All posts by n8rngtd.top

As per Martyn Ziegler, chief sports reporter for The Times, some news has just dropped which may excite Tottenham Hotspur fans.

The Lowdown: Safe standing debate…

It has long been debated whether safe standing should be re-introduced for atmospheric and general matchday experience purposes.

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25 years ago, a blanket ban was introduced on standing in football stadiums across England’s top two divisions with recent murmurs indicating it could now be brought back after all this time.

Sharing a big development on the matter, The Times have just dropped some interesting news.

The Latest: Exciting news for Spurs fans?

Now, it appears safe standing will be in the Premier League this season as reporter Ziegler shares the news on his social media and in a column for The Times. 

Indeed, the initiative is set to be trialled and Tottenham are one of the clubs who can safely integrate safe standing for home and away supporters.

“Update: Safe standing to be in Premier League and Championship this season,” Ziegler explained.

“Spurs, Man City, Chelsea and West Ham all have necessary facilities already in place for home & away fans.

“Wolves, Man Utd, Liverpool would need to add to existing home fan areas.”

The Verdict: About time?

While some issues come with safe standing, like the health and safety requirements of all supporters which will need to be figured out carefully, there are also immense benefits.

In terms of atmosphere at Premier League grounds, safe standing will arguably improve it vastly as certain clubs in Germany have already proved over the last few years.

For one, Borussia Dortmund are famous for their ‘Yellow Wall’ at Signal Iduna Park and it’s little wonder the English top flight wants to replicate that kind of electric matchday experience.

It will certainly be intriguing to see if the trial proves successful, not just for Spurs supporters, but for fans up and down the country.

In other news: Medical was done: Source reveals player’s summer move from Spurs fell apart at the very last minute, find out more here.

Many Wolves fans have been left buzzing as some news emerged involving Max Kilman.

As per the official Twitter page of the Midlands club, the central defender has won their Castore Player of the Month (POTM) for August, gaining no fewer than 45% of the supporters’ overall vote.

Kilman has been a revelation so far this season, ranking highly among his teammates in terms of tackles (2.5), interceptions (1.2) and clearances (2.2) per game in the Premier League (Whoscored).

Nonetheless, he has played the most minutes out of any defender under Bruno Lage in the division this term, showing how important of a player he has become, and at 24 years of age, still has room to improve.

Nonetheless, it is good to see that his performances are being recognised by the club.

Wolves fans on Kilman news

These members of the Molineux faithful buzzed as the news on Kilman’s award was shared on Twitter:

“Love to see it. Congrats Max!”

Credit: @ScrumRucker

“Let’s goooo”

Credit: @PedroBackOfNeto

“Well deserved @maxkilman superb!! Glad to see you getting stronger and stronger this should only breed your confidence now going forward keep it up!!”

Credit: @bo88om

“My Goat”

Credit: @FutsalMaldini

“Did he? Is right”

Credit: @bigafizzy

“Killer”

Credit: @tod1877

In other news, find out what transfer news has Wanderers fuming here!

West Ham United return to Europa League group stage action later this evening as they host Austrian outfit Rapid Wien at the London Stadium.

David Moyes and his side will be buoyed by their last-gasp victory over Leeds United on Sunday afternoon after their fine form in 2021 continued.

The Irons kickstarted their quest for European glory with a bang two weeks ago, defeating Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 in their own back yard and one of the standout performers from that game must start in east London tonight.

Issa Diop has often struggled for consistency since arriving in a then club-record £22m deal from Toulouse in June 2018.

But his recent performances, whenever given a chance to start, have been rather impressive.

Once described a “monster” by former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, the 24-year-old centre-back has been restricted to only 15 league starts since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, as per Transfermarkt.

In Croatia, the French colossus recorded a squad-high three interceptions, constantly putting a stop to the opposition’s attack. They weren’t taken lightly considering the same players who knocked Spurs out of the Europa League last season.

He also registered two tackles, one clearance and one block as he arguably outshone match-winner Michail Antonio, as suggested by Football FanCast at the time.

Diop then followed up this display with another stunning outing, this time against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.

Irons assistant manager Stuart Pearce waxed lyrical about him after the game (via The Athletic):

“But I thought Diop was absolutely magnificent. The longer the game went on the more of a colossus he looked at the back and he’s still in relative terms, a very young man for a central defender so we’re absolutely delighted to have Issa at this club.”

