All posts by n8rngtd.top

Many Arsenal fans have been buzzing at the news from The Telegraph that the Kroenkes could be tempted to sell the club for a bid of around £2bn.

As per the news outlet, the Gunners – one of the six English clubs who originally signed up to be part of the proposed European Super League (ESL) project – will face further fan protests after a large number of supporters gathered outside the Emirates Stadium before the 1-0 loss to Everton in the Premier League on Friday night to voice their anger at Stan Kroenke, with the hope that he will leave the north London club.

Daniel Ek, a Swedish billionaire entrepreneur and chief executive of Spotify, recently tweeted that he would ‘be happy to throw (his) name in the ring’ if Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE) would like to sell Arsenal following the mass protests, and The Telegraph have now reported that he is ‘serious’ about tabling an offer.

Arsenal fans on Kroenke and Ek update

These Gooners buzzed upon reading the update on Twitter, with one supporter claiming that they are ‘excited’ while another branded the news as ‘massive’:

“Yessss”

Credit: @RobTheGoatAfc

“Omds I’ve never heard that they would be tempted at all. This is new and massive!!!!!!”

Credit: @AFCWilliam_

“What a dream this would be”

Credit: @ESR_Army_

“Not gonna get excited…..but as an Arsenal fan, I’m impossibly excited”

Credit: @Capt_Amber_jack

“This has made my evening”

Credit: @afcceee

“PLEASE. I’M ON MY KNEES…….”

Credit: @_AFCFRED

In other news, this Arsenal man’s performance against Everton was blasted by many supporters.

The young stars showed why they are considered the future, while some new faces emerged to give USMNT fans reasons to feel optimistic

It was a bittersweet 2019 Gold Cup for the U.S. national team, which took major steps in its first tournament with Gregg Berhalter in charge, but left the competition disappointed after a frustrating 1-0 loss to Mexico in the final.

That defeat has left the Gold Cup feeling like bit of a failure for the Americans, but that would ignore the many positives that emerged from the tournament. We saw Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie step up as leaders, Aaron Long emerge as a defensive force, and youngster Reggie Cannon go from being the last player added to the roster to being one of the team's biggest surprises.

How did individual USMNT players fare at this summer's Gold Cup? Here is a closer look at how all of the team's tournament contributors performed: 

• John Dorton
  

  1F – Gyasi Zardes – C

  The best way to describe Zardes' Gold Cup is he aced the early quizzes, but absolutely bombed the midterm and final. Zardes was very good in the group stage, leading to a belief that this could be his breakout tournament, but he was terrible against Curacao in the quarterfinals, and comically ineffective off the bench in the semifinal and final. His teammates love him though, and it's hard to argue with the work rate and defensive effort, but his struggles in the final third are hard to overlook.

Advertisement

• Jamie Squire
  

  2F – Jozy Altidore – B

  Considering his contributions in three of the USMNT's final four Gold Cup matches, you could make an argument for Altidore deserving a better grade, but his miss in the final against Mexico strikes a big blow to his rating. His performance in the semifinal win against Jamaica can't be overstated, and you can argue he was a handful in the first half of the final, but by missing his best chance of the tournament, Altidore helped doom the Americans to defeat. That being said, the miss doesn't take away the rest of his contributions, which were considerable.

• Getty Images
  

  3RW – Jordan Morris – C-

  After starting just one of the team's first four matches, Morris became Berhalter's right winger of choice for the semifinals and final. Morris failed to offer much of an attacking threat in either of those matches, leaving many to wonder why we didn't see Tyler Boyd after his impressive group stage efforts. There's no denying Morris put in honest shifts defensively, but he simply didn't contribute enough to the offense to give him a better grade.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• KEREM YUCEL
  

  4RW – Tyler Boyd – B-

  Few players were as impressive in the early part of the tournament as Boyd, who looked right at home in Gregg Berhalter's system. The winger's attacking skill was clear to see, and it was expected he would play a major role in the knockout rounds. He endured a terrible showing in the quarterfinal win against Curacao though, and didn't play another match after that, which was surprising to say the least.

Heading into the new MLS season, it's no surprise to see last year's MLS Cup champions sitting atop the pile

The race for dominance in Major League Soccer is being led by one team, with 22 other teams try to figure out how to keep up with the Toronto FC juggernaut.

The reigning MLS Cup champions finished 2017 as a team widely regarded as the best in league history, but enter the 2018 season with an even stronger and deeper team than last year. Coach Greg Vanney and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko made full use of the league's increased allocation money resources to make improvements to an already stacked squad.

