All posts by z3u9t.icu

Several Crystal Palace fans have been having their say on James Ward-Prowse after the Southampton midfielder commented on a 2019 clash with Wilfried Zaha.

The Saints star went past 300 appearances for the club earlier this season and was shown some of his best bits in a video shared on the club’s official YouTube account.

Numerous goals and free-kicks were on show, but one heated moment included was between Ward-Prowse and Zaha in January 2019 during a 1-1 draw – a game in which both players were on the scoresheet.

Zaha was sent off after two quick yellow cards following an altercation with Ward-Prowse, who celebrated with the Saints fans after the Palace star was dismissed.

Ward-Prowse simply said ‘oops, second yellow’ when he watched the footage back, which seems to have irritated plenty of Eagles supporters.

The clip was shared on Twitter by Southampton fan @JoshW_SFC on Tuesday evening and has been viewed over 29,000 times as of Wednesday lunchtime.

This is what these Palace fans had to say, with many hitting out at the England international…

“Same club who lost 9-0 twice, irrelevant and always in Pompey’s shadow”

Credit: @joe_cpfc_01

“Never seen a club milk something so much, really weird behaviour”

Credit: @paIaceawayy

“This is incredibly embarrassing omg”

Credit: @cpfcpaddy0

“This is up there with the very most embarrassing things I’ve ever seen…”

Credit: @unknownbald

“Please tell me this is fake, he’s reacted to a moment in a meaningless 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace?”

Credit: @CiaranCPFC

“Celebrating a 1-1 home draw against a Roy Hodgson managed side tells you all you need to know. Wilfried Zaha is gargantuan and lives in their heads rent free.”

Credit: @SomePalaceGuy

“Memorable game, you drew 1-1 at home to ten man Roy Hodgson palace. We are massive”

Credit: @TalkCPFC 

West Brom are quicking running out of time if they are to truly bolster Sam Allardyce’s armoury.

There are merely four days remaining in the January transfer window and so far, only Robert Snodgrass has been announced at the Hawthorns.

It is thought that the Midlands outfit are edging closer towards loan deals for Galatasaray frontman Mbaye Diagne and Celta Vigo powerhouse Okay Yoksuslu, as per the Telegraph’s John Percy.

But it’s another name that the Baggies could do with before Monday.

AFC Bournemouth forward Joshua King is still without a new club despite interest in his signature, including from Albion.

The Daily Mail believe he’s one of several players who could be on the move in the next few days with West Ham one of the other teams mentioned, but as they have just beaten West Brom to Jesse Lingard, the door could have just been opened for them to strike.

Allardyce made it no secret that he would be interested in the 27-year-old if he were available, he told Sky Sports:

“No idea what the price may be [for King] – if the price is within our range then I think we would be interested, and if it’s out of our price range then we won’t.”

The Baggies are among the lowest scorers in the division, indeed only two other sides have found the net more than their 15 goals in 20 outings. And that may come as a surprise considering they have the vastly-creative Matheus Pereira spearheading their attack.

Last term, the Brazilian sensation delivered a whopping 20 assists, on top of scoring eight goals, via Transfermarkt.

He’s understandably taken time to adapt to the step up in quality, but he’s still accounted for 46.6% of those 15 goals all by himself whilst no other Albion player is managing as many as his 2.2 key passes per 90 minutes, per WhoScored.

The 24-year-old just has very little in support.

Karlan Grant has only scored once in 932 minutes of action with a trio of players on only two goals for the season, including Callum Robinson, who hasn’t scored since a brace in September.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-latest-west-brom-news-and-transfer-rumours” title=”Read this week’s latest West Brom news, transfer rumours and more…”]

Which is where King would be absolutely ideal.

Baggies chief Luke Dowling could create quite the dream attack by sealing a move for the versatile Cherries attacker.

In five straight Premier League campaigns, the 51-time Norway international has hit at least six goals and provided between two and four assists. His most prolific season being in 2016/17 where he found the net 16 times, via Transfermarkt.