Kurt Zouma’s arrival at the club this summer has seen the fellow countryman slip down the pecking order but with both Angelo Ogbonna and Craig Dawson getting older and older into their 30s, he will be needed in the future.

He will also be called upon should either of the aforementioned trio pick up any injuries across the current campaign, so handing him further game time in an encounter like this could be super beneficial. It could be a game-changer for the rest of the season.

The £16.2m-rated beast must start at the London Stadium tonight.

AND in other news, Newman can end West Ham striker hunt with £18m-rated “goal king” scoring every 83 mins…

Liverpool supporters have been left unhappy after it emerged Diogo Jota has picked up an injury while on international duty with Portugal.

Various Reds players are out representing their countries during the international break, with the rest of Jurgen Klopp’s side taking a breather between matches.

Liverpool’s next outing comes away to Watford next Saturday and the hope is of course that those away at the moment return to Merseyside unscathed.

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Curtis Jones has already picked up a knock on England Under-21 duty, however, and now Jota has also suffered a setback.

According to SAPO Desporto [via Anfield Watch on Twitter], the forward could miss Portugal’s friendly against Qatar on Saturday evening with ‘muscle problems’.

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Liverpool fans fume at Jota injury news

These Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to show their displeasure at the news, as injuries continue to hit the Reds.

“What’s happening. We are getting screwed up”

Credit: @mikedyrated

“Here we go oh dear”

Credit: @englishjen2

“Let him just come back”

Credit: @grage_t

“Actually such a joke now”

Credit: @Virgil100

“Gonna have to field the Under 11s at Watford at this rate”

Credit: @deanjordan16

“FSG OUT”

Credit: @emmylifestyle

In other news, some Liverpool fans have hailed one player’s piece of skill on international duty. Find out who it is here.

West Ham have been given a clear run to sign Andrea Belotti in 2022, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

The long-serving Torino talisman was a tentative target for Irons boss David Moyes throughout the summer, with even the reliable ExWHUemployee mooting the club with interest at one stage.

And now it appears the 28-year-old forward will be available for nothing from January as he will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with any team outside of Italy, thus opening the door for the east Londoners to strike.

“Andrea Belotti has chances to leave Torino as [a] free agent next summer, as things stand now,” revealed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano earlier this week. “He’s out of contract in June 2022 and he has not accepted yet last Torino proposal to extend [his] current deal.”

Back in May, some reports in Italy suggested the Hammers were even the ‘front-runners’ to seal Belotti’s signature, so he’s certainly a player on their radar.

Bargain swoop

The Irons were merely one striker away from achieving a very successful summer transfer window. It is the one position they still lack considerable depth in and it absolutely has to be the top priority for new head of recruitment Rob Newman.

Moyes only has one senior centre-forward at the club in Michail Antonio, 31, who has suffered from his fair share of injury problems throughout his time at West Ham. Indeed, he hasn’t started more than 24 league games across the past four seasons, largely due to those aforementioned issues.

He missed the Hammers’ first defeat of the season through suspension and his presence was sorely missed in the final third.

Without him, it means the Scottish coach has to turn to someone like Jarrod Bowen to play out of position, which seems like a crazy scenario to be left in considering they are vying for a top-six finish and are competing in the Europa League this season.

Belotti on a free would not only solve this massive quandary but also save GSB and the club millions.

The Italy international, who won Euro 2020 this summer, has proven to be a prolific goalscorer in the Serie A over several years, hitting double figures in every campaign since 2015/16, including a career-best of 28 goals in 2016/17, as per Transfermarkt.

Former Premier League shot-stopper Joe Hart played with Belotti during a loan stint in Turin and waxed lyrical about the talismanic forward to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

“Andrea is similar to all the great strikers, English and not. It’s hard to compare him to someone else because he’s special. He’s Belotti and that’s it. He has [an] instinct for goals, personality and he’s a team player: he’s always focused on his team and plays hard to help it.”

Considering he is valued at £31.5m by Transfermarkt, Newman could secure West Ham an absolute bargain and at the same time, fix one of Moyes’ ongoing nightmares in one fell swoop.

Belotti is there for the taking and the Irons would be foolish to not make their move again.

AND in other news, Moyes could have West Ham’s next Glen Johnson in “fearless” 19 y/o gem who’s a “unit”…

Everton have received a potentially significant boost after it was revealed Abdoulaye Doucoure’s injury isn’t as bad as first feared.

What’s the word?

