All posts by z3u9t.icu

Rafael van der Vaart stepped onto the pitch for one final time earlier this week as the midfielder played in his testimonial match to commemorate his incredible career.Of course, as with any good testimonial, the former Spurs man had a number of ex-teammates taking to the pitch with him.Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

A couple of former Premier League stars took to social media to pay tribute to the former Netherlands international after his special game.

Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie both sent tweets after the game to wish their former international teammate well in his retirement.

It seems to be quite an emotional occasion for the two Dutchmen, as van der Vaart was a key man in an unforgettable era for the national team.

The former Real Madrid star played in the team that reached the World Cup final back in 2010 – coming off the bench in their defeat against Spain.

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Steven Gerrard will be expected to challenge for trophies at Rangers this season as he embarks on his second year in charge of the Ibrox club.

The Gers have seen improvement under the former Liverpool midfielder, with them re-established in the top two of Scottish football and a fixture once more on the continental stage.

However, it’s domestic glory that Bears fans should so desperately crave after so long without winning one of the top honours and their manager will know that this year.

A determined figure as a player, he’s certainly not been afraid to dig his men out if he’s needed to with Ryan Jack admitting only at the weekend that the boss had a pop at them at half-time against St Johnstone.

What’s it like working under such a manager day in, day out though? The first half of this video clip of Andy Halliday should reveal a great deal:

It seems as though Gerrard has got the balance right, judging by Halliday’s words, and Rangers fans will hope that that, in turn, yields results.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets… 

You just knew this was going to happen wasn’t it? Manchester United’s decision to get rid of Romelu Lukaku in the summer transfer window brought some consternation from a section of the Old Trafford faithful, and it was understandable to say the least. The Belgium international may have not had the greatest campaigns last season (he scored just 15 times across all competitions), but he remained a proven forward in the Premier League. To then not replace him, made it even more eyebrow-raising.

How much money could you make busking for a week as a freestyle footballer? Find out in the video below…

And now, the struggles of Marcus Rashford up top have only served to heighten the potential regret of letting Lukaku go. The England international has scored just three times in the league and only once from open play, while the latter has hit the ground running in Italian football with Inter. The graphic below simply shows the extent of United’s foolishness. It really is a case of look away now, Red Devils fans.

Leading the line for Antonio Conte’s men in Serie A, Lukaku has yet to disappoint his new employers. The Belgian has struck three times in just his first six league games for the club, and all of them have been trademark predatory finishes. His goal on his debut for the club was essentially a tap-in – the exact kind of goals United are desperately missing at the moment, and Solskjaer himself has urged his strikers to score more of.

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Get the latest videos and streams for the Premier League from our dedicated Premier League live streams page.

Perhaps most dishearteningly however for the Red Devils, is the stat that shows he has averaged one tackle per game in the league.

Doesn’t sound like much, but for a forward, and for what Lukaku produced in his two seasons with United, that is particularly impressive. The 26-year-old averaged just o.2 tackles and 0.3 tackles per game in consecutive Premier League campaigns, whilst Solskjaer has appeared to prefer an approach that focuses on pressing from the front – not the kind of style their former forward had made a name for.

But at Inter, and under the demanding gaze of the manic Conte, the Belgium international has bought into the off-the-ball work. He has hustled opposition defenders, used his sheer physical presence to win battles against centre-backs, and led the line with aplomb.

Forget the fact he has scored three goals, or that his shots and key passes per game have gone up from his United days. It’s his tackling numbers that really prove why Solskjaer passed judgement over Lukaku far too quickly. It seems it was never the case that the Belgian couldn’t press from the front, he just needed the right man to get it out of him.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Tottenham Hotspur’s bid for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes has been revealed by the Portuguese club’s president, Frederico Varandes, per the club’s official website.

What’s the word?

Spurs were heavily linked with a move for the Portugal international in the summer transfer window.

In 2018/19, Fernandes enjoyed an exceptional season, scoring 32 goals in all competitions and registering 18 assists.

An exceptional attacking midfielder, he has already scored twice and registered four assists this season, though Spurs ended up signing Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis instead of the 24-year-old.

And Varandes has now revealed how Spurs’ offer was structured.