Despite being relegated last season, King ranked 16th overall for dribbles per 90, meaning his constant energy and bursts of pace (36.67 km/h) pose a massive threat to any backline and suggests he could be perfect for getting in behind to latch onto those key balls from Pereira.

“Josh is outstanding physically, technically and mentally – he has the complete package, a little bit of everything,” said ex-Cherries boss Eddie Howe to Match of the Day (via Football Faithful).

Meanwhile, Paul Robinson once claimed that he’d fit right in at a top-four team, dubbing him a “talented player” to Football Insider.

Clinical finishing, the ability to stretch an opposition’s defence and undoubted quality – that’s exactly what Allardyce needs to bring the absolute best out of his attack.

King and Pereira would be a dream duo in the Midlands, Dowling must get it done before it’s too late.

AND in other news, £9m-rated beast solves Big Sam’s biggest West Brom problem…

Unfortunately for Liverpool, scoring goals has proven to be a real problem in the Premier League so far this season, with their recent form in front of goal seeing them slip down the table, ending any realistic hopes of retaining the title after last year’s success.

A run in January where Jurgen Klopp’s side failed to score in four consecutive top-flight fixtures kick-started the poor run of form, and the Reds have now won just two Premier League games since the turn of the year.

This period has also seen Liverpool lose their unbeaten run at Anfield, with Klopp’s side having fallen to four consecutive defeats at home against Burnley, Brighton, Manchester City and Everton.

It has become clear this year that, in the absence of Diogo Jota, Klopp is desperately short of any attacking threat outside of the main front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

Even Mane and Firmino’s power has waned in 2021, with just two Premier League goals between them this year, and the German manager has been reliant on the Egyptian winger for goals so far this year.

Therefore, you could definitely argue that they need to add to their attacking options in the summer, so it is no surprise that they have been linked with a move for Juventus forward Paulo Dybala recently.

According to Goal, the Reds are amongst the Premier League sides monitoring the Argentine forward, with Juventus open to selling in the summer due to Dybala’s contract expiring at the end of next season.

If he were to join Klopp’s side in the summer, he could be the man to finally replace Philippe Coutinho at Anfield, with the Reds having lacked a goalscoring attacking-midfielder since the Brazilian’s club-record move to Barcelona in January 2018.

Dybala has regularly featured as a second striker during his time at Juventus, and could easily be deployed in the same position if Klopp were to revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation that was successful earlier in the season.

During his time with Juventus, Dybala has contributed 98 goals and 40 assists in 244 appearances, but has found himself on the fringes of Andrea Pirlo’s squad this season, with just eight starts in Serie A to his name.

However, he has shown in previous campaigns just how dangerous he can be, notably last season when he averaged a superb 7.44 rating for his performances in Italy’s top-flight, with Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero, in particular, a fan of the Argentine.

That season also saw the 27-year-old average 3 shots, 2.1 key passes and 2 dribbles per game, which isn’t too far away from the numbers Coutinho regularly posted during his time with Liverpool.

Therefore, if Michael Edwards can bring the £63 million-rated Dybala to Anfield this summer, then he could prove to be an excellent addition to Klopp’s side, and could be the man to finally replace Coutinho at the Merseyside club.

AND, in other news… Edwards can rectify January blunder with summer swoop for 21 y/o centre-back beast

Many football clubs across the continent can lay claim to owning one of the best academies in the beautiful game, none more so than Glasgow Rangers who have unearthed gems like Billy Gilmour and Kai Kennedy in recent times.

Developing young talents is often a touchy subject in football, with many an argument raging over whether or not clubs invest the right amount of time and effort into their academies or if they are simply guilty of ignoring homegrown graduates.

But it’s fair to say that, for the most part, the Glasgow giants have done a decent job with Steven Gerrard currently receiving plaudits for his handling of Leon King, Nathan Patterson and a number of others at Ibrox.

However, if there’s one criticism to be made, it’s that he needs to start giving academy youngster Ciaran Dickson more opportunities to prove himself on a regular basis.

Dickson was an integral part of the Gers Colts and U20s sides who earned praise for their performances in the Challenge Cup and UEFA Youth League last season and he was promoted to the senior squad towards the start of the season.