The influential 28-year-old, who has been one of the Toffees’ standout performers in the opening weeks of the new campaign, picked up a foot problem in the 1-0 defeat against West Ham United last time out.

Originally, reports suggested Doucoure could be sidelined for up to seven weeks due to the stress damage in his metatarsal, but The Athletic’s Everton reporter Patrick Boyland has now provided a positive update on the situation.

He tweeted: “It is hoped that Doucoure will only be out for 5/6 weeks – better than feared but still a big blow… Our understanding is that it’s a very similar injury to one sustained last season but the issue appears less severe this time.”

Everton fans should be delighted

News that Doucoure could return to action sooner than first thought should leave Everton fans feeling delighted, given his importance to Rafa Benitez’s side.

The Frenchman has been in fine form at the start of the season, bagging two goals and providing four assists in just eight Premier League outings – bettering his output from last term already.

Boyland went into further detail regarding the box-to-box dynamo’s injury status in his report, stating: “The Athletic understands that the issue, stress damage in the metatarsal, could cause Doucoure to miss up to six weeks, although thankfully it is not likely to require surgery.”

But despite the good news regarding Doucoure, Benitez will still be concerned over his engine room options while the 6-foot maestro is on the treatment table.

Fellow midfielders Andre Gomes and Fabian Delph will leave the Blues extremely short of options in the engine room when Watford visit Goodison Park over the weekend.

It means the likes of Tom Davies, Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Tyler Onyango will have to step up in Doucoure’s absence, gifting the youngsters a rare chance to start and subsequently impress.

And, in other news…Everton suffer potential injury setback after Doucoure, Benitez surely devastated 

Newcastle United have the perfect chance to cut their losses on Miguel Almiron amid a recent transfer update.

What’s the story?

The Paraguay international has endured another difficult Premier League season thus far, scoring no goals and providing no assists whatsoever in the nine games that he has played in all competitions.

Now, ABC journalist Bruno Pont has relayed information from Miguel Angel Caceres that the Magpies ace likes the owners of La Liga side Elche, and that he could be one of the players the Tyneside club lets go next season.

Writing on Twitter, he said: “Almirón likes the owners of Elche de España, the 27-year-old Paraguayan footballer has been performing at a high level in the Premier League for several seasons. However, he could be one of Newcastle’s sacrifices for next season.”

Get rid

Speaking last summer, former Premier League goalkeeper Chris Kirkland exclusively told FFC that Almiron’s struggles to adapt to life in England has been one of the main issues behind why the Paraguayan has yet to hit the heights.

He said: “Well he’s struggled. He hasn’t adapted, has he? It’s a risk when you’re buying players from abroad. It is a big risk because they can be very good players but moving abroad, moving away from your family, bringing your family over, the different language, all of it has a massive effect.”

The £75k-a-week earning ace’s appalling record of just 13 goals and five assists in 100 games for Newcastle, is simply not good enough, especially in this new PIF-led era at St James’ Park.

The Magpies will no doubt be embarking on a massive spending spree in the upcoming transfer windows, and getting rid of the deadwood and under-performing players will surely be on the agenda too.

Almiron fits into that category of players at Newcastle, and quite frankly, has become just a passenger and liability at the club given his inability to provide any kind of real end product or consistency.

PIF must make a ruthless call and get rid at the earliest possible opportunity. If the club are serious about taking that next step and moving forwards, then axing below-par players like Almiron is the logical decision to make, and ensure they aren’t being held back.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are eyeing a move for this record-breaker…

Sunderland confirmed on Thursday that forward Benji Kimpioka has returned to the club from Southend United.

And, as to be expected, a number of Black Cats supporters have been reacting to the transfer news on social media.

Kimpioka made the move to Roots Hall at the end of September on a month-long loan. He made just two appearances during that time and has now returned to Sunderland’s Under-23 squad.

The 21-year-old’s contract at the Stadium of Light expires at the end of the season and he is yet to add to his 14 senior appearances for Sunderland during the current campaign.

Kimpioka, a Sweden Under-21 international, also struggled out on loan with Torquay United last season, with his last senior goal coming back in November 2019 against Coventry City.

Sunderland fans react

Sunderland posted the news regarding Kimpioka’s return on their official Twitter page. This is what these fans had to say in reply, with some wanting the club to let him go for good.

“This lad has some great attributes which are ultimately ruined by his horrendous attitude. A shame really”

Credit: @FulwelI

“what is the actual point”

Credit: @CallumP74850222

“Still no idea why he was given a contract, he’s just not good enough.”