He said: “We managed to maintain Sporting CP’s greatest sporting value, Bruno Fernandes, and we were able give greater balance and solutions (to the squad). So we think this group is more competitive, has more solutions and has more quality than last season.

“It was ‘impossible’ to retain Bruno Fernandes, but we did it.

“We prepared for his sale by putting a fair price on his worth, and we had bids, but only a Tottenham offer that was €45m (£40.3m) plus €20m (£17.9m) in bonuses – winning the English League and the Champions League. Finding these goals difficult, I understood not to accept.”

A cheeky bid

Sporting were only ever going to get £40.3m for Fernandes.

Spurs are unlikely to topple Manchester City or Liverpool any time soon, such is their financial might and astonishing quality of their playing squads.

Yes, the club reached the Champions League final last season but it remains to be seen if that was a miracle or if it can be repeated.

Watch Tottenham Hotspur Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Tabling such a bid made sense, of course, with Spurs attempting to spread the cost of his signing.

But Sporting were not willing to have the wool pulled over their eyes; they were right to snub Spurs’ advances.

They may never have another chance to bring Fernandes into the club.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Express, Manchester United sent scouts to watch Kosovo’s clash with England in order to run the rule over Vedat Muriqi.

What’s the word?

Having played for a plethora of clubs in his time in professional football, the 25-year-old really came to the fore after an impressive season in the Turkish Super Lig with Caykur Rizespor.

The striker netted 17 goals over the course of the campaign, and thus earned himself a high-profile move to Fenerbahce this summer.

Watch Manchester United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Now, The Express claim United are the latest club to register their interest in the player, and sent scouts to the Kosovo game to assess him. Aside from the Red Devils, the report claims Premier League rivals Tottenham are also keen on signing him, with Mauricio Pochettino looking to relieve the goal-scoring burden on Harry Kane.

Powerhouse

Standing at 6 foot 4, Muriqi is a physical beast. His fledgling career at Fenerbahce has already seen him score twice in his opening three games for his new side.

He has averaged an incredible five shots per game for the Turkish giants and shown his penchant for getting himself involved in the build-up play with 1.3 key passes per game. But as is to be expected, Muriqi’s height and stature marks him out as someone who can really offer a different threat for United.

His average of four aerial duels won per game also speaks volumes of the battering ram style the Kosovo international possesses, but he is seemingly much more than that. According to his club teammate Max Kruse, Muriqi is incredibly similar to Bayern Munich marksman Robert Lewandwoski.

He said: “He is very ambitious, very willing, very hardworking. I compare him to Lewandowski. I think he will be at Bayern in two or three seasons.”

A lofty comparison indeed. But having sold Romelu Lukaku earlier this summer, United look desperately short of options up front. A swoop for a beast like Muriqi would make so much sense for a side short on firepower, and one with purely pace-based options at the moment.

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According to West Ham insider ExWHUemployee on Twitter, Middlesbrough are keen to make West Ham striker Jordan Hugill’s stay at the Riverside Stadium permanent, with the fee believed to be between £6m-£7m.

The former Preston North End hitman joined the Hammers last January but played just 22 minutes of Premier League football, according to Transfermarkt, before securing a loan move to Boro in the summer – things are looking up for the 26-year-old now, though, as he finds his shooting boots again in the Championship.

With seven goals and an assist to his name in all competitions, the local boy is proving a good signing for Tony Pulis’ side but, with Lucas Perez having moved to the London Stadium in the summer and a deal for Maxi Gomez reportedly almost complete, as per Sky Sports, Hugill’s career in claret and blue may already be over.

Having commanded a fee of £10m a year ago, according to the BBC, West Ham stand to lose out on the centre-forward if the mentioned price is deemed good enough, however they have a plethora of striking options available so it makes sense to lighten the wage bill if possible.

Here’s how Irons fans reacted to the news on Twitter – it’s fair to say they wouldn’t feel too aggrieved by the departure…

Who is West Ham’s worst ever signing? Check out the video above for a pretty strong candidate for the dubious honour…

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Wolves made history as they secured their place in the Europa League group stages for the very first time.

Thursday evening saw the critical second leg against Torino and having won 3-2 in Italy just a week earlier, they only required a result which was at worst a 1-0 defeat.

Raul Jimenez scored his sixth goal from the same number of games in the competition to give the home side the lead, firing home an Adama Traore cross.

