All posts by n8rngtd.top

Many Wolves fans ripped into defender Nelson Semedo after their 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday evening.

The 27-year-old started at wing-back for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side as his team were unable to break down the resolute Villans.

Semedo has been a regular for Wolves this season, starting all but one Premier League game, but bizarrely divides opinion among the fanbase. Despite this, few will argue about his showing at Villa Park.

Per Sofascore, the Portugal right-back lost 11 duels, gave the ball away 19 times, was dispossessed four times and made no interceptions. No Wolves player lost more duels while only one was more careless in possession.

While many fans made their feelings clear on social media – one dubbed the £27m signing a “big flop” in frustration at his performance – others offered their towards journalist Nathan Judah, who suggested that Semedo looked tired rather than playing poorly.

Wolves fans slate Semedo

“Until Semedo starts trying to take people on in dangerous areas and doesn’t always turn back in the final third he’s going to be a big flop at the price we paid”

Credit: @Danrose93

“I’ve always stuck up for the bloke but IMO worse Semedo performance today”

Credit: @mitchdavis_1

“2nd half has been like a different team but Semedo, Adama, Moutinho and Donk have been awful”

Credit: @drawlings27

“I might be wrong but the guy can’t control a ball or defend and cost £35m”

Credit: @8clay23

“This awful…again…no concentration and can’t pass to each other!”

Credit: @julescrow1

“No he doesn’t”

Credit: @DavidYa42784426

In other news, Wolves fans not impressed with transfer report concerning Molineux star.

According to a recent report, Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho is plotting a summer move for Ciro Immobile should Harry Kane leave Spurs.

The report by Spanish outlet Fichajes (via Sport Witness) claims that the current relationship between Mourinho and Kane is ‘not very good’, with the England captain being linked with a summer move to Mauricio Pochettino’s Paris Saint-Germain.

Should Kane depart north London this summer, it is reported that Mourinho could look to Serie A in order to replace the 27-year-old in the shape of Lazio centre-forward Ciro Immobile, who has 14 league goals to his name so far this season.

Fichajes claimed that the £40.5m-rated 31-year-old is one of the most ‘underrated footballers on the market’, as well as being ‘very much to Mou’s taste’ – before stating that the signing of the £79k per week striker would ‘not be a problem’ for Spurs following the injection of cash from Kane’s potential sale.

Transfer Tavern Take

Recent reports in England have directly contradicted Fichajes’ claim that Kane could be leaving Spurs this summer, with The Telegraph stating that the £108m-rated man looks set to say in London for ‘at least another year’ – if true, this would immediately render the club’s links with a move for Immobile redundant.

However, in the theoretical event that Kane does leave Tottenham this summer, then it would be difficult to argue that the 31-year-old Immobile would be a bad fit for Mourinho’s side, with his proficiency in goalscoring in both European and domestic competitions over recent seasons speaking for itself.

In other Tottenham news, this Spurs transfer admission lifted the lid on a failed Daniel Levy coup with Pochettino – find out more here!

Jose Mourinho should unleash Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg on West Ham this Sunday after seeing Moussa Sissoko struggle against Wolfsberger in the Europa League.

The Tottenham boss took the opportunity to rotate and provide some game time for the fringe players after losing Harry Kane, Sergio Reguilon, Giovanni Lo Celso and Serge Aurier to injury in quick succession, but Sissoko struggled to have much of an impact occupying a deep-lying role.

Goals from Heung-min Son, Gareth Bale and Lucas Moura gave Spurs the lead in the first leg of the Europa League last 32. Yet, Sissoko threatened to undo all their hard work after his clumsy challenge in the box allowed Wolfsberger to pull one back by way of a penalty from Michael Liendl.

It was a night to forget for the Frenchman in Budapest and may have damaged his chances of starting again anytime soon. An uncharacteristically lightweight display from the 31-year-old saw Sissoko lose 70% of his duels overall, winning just four out of his 13 ground duels in total, as he struggled to get a foothold in the game.

Compare this to that of Hojbjerg’s with the Dane’s duel success rate a fine 51% this season, and it’s clear just how much they missed out by having Sissoko on the pitch for as long as they did instead.

Hojbjerg burst onto the scene at Southampton after a brief stint with Bayern Munich. Having excelled for the Saints, Spurs took a punt on the versatile midfielder and have been duly rewarded, with the 25-year-old establishing himself as one of the club’s most consistent and reliable performers this season.

In 23 Premier League appearances this season, he has so far averaged a WhoScored match rating of 6.97 for his efforts, that being the best of all midfielders and the fourth-highest overall, bettered only by the likes of Kane, Son and Tanguy Ndombele.

