All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Aston Villa fans have been reacting to Rico Henry’s comments on social media, with the left-back revealing his experiences with the club as a youngster.

Recent reports have suggested that the Brentford ace remains on Dean Smith’s transfer radar ahead of the summer window.

Henry a possible Taylor replacement?

Smith worked with Henry in London prior to moving to Villa Park, and the 23-year-old has gone on to make more than 120 appearances for the Bees.

Should a move to Villa go through, Henry could come in to replace the ageing Neil Taylor, with the Welshman – who has made just one league appearance this season – out of contract at the end of the campaign.

Henry, talking to Brentford’s YouTube channel (as cited by Birmingham Live) shared his story of how he started out as a Villa fan before switching his allegiances to Birmingham City.

“You know what, people don’t know this. (I supported) Aston Villa because my dad supported them.”

“I went on trial at Villa and didn’t get signed so my dad stopped supporting them. So we were kind of forced to watch Birmingham. It was crazy.”

“I’m quite detached now. Brentford is my team and you don’t want to think about other clubs. Now I don’t really support anyone.”

@AVFC_News shared the story on social media on Sunday morning, which – as to be expected – received plenty of attention from numerous Villa supporters.

Here is what they had to say regarding Henry, with one fan describing him as an ‘excellent’ left-back.

Villa fans react

“This to me if true sounds like he’s hinting that he would love to play for us. The fact that he said he don’t support anyone hints he would snap our hands off if we came crawling. I say sign the kid, He’s a very good left-back and would do very well for us”

Credit: @joebaker_1998

“It’s a whole different story when wages of 40k+ come into it”

Credit: @WatkinsOffside

“Think that wound soon change if we signed him”

Credit: @AV7689983427

“Love the part where he says after he stopped supporting Villa they were “kind of forced to watch Birmingham” Clearly not the most favourable option.”

Credit: @JackJenningss_

“Just because he didn’t get signed, they switched to the rivals. Bit daft”

Credit: @JBulman24

“Still an excellent LB, who he supports won’t matter if Smith & Lange really pushed hard enough, we’ll soon see, but our club’s signings tend to come from where we least expect, but I’d like to see n have said for a while is Dwight McNeil”

Credit: @OgeeDj68

In other news: Villa learn price for in-demand Premier League midfielder, find out more here. 

Celtic are in a run of fine form as they prepare to take on St Johnstone in Perth this lunchtime. The Hoops will be hoping for nothing less than three points on the road today, to bank their fourth consecutive win.

Their last performance was an emphatic 4-0 win over St Mirren, with goals coming from Tom Rogic, Odsonne Edouard, Ryan Christie and David Turnbull. Their blistering display marked their 13th goal scored in their last five matches.

After sustaining an injury last time out, Celtic will likely be without rising star Stephen Welsh, who has been filling in for Shane Duffy recently. He was stretchered off the pitch against St Mirren, but fortunately the injury is not expected to be anything long-term.

Football FanCast has predicted how the Hoops will lineup to take on the Saints in today’s lunchtime kickoff…

Although Welsh is said to just have some bruising, Neil Lennon won’t want to rush him back to action. Duffy may be given the nod to return to the lineup alongside Kristoffer Ajer, despite being usurped due to his disappointing form recently.

The boss may also shake up his engine room and opt to start Ryan Christie, who has been demoted to the bench as of late. Since Lennon and 14 players returned from self-isolation in January, the Scotland international has started just two matches. His recent performances have divided many Celtic fans on social media, with many targeting him as a weak link in the squad.

However, after replacing Albian Ajeti in the 68th minute against St Mirren, Christie popped up with a goal to extend his side’s lead before Turnbull put it to bed a minute later.

On the topic of Ajeti, he was extremely quiet in attack during the midweek game. According to Sofascore, he failed to register a single shot towards goal and he had less touches and accurate passes than goalkeeper Scott Bain. Celtic can’t afford to get complacent in their attack and Edouard needs a solid partner to accompany him up front.

Mohamed Elyounoussi may return to the team, having already played up top with the Frenchman and scoring against Livingston in a 2-2 draw last month.