The Ibrox boss handed him his first-team debut against Falkirk in the League Cup last month, as he was brought on to replace Scott Arfield in the second half, and will almost certainly have left a good impression after he had a decent shot on target.

However, he has found his chances to play come few and far between since receiving his first senior appearance, having played just 35 minutes of first-team football this season and he hasn’t been named in any of the matchday squads across all competitions since then.

Once hailed as a “wonderful” wonderkid by Rangers academy coach Graeme Murty after his side fought back to beat Aberdeen last December, in five appearances in the UEFA Youth League, Dickson has already scored one goal so far this season, via Transfermarkt.

In a similar manner to Steven Davis, the Ibrox boss could transform the right-footed teenager into a deep-lying playmaker who can also play in attacking midfield. The potential is there, that’s for sure.

Gerrard knows a thing or two about breaking into the first team at a big club, while he will have no doubt seen several of his peers fall by the wayside during his time at Anfield, but it’s pretty obvious that he can put his faith in the youth system right now.

Instead of giving outcasts like Brandon Barker and Jordan Jones a chance, he needs to start developing these young players and helping them to establish themselves as first-team regular starters.

AND in other news, Ross Wilson must sanction Rangers swoop for Marijan Cabraja as a Barisic alternative…

Tottenham Hotspur start their FA Cup quest as the competition resumes with the third-round proper this weekend.

Jose Mourinho’s side landed themselves a favourable tie as they will travel to non-league minnows Marine on Sunday afternoon.

The Northern Premier League outfit stunned League Two Colchester United in the second round and will be on the hunt for another giant-killing tomorrow night.

Earlier in the week, Spurs advanced into the Carabao Cup final thanks to a 2-0 victory over Brentford and whilst they have one foot closer to their first piece of silverware in 12 years, they shouldn’t take their opposition for granted.

And Mourinho has plenty to consider in terms of team selection. However, it is unlikely that he tinkers too much after revealing in his pre-game press conference that only one U18 player would be travelling with the senior squad.

One name he must consider axing from his stating XI is Lucas Moura after he dropped a disasterclass in midweek.

Aside from Harry Kane, the Brazilian winger recorded the lowest rating (6.6) of any Spurs player per SofaScore.

He won just four of 11 duels, was dribbled past three times, made only 71% of his passes and could only touch the ball 28 times in 71 minutes of action.

His display even came under fire from former Spurs midfielder and talkSPORT pundit Jamie O’Hara, who tweeted: “Need to see more from Moura, drifts in and out of games and shows no cutting edge this season.”

Indeed, Moura’s poor form this term has seen him slip out-of-favour in the Premier League, starting just one game since October (ten matches).

He’s become somewhat a ‘cup winger’, but here against Marine, no mercy must be shown. He has to be dropped for underperforming once again.

The £36m-rated (€40m) dynamo has even struggled to find the net in the top-flight, managing just one goal since January 2020.

Despite the drastic drop in fortunes, it was only two months ago that teammate Eric Dier claimed Moura was “a nightmare,” he told the Premier League’s official YouTube channel:

“There’s no-one worse to train against than Lucas Moura. He’s a nightmare. He’s so fast, so sharp.”

Mourinho also confirmed that Bale was fit and training again, so it makes the decision to ruthlessly drop him all that easier this weekend.

AND in other news, Mourinho can repeat Ibrahimovic masterstroke with £120k-p/w leader…

West Brom owner Guochuan Lai hasn’t been one to open the chequebook since taking the helm from Jeremy Pearce in 2016, even despite a reported net worth of £2.8bn.

It is easy to forget this amidst all the success that the Baggies had last season but they now find themselves embroiled in a relegation battle thanks to the Chinese businessman’s lack of spending this summer.

According to the Express & Star, Albion only had around £20m at their disposal, which is why we saw a couple of players come in on loan and only really two big splashes – one of which being Grady Diangana.

The 22-year-old impressed during last season’s loan spell so much that the club parted way with £12m of that budget to bring him back. to the Hawthorns permanently. The deal, eventually, could exceed £17m.