TFC wasn't alone in revamping. New York City FC made some good moves as well, while Atlanta United put together some of the biggest deals of the winter. There were considerable reconstruction projects as well, with Orlando City and the LA Galaxy looking like serious contenders after massive overhauls.

The Portland Timbers will be a top team to watch in the West, with new coach Giovanni Savarese inheriting a strong team as he looks to build on the foundation laid by Caleb Porter.

Then there is league newcomer LAFC, which is poised to challenge the league's best in year one. Bob Bradley's team is set to make a big splash in its debut season, led by Mexican star Carlos Vela.

Which of these teams, if any, will be able to dethrone Toronto FC? Here is a look at how sees the league's 23 teams stacking up at the start of the 2018 season.

• Tim Heitman
  

  23Colorado Rapids

  The Anthony Hudson era has begun in Colorado, and it’s tough to know for sure what the former New Zealand boss will bring to the table given his lack of top-level club experience. The Rapids were busy retooling their roster in the offseason, and while the team should be better than in 2018, it’s tough to get too excited about the group the Rapids have put together

Advertisement

• Jean-Yves Ahern/USA Today
  

  22Montreal Impact

  French coach Remi Garde could be in for a rough ride as he takes over a Montreal team that saw some key players leave from a team that didn't have much talent to spare. Gone are Blerim Dzemaili and Laurent Ciman, with Saphir Taider brought in to try and offset Dzemaili's departure. Replacing Ciman is a tougher proposition, especially with newly acquired Zakaria Diallo already lost for the season due to injury.

• Winslow Townson
  

  21New England Revolution

  Brad Friedel has a tough task in his first job as a head coach, taking over a New England side with plenty of issues. Kei Kamara's departure leaves a void at striker that newly acquired Cristian Penilla will need to fill. The defense was overhauled after another disappointing season, but it's not a sure bet the changes will translate into upgrades. Throw in a disgruntled Lee Nguyen having to stick around after a failed attempt to force a trade and you have the recipe for what could be an ugly season in New England.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Brad Rempel
  

  20Minnesota United

  The Loons weren't very busy in the offseason, which should have their fans worried about just how much better the second-year team will be in 2018. We shouldn't overlook the improvements shown down the stretch last season, but a lack of impact newcomers will make it tough for the Loons to escape the lower end of the West standings.

Alba or Marcelo? Busquets or Casemiro? And is there any place for Bale? Find out who makes the Clasico's best combined starting line-up

• Getty Images
  

  Marc Andre ter Stegen

  There is little argument possible on the Clasico's best shot-stopper. Ter Stegen has undergone an astonishing transformation over the last 12 months, stepping out of Claudio Bravo's shadow to become one of the most proficient goalkeepers in world football. If the German continues in the same vein Manuel Neuer may have a fight on his hands to keep the No. 1 jersey for the World Cup.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  Dani Carvajal

  While Barcelona have struggled to find Dani Alves' replacement at right-back, there is no doubt over who controls that flank at the Bernabeu. Carvajal is now one of the first names on the Madrid team-sheet, and his absence has been sorely felt whenever he has been unable to play.

• Getty Images
  

  Gerard Pique

  A player that only seems to get better with age. Pique may still make the headlines for his flamboyant off-pitch behaviour, but on it he is a consummate professional and the inspiration behind a Barcelona defence that has yielded just seven goals in 16 Liga outings this season. He makes the XI comfortably ahead of Raphael Varane, who is struggling to build on early promise at the Bernabeu.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  Sergio Ramos

  One of the toughest choices to make in this combined line-up. Samuel Umtiti has taken to life at Barca like a duck to water, forming a formidable partnership with Pique. But it is instead the centre-back's Spain partner who makes the cut, a recognition of his standing as Madrid captain and ability both in defence and as a set-piece weapon.

Will Celtic ever hire a new manager? The Bhoys have whittled down their list to replace Neil Lennon but a month on we’re still no closer to finding out who will be in the dug-out next season.

What’s the word?

Eddie Howe is the current frontrunner to become the new boss at Parkhead but claims have emerged regarding Roy Keane again.

Celtic were in discussions with the Irishman a number of weeks ago and were even reported to have held an interview with him. However, days after that, news emerged that he was now unlikely to take up the position.

Though, speaking about the former Sunderland manager this week, Graeme Souness fired a message to the Hoops.

Speaking to Off The Ball (via Glasgow Times), the television pundit said: “He (Keane) is desperate to get back. He’s a football man and I have spoken with him about returning to management. He is very keen to do that.”