With the end of his contract looming, the Southampton loanee will want to make a good impression. A solid performance against St Johnstone this afternoon will certainly do the trick.

In other news, Ryan Christie silenced doubters with performance vs St Mirren…

Dean Windass spoke exclusively to Football FanCast and delivered his verdict on Richarlison and what he must do to get better.

The Brazillian international was the stand-in striker during Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s absence and has performed well for Carlo Ancelotti and Everton.

Richarlison scored a stunning goal against Liverpool as well as a brace in the FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to lead the line for the Toffees, before also netting on Calvert-Lewin’s return against Southampton on Monday.

However, Ancelotti has claimed Richarlison will play where he tells him to with Calvert-Lewin still the main man at Goodison Park.

Having registered just five goals in the Premier League this season, the £90,000-a-week forward has perhaps not done enough to prove he is ready to be a regular striker for Everton, instead of being pushed out wide.

However, he does have eight for a Brazil side which is bursting full with attacking options. Richarlison is also regularly deployed as a striker for Tite’s side.

After speaking exclusively to Football Fancast, Dean Windass says the Brazillian may be starting to earn the trust of his manager but must do one more thing.

He said: “He’s sort of getting that trust with Ancelotti now and the player is starting to trust his manager.

“The boy’s young, 23-years-old but you look at the kid and think he’s 28/29 because of the confidence and talent he’s got. He’s good in the air, he’s quick and plays off that left-hand side.

“He just needs to add more goals to his performances and obviously the one against Liverpool was a great finish. He’s sort of stepped up to the plate with Calvert-Lewin being injured.

“For me, when I played I wanted to be the main man all the time and that’s the attitude you’ve got to have as a player all the time.

“A single-minded, selfish player, you’ve got to be like that.”

Richarlison has been a good signing for Everton since joining from Watford for a fee that could rise to £50 million. The winger looks to make things happen but his desire to play through the middle may be out of his hands as long as Calvert-Lewin is at the club.

Everton are covered in the striker department, a rarity in the Premier League nowadays. however, it doesn’t come without its troubles of both players wanting to play in one position.

Manchester United kickstarted 2021 in style after a customary penalty from Bruno Fernandes condemned Aston Villa to a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford on Friday night.

The gruelling encounter was United’s first game to mark the new year and looked like it would end all square with the two sides coming close to scoring on multiple occasions.

But the Red Devils grit their teeth, dug deep and eked out a victory over Villa behind closed doors at the empty stadium, with Fernandes picking up where he left off last year with his 15th goal in 24 appearances across all competitions, via Transfermarkt.

However, this doesn’t mean that some of the defensive displays should go unnoticed, none more so than Aaron Wan-Bissaka. We must reserve a special mention for Anthony Martial, who was equally impressive, but Wan-Bissaka was in imperious form after a somewhat shaky start to the season.

The 23-year-old, who earns around £90,000-per-week at Old Trafford, has often been criticised for his perceived lack of creativity in the final third. Against Villa, the defender defied the critics, as the full-back was a real threat bombing up and down the right flank. He picked up the assist for Anthony Martial’s opener but his attacking output didn’t stop there, either, as this was just one of two key passes he produced last night.

As per SofaScore, his performance was graded at 7.9 out of ten for his efforts – the highest rating out of any other player on the pitch including Fernandes and Jack Grealish – he made four tackles, also a game-high metric, two interceptions, two clearances and blocked one shot.

On one occasion halfway through the second half, Grealish sent a sublime pass towards Anwar El Ghazi waiting at the back post, only to be denied by the outstretched foot of Wan-Bissaka.The Manchester Evening News awarded him with a 7/10 rating, claiming he ‘overcame an iffy start to get his first assist of the season with a spirited surge and cross for Anthony Martial’, while The Sun were equally effusive in their praise by giving him a notch below, insisting he ‘showed a willingness to get forward early on and took advantage of Rashford’s infield runs by bombing up the right.’There’s no denying the fact the full-back was the standout performer, as it’s the type of performance fans have been expecting to see from the defender, who arrived at Old Trafford from Crystal Palace for £50m on a five-year contract in 2019.With United heavily linked to Norwich City star Max Aarons, the timing couldn’t be better for Wan-Bissaka, whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are now joint-top of the Premier League with defending champions Liverpool ahead of their game against Southampton on Monday night.AND in other news, Ed Woodward must sell Manchester United defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah in January…

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior recently and the Brazilian could add a different dimension to Jurgen Klopp’s attack.