On their way to clinching promotion, the Hammers academy graduate delivered eight goals and six assists in what was really his first full season in the men’s game.

And whilst things are yet to go to plan this season for the enigmatic wide man this term, he remains a key player under Slaven Bilic.

In eight starts, Diangana has found the net once and is averaging 1.8 dribbles, 1.1 shots and 2.1 tackles per game, via WhoScored.

The £10.8m-rated sensation, who earns around £45k-per-week in the west Midlands, has received many a glowing endorsement in the past 12 months with former WBA legend Carlton Palmer recently tipping him to become a £40m-plus player.

He also added: “He is a fantastic talent, I think it’s a great acquisition for West Brom. You can’t put huge pressure on a 22-year-old who has never played in the Premier League, but he’s definitely one for the future, he’s a talented, talented boy.”

Even Sky Sports’ EFL punditry duo, Keith Andrews and Lee Hendrie both lauded Diangana to the EFL podcast last season, calling him “explosive” and a “total nightmare” to play against.

If Lai has got anything right recently, it’s certainly the gamble on signing the England U21 international permanently. It may well be his finest parting gift and at least one positive to be remembered for.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Harewood tips one manager to bring West Brom back up if they are relegated…

David Sullivan can right his summer blunder by reviving West Ham United’s interest in Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori amid doubt over his Stamford Bridge future.

What’s the word?

According to ESPN, Chelsea are expected to listen to offers for Tomori and fellow outcast Antonio Rudiger in the mid-season market as Frank Lampard strives to streamline his defensive options.

The Blues currently boast five centre-halves following the summer arrival of Thiago Silva, joining Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen in competing for minutes in south west London under the former England international.

Chelsea were open to allowing Tomori to leave during the off-season but saw the 22-year-old reject a loan move to West Ham at the eleventh hour, having decided late on Deadline Day that he would improve more if he were to stay at Stamford Bridge.

The Irons had agreed a deal in principle with Chelsea for the one-time England international, featuring a £50,000 penalty clause that would have been triggered every time Tomori did not play under David Moyes.

West Ham remain interested in the centre-half’s availability and could revive their efforts in January, with Lampard keen to see the Blues product secure a loan move as he recognises the need for him to earn regular game time after awarding just 44 minutes in the Premier League this season.

Forget Dawson

Chelsea hoping to see Tomori leave on loan in January will offer West Ham co-owner and Chairman Sullivan the perfect opportunity to right his summer blunder and land the Lampard outcast, having seen Craig Dawson fail to make an impact at the London Stadium.

Sullivan acquired Dawson for Moyes’ plans following the closure of the international transfer market, bringing the 30-year-old in on a season-long loan featuring a £2m option to buy.

However, Moyes is yet to trust the Watford loanee, who is yet to make his Irons debut and played his only minutes of the campaign thus far during the Hornets’ EFL Cup Third Round defeat to League Two side Newport County in September.

Moyes is yet to even name Dawson in one of his 18-man Premier League matchday squads, instead favouring Issa Diop as his back-up centre-half since the Frenchman’s return from coronavirus.

Tomori has vastly more potential to rival Diop than Dawson can even imagine, and helped Chelsea to keep four clean sheets over 15 Premier League starts last term with 1.9 successful tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 2.8 clearances, 2.9 ground duels won, 2.3 aerial duels won and 67.1 accurate passes a game, per SofaScore.

The 22-year-old’s efforts at Stamford Bridge and time together at Derby County the season prior saw Lampard praise Tomori as a “great talent”, one which Moyes could benefit from in January.

AND in other news, David Sullivan is heading for another blunder in West Ham’s chase of an underwhelming £18m target.

From West Brom, to Barcelona, to Aston Villa. At only 17 years of age, it’s already been quite the journey for Louie Barry, and one that Dean Smith and co will no doubt be the biggest beneficiaries of over the coming seasons.

The teenager started off his youth career at the Hawthorns, before a high-profile switch to Barcelona saw him become the first ever English player to join the Catalan giants’ famed La Masia academy.

