so, indeed the play-offs are something of a lottery.

Do you think Portsmouth will gain promotion to the Championship? Let us know in the comments section below…