Reports from Spain claim that Liverpool, PSG and Arsenal are interested in signing the 20-year-old with Los Blancos willing to sell him in order to fund a move for Kylian Mbappe.

They also claim that because of Eden Hazard and Marcos Asensio’s form, Vinicius has been relegated to the bench under Zinedine Zidane, suggesting that he would be willing to sell the winger.

Could he add something different?

Vinicius arrived in Madrid with a big reputation after impressing as a teenager with Flamengo, but he has never really been able to establish himself as a regular with the La Liga side.

In two and a half years with the club, the Brazilian has featured 92 times for the senior side; contributing 11 goals and 19 assists.

However, this season has seen the youngster make just 10 starts in all competitions for Zidane’s side, with the majority of his appearances coming from the bench.

He has still managed to contribute three goals and two assists in that time, however, suggesting that he can be dangerous when given the opportunity.

Whilst Liverpool have world-class talent available to them on the wings in Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, with Diogo Jota having also impressed since joining from Wolves, they are all physical, pacy wingers. On the flip side, Vinicius is best when he has the ball at his feet and can try and beat defenders, evidenced by the large number of dribbles he has attempted per game in recent seasons.

Therefore, he could potentially add a different dimension to Klopp’s attack, who have all struggled to unlock defences in recent fixtures, with no goals in their last four top-flight games.

Brazilian manager Tite was full of praise for Vinicius last year, saying:

“He is a player of openness, breadth, edge, outside [and] one on one [skills]. He has extraordinary physical virtues.

“If a normal car has five gears, he has six or seven! The torque, the acceleration, the one against one – [it] is impressive.”

The winger has also been dubbed ‘the new Neymar’ because of his skills, so whilst his time with Madrid hasn’t exactly gone to plan, if Michael Edwards could bring him in for cheap, then he could prove to be an excellent addition to Klopp’s side both now and for the long-term future.

And, in other news… LFC can sign Gini upgrade in £49.5m-rated gem dubbed “a gift from the footballing gods”

Peter Lawwell risks more Lennoxtown revolt if he were to hire Gordan Strachan to replace Neil Lennon and save Celtic supporters’ hopes of ten-in-a-row.

What’s the word?

According to The Times, Strachan could make a shock return to the Parkhead helm this winter as Lawwell and majority owner Dermot Desmond consider their options after Rangers stormed to an 11-point lead in the Premiership table.

Lennon has so far failed in his bid to turn Celtic’s fortunes around after a dire start to the campaign, that saw the dominant Scottish force of seasons past stumble out of the League Cup at the first time of asking when beaten 2-0 at home by Ross County last week.

Fans revolted outside Parkhead calling for Lennon to go following the Ross County loss, with hundreds of supporters clashing with police as they sought to get their voices heard.

Defeat to AC Milan in the Europa League on Thursday night ensured an end to Celtic’s UEFA campaign for the year, too, with the 1967 Champions League winners sat rock bottom of Group H with just a single point beside their name after five games.

Celtic CEO Lawwell has come out in support of Lennon’s position, urging supporters to remain united as everyone at the club is “feeling the same hurt, disappointment, and frustration”. But rumours are rife of potential replacements, including three-time league winning coach Strachan.

Heading for further revolt

Lawwell must think carefully about the prospect of replacing Lennon with Strachan at a time of crisis, as Celtic’s hope of a record tenth-straight Premiership crown hangs in the balance.

Strachan has been out of management since leaving his position in charge of the Scottish national side by “mutual consent” in 2017, four days after failing to qualify for the World Cup and seeing fans turn on him.

Supporters labelled a draw with Lithuania “the worst night in 30 years” of following Scotland as their hopes of going to Russia ended, with Strachan’s stubborn team selection a point of fury after picking his squad on name rather than form.