And this is simply why he must start against West Ham on Sunday. “Pierre is, first of all, very intelligent. He reads the game very well. He’s going to be a coach one day, for sure,” Mourinho said after the 2-0 win over Arsenal.

He added:

“Physically, he’s very, very strong, and technically he’s much better than people think. Because sometimes people think the guy that is good technically is the guy that does the backheel. The guy that is good technically is the guy that does something wonderful. But these are not my words. These are words from coaches of 30, 40 years ago. Simplicity is genius.

“And the guy is so simple in everything he does with the ball. And I think he’s a phenomenal player. Congratulations, Mr Levy.”

Having Hojbjerg at their disposal is at least one of the few positives for the Lilywhites, who have otherwise endured a rather frustrating season as they currently lie six points adrift of the top four

No other Spurs star is averaging as many as Hojbjerg’s 2.8 tackles per game, while he also tops the charts for interceptions (1.3 per game) and is third behind Kane and Son for assists this term, as per WhoScored.

That merely shows how big an influence he is on this Spurs team – a game-changer.

Starting the Danish midfielder against David Moyes’ side would be a good step in the right direction and could put them back on track heading into the business end of the season.

He has the ability to change the game in their favour from the anchorman role, especially with Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard in fine mettle in front of Tomas Soucek and Declan Rice.

AND in other news, Tottenham Hotspur’s Gareth Bale stole the show in vital Europa League win…

After almost three weeks away from playing Premier League football, Aston Villa returned to top-flight action on Wednesday night as they took on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

Dean Smith’s side were in the contest until well into the second-half, when controversy struck with just ten minutes to go. Tyrone Mings was adjudged to have played Rodri onside after the Spaniard stole the ball off him after coming from way behind, and Bernardo Silva stuck one into the corner of the net to set City on their way to victory.

And whilst VAR played a massive role in Villa’s 2-0 defeat to Pep Guardiola’s men, Bertrand Traore was a bit of a let-down for his manager too.

The Burkina Faso international was given the nod to start ahead of the in-form Anwar El Ghazi, who’s scored five goals in his last games in the Premier League.

And but for one of those stand-out ‘did you see it?’ moments where Traore made Kevin De Bruyne look a fool with an incredible first touch, it just wasn’t the former Lyon man’s night.

Too often he got himself into promising situations but couldn’t deliver a good enough end product, and his reliance on his stronger left foot meant that City could play him far more easily and just force him onto his weaker right.

In the 68 minutes that he was on the pitch, he lost possession 10 times, and given that he only 23 touches of the ball, he conceded possession with every 2.3 touches – by far the worst of any player on the pitch, and an indication of how much he still needs to adapt to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.

Traore failed to find his man with any of his three attempted crosses, whilst he only made four successful passes in the entire time that he was on the pitch. It certainly didn’t help his team that he wasn’t much of a help for Matty Cash defensively, which is quickly becoming a theme whenever he’s playing.

Whether it was Joao Cancelo who recognised that he could have a field day with Traore not tracking back, or Guardiola making that a part of his tactical blueprint before-hand, it was no surprise to see the Portuguese left-back be one of City’s chief creators on the night.

He had three shots, one of which hit the woodwork, completed 100% of his dribbles and had a whopping 108 touches of the ball – the joint-most of any City player, and showing how much City attacked down Traore’s side.

Writing in his post-match player ratings, The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece said that he was “guilty of losing him as the City full-back burst forward to link up with Foden” and that he was “a bit wasteful on occasion”.

VAR might take the headlines, and rightly so given how it’s cost Villa. But Smith will also be very disappointed with Traore’s showing after showing him the faith to start him over El Ghazi.

Meanwhile, Villa may already have the perfect Jack Grealish back-up…

There are no easy games in the Premier League and West Brom have it all to do if they are to drastically turn around their plight this season.

Sam Allardyce’s men now head to defending champions Liverpool looking for only their second win of the current campaign.

In the 66-year-old’s first game in charge, the Baggies were thrashed 3-0 by arch-rivals Aston Villa, and now they face an almighty task at Anfield.

Albion have suspensions and injuries to deal with, so it will be interesting to see how Big Sam lines up the squad this afternoon.

Here’s the XI we’re predicting as the division’s leaders host second from bottom…

There could be as many as four changes as Allardyce looks to spark a reaction today.

In goal, Sam Johnstone keeps his place as do the majority of the back four barring Dara O’Shea, who makes way for PL veteran Branislav Ivanovic.

Club captain Jake Livermore is suspended for this match after receiving his marching orders for a lunge on Jack Grealish last weekend, so there’s a change afoot in midfield.

Romaine Sawyers and Chelsea loan sensation Conor Gallagher could partner each other with Matheus Pereira returning from his own suspension to take an advanced place in the engine room.

Whilst in the attack, only Matty Phillips keeps his place at right-wing.