Souness continued: “Can you imagine how good it would have been if it was Roy Keane vs Steven Gerrard in Glasgow?

“All of a sudden, it wouldn’t just be Scotland, Ireland and a wee bit of England talking about Scottish football, the world would be talking about it. It would have been great for Scottish football.”

U-turn to emerge?

Considering the farcical nature of Celtic’s saga with Howe, it wouldn’t be a great surprise if the Hoops reverted their attention elsewhere.

The 43-year-old has been playing the Bhoys like a fool in recent days with Dermot Desmond dealt repeated setbacks in his bid to lure the former Bournemouth boss to Glasgow.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-edouard-desmond” title= “Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

It’s thought that Howe isn’t keen on returning to management until the summer while he’s listed some hefty demands in terms of his backroom staff.

The Englishman wants a trusted figure in Richard Hughes to join him at Parkhead but it doesn’t appear as though Celtic are keen on that happening.

Crystal Palace and Brighton have since joined Celtic in the race for Howe and the longer time goes on, the less likely it seems he’s going to sign with the Bhoys.

With that in mind, Desmond may perform a U-turn and revive his interest in Keane. After all, further manager targets Lucien Favre and Jesse Marsch are also attracting suitors from elsewhere.

The Irishman isn’t a man in demand and considering he’s desperate to return to coaching. Thus, he could be an easy candidate to bring in.

Celtic supporters might not be too enthused by the idea but this news is exciting nonetheless. If only Howe could admit he was keen to come out of a hiatus as well.

AND in other news, Celtic dealt fresh blow in the hunt to find a new manager, Desmond surely stressing…

According to a report by Spanish outlet La Razon, Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has personally requested for the club to sign Sevilla colossus Diego Carlos this summer – with the Lilywhites manager appearing very keen on the Brazilian as a solution to his defensive woes.

Mourinho is under increasing scrutiny at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with speculation surrounding his future as Spurs currently face a battle to qualify for European football next season.

Jose Mourinho want Diego Carlos

This is despite a fine start to the 2020/2021 campaign which saw them briefly climb to top of the Premier League table at one point.

As the summer transfer window nears, Mourinho is now reportedly very keen to sign Sevilla powerhouse Diego Carlos in the summer as he eyes new additions to strengthen his defence.

The 28-year-old has a release clause of around €75 million (£64.8 million), and amid the current financial crisis caused by coronavirus, a boost for Spurs could be that the La Liga giants would agree to lower the price if they included Davinson Sanchez in the deal.

Sevilla are apparently ‘obliged to make a big sale’ this summer, and although there is plenty of noise surrounding fellow star centre-half Jules Kounde, they could opt to offload Carlos instead.

Transfer Tavern take

Nicknamed ‘the beast’ with a ‘shade of Kalidou Koulibaly’, as Spanish football analyst Domagoj Kostanjšak explained last year when he was linked with Liverpool (Liverpool Echo), it appears Carlos has continued in that vain this season.

Amassing a round total 90% pass accuracy out from the back in La Liga this season, whilst also averaging the most clearances per 90 out of all Sevilla players with over ten appearances (WhoScored), it is safe to say he has been a consistent presence.

Time will tell what comes of this report, but Mourinho is certainly keen on the signing.

In other news: This Tottenham star could leave,  find out more here.

Crystal Palace fell to a humbling 4-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening.

Despite having some promising moments, the Eagles were second best in the capital, with braces from Harry Kane and Gareth Bale securing a thumping win for the hosts.

One silver lining for Roy Hodgson’s troops though was seeing Wilfried Zaha back in action, having been out with an injury since early February.

However, it was not the return that either his manager or teammates will have wanted.

Given a place on the bench at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Ivorian international was introduced at half-time with the scores level at 1-1.

It was thought that the £45m-rated winger could have given the Eagles some fresh attacking impetus but he, in fact, did the opposite.

Throughout his second-half appearance, he could only accumulate 16 touches of the ball according to WhoScored – only fellow substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta had fewer in the entire Crystal Palace side.

Even when Zaha received the ball, he was simply not able to do anything with it.

He only had one shot, which was off target, and did not provide a single key pass.

Zaha also conspired to lose the ball on multiple occasions throughout his second-half cameo, getting dispossessed twice and having another unsuccessful touch.

His passing also painted a damning picture of his poor performance. Racking up a horrendous passing accuracy of just 33%, which is by far and away the worst by any player on the pitch, you may have been forgiven for thinking that Zaha was indeed lining up for the opposing team.