The 63-year-old’s last stint in club management was an unmitigated disaster, as well, with Strachan tearing up his contract at Middlesbrough with the club just two points above the Championship relegation places almost a year after Boro sat a point off the top spot.

Middlesbrough had won just 28% of their fixtures across all competitions under Strachan, who oversaw a mere 13 wins in 46 games, lost 20 times and boasted a negative goal difference after shipping 59 goals to the 51 his players scored.

No side – domestic or international – has hired Strachan to take charge of their plans since his Scotland spell ended, with his current position as Sporting Director for second-tier side Dundee FC, who have won one league game this season, his role for the past 17-months.

Could Strachan bring a fresh approach to Parkhead if given another chance? It would be doubtful, and Lawwell would risk further revolt by leaning on tried and tested plans from yesteryear.

AND in other news, Celtic would be heading for disaster handing a raw coach his “dream job”.

A lot of Rangers fans have been slating their club’s 24-year-old centre-forward, Alfredo Morelos, for his performance in the Glasgow club’s 3-0 Premiership win over St. Johnstone on Wednesday evening. 

The Colombian was the first substitute that Rangers used in this game, as he replaced Kemar Roofe in the 64th minute. 

The Gers already had a 3-0 lead when Morelos came on and the £13.5m-rated man had a chance to increase that lead in the 84th minute following a ‘mix up at the back’ for St. Johnstone, but that attempt on goal flew past the post. 

That was Morelos’ only shot in this contest and he finished the game with the lowest WhoScored rating of any Gers player (5.84). He also ended the game having taken the third-fewest touches of any Rangers player (17) with Bongani Zungu, who came on as a substitute 13 minutes after him, even taking more touches of the ball, per WhoScored.

So, what did these Rangers fans have to say about Morelos’ performance versus St. Johnstone? 

Many supporters of the Glasgow club directed fierce criticism at the 24-year-old for his display on Wednesday, with some Gers fans blasting the striker for missing that chance in the 84th minute, in particular.

“Morelos is hopeless”

Credit: @DarrynHouston

“Good professional performance. Just punt Morelos for 10 Mill and move on from that waster.”

Credit: @AndyDocherty13

“Good points mate, but to me we’ve lost the Morelos of old.”

Credit: @cozy1872

“Morelos is such an odd player, you just look at him and wonder how he’s made it as a striker”

Credit: @RFCRodger

“He needs a goal so bad…not even hitting target is embarrassing.”

Credit: @James1o1o

“Horrendous finishing from Morelos.”

Credit: @BigRangersBear

In other news, it’s been claimed that Steven Gerrard might leave Ibrox if he guides Rangers to the Premiership title this term. 

Southampton will be hoping to cause Chelsea an upset at Stamford Bridge this afternoon as Ralph Hasenhuttl looks to guide his side to their third win of the season. The Blues are just one point ahead of the travelling side and will not want to be humiliated on home soil.

But for the Saints, they will be looking to utilise some of their new signings after enjoying a fruitful transfer window. Football FanCast has predicted how they might set up to take on Chelsea…

With no real need to change up his defence, Hasenhuttl will more than likely leave things as they were against West Brom. Southampton were able to secure a 2-0 win after an all-round solid performance. Particularly with the boss’ recent comments on Jannik Vestergaard’s role at the club, there’s not much chance of him dropping the Danish centre-back.

In midfield however, Hasenhuttl’s hand has been forced due to injuries. Nathan Redmond could slot into the far left role due to the absence of Moussa Djenepo, who will be a big loss after scoring against the Baggies last time out. The former’s previous Premier League start was against Crystal Palace last month in a rather quiet display, which he will be hoping to improve on. Despite playing the full 90 minutes, Redmond only managed 73% accurate passes and failed to make a single successful cross (via Sofascore).

Loan signing Theo Walcott could start on the opposite flank to support regular strike partners Danny Ings and Che Adams. The 31-year-old is yet to feature for his new side and could make a full debut this afternoon against Chelsea, a side he will know well from his regular playing time with Arsenal. Similarly, Ibrahima Diallo may replace Oriol Romeu alongside James Ward-Prowse in order to freshen up the Saints midfield and potentially catch Chelsea off-guard.