It means Karlan Grant is axed for Charlie Austin up top, and Grady Diangana also drops to the bench in favour of the £9m-rated Callum Robinson on the left flank.

The likes of Sam Field, Hal Robson-Kanu, Kyle Bartley and Conor Townsend are all still out through injury.

AND in other news, Exclusive: Sam Allardyce tipped to sign former West Ham star in January swoop…

Things are just beginning to look up if you’re a Newcastle United fan.

After a dreadful and timid display at home to Manchester United eventually saw them lose 4-1, the Magpies have enjoyed a couple of very impressive results in the Premier League.

First, Steve Bruce’s side rescued a very creditable point away at notoriously hard to play Wolves at Molineux, before picking up a huge 2-1 win against this season’s high-fliers Everton.

Spot the fact from the fib: Are these Premier League records true or false?

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

With in-form Southampton their next challenge in the top-flight, there’s a real chance Newcastle could end up in the top four by the end of Friday night, if – and it’s a big if – they can beat Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Below is a look at just how the Magpies could potentially line up.

With Martin Dubravka still no closer to making his return to the starting line-up thanks to injury, Karl Darlow will continue in between the sticks for the Magpies.

In front of him, Bruce will no doubt continue with the same back-five that served him so well in that clash against Everton, with very little reason to make changes there.

The two big decisions that the Newcastle boss will have to make comes further forward. Both Isaac Hayden and Ryan Fraser came on as substitutes in that win over the Toffees, and will surely be pushing for a start this time around against Southampton.

Sean Longstaff’s inspired performance on his return from injury may however have convinced Bruce that he should be kept in the starting eleven, meaning Hayden will have to settle for a place on the bench.

Miguel Almiron on the other hand, is surely in danger of losing his place, especially given Fraser’s contribution to Wilson’s second goal, which proved to be the match-winner of course thanks to Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s late strike.

That could see Bruce field a very exciting, and pacy, front-three of Fraser, Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson.

Predicted XI: Darlow; Murphy, Schar, Lascelles, Fernandez, Lewis; Longstaff, Hendrick; Saint-Maximin, Wilson, Fraser.

Arsenal ended their summer transfer window with a bang by activating Thomas Partey’s £45m release clause and they squeezed him through late on deadline day.

Amongst all of the drama, it quickly emerged that the club wouldn’t be making a move for Lyon’s box-to-box playmaker Houssem Aouar, which could prove to be a costly decision as Mikel Arteta lacks extra creativity through the middle.

The Gunners’ no.10 Mesut Ozil is a forgotten man at London Colney as he’s been named as a shock absentee from their Europa League squad this week whilst there’s only so much you can ask Dani Ceballos to do.

Perhaps, at least until January, Arteta could dip into the club’s promising academy set-up for backup and there’s one name that stands out like a sore thumb – Charlie Patino.

Named in this year’s ‘Next Generation’ list on the Guardian, the 16-year-old has been lauded as a “generational talent” capable of reaching the very top.

Patino was poached from Luton Town aged just 11, thus resulting in lofty comparisons to Jack Wilshere, who was handed an Arsenal debut at 16 by Arsene Wenger.

Maybe the young sensation could become Arteta’s version of the former England maestro.

“With my knowledge of players coming through the Academy, I truely feel that Charlie is the best I have seen; even better than Jack Wilshere”

John Williamson to Gunnerstown.

It’s claimed that some believe Patino can dictate the game further forward in a number ten role, drawing similarities to Man City’s Phil Foden – a player coached by Arteta during his time under Pep Guardiola.

And the shrewd Gunners chief is evidently already a fan as the youngster has already trained with the first-team as recently as last month. He’s also set to be promoted to the U23 squad before the summer, so that should provide further encouragement over his potential.

With so many fixtures to deal with this campaign, we could well see Patino make the step up earlier than anticipated. He’d be the next Hale End talent to feature, following in the footsteps of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah.

AND in other news, How Arteta can fit Thomas Partey into his starting XI after dramatic deadline day swoop…

From start to finish, Tottenham endured a miserable 90 minutes against Everton on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho’s side never really got out of first gear during the contest, with Jordan Pickford only having to make a couple of smart saves. The north Londoners managed just nine total shots, whilst they were comprehensively out-muscled all over the pitch – Everton made twice as many tackles and almost five times as many interceptions.

And whilst it was certainly a bad team performance on the whole – Mourinho even describing his team as being lazy in their pressing – one man in particular had a nightmare game for the Lilywhites.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…

World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%

Lucas Moura started the game on the right-hand side, but was about as anonymous as possible, with his 5.5 overall match rating by far the worst of anyone to play in the game.

The 5 foot 8 winger struggled to impose himself on the match, with the likes of Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure making sure any balls into his feet were snuffed out.