To compound his teammates’ frustrations, the winger was also caught offside on three occasions in 45 minutes. Whilst this could be down to disciplined defending from the home side, it is of no consolation to the Eagles who saw their attacks abruptly halted when attempting to find Zaha, who seemed to be a bit lazy in terms of his discipline of reading the line.

His performance could be understandable considering his long lay off in recent weeks but Hodgson will surely be demanding more as his star man regains his match sharpness.

AND in more news, read more about the Eagles’ links with £22m-rated Mostafa Mohamed…

Phil Hay has hinted that Stuart Dallas could take up a midfield role in Leeds United’s Premier League clash on Friday night.

The Whites are back in action on Friday, making the trip to Craven Cottage to take on Scott Parker’s relegation-threatened Fulham.

Fulham’s form has improved in recent months, however, so Marcelo Bielsa’s men will have their work cut out picking up a positive result in west London.

The Leeds manager has a few selection headaches going into the game and one of them could be his use of Dallas, who has often played at left-back this season, among other positions.

Hay hints at Dallas midfield role

Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic, Hay explained that he could see Dallas taking up a central midfield role against Fulham instead of Mateusz Klich:

“I’d say it’s likely that Dallas will play at 8. His form is better than Klich’s at the moment.”

Dallas has been described as “brilliant” by former Whites striker Noel Whelan in recent weeks, having become such a reliable performer for the club.

Transfer Tavern take

Midfield is one of several roles Dallas has occupied this season, as mentioned, so there is no risk in switching him from a left-back berth.

That would then mean Ezgjan Alioski starting at the back, as he did in last weekend’s 0-0 draw at home to Chelsea – a clean sheet against Thomas Tuchel’s high-fliers is no mean feat.

In other news, Leeds have been tipped to make a move for a hugely experienced Premier League defender this summer. Read about it here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been handed a major boost in the chase to sign Aleksander Buksa, with reports claiming they would only have to pay up to £200,000 in compensation for the Wisla Krakow striker.

Buksa Molineux-bound?

The 18-year-old centre-forward who is out of contract at the end of the 2020/21 campaign, in what is his third season playing at senior level.

Buksa was given extraordinarily high praise by Sportowe Fakty, who compared him to Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski due to his finishing and strength.

The Poland U19 international had previously been linked with a move to Molineux before Christmas, with suggestions that super-agents Jorge Mendes and Pini Zahavi were working together to bring Buksa to the club.

Now, Dziennik Polski have confirmed that he could cost just €220,000 (£191,000), due to having come through the ranks at the Ekstraklasa club.

Previous reports suggested that Wolves would most likely his best destination, potentially saving the Black Country millions on finding a replacement for Raul Jimenez, although the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich have said to be in the running and “are on his trail”.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Manager Nuno Espirito Santo could be about to capture a bargain if comparisons with the Bavarian talisman are to be believed. And given that he is now available for such a small compensation fee, it’s a major boost for Wolves and their chase for the young striker.

Buksa has scored four times from 35 appearances for Wisla but the majority of those appearances were as a substitute, rarely completing a full 90 minutes (Transfermarkt).

Mendes must act fast if he wants to bring the 6 foot 2 Buksa to Molineux.

In other news, Wolves fans left irritated by ‘obvious’ call from Nuno Espirito Santo.

Kevin Campbell has backed Chris Wilder to be the next manager at Celtic as Examiner Live report he has become a favourite for the Parkhead job.

The 53-year-old has recently left his post as boss at Sheffield United and is thus available for any club to bring in.

Speaking to Football Insider, the former Arsenal, Nottingham Forest and Everton striker has claimed that hiring Wilder would be a good appointment at Parkhead:

“I do think he’d be a good appointment.

“If they were to pull the trigger then they’d have a manager who knows how to work to a budget and get the players onside.

“He plays an expansive brand of football with the centre-halves joining in with attacks etc.

“I think that’s something Celtic fans could get behind.”

Celtic should hire Wilder

Given that he plays an expansive brand of football as Campbell points out, Wilder is certainly a coach that would play a style that would surely excite the Hoops faithful.

Even though the Blades have struggled a lot in the Premier League in the 2020/21 term and look almost certainly as if they will be relegated down to the EFL Championship, the Englishman has still adopted the same style of play throughout and his heroics of guiding them to a very impressive ninth-placed last season should not be overlooked.

While he might not be the most glamourous name to Hoops fans, Wilder is certainly a man that should not be overlooked, as he could help steady the sinking ship for the Bhoys as they look to battle it out with Rangers once more for the Scottish Premiership title.

In other news, find out what managerial candidate has been ruled out for the Celtic job here!