Having only spent a few months at the Camp Nou, Villa made their move to bring the club’s boyhood fan back home, and the club’s academy manager, Mark Harrison, wasn’t shy in waxing lyrical about the starlet.

He said: “It (Louie’s signing) sends a powerful message about the ambition of this football club. We’re delighted – Louie is a local person and his family are all Villa fans, as is Louie. He is still a very young man but as he’s developed, he’s always been one player that you always recognise as having outstanding attributes. He’s got a fantastic mentality, he’s desperate to do well for this football club.

“He’s really driven, he’s got great family support, but in terms of what he can achieve, we firmly believe that he can be an outstanding number nine for this football club.”

Quite the lofty statement, but it is an indication of just how highly Villa rate Barry. Across Europe, another young striker is making his mark on the biggest stage: Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland.

The Norway international has been lighting up the Bundesliga despite only turning 20 a couple of months ago, and if anything, gives Villa a real comparison for the kind of meteoric rise a young player can enjoy if given the chance.

The fact Barry spent some time at Barcelona has already exposed him to a different culture, and at a club that demands a certain standard of its young players. That will hold him in good stead at Villa, and with Smith potentially facing a shortage of striking options, he could find his opportunity sooner rather than later.

Haaland is the bench-mark at the moment. But if Villa trust in the process, then they may not have to look very far for their own.

And in other news, this Aston Villa new boy may be better value for money than Ollie Watkins.

Leeds United are never far from a bit of drama, and despite a transfer window that seemed to mostly go swimmingly, the Whites still managed to find time for a gripping transfer saga that all went wrong.

Of course, we’re talking about the failed signing of Michael Cuisance.

The French midfielder seemed set to come to Elland Road on a permanent deal, but complications with his medical saw the deal fall apart at the 11th hour.

Unfortunately, Leeds won’t get the chance to revisit this one in January as he’s already found himself a new club, joining Marseille on loan, with the French club holding the option to buy him.

To make matters even worse, he’s been solid since joining the French outfit.

The 21-year-old may not have any goals or assists to his name as of yet, but he has been brilliant in a defensive sense, something his Leeds counterpart Mateusz Klich has struggled with.

We’ve covered Klich’s defensive problems in some depth before, but to cut a long story short, his main issue is that he’s dribbled past far too often.

Indeed, the Pole is dribbled past 2.7 times per game, making him the second-most dribbled past player in the division, but while Klich is struggling in that area, Cuisance is thriving.

It’s rare to see Cuisance taken on, with the Frenchman being dribbled past just once per game, and it’s not as if he’s one to shy away from putting a foot in either, making three tackles per game this season.

It has to sting to see Cuisance thriving where Klich is coming up short.

There was plenty of disappointment for everyone associated with the club when the initial deal fell through, perfectly highlighted by Noel Whelan’s comments at the time:

“Disappointment because I think everyone was getting quite excited, 21-years-old from Bayern Munich, big prospect so on that front, very disappointing. It is a setback, absolutely.”

Leeds fans can only be left wondering what could have been after missing out on their man.

Aston Villa striker Mbwana Samatta is set to be the subject of a loan offer from Turkish side Fenerbahce, according to a report from A Spor.

Villa boss Dean Smith saw the likes of Keinan Davis, Wesley and Samatta struggle for consistent form last season and the latter is now being linked with a move away from the club.

Despite arriving in January for £9.45m, Samatta’s future with the Claret and Blue side now looks bleak with the Midlands club opting to bring in Ollie Watkins from Brentford.

Watkins netted an impressiveÂ26 goals in the Championship last term for Brentford and the youngster will be expected to start ahead of the aforementioned trio.

To add to Watkins’ arrival, Villa are also now being linked with Lyon striker Bertrand Traore, with a latest report claiming that talks are underway over a £19m transfer.

Reacting to the potential exit for Samatta this summer, fans were pretty split. Some were happy to see the back of the £8.55m-valued man given he has only scored twice in 16 appearances for the club, whilst others were keen to give him another chance having only joined in January…

Do you think Samatta should leave Villa on loan? Let us know in the comments section below…