Torino’s main man Andrea Belotti hit back in the second half to give the Serie A outfit a glimmer of hope, but that lasted just one minute as Leander Dendoncker regained the lead seconds later.

They’ll now face Braga, Besiktas, and Slovan Bratislava in the group stages.

A lot of praise was given out on social media following their qualification success, with a number of fans picking out Willy Boly as their star man from the match.

One supporter claimed that their £10m fee for the 28-year-old was ‘an absolute steal’ whilst another believes he is as good defensively as Virgil van Dijk, calling him ‘different class.’

Further support was thrown behind the towering 6 foot 5 centre-back with one adding that he made everything look so easy in defence.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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Many Everton fans have been left fuming over some news that has emerged involving Yerry Mina.

The central defender has now been called up by the Colombia national team for their upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifying games against Peru and Argentina, which are due to take place on January 28th and February 1st.

They would want Mina to join up with the squad early as well for training, and so there is a chance that he could now miss the Goodison Park faithful’s match at home against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime, as well as their FA Cup tie at home to Brentford on February 5th, due to potential fatigue.

The Merseyside club have only lost two games in the top flight so far this season when he has played, and so he is clearly a key part of the team.

Thus, losing him potentially for their next two fixtures will be a big blow.

Everton fans on Mina news

These Toffees supporters fumed as the news was shared on Twitter, with one Blue even going as far as to claim that it was ‘ridiculous’:

“Please tell me he said no.”

Credit: @jet_pinnacle

“Jesus Christ..! Here we go again..”

Credit: @Kieranbuckley5

“Nooooooooooooo….don’t do it!”

Credit: @JohnDiazTheOne

“What a joke”

Credit: @JayKennedyEFC

“Shouldn’t be allowed to go. End of”

Credit: @chriswatson187

“Ridiculous”

Credit: @GedEFC1878

In other news, find out what manager update has Evertonians buzzing here!

Arsenal are yet to sign anyone in the January transfer window, but that could soon change…

What’s the word?

According to reliable Daily Express journalist Ryan Taylor, those around the Emirates Stadium should expect something to happen before Monday night’s deadline.

“Expecting movement at Arsenal in coming days,” he tweeted following Calum Chambers’ exit to Aston Villa on Thursday.

Worryingly thin

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has been left hugely light on options heading into the second half of the season as the English defender’s departure was their fifth of the window so far.

The north London outfit saw a game postponed earlier this month due to the lack of players available, yet they continue to let the bulk of their backups leave the club.

Players like Chambers, Sead Kolasinac and Ainsley Maitland-Niles aren’t going to set the starting XI alight but one or two injuries would’ve seen them required and they would’ve certainly done a solid job.

Elsewhere, Arsenal’s attempts to bring in new additions has been frustrating as they continue to miss out on targets. For instance, the club were prepared to splash out on the highly-coveted Dusan Vlahovic but he has instead opted to join Serie A giants Juventus.

It also appears as if another target in Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak isn’t keen on a move to the Emirates Stadium either, as per transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Gunners are running out of time to bolster Arteta’s playing squad and a new striker has to be among the priorities given the uncertainty surrounding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah.

However, Taylor’s latest claim should provide worried Arsenal supporters with some encouragement heading into Monday night. They have left it late but the belief that there should be some business completed is certainly exciting to hear.

AND in other news, Arsenal eye “phenomenal” £25m dynamo with “quick feet”, he’s shades of Thierry Henry…

With 2021 almost over, let’s take a look back over what was a turbulent year for Everton and their fans.

Having started it with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm at Goodison Park, only for him to leave in the summer to be replaced by Rafa Benitez, this certainly caused waves at the Merseyside club.

While the end of the 2020/21 season may have ended in a rather flat manner, the first few weeks of the current season under Benitez saw the Toffees get off to a flyer by winning four of their opening six league games.

Things took a major dip for Everton through that saw them go through October and November without a win in the league, resulting in fan unrest towards Benitez and the club’s hierarchy.

All in all, the majority of Everton’s loyal supporters will undoubtedly be hoping that the rest of the season will pan out in a similar way to how it started and that the rest of 2022 will be very fruitful for the club.

How well do you remember Everton’s 2021? Test your knowledge with our Big Fat Everton quiz of the year to find out!