A win at Stamford Bridge will put Southampton two points ahead of the Blues, who haven’t started the season in the spectacular fashion many expected. Hasenhuttl will hope this rare tactic of throwing new signings straight into the action – something he hasn’t done with the likes of Mohamed Salisu and Moussa Djenepo previously – will pay off.

In other news, Jannik Vestergaard prioritised Southampton amid West Ham interest…

Leeds are currently in a tough situation as they use the international break to try and shake off their recent back-to-back heavy defeats in the Premier League. What started as the perfect returning season has quickly turned on its head and the Whites must rediscover their form in order to escape the pull of the relegation zone.

This is of course easier said than done, but the defence seems to be the biggest problem for Leeds, who have shipped the joint-highest amount of goals this season (17). Only West Brom have conceded the same amount and they are currently in the bottom three having lost five of their eight games played.

Leeds Live recently reported that bookmakers had tipped the Championship winners to sign Dean Henderson, who is searching for regular minutes amid a potential spot in the England team.

Should Leeds sign Dean Henderson?

Bookies make the Whites 11/1 to bring the Manchester United shot-stopper to Elland Road. After his impressive spell with Sheffield United, it’s no surprise that more clubs are eyeing up the 23-year-old’s services.

Although Henderson has featured in all of United’s cup fixtures so far, he is still waiting on an opportunity to challenge David de Gea in the Premier League. However, this an opportunity that may never come. Luckily, it seems that the rising talent is already aware of this after Gareth Southgate implored him to seek out regular game time.

According to 90min, the England boss has admitted that if Henderson was consistently getting out on the pitch at club level, he would already be his country’s No.1.

With this on his mind, the FA Cup winner will be exploring his options. Leeds will certainly have cropped up as an attractive destination after returning to the Premier League following a 16-year absence. Knowing they are struggling defensively at the moment and won’t want to face relegation, the goalkeeper and his agent could target the Whites as their preferred choice.

The 23-year-old recently signed a new deal with United worth a handsome £100,000 per week. Whilst Leeds may not be able to foot 100% of his wages, it seems there’s a bigger plan in place at Old Trafford for Henderson, so the Reds will help out on that front.

A loan deal would hugely pay off for both Henderson and Marcelo Bielsa’s side, as not only would he improve his England chances, but he can mentor Illan Meslier during his time in Yorkshire.

Former Sheffield United teammate Sander Berge heaped praise on the shot-stopper during his time at Bramall Lane, admitting that he’s an “insane” talent who left him “completely speechless” on the training pitch at times (via VG).

In other news, Signing this out of favour Premier League ace will transform Leeds’ midfield…

According to a report from the Daily Mail, Tottenham Hotspur have completed the signing of Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale on a season-long deal worth a reported £270,000-a-week – with manager Jose Mourinho apparently key in driving one of the deals of the summer window. 

Bale, who left north London for the Bernabeu seven years ago in a then-world record £85.3m move, has now completed a sensational return on a temporary basis, with the Welshman putting pen to paper on a loan deal which will make him the highest-paid player at Spurs above the likes of Harry Kane and Tanguy Ndombele. 

The 83-cap international’s return has excited a plethora of Spurs supporters, all of whom consider him a real cult hero, and they apparently have Mourinho to thank, with the manager reportedly key in striking a deal.

Indeed, the ex-Chelsea boss thought that Bale’s transfer was imperative to Tottenham’s 2020/21 Premier League hopes due to his flair and dynamism, and he will join fellow left-sided star Sergio Reguilon, who underwent a medical yesterday (Evening Standard). 

As per the Daily Mail, it would appear that the 31-year-old is now a Tottenham player, a notion which has excited many supporters given the various updates over the last 48 hours.

However, despite reportedly securing a deal for one of their club icons, Lilywhites could have even more reason to get excited, with recent updates suggesting that Spurs are not done there.

Reliable Football.London correspondent Alasdair Gold has claimed that a centre-back and striker are still on the agenda, and the end of the window could prove just as exciting as this latest update.

Spurs fans, who should the club sign next? Have your say in the comments below…