Credit: @SAFCGLOOP

“Would look at shipping him of on a permanent deal”

Credit: @swainyFTM

“2 games with no goals or assists in the national league”

Credit: @afcsunderlandd

“Sorry but it’s time for him to move on”

Credit: @JoeMackie97

In other news: ‘No idea’ – Many Sunderland fans react as ‘odd’ news is now confirmed.

Antonio Conte has been dealt the first blow of his Tottenham Hotspur managerial career as his side take on Vitesse in the UEFA Europa Conference League this evening…

What’s the word?

According to Evening Standard reporter Dan Kilpatrick, the 52-year-old will be without first-team duo Ryan Sessegnon and Bryan Gil as the pair missed training on Wednesday.

They are set to miss this clash, leaving the Italian light on options on the wing, a position that is expected to be pivotal to his system in north London.

“Sessegnon and Gil the only players to miss training yesterday & both out of tonight,” he tweeted.

Double setback

This isn’t the best of news to kickstart your reign at a struggling side and it’s one that he’ll have to deal with heading into kickoff.

Spurs were defeated by the Dutch outfit two weeks ago after Nuno Santo opted to leave the majority of his senior stars back in N17, trusting the ‘second-string’ to start.

A 1-0 defeat and a lack of clear-cut chances was the beginning of the end for him. They then lost to West Ham and Manchester United, where they went 135 minutes without registering a shot on goal.

Gil could hold the keys to being a creative solution for the Lilywhites and in a game like this, he would surely be in contention. The young gem averaged 1.7 crosses and 1.9 key passes per 90 in La Liga last season, via WhoScored.

Only Giovani Lo Celso has managed a better number of chances created per 90 this campaign, whilst the 20-year-old would lead the way for crosses based on last term’s exploits.

Meanwhile, Sessegnon’s time at the club has been nothing short of a disaster but with Conte expected to deploy wing-backs either side of a three-man defence, he could be in line for a little boost as he offers a lot more than Ben Davies in the attack.

However, his injury woes will be a concern to the new manager as he cannot stay fit – something that is also angering much of the Hotspur faithful. As relayed by This is Futbol, the England U21 international has been described as “pathetic” and a “sick note” in recent weeks.

Whether Conte fields his strongest side tonight or not remains to be seen but he won’t be too happy to have walked into what seems like a never-ending mess.

AND in other news, Conte can become an instant hit at Spurs by brutally axing “phenomenal” £26m-rated dud…

With 17 games played in their Championship campaign, West Brom are currently eight points behind league leaders AFC Bournemouth and six behind Fulham in second place with Valerien Ismael’s side having won nine, drawn five and lost three of their 17 matches.

In addition to the points difference, West Brom have also scored fewer goals than the two clubs currently above them in the league table, four fewer than Bournemouth (31) and 17 fewer than Fulham (44) and have failed to score on three occasions in the league this season in their games against Derby County, Stoke City and Fulham.

Looking ahead to the next stage of the season and beyond, we feel that one way Ismael could fix West Brom’s issue of not scoring as many goals is to freshen up his side’s attack. He may want to dip his toes into the winter market but we think he should hand youngster Mo Faal some first-team minutes instead.

Since joining West Brom’s U18 side back in November 2019, the 18-year-old striker has made 26 appearances for their U18 side in which he has managed to score eight goals and provide three assists in the process.

Additionally, Faal has managed to score four goals and provide two assists in 15 appearances for their U23 side, showing just how capable he is of finding the back of the net. With that in mind, he could become a useful figure for Ismael’s side going forward.

Faal has had a taste of first-team action for the Baggies having made one appearance for them which came during their 6-0 defeat against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup back in August where he replaced Kenneth Zohore in the second half but was unable to get on the scoresheet against the Premier League side.

Moving forward, with on-loan Baggies striker Jordan Hugill only managing to score one goal in 13 appearances in the Championship for West Brom so far this season, we feel that it could be a good opportunity for Ismael to shake up his side somewhat.

Faal, who has been described as a “physical presence” that “links the game up well, scores goals and is an aerial threat” by U18s manager Peter Gilbert must be handed an opportunity to prove himself in the first team ahead of Hugill. If he takes that chance and performs well, he could save Albion millions on potential transfer fees in the next market.

In other news: Big blow: West Brom suffer injury setback that will surely have fans worried – opinion