He lost possession 21 times – the most of any Spurs player – and lost 14 of the 16 duels that were contested on the ground. Put simply, Lucas was just far too much of a lightweight in a game that Mourinho would surely have called for intensity and aggression.

Out of everyone wearing a white shirt, it was the £80k-a-week ace who looked completely short of match sharpness and energy. Everton just overpowered him, with Lucas Digne’s over-lapping runs down the left flank forcing him back towards his own goal more often than not.

Spurs and Mourinho needed someone of his quality to be at it not only in an attacking sense, but in the basic principles. Anyone who has watched the All or Nothing documentary will have noted how much store the manager has put in making sure players give the maximum effort possible in every game and not to quit.

Sadly for Mourinho, Lucas did exactly that on Sunday.

Tottenham Hotspur are ready to do business this transfer window with Real Madrid duo Gareth Bale and Sergio Reguilon expected through the door and Daniel Levy could make one hell of a statement by adding a striker to that impressive swoop…

What’s the word?

According to the Express, Spurs boss Jose Mourinho wants to add Torino talisman Andrea Belotti to his squad to resolve their attacking problems before next month’s deadline.

They claim that the north London outfit are trying to secure the 26-year-old on an initial loan deal but the Serie A outfit want in excess of £50m for his services.

It’s no secret that the Portuguese boss is desperate for a second option upfront after Harry Kane’s injury last season exposed a serious lack of squad depth.

Just imagine…

Well, Spurs securing one of the most lethal finishers in Europe would certainly be one huge way to end their striker nightmare and he’d certainly be worth every penny of that £50m asking price.

Across the Serie A and Europa League last season, the Italian marksman bagged a whopping 22 goals in 42 appearances. He also averaged 3.2 aerials won, 2.9 shots, 1.3 dribbles and 1.2 key passes per game, via WhoScored, showing he’s more than just a prolific goalscorer.

Belotti can bring others into play and clearly provides relentless work rate – something echoed by Torino president Urbano Cairo, who labelled him a “real captain” who’s “dragging us through games.”

Meanwhile ex-England boss Fabio Capello once claimed that Belotti was “one of the best strikers in Europe,” before adding: “He knows how to move, he basically knows how to do everything. He’s fast, technically skilled and is probably better than [Gabriel] Batistuta.”

His playing style has been likened to that of Jamie Vardy, Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko – even Sergio Aguero due to his movement off the ball.

Spurs’ recent freebie arrival Joe Hart is also a huge fan having enjoyed a loan spell in Turin back in 16/17 – “It’s hard to compare him to someone else because he’s special. He’s Belotti and that’s it,” he said.

Mourinho isn’t going to get a better all-round forward to provide genuine competition to Kane than Belotti, so he should absolutely push for Levy to seal this deal.

Just imagine a frontline of Bale, Son, Kane and Belotti. It would be an absolutely terrifying prospect for their league rivals.

AND in other news, Spurs could secure Mourinho his next Diego Costa with £5m swoop…

The founder of football data consultants MRKT have questioned the future of Will Grigg at Sunderland, claiming that he does not fit Phil Parkinson’s system.

After moving to the Stadium of Light in January 2019, the striker has had the spotlight firmly on him, seeing his move from Wigan Athletic much documented via Netflix series Sunderland Til I Die.

Featuring regularly for the Black Cats through the 2019/2020 season, the 29-year-old has failed to find consistent form, with just one goal and one assist to his name last term.

Reports claimed earlier this summer that Sunderland were willing to listen to offers for Grigg, who is valued at £1.08m by Transfermarkt.

With Sunderland now preparing for the 2020/21 season, Ram Srinivas, who is the co-founder of MRKT Insights, spoke to Roker Report about Grigg’s future at the club.

“It’s difficult for me to say how exactly to get the best out of Will Grigg, given he doesn’t particularly suit Parkinson’s system. Ideally he’d be loaned somewhere for six months to recoup value and/or confidence when he scores goals, because he will, somewhere.

“Gooch, O’Nien, Hume, Maguire and Wright is a good enough core to build the squad around with the likes of Embleton, Kimpioka (if he re-signs) and Diamond looking to prove themselves – hopefully they will have the opportunities to.”

Sunderland’s League One rivals Shrewsbury Town are said to have pulled out with their reported interest in Grigg over the last few days.

Grigg is best off leaving Sunderland now and it is best for the club to end the relationship. A lack of goals and minimal impact makes his involvement next season seem rather unlikely.

Selling him could prove difficult, however, especially with the salary cap being introduced in the English Football League, which may preclude many clubs at that level from being able to afford his wages.

Do you think Will Grigg can improve next season, Sunderland fans? Let us know your views in